By the end of lunch, Arthur was utterly spent. His nervous system had been working overtime, trapped in a dizzying loop of anxiety and a strange, electric excitement every time Natalia glanced his way.
He was always a second too slow to look away, leaving him breaking eye contact in a cold sweat. He could have sworn her sharp eyes were mocking him. She was undeniably doing it on purpose, taking immense pleasure in watching him squirm.
"Hmph! She's just... terrifying," Arthur muttered to himself, flopping onto the living room couch. He let his book rest flat on his back, staring at the ceiling as he mentally tallied his embarrassments for the day.
It was deeply confusing. He had never reacted this way to an Alpha before.
Is it just because she's Uncle and Auntie's daughter? Because she belongs here? Arthur reasoned, trying to make sense of his racing heart. He was clueless about romance, but he understood baseline logic.
He was developing a crush. Or, at the very least, an intense fascination.
But why her? Was it because her connection to his foster parents made him feel inherently safe around her? Or because she felt familiar, despite the fact that they had barely spoken a word to each other?
Or... have I actually started giggling and crushing on an Alpha like one of my high school students? Oh, god. Arthur scoffed aloud at the thought, but it was the only explanation that fit. Why else would his blood run hot the second she entered the room?
Well... even if I do like her, there's no way she'd ever look at me like that, he mused, before pausing. Wait, she did look at me. A lot. But Natalia was refined, worldly, and independent; why would she ever choose someone like him when she could have anyone?
I just need to stop blushing every time she breathes. If she notices, she's going to completely misunderstand me, Arthur thought, pushing himself up from the couch to grab a glass of water.
Then, he froze.
He swallowed hard, his eyes helplessly tracking Natalia. She was sitting at the dining table with her back to him, typing away on her laptop. Her posture was flawlessly elegant. Arthur didn't want to stare. He desperately didn't want to blush. But his eyes independent of his brain traveled along the smooth cascade of her long dark hair, down to the curve of her wais-
"Are you quite finished staring?"
Arthur jumped out of his skin. Natalia's voice cut through the quiet room, her tone perfectly unreadable.
Shit! She saw me?
Panic flooded his chest. He tried to construct a coherent apology, but his vocal cords betrayed him, twisting his words into a spectacular stutter. "I-I'm s-sorry!"
It felt like he had practically shouted it. He was breaking out in a sweat, convinced there was no escaping the absolute mortification of the moment. What if she thinks I'm a pervert?
His panic escalated when Natalia slowly turned her chair around. She didn't say a word, merely resting her gaze on him, observing his breakdown. Arthur's fingertips began to tremble. Tears of sheer humiliation pricked the corners of his eyes, and he lowered his head, his voice cracking. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I'm so sorry."
A soft sob escaped him at the end of his apology. He felt completely miserable, utterly stripped of his professional dignity.
"Hey."
Arthur flinched. Natalia's voice was suddenly much closer than before. Before he could process her movement, the cool tips of her fingers brushed under his chin, gently but firmly tilting his face upward. He blinked through his tears, looking into her slightly frowning face.
"Why on earth are you crying?" she asked, her voice dropping to a cool, quiet register.
"I-I'm not," Arthur protested weakly, sniffing.
"Stop crying."
Arthur's jaw set, a spark of his usual stubbornness flaring through his embarrassment.
He glared at her, trying to look challenging despite his watery eyes. "I am not crying." He aggressively wiped his cheeks, but the defiance died in his throat when he saw the slow, wicked smirk blooming on Natalia's face.
He stunned into silence. A bizarre flash of internal pride hit him as she looked exactly as breathtaking as he had imagined when she smirked. It suited her features flawlessly.
God, she's gorgeous... and incredibly sexy.
Within a matter of seconds, Arthur was shamelessly staring at her lips again, entirely forgetting that he had been on the verge of a tearful breakdown moments prior. When sanity finally reloaded in his brain, he quickly dragged his gaze down, silently cursing his lack of self-control.
With a flutter of anticipation, he braced himself as her hand approached his face again. Her delicate fingers hooked under his chin once more, locking their eyes together and leaving him feeling entirely defeated.
"I thought you wanted to ask me something when you were staring earlier," Natalia explained, her voice remarkably calm and smooth. "I didn't mean to scare you when I called you out. I just wanted to know if you needed something."
Arthur's eyes darted frantically around the room, trying to break the spell of her gaze, but her hold on his chin kept him anchored. It was then that he noticed a subtle shift in the air. A rich, heavy wave of Alpha pheromones had quietly enveloped them, wrapping around him like a warm blanket.
It was soothing, instantly melting the tight knots of anxiety in his chest. Is she... trying to comfort me?
Arthur's shoulders dropped as he relaxed, realizing she wasn't angry with him, nor had she consciously clocked that he was completely enchanted by her. However, the pheromones meant to pacify him soon lit a entirely different kind of fire in his blood.
Her scent was crisp, sweet, and wonderfully chilled.
Like ice cream, Arthur thought, his inner Omega practically purring. Delicious.
Horrified by his own scandalous thoughts, Arthur violently shook his head to clear it, earning a low, amused chuckle from the Alpha standing over him.
Natalia watched his expressions fluctuate, finding him more captivating by the second. Every time she interacted with him, he somehow managed to get cuter, especially with that vibrant blush permanently painted across his soft cheeks.
Watching him fluster gave her a profound sense of satisfaction. She wanted to tease him thoroughly, but she had to restrain herself, if she pushed too hard, he looked like the type to run straight to her mother to complain.
He was clearly Kelly's precious boy.
Letting out another soft laugh, Natalia finally released his chin and stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you want something?"
"Huh?" Arthur blinked, his cheeks still burning as a look of total confusion took over.
"You were staring at me," Natalia repeated, her eyes dancing with intrigue. "Do you need something from me?"
She watched him swallow hard, his eyes doing everything possible to avoid her. "N-no! No. I-I'm really s-sorry to have disturbed you..."
Natalia gave a slow nod and let out a soft sigh, finally giving him permission to relax. Arthur let out a breath so loud and theatrical that Natalia couldn't help but smile. This guy was a walking entertainment center.
She began to turn back toward her laptop, realizing he was out of the danger zone. She dialed back her pheromones, seeing that his breathing had regulated, even if his face was still bright red. But she couldn't resist throwing one last parting shot over her shoulder.
"If you ever want something, just talk to me. Do you understand, baby boy?"
Natalia felt that familiar, wicked rush of satisfaction as Arthur froze mid-step, his mouth falling open as his brain scrambled to process the nickname.
Safe to say, his inner dignity was deeply offended.
"W-what?! I am not a baby boy!!"