Getting a Mate in Four Easy Steps

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

“Come on, Ro,” Rohan muttered to himself under his breath. “You can do this. You’ve waited for this moment for more than a week now. You’re a f*****g alpha. Don’t be a damn coward.”

It was easier said than done, though. Rohan could sniff out the multiple scents from all of the other alphas that permeated the room. Some smelled great, while others were less than pleasant. He was wearing a casual button-down red and black plaid shirt, and a pair of dark navy jeans. Maggie, the sweet female alpha who’d handled his application at the auction house from start to finish, advised him not to put on anything that would make him feel uncomfortable because he and all of the other alphas would be mingling with the clients, most of whom were omegas, for about two hours before the auction would begin. There were the rare few betas who attended the auction, as well. However, since the omegas were generally much wealthier, the chances of a beta obtaining a winning bid was slim to none.

“Hey, man. Are you okay?”

Rohan glanced to his left. A strange male alpha was smiling at him, but he had no idea who the man was. He tried not to frown as he nodded at the other alpha.

“Yeah. Just a little nervous,” Rohan admitted.

There was no point in denying it. He was certain the other alpha would be able to smell his anxiety easily.

“Is this your first time?”

“Yes. What about you?”

The unknown alpha’s grin widened. “Same.”

Rohan thought there might be a joke in there somewhere, but he didn’t get it. “Cool.”

“Diego Lawson.” The alpha offered his right hand.

Rohan grabbed Diego’s hand and shook it firmly. “Rohan Adams.”

“Nice to meet you, man.”

“You, too.”

“It’s a full house tonight,” Diego said while gesturing at the other alphas, most of whom were men.

“Plenty of competition,” Rohan responded dryly, and Diego chuckled.

“Maybe, but I’ve heard from my friend that some omegas will bid on and take home multiple alphas.”

“Your friend is an alpha, too?”

“Yes. His name is Jason.”

“Was he once an alpha participant like us?”

“He’s the one who recommended me to try my luck here.”

“I see. Will it be an issue for you if the omega who bids for you decides to bring home another alpha or two?”

“Nope,” Diego replied before winking at Rohan. “The more the merrier.”

“Same for me. Besides, if we don’t feel comfortable with the arrangement, we have the option of not signing the contract and waiting for another auction next month.”

Diego seemed like a great guy, and Rohan began to feel more at ease in the other alpha’s company. He studied Diego as discreetly as he could. Diego was in T-shirt and jeans, and he might only be two or three inches taller than Rohan, but he had to be somewhere between twenty to thirty pounds heavier, made up of hard, bulging muscle. He looked quite intimidating, but the combination of his dark brown eyes and hair reminded Rohan of an enormous yet adorable teddy bear. Rohan also had dark brown eyes, but his hair was black. He’d received quite a few compliments about his looks, but he also had a scowl on his face most of the time, and that turned people off. It didn’t help that he sucked at making small talk. He was startled out of his reverie when Diego lightly bumped against him.

“That’s true. In a way, this isn’t exactly an auction in the traditional sense.”

Before Rohan could respond, one of the employees at the auction house called out to the alphas and ushered them toward a massive room where, judging by the mixture of scents, several omegas and a few betas were already mingling with one another. Rohan did his best to be social as he approached one of the omegas. However, he was too apprehensive, and it was probably obvious to the omega because he noticed her smile was growing more strained by the second. Soon, she moved on to some of the other alphas, and he quickly made his way toward one of the beverage tables. He needed some liquid courage to get through the next two hours or so. He was reaching for one of the glasses of champagne when somebody else was trying to do the same, and he was taken aback.

He glanced at the other person, and he was instantly overwhelmed by multiple sensations. The stranger next to him might be six, seven inches shorter and probably sixty to seventy pounds lighter than him, but the incredibly fragrant combination of vanilla, grapefruit, and jasmine made his mouth water. It was quite a nice contrast to his own scent of sandalwood, ylang ylang, and lavender. Moreover, whoever the omega was, he was definitely one of the most unbelievably gorgeous men Rohan had ever laid eyes on. The omega had black hair and the most beautiful amber eyes Rohan had ever seen in his entire life, and he was so enchanted and captivated, it took him a moment to realize he was gaping at the stranger like a f*****g creep. He was mortified, and he could feel warmth suffusing his cheeks and ears. Fortunately, he had enough common sense to snatch the glass of champagne off the table and offer it to the omega.

“For you.”

The omega seemed to hesitate. There was even a flash of fear on the man’s face. Rohan cringed deep inside. He’d sounded really gruff and curt, and he had no doubt he must be sporting a rather terrifying expression. He cleared his throat in a hurry and attempted to school his features into something friendlier. Or at least he thought he did. However, the omega immediately took a step or two farther away.

“It’s okay. You can have it.”

“No!” Rohan exclaimed, and he grimaced when the omega appeared even more frightened, so he inhaled deeply as he tried once again. “I mean, no, it’s okay. There are many other glasses of champagne on the table. You can have this one.”

“But—”

“Please.”

Then Rohan waited for what felt like an eternity before the omega eventually accepted the glass and sipped the champagne. He was relieved when the omega slowly scooted closer. He also had to calm himself when the omega beamed at and sniffed him. The latter might just be in his imagination. He was aware omegas would usually rely on their sense of smell to detect danger or when they were interested in somebody as a potential lover and mate. He didn’t believe he was lucky enough to have such a gorgeous and sweet-smelling omega actually be attracted to him. Not when there were so many other alphas in the room. Nevertheless, a small part of him hoped that might be the case. Then the omega raised the glass of champagne slightly in his direction.

“Thank you for the champagne.”

“You’re welcome. I’m Rohan Adams. It’s really wonderful to meet you.”

The omega grinned. “Likewise. I’m Percy Watts.”

Rohan was slightly bewildered when Percy stared at him as if the omega was anticipating some kind of reaction. “Uh, okay. Y-you have a beautiful smile.”

Judging by Percy’s expression, he was definitely taken aback, and Rohan couldn’t understand the reason for that. He wondered if he might be missing something in the conversation.

“T-thank you.”

Rohan nodded. “You’re welcome.”

There was a brief stretch of silence between them afterward. Rohan racked his brain for something witty, but he failed to come up with a single thing. He grew apprehensive when the omega scooted even closer and tapped on his arm lightly.

“This will probably sound rather weird and rather conceited of me, but…uh, do you not recognize me?”

Rohan studied Percy’s face for a moment before shaking his head. “No, and I’m sorry. Are you a celebrity? Or maybe a famous businessman? I don’t think you’re one of our politicians because I enjoy politics sometimes, and I’m sure I would have remembered you if that was the case.”

Percy gasped softly before he abruptly chuckled. “This is very refreshing, and I’m really thankful for it.”

Rohan was even more bewildered. “I don’t get it.”

After that, he listened patiently as Percy explained what the omega did for a living, and he was both amazed and impressed. Most importantly, he was grateful Percy appeared not to mind being in his company. He knew he wasn’t the most social person, and his scowl often turned people off. When Percy was done, Rohan informed Percy he was both a barista and a bartender. He was busy with both of his jobs almost all of the time. Besides, he didn’t own a television. He couldn’t afford one. The only television he had access to most of the time was the one at the bar he worked at.

“I’m glad you don’t watch much TV,” Percy said. “And I mean that in the nicest way possible. You don’t have a preconceived notion of who I am, and I’m thankful because I’m definitely not as exuberant in real life as the image of me that’s portrayed on TV.”

“I like you,” Rohan blurted out, and he gaped in embarrassment when he realized what he’d just said. “I mean, I think you’re sweet, down to earth, and really nice.”

Percy blushed. “Thank you. You’re being kind.”

“It’s the truth, and you’re welcome,” Rohan responded while doing his best to suppress his excitement.

He wasn’t a complete failure after all. At the very least, there was one omega who liked him somewhat, and that was better than nothing. He was about to continue with the conversation when he smelled another alpha approaching, and that raised his hackles. He might not have memorized the mixture of scents from earlier on purpose, but he recognized that combination of cedarwood, honeysuckle, and lemon. It could only be Diego. A part of him was aware he didn’t have the right to monopolize Percy’s time and attention, but he couldn’t help his reaction. He was annoyed when Diego showed up next to him. He was even more irritated when Diego waved a hand at Percy.

“I’ve introduced myself to all of the omegas and betas in the room, but I saved the best for last. I’m Diego Lawson.”

Percy reddened even more. “Percy Watts.”

“Awesome. So, Percy, what do you do for a living?”

Once again, Percy was obviously astonished. He repeated his story to Diego. Rohan could only seethe internally as he stood quietly between Diego and Percy.

“You’re the second person tonight who doesn’t know who I am, and that’s fantastic. Some of your fellow alphas were rather overeager to get close to me, and they frightened me so I had to get away from them in a hurry.”

“Who’s the first person?” Diego asked, and Percy pointed at Rohan. “Oh, I see. Well, I’m a librarian, and as much as I hate to perpetuate the stereotype of someone in my profession, I prefer books to most of the shows on television. I really love to read. What about the two of you?”

“Absolutely into books myself,” Rohan replied, feeling relieved and thankful Diego finally gave him an opening to get back into the conversation.

“Me, too,” Percy added. “After a full day at work, I don’t want to go home and watch a TV program. It’s just too much for me.”

After that, the three of them started discussing their favorite books, but they discovered they enjoyed different topics for the most part. Rohan liked books about politics, wine, coffee, and various other beverages. Percy, being who he was, preferred books connected to his line of work, and maybe some romance, mystery, and horror, as well. Diego’s chosen genre wasn’t fixed. As long as it was a non-fiction book, he would probably give it a try. They conversed for several moments before Diego eventually excused himself and Rohan.

“We can’t monopolize Percy’s time and attention,” Diego whispered to Rohan as the two of them made their way toward a few other omegas who were gathered on the other side of the room. “It won’t be fair to the other alphas.”

Rohan knew Diego was right, but he was still pissed off at the other alpha for dragging him away from Percy. Nevertheless, he forced himself to open up and chat with the other omegas as best as he could. This time around, he was a lot more relaxed, and he was able to get through the various conversations much more smoothly. However, deep in his gut, he was aware he was already fixated on Percy. He hoped Percy also liked him enough to bid on him later. That would be a dream come true for him.