It Started With a Scent

They Eight The Cake

The snow had calmed down enough by Friday for the diner to open up again.

Rachael was glad for all the wrong reasons. 

If she had been thinking straight, getting the text that told her to come into work would have put her in a foul mood. No matter how many times it happened, receiving a paid day off was a dream come true- getting money while lazing around at home, doing absolutely nothing. It was now she knew a certain somebody's shop was just around the corner from the diner that she was practically hardwired to desire being in that area at all times. 

Such a small thing had turned her priorities upside-down to the point where she was actually excited to go to work.

She was still sleeping peacefully at night, so she was certain that it was only the remainder of the bond that was causing her to daydream about walking into his shop and making conversation with him, or kissing him senseless. 

If things went to plan, in a couple days the bond would be fully dissolved and she would stop pining over him. 

She was happy. 

Now that she wasn't worried about making the bond any stronger, she could relax. As long as she kept her baser instincts under control, there would be no problem.

She had finally spoken to Denny and gotten her rota for the holidays, thankful to read that she had Christmas Eve until Boxing Day off work, meaning that she was able to speak to her mother about travelling back into the city to visit. She would have three days to spend with her pack and fix the bonds that were broken and by the time she returned back to her own house, things would be back to normal.

The lunch rush at the diner had just finished and business was slowing down, only a handful of people still hanging around. Rachael was able to laze around behind the counter, saying bye to Joe as he finished his shift and Tina signed in, and moving to wipe the occasional table.

"You look good today," Tina commented, joining her behind the counter.

She looked down at herself and frowned. She was in the usual blue and white diner dress code, wearing the most heavy duty pair of boots that she owned. Her hair was in a low ponytail, as was also the usual, and for once, she hadn't bothered to put on any makeup.

"I do?" She questioned, "thanks, I guess."

"Yeah." Tina said, eyes thinning into slits as they assessed her face. "You're practically glowing. Is it the bond?"

Rachael huffed, flicking her gaze up to the ceiling. "Why do you think it has something to do with that?"

"You always looked so tired before." Tina said.

"Wow. Thanks."

"Come on. I'm worried about you, Rach."

"I know," Rachael sighed. "Look, the bond is breaking okay. I hardly feel it anymore."

Tina looked confused. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"But are you really sure? When's the last time you saw Jason?" She asked.

Rachael frowned, the conversation was starting to feel like an interrogation and she didn't like it.

"I bumped into him, Silver and Alexa yesterday, at the coffee shop down the road, and sat with them for a little bit."

Tina looked exasperated. "Did he buy you any food?"

"Tina, is there a problem?" She finally hissed, annoyed by her friend's line of questioning. "Yes, he bought me a bagel but he bought one for Alexa too, so what's your point?"

Tina bristled, a growl slipping out from her lips. "Believe it or not, the big problem is your safety-" 

Rachael let out a biting laugh, "if you're going to say some crap about him being unbalanced or hating me- just don't." She cut in. "He's a grown man who should be able to control himself. I already told you the bond is breaking so shut up."

Tina's scent turned sour, eyes blazing with fire. 

"Kiss my ass, Rachael."

"Hell no."

A customer coughing in front of them caught their attention and they both swiveled to find an unimpressed woman staring at them, hand on her hip.

"I'm sorry." Tina said politely, not sounding at all like she was just in the middle of a fight. "How can I help?" 

As Tina spoke to the woman, the doors to the diner slid open and Jason walked in, causing Rachael to take a sharp inhale of breath. 

He made a beeline towards where the two girls were stood, looking so conflicted that Rachael could almost see a storm cloud brewing over his head.

Tina finished with the woman and spoke up just as he reached them. 

"Is there something wrong Jason?" She asked, sounding worried as she tilted her head down in submission.

Rachael was too busy reeling from his scent to do anything.

"No," he sighed, then lifted his hand up marginally, drawing their attention to the plastic bag he held. "Silver bought too much cake so I thought I'd... bring it here." He paused toward the end of his sentence, line between his forehead deepening. 

He glanced at Rachael then back to Tina.

"Oh!" Tina exclaimed, "that's nice of you. You do know you're seeing me and Graham this evening, right?"

He looked back to Rachael and her heart fluttered. 

For a moment, she couldn't remember why she wanted the bond to break in the first place. Because Tina said he wasn't normal or was there another reason?

Maybe because you formed a one-sided bond and he doesn't even like you in that way, idiot.

"Yeah." He said, looking frustrated but not moving from his place.

"Okay, well thanks." Tina said, shuffling forward like she was going to take the bag from him but hesitating. "Thanks, Jason." She said again when he didn't appear to be handing the bag to her.

Her omega dynamic required her to wait until he held it out and blatantly offered it to her, so she was forced to stand impatiently, fingers twitching.

He was still looking at Rachael and it took a minute for her to realise he was waiting for her to say something.

"Thanks Jason," were the words she finally formed. "What kind of cake is it?"

"Chocolate." He said gruffly, sounding more wolf than he had been before.

"Oh I love chocolate cake." She said truthfully, scent sweetening as the corners of her mouth lifted up in a smile.

Rachael reached out to take the bag, watching as his hand met her's halfway, the pad of his thumb lightly dusting over her knuckles as he transferred it over, leaving his scent on her skin.

Her knees wobbled slightly and he turned around, leaving the diner looking more grim than when he'd first entered.

Tina growled, spinning around and marching into the kitchen without another word, the smell of her indignation following her.

Rachael opened up the bag and broke off a bit of cake with her hand, popping it in her mouth with a happy moan.