She had gotten what she wanted, hadn’t she?

Earlier that day River had been contemplating taking out a small loan to afford a perfume of protection. The online sellers didn’t offer a sample, but River had managed to secure one for free.

A cloud of scent that clung to her, all around, and registered in her brain, innately, as alpha. It was unique, too, not just any alpha. There were hints of sage and mint that claimed the scent as Elliott's. That claimed her as Elliott's. The thought brought a flush of heat to her cheeks, chest and belly.

The difference was noticeable immediately in those around her. In the coffee shop she loitered in between lectures, the personal space she was afforded by every non-submissive in the establishment was doubled. Some avoided eye contact; all avoided physical contact like their lives depended on it. If the scent were real, maybe it did. Alphas were naturally the largest people in any room, and had a territorial tendency that sane betas didn't mess with. Not that Elliott would be rushing to defend River’s honour if she smelled another dominant on her. River had the protection of her scent, but it was an empty threat that permeated her pores. That was all she needed - all she had been browsing for: a skin-deep layer of defense.

The dominant beta on the till smiled nervously at her when she tapped her card. River smiled back, tucking a curl behind her ear, and let the people part for her as she approached the end counter to collect her order.

Rosebud tea tucked between her hands, she basked in the peace of a whole table to herself outside the shop. The best spot to enjoy the slow oncoming of spring. The air was briskly cold and energising, and the sun was shining its best through the clouds. There was no season as perfect as spring, not to River, at least.

In the calm of the scene around her, her mind quickly slipped back to her.

Elliott. River didn’t know her family name, although it was rumoured they were rich or royal or both. What reason did she have to do it? She didn’t actually need the money. River didn’t have to be able to identify designer brands specifically to know her clothes were of a much higher quality than her fellow students. Sweaters that felt soft and warming just to look at, crisp shirts underneath that River wondered if a maid pressed for her, and perfectly tailored trousers. Quiet wealth sewn onto a quiet young woman.

River had never spoken to her beyond polite small talk. Very brief. Yet, when her throat had been pressed against hers, she could feel their heartbeats pulsing against each other. It was the most intimate gesture River had ever received. And she was almost a stranger. Coated in a stranger’s scent, how shameful! She could hear her mother’s horrified voice in her head. It wasn’t her fault, though, Elliott had acted fully of her own choosing. Really, River should be offended. Maybe even report her for touching her inappropriately.

But she had gotten what she wanted, hadn’t she?

She thought of the girls, of the bowling night, and let herself smile. It would be fun to hang out with everyone, and she hadn’t gone to a bowling alley since she was a kid - when whole-class birthday parties were still the norm. And she would be safe. Wrapped in the protective scent of a dominant - an alpha, no less - she didn’t need to be as suspicious despite the sketchy area. She probably would still be… that was just common sense. She nodded at her wobbly reflection in her tea cup. Better safe than sorry.

The sun warmed her cheeks, but the chilly air was quick to remind her that spring wasn’t officially arriving for another fortnight. River pulled her chunky cardigan tighter around her. She was so ready for the flowers to bloom and the sky to clear and-

“River! How are you, darling?”

River snapped her face from being nose-deep in her tea-cup to blinking at a familiar face, fighting to put a name to it.

“Heather!” she recalled, just in the nick of time. Member of the Afternoon Tea Society, of which River was only really an honorary member these days. In first year she had been more heavily involved, now she paid her year’s membership and attended the few events she could fit into her schedule. Heather was vice-president, though, and always trying to bribe River to give the society more of her time.

Heather was already approaching so fast that River didn’t have time to warn her. “Goodness, that’s quite a scent you’re carrying!” she announced loudly, drawing the eyes of all nearby patrons.

It was no longer the sun warming River’s face.

“Keep this seat free for me, I need a mocha before I hear all about this new partner of yours!”

“It’s not-”

She was gone. Disintegrated into the bustle of the coffee shop. River sipped her tea nervously, searching for an easy way to explain her predicament. A pot of petals and buds was all that remained when Heather slid in beside her.

“Tell. Me. Everything,” she demanded.

“It was an accident.”

Heather snorted. “Some alpha accidentally covered you in their scent? River, it’s coming off you in waves.”

“I’m just hot!”

“You’re wearing a summer dress with a cardigan,” Heather replied, deadpan. “In winter.”

“Spring is on its way!” River argued. She would rather get in a pointless bickering match than try to explain her embarrassing predicament with Elliott.

“I would be out here in a snow suit if it wasn’t so difficult to pee in,” Heather admitted with a shiver. She sipped on her mocha, dramatically warming herself and sighing afterwards. “Back to the most important issue at hand - who is this alpha?”

River shrugged. “Just a girl in one of my classes.”

“And you’re what? Dating?”

“No.”

“Having a fling?”

“No.”

“Friends with benefits?”

“We’re not even friends.”

“Oh my god, did she force herself on you?”

“No!”

Heather dropped back against her seat. “I’m lost.”

“Me too,” River admitted.

She felt the scrutiny pressing in on her as Heather bounced her brows while taking a loud slurp of her drink.

“It was just a misunderstanding, but it will fade soon,” River said as sternly as her voice would allow. Hoping Heather took the hint of finality. “I’m much more interested in what you’ve been up to. I have to get going for my next class in-” she checked her phone, “-fifteen minutes, but fill me in with everything you can until then.”

Heather grinned. “Mission accepted!”

×

Returning to campus, River felt like a stranger. The heavy scent of alpha caused stumbles in passers-by, brought cautious glances from those that didn’t know her, and sly smiles from those that did. She had expected the scent of a dominant to ward people away, not draw their interest inwards. She wasn’t prepared for the attention. She hurried her steps, arriving to her final class of the day flushed and sweating - bringing about a new wave of strength to the scent mark clinging to her.

There was no opportunity to chit-chat, the lecture starting as she dropped her butt into a seat, so those fascinated by her new perfume slipped notes from all directions for the entire duration of the introduction.

Who's the lucky alpha? xoxo JJ

When were you going to tell me you were seeing someone?? - Honeysuckle

Girl, you stink. Love that for you. Catch up over coffee soon? Em x

More and more of the same sentiments. River tucked them into her notes folder and refused to write back. She didn't know how to address it, what the story should be. The truth was too embarrassing. She needed to concentrate, her tutor was definitely saying lots of interesting things, if only she could ignore the eyes on her, the scraps of paper invading her fold-out desk...

The moment they were dismissed, River bolted, trailing scraps in her wake.

Two of the girls were waiting for her outside. The worry scrunching their faces told her that their partners had already given them the forewarning about River’s new odour.

Willow was Ilex’s girlfriend, and a fellow member of the Hedgehog Housing Group that River volunteered with. They did not have any activities that evening. Beside her, Savannah (Rowan’s girlfriend) stood with her hands on her hips. River occasionally helped out with costume and prop making for the Cosplay Society, of which Savannah was a member, but she hadn’t been informed of any projects in the works for her to lend her paintbrush to.

“Hey,” River croaked. She felt like a child, about to be scolded by her mothers. The rest of the class were invading at her back. "Can we talk about this somewhere private?"

"Of course."

They walked in a line to an unlocked study room, keeping watch for following eavesdroppers, and brought the blind down on the door behind them.

“The boys told you what happened, I take it?”

“Oh, River,” Willow gasped. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I told them I was fine. Everything is fine.”

"How can you be?" Savannah asked, her voice soft and her eyes pitiful. "An omega getting scented on by some alpha she barely knows! It's disgraceful! And what could someone in your position do?" She was riling herself up, preaching to River and a sorrowful-looking Willow. "We should be protecting the vulnerable members of our society! I'm so disappointed in the boys-"

“I was asking for it-”

“Don’t you say that!” Savannah was trembling. “It doesn’t matter what you were wearing or how-”

“No, I mean that literally, Savannah.”

Savannah froze, a finger in the air. “What? You asked her to scent mark on you?”

“Not exactly.” The good deed of the boys keeping her perfume browsing to themselves would have to be tossed away, unfortunately. Along with River’s dignity. “We were just joking about those scent perfumes in those weird adverts.” Willow and Savannah pulled faces of disgust and River nodded along with them. “It led to how much the guys would charge for their stink, and I said something about finding someone and getting a good deal.” She sighed. “Elliott gave me what I asked for - she scent marked me for free.”

"Still!" Savannah huffed. "She should have explicitly asked for your consent!"

"Sure, but if the offer was phrased nicely I probably would have taken it, so it's a non-isssue." She wasn't sure that was entirely true, but she also felt like she hadn't had a moment to breathe and process the day's events since the infamous scent marking occurred. Everyone else wanted to dig into her feelings before she could. Even her relaxing tea time had been interrupted.

Maybe in the morning she would be angry at Elliott. Maybe she would feel violated.

For now, she could only focus on bowling and the chance to be a part of the group that was going. It was easier than dissecting power dynamics and her difficult relationship with them as an omega.

"If you change your mind, though, if you decide she didn't give you enough time to consider or enough warning, we'll be right by your side to report her."

"Thank you, I do appreciate it, I just need to settle into my new stink, I think."

The girls laughed awkwardly. They weren't convinced by her assurances, just as their boyfriends hadn't been.

"It's really something, River," Willow said with a head shake. "Alpha scent marking is way more intense than I thought."

Savannah crinkled her face up. "Yeah, it's like your body is telling our noses to fuck off."

They laughed again, the tension finally melting.

"It's going to take some getting used to, but in a week it will have faded," River said, hoping she was right. She didn't actually know much about scent-marking beyond the basics, but Daria had been in dire need of Sky's scent when he went away on a family holiday and her mark from him began to fade. The girls had joked that it was an addiction.

"Fine, but remember, we're always ready to leap into action, unlike those useless boys," Savannah grumbled.

"They were taken by surprise," River offered in their defence. "They're good guys."

"Well, we've told them they need to be much more protective of you in the future," said Willow. River fought off a groan, being babied for being an omega was the last thing she wanted. "Although, Elliott's scent has probably got you covered for the meantime."

"That was a terrible pun and I'm leaving," River teased. She didn't want them to see how desperate she was to get home, to curl up in bed and press her face into her pillows and replace Elliott's scent with her own. She needed a moment of nose normalcy. As extroverted as she was, it had been a strange day, and her social battery had been punctured by Elliott's scent and its effect on everyone in a ten-metre radius.

They walked her out and offered to keep her company all the way home, which she refused with gratitude, and said goodbye.

On the walk out of the centre of town where campus sat, she checked her phone and found she had been added to yet another group chat.

culture of curation project

Every word of the chat name was punctuated by an emoji, and River smiled at the one that must be her: a flower. Sky had to be the cloud, Rowan the tree, and Ilex the wave (he liked to surf on his school breaks, and there were no Christmas wreath emojis). Their group assignment was a project on the culture of curation in their chosen time period, they had chosen their time period... and gotten little else done in class.

Instead of a discussion of their topic and how they were going to divide the work, the chat was filled with apologetic messages - possibly typed under the noses of very angry girlfriends.

River wrote a quick response, reminding them once again that she was fine. She added that they hadn't done anything wrong and that she just needed them to not treat her any differently. She wasn't just talking about the scent, she didn't want them acting like bodyguards because the girls were panicked about an omega getting touched by an alpha.

She closed the chat, turned her music up a little, and hurried home. Her housemates called out greetings that she returned but didn't stop to chat. In her room she flung her bag to the floor, locked the door, and collapsed.

Tomorrow, Thursday, she promised herself a mental health day, she needed to hide under her bed for at least twenty-four hours. She began drafting her profuse apology to the fencing club for not being able to help them make up numbers for their friendly competition the next afternoon. River didn't fence, but she also never said no to a friendly favour. Plus, they had promised her that she would be shown how to not injure herself or others beforehand. Her message was nine lines long and extremely apologetic, and they would still probably assume she'd chickened out... She frowned at her phone. She really would never let them down if she didn't have a good reason. Maybe just a half day for mental health would be enough?

She would decide tomorrow. One night wasn't going to get them an alternate, she had already left it far too late. The message remained a draft.