1 The Stranger

"Yes, they have that Greek yogurt I wanted to eat."

Leo exclaimed as he moved away from his group of friends with whom he had arrived to check out the new store that had opened on the Main street. He moved to the dairy aisle and gleefully picked up atleast half a dozen yogurts to dump in the store basket.

His university friends had all wanted to check out this store that had recently opened up just in front of the Uni, and though he was reluctant at first, he was glad he had decided to come with them and give it a try.

This place had multiple other snacks from foreign brands that were perfect for late night munchings as he worked on his uni homework and illustrations. Getting a job as an Illustrator that paid well was a hard task and he spent mostly all his free time sketching or painting to create a great portfolio.

Being an omega wolf, he had to take extra care of his health and body and go on daily runs, that he always scheduled for evenings or late nights because he detested waking up early, and keep his human friends away on certain days of the month. But that was just part of life as a 23 year old student keeping up with his grades and last year of uni.

Leo was roaming around the aisles and looking for snacks to buy when he felt sudden chills on the back of his neck. Becoming paranoid, he looked around for the source. His heat had already passed for this month so he was sure that he wasn't exuding any pheromones to attract any Alpha yet he still kept his guard up and turned around.

There!

He noticed a tall, brooding and attractive stranger staring at him intently, without blinking. Though most of his body was blocked by the aisle in front him, Leo still noticed that the man had wide shoulders with bulging biceps, a lean neck with full lips dark eyes and dark brown hair. He was handsome in way that knocked the wind out of Leo. The expression on his face was a weird combination of disbelief, unhappiness, anger and maybe a little..hope?

Strange.

Even after making eye contact with Leo, he was not looking away. It was obvious he was an Alpha. Pretending that the strange man's intense stare was not bothering him and was probably even directed at someone else, Leo kept walking down the aisle and took the turn that would put more distance between them. Trying to remove himself from the direct sight, Leo joined his friends group who were already at the checkout and mixed his snacks with theirs to speed up the process.

As soon as he had paid for his share, he bolted towards the exit but his steps faltered when he saw the strange man already there waiting for him. Fear crawled up his body until he reminded himself that he was in a very public place with a whole group of friends who would surely not let him be kidnapped, if it came to that.

Exhaling, he moved forward to open the door, but was stopped when the man placed his hand on Leo's wrist, holding the door's handle. Gazing at the man's hand first, Leo moved his eyes up and looked at the man holding him. Before he could even breathe, the man said in a firm voice, "Mate."