The world of Quantico was usually a grating symphony of beta aggression and procedural noise for Will Graham. As an omega, he’d learned to make himself small, to fold his nature into the background to survive. But then she had transferred in, and the entire frequency of the place had changed.

She was the weirdest, nicest alpha he had ever met. There was none of the typical posturing, none of the aggressive scent-marking or territorial glaring. Her dominance was a quiet, calm thing, expressed through a startling kindness and a genuine, almost scholarly curiosity. It was disarming. It was, though he didn't know it, because she was simply a decent person from a world without dynamics, trying to navigate her new reality with the grace she’d always possessed.

And Will was plotting.

For the first time in his life, he felt a different kind of pull. It wasn't just his omega instincts recognizing a suitable alpha; it was a raw, personal attraction that had him, on more than one occasion, borderline undressing her with his eyes. He remembered their first real conversation. She’d been talking about flaws in the legal system, her intelligence sharp and compelling, but he’d been too busy preening, subtly adjusting his posture to appear more appealing, his scent blooming with a sweet, hopeful note he usually kept suppressed.

Then she’d done the most forward, amazing thing an alpha could do. She’d given him her number. Just like that. No games, no macho pretense. It was a gesture of such uncomplicated interest that it had short-circuited his brain.

Now, he spotted her again, across the open office space. His heart did a little flip. This was his chance. He pushed away from his desk and started toward her, his usual slouch replaced by a deliberate, fluid walk. He let his hips sway just a little, a subtle, omega invitation he’d never dared to make before. His gaze was locked on her, his entire being focused on this one, magnificent anomaly. He reached her desk, his scent, a blend of coffee and eager omega, preceding him. He looked down at her, a soft, uncharacteristically confident smile touching his lips.

“I was thinking about our conversation,” he said, his voice a little lower, a little softer than usual. “Maybe we could continue it over coffee?