Chapter 14 Cole
FOURTEEN
Cole
She smells homey, like fresh clothes drying in a summer breeze.
And also like wildflowers, a scent that when combined with her slick brings out another side to me.
The warm vanilla and honeycomb smells are so sweet and decadent, making me want to dive between her thighs and devour her like a dessert.
Instead, I stay as still as I can, watching as she snuggles into Ren’s chest. I’d love to run my fingers through her golden hair, the highlights shining under the flickering fairy lights make it look almost auburn.
Her pink heart-shaped lips part when she snores—a fact that I’m sure she’d be mortified about but I find adorable.
Upon arrival, she seemed terrified. She struggled to look at me initially, her fear-filled eyes ping-ponging everywhere as her lower lip trembled.
I could sense that she was afraid to trust us, but she also desperately wanted to…
or, at least that’s how I read her body language.
And when she straight up started begging for a knot. Well, fuck.
Seeing her with Ren now makes my heart swell with pride. Ren has always struggled to find his place, to be truly comfortable with his designation. He once confided in me how he sometimes wished he was a beta because he didn’t feel like a true alpha. Then Belle came along and made him feel worse.
Belle was the last omega we considered as a potential match for our pack. She outwardly rejected him, refusing to join our pack if he remained part of it. She took what little confidence he had and crushed it beneath her heel.
However, I’m seeing a completely different side to him today, and it’s all thanks to the fragile omega who stumbled into his arms, marking him as her safe place. She brought out his protective instincts and forced him to step up. She’s exactly what he needs.
When Ren told us he’d found his scent match, I was sure he was mistaken.
First, because scent matches are so rare.
Second, I figured Ren—a hopeless romantic at heart—might have misread some signals.
Yet the moment I saw her, I knew she was going to be ours.
She is the omega we have been waiting for.
Even Laz—who can barely stop joking around for two minutes—was running around the house like a chicken with his head cut off while trying to gather supplies to help her.
I’ve never seen him care about an omega or what an omega thinks of him before today.
Her scent has wrapped itself around our hearts, and now she’s holding them in her tiny hands.
As a pack, we’re intrinsically linked. But because we’re all so different, I thought the chance of us finding an omega who could give us all what we need was slim to none.
Hence why I’d opted for an arranged match with Belle.
Belle’s father—a senator with significant influence—is friends with my dad, so it made sense on paper.
Belle ticked all of my father’s boxes, and our match would have furthered his business interests.
Unfortunately, she was arrogant, shallow, and cold.
There was no romantic spark or ounce of attraction between any of us, and the way she treated Ren was just plain cruel.
So far, Faye seems like Belle’s total opposite, and I’m desperate to know more about the shy omega in our arms. I try to glean all I can from the information I have on hand.
Her dress has been patched a few times. I can tell it’s been intricately handsewn back together, showing that she either prefers to fix things rather than throw them away or doesn’t have enough money to buy new ones.
She seems to hate being an inconvenience and is super appreciative.
I mean, she even cried at Laz’s thoughtfulness.
All of which makes me think she needs a pack of alphas to treasure her and show her true care.
I want us to be those alphas.
“I told you,” Ren whispers. He’s obviously transfixed by her; he hasn’t taken his hands or eyes off of her for hours.
I don’t blame him; there’s no denying that she’s stunning.
She has an incredible body—petite yet curvy in all the right places with a small waist and plump breasts.
A rosy glow blooms over her smooth, milky-white cheeks, her chocolate eyes seem wise beyond her years, and she has the cutest button nose that I want to kiss. “She’s incredible. Isn’t she?”
In her sleep, Faye stirs and reaches for my wrist. When she strokes my jumping pulse, I start reciting baseball stats in my head to stop myself from instantly getting hard. I don’t want her to wake up and think that she’s surrounded by a group of alphas who plan to take advantage of her.
“She’s…” I don’t want to get Ren’s hopes up yet. We don’t know whether Faye even wants to bond with a pack. “Certainly something.”
“You feel it too, don’t you? Our connection?” Ren doesn’t want to let this go.
Laz looks at me, hope filling his eyes. More than anyone, Laz wants and needs to be loved.
He’s from a big, close family, and he is beyond ready for an omega to complete our pack.
Unlike him, I’ve never known what it’s like to be surrounded by love, but every time we go to the Maverick house for holidays, I see the kind of family I’d like to have one day.
I don’t know my mother. She walked out when I was a baby and never looked back.
Being the one, “true” heir to the Silverwood dynasty, Dad did what he thought was best for me.
But he didn’t show me any real love. He made sure I received the highest-caliber education and the best of everything—clothes, vacations, toys—but all I ever really wanted was his time.
Unable to lie to my brothers, I confess, “Yes. I feel it too.”
Laz punches the air. “I knew it!”
Ren shushes him, and Laz mouths, “She’s our omega.”
“We don’t know her yet.” I drag my hand over my face. “We have to be cautious. We can’t blow this.”
“Cole’s right.” Ren’s nod causes Faye to stir in his arms. Once she’s snoring again, he continues. “Faye comes from a small town. She’s not used to being around people. Pack life may be too much for her. We can’t scare her off before she gets to know us.”
Laz tenderly covers her feet with the blanket, gazing up at her with complete adoration. All I’ve ever wanted for my brothers is for them to be truly seen and loved by a kind woman. Their happiness and safety are everything to me.
“But it’s a scent match!” Laz throws up his arms like that supersedes all else. “Why wouldn’t she want us?”
Ren rolls his eyes. “Typical Laz.”
“A scent match may not be enough for her,” I remind him, even though I already know that it’ll also crush me if we can’t make this omega ours. “And there’s still Damon to consider.”
Judging by his reaction earlier and how he stormed out, Faye isn’t the only one who’s likely to struggle with the consequences of what this match may mean.