Chapter 15 Faye #2
She finally releases me, enabling oxygen to flood into my lungs.
“Do you want to be alone?” she asks, leading me inside. “Kady and Delilah are both upstairs in the den. We thought you might want some company. I know whenever I’m coming down after a heat, I’m exhausted but want to be close to people.”
Prior to SVU, I’d have thought being alone would be my preference. However, being surrounded by the Stellas is exactly what I need right now.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
In the cuddle den, there seems to be even more blankets and cushions than usual.
Lavender candles are burning, intermingling with the scent of the Stella sister balm that always hangs in this space, creating a Zen vibe.
It’s like weight is lifted off my shoulders when I see Delilah and Kady lounging around, snacking on freshly baked cookies. Delilah jumps up when she sees me.
“Faye!” Delilah fusses around me like a mother hen. “Come sit here. It’s so comfortable.”
She pushes me onto a giant, lilac beanbag that melds to my body as I sink into it. Kady drapes a fluffy blanket over me, then we all get comfortable.
“Drink this.” Kady passes me a water bottle. “It’s full of electrolytes and vitamins to hydrate you. Those heat patches make you thirsty with a capital T.”
“Thank you.” Now that she mentions it, my mouth and tongue feel like coarse sandpaper. After taking a glug, I feel instant relief. “Much better.”
“I feel awful, Faye.” Kady turns to face me. “It’s all my fault. I recommended those suppressants. They’ve never failed me before, but I already have a letter of complaint ready to—”
“It’s not your fault,” I interrupt before she decides to file a lawsuit and put the manufacturer out of business. “I don’t think the suppressants are the problem.”
A shadow falls over Kady’s features, and Delilah leans in closer, playing with my hair, which helps calm me further.
Should I tell them that the Silverwood Pack thinks we’re scent matches? I need to speak to someone about it, but Laz is Sabs’s brother. Will she find it weird or be mad?
“Are you allergic to them?” Kady asks. “Did you throw up after taking them? Sometimes that can have an impact.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Oh boy.” Delilah exhales slowly, a knowing smile playing on her lips like she can read my mind. “I had a feeling you might be.”
“Might be, what?” Sabs asks. “What’re you talking about?”
Delilah arches one feathery eyebrow in my direction, like she has a secret, but her smile reassures me that this is a safe place.
“The Silverwood Pack seem to think that, maybe, I may be their…” I struggle to get the words past the lump in my throat. “They think I’m their scent match.”
Sabs squeals, falling off her cushion with a thud. “They what?!”
“I knew it!” Delilah claps her hands. “I picked up on your chemistry at the costume party.”
“Heat suppressants have been known to fail around scent matches.” Kady nods, putting everything together. “Obviously, it’s rare, but it explains why you went into heat unexpectedly.”
“I don’t know what to think.” I rub my temples. “Are scent matches even real?”
“Of course they are,” Delilah says. “Bree, our last Stella sister, had one. She says they’re more powerful than anything.”
“Let’s be rational about this. There could be another explanation.” Kady jumps in, eager to approach the matter scientifically. Her analytical mind is exactly what I need. “None of them were there the first time you had a heat spike in the greenhouse, right?”
“Actually, Ren was in the greenhouse with me. I didn’t say anything at the time because I was embarrassed.” I cringe. “On my way back from the greenhouse, I ran into Laz here, but I didn’t read into it. I’d only just met them. But they all seem pretty convinced by it.”
“Hold up, a second!” Sabs has been uncharacteristically quiet until this point. “You and the Silverwoods? You and my brother?!”
“I’m so sorry, Sabs.” I’ve been bracing myself for her reaction. “Is that weird?”
“Weird?” She guffaws. “I mean, I don’t want to hear about any of the sordid details because ew! But this is amazing! If you were the Silverwood’s omega, we’d basically be family.”
She seems even more excited than I am.
“Slow down, Sabs.” Kady tsks. “We don’t even know what Faye thinks yet.” She turns her attention back to me. “Do you think you’re a scent match, Faye?”
“I don’t even know them.” I shrug. “I mean, they smell amazing, and I can’t really describe what it’s like when we’re together. It’s like some kind of invisible force is pulling us together.”
“And they helped you through your heat.” Delilah waggles her eyebrows. “How was it? Sex during heat is pretty great anyway, but with your scent matches, they say it’s out of this world.”
“Spare me the dirty details!” Sabs covers her ears.
“Actually…” I gaze at the sparkling lights, wringing my hands. “We didn’t do anything. Well, not like that anyway. They just stayed with me. I guess Laz did give me a foot rub—”
“A foot rub?” Kady’s jaw drops. “That’s it?”
“It was a good one,” I reply, coming to Laz’s defense. “But they didn’t want to take advantage, even if I was a little needy.” I cover my face with a cushion at the memory of me begging for their knots.
“They’re good guys,” Sabs says proudly.
“It wouldn’t have been easy for an alpha to deny their scent match during heat.” Kady nods. “Pretty impressive.”
“Are you going to see them again soon?” Delilah asks.
“I really don’t know what comes next. I do want to see them again, but it’s just a lot to process. I never expected this to happen.”
“They won’t pressure you.” Sabs takes my hand. “Although they’re a pain in the ass sometimes, they’ll go at your pace. However slow or fast you want to take it.”
Her reassuring words make me smile. “Thanks for talking it out with me.”
We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I already feel like we’ve been friends forever.
They’re all unique. Sabs is bold and not afraid to say what she thinks.
She inspires me to do crazy things and just have fun.
Kady’s super intelligent, yet she cares deeply for those she loves and is a person you’d want in your corner when things get tough because she’ll fight for what’s right.
Delilah is the most similar to me. Her compassionate nature makes her empathetic and incredibly sensitive to others’ emotions, making it easy for her to know what to do to make them feel better.
“Whatever happens, we’ll be here for you,” Sabs promises.
“You know, you probably should be prepared for another heat,” Kady remarks. “From what I know about scent matches, your heat could strike any time you’re around them, so you’ll need to be armed with patches.”
“My gram could make me something to help,” As soon as the words leave me, my heart sinks. “But I can’t tell her yet. Not about this.” I grimace at the thought. “She’s not exactly a fan of alphas.”
Delilah tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. “She’s not an omega too?”
Designations often run in families, but it’s not always the case, especially with omegas as they’re so rare.
“No,” I answer her. “My mom was the first omega in our family. Mom’s dad was an alpha traveler who passed through town, so we don’t know much about his side of the family. Good riddance, or so Gram says.”
“So that’s why she doesn’t like alphas,” Kady infers.
“That’s one reason, but there’s more to it than that. It’s complicated.” After speaking to them about the Silverwoods, I feel ready to open up to them fully. “A pack of alphas murdered my parents.”
Delilah’s eyes fill with tears as she lunges for my free hand. Sabs squeezes my fingers tightly, and Kady gasps in horror.
“I’m so sorry, Faye,” Sabs murmurs. “I knew you got a little jumpy around alphas, but if I’d understood why, I never would’ve pushed you to come to the costume party.”
“Don’t be silly. I wanted to go,” I try to reassure her.
“It happened a long time ago, when I was a baby. Mom was an omega, and Dad was a beta. A drunk pack came through Clover Hollow one night. They got aggressive when they caught Mom’s scent.
My dad stepped in to protect her, then things got out of control. ”
“That’s awful.” Sabs looks horror-stricken. “I’m so sorry, Faye.”
“My mom died when I was five.” Kady gently pats my knee. “Cancer.” She shakes her head sadly. “Losing a parent is hard, but to lose them in the way you did… I can’t even imagine."
“They caught the pack who did it, but them spending their lives in prison doesn’t bring them back.
” I’ve carried around grief my entire life, so I’ve almost become numb to it.
“Although I don’t remember either of them, Gram talks about them all the time and how in love they were.
I think she secretly hoped I’d be a beta like my father.
It would have made my life easier,” I sigh.
“Gram has always done her best to protect me. She was worried about me coming to SVU and being around so many alphas, but I persuaded her that this was something I needed to do. How am I supposed to tell her I may have found a potential pack already?”
“You don’t have to tell her until you’re ready and you’re sure of what you want,” Kady comments. “You need time to figure this out.”
“I can’t imagine how scary it must have been coming here for you,” Delilah squeezes my hand. “You’re so strong.”
“I don’t feel it.” I blow out a long breath. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to act around the Silverwoods now. There’s no rule book for this, and packs have scared me until now.”
“I’ve been around alphas my entire life. Good alphas, like my dads and the Silverwood Pack,” Sabs says. “True alphas only want to protect and care for their omega. You’ll see that for yourself; the Silverwood’s will treat you like a queen, if you let them.”
“Damon wouldn’t,” I scoff. “He can’t stand being around me.”
“Typical Damon. He doesn’t know what’s good for him.” Sabs runs a hand through her red tresses in exasperation. “He acts tough, but he’s been through a lot. He needs someone like you even more than the others. Someone who will care for him, and someone he can take care of.”
“You didn’t see him, Sabs.” The bitter taste of rejection sits sour on my tongue. Even though the more intense emotions that came with my heat have tapered off, his earlier tirade still stings. “He was furious.”
“I saw how he looked at you at the costume party.” Delilah nuzzles into my shoulder. “A look like that doesn’t lie. He wants you, even if he’s not ready to admit it.”
I flop back onto the blankets, staring up at the ceiling while wondering what the Silverwood Pack is thinking right now. Are they feeling as lost and confused as I am?