56. Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Five
Scarlett
Stepping out of Sapphire’s sensible shoes at the side of the lake, I find myself gazing at her reflection on the surface of the water. All I can see is a quiet, restrained woman who was never meant to be on a desert island with a rock band.
The weight of a decision hangs over me, and it’s heavier than I thought it would be.
I could sit down and dangle my feet into the water, play pretend as if it still matters, or I could take the leap and reveal my true self to Trick.
That crazy dream I had in the jet was telling me to be myself, and I thought it was just giving me the answer I wanted to hear, so I did my best to ignore it.
Even if all I’ve wanted since before I got to the airport was to be me.
I’ve been trying so damn hard to remember what I’m supposed to be here to do.
I know how much Sapphire’s job means to her, and I didn’t want to screw that up.
I still don’t, but my instincts are telling me nothing can go wrong if I show them who I am.
The truth is, they don’t know either of us, and, if I keep up this charade, they never will.
I don’t want that.
Honestly, I’m a little fuzzy on what I do want, but I can only work that out if I’m willing to let them see me.
I know it won’t affect the assignment.
It’s a fluff piece. I could write it in my sleep.
Whatever Sapphire hands in will be accepted by her editor, and she’ll get her promotion.
I smile when I think about that, and it makes her reflection look a lot more like me.
Glancing back, I warn Trick he might want to look away if he’s shy.
Then, I strip out of Sapphire’s shift-dress and let it drop to the grass, on top of her low-heels.
And then I jump into the water in my underwear, the only thing I have with me that’s my style.
It’s like being released from a trap.
The cold shock as I’m immersed makes me gasp, but I’m lighter than air in the next second when I surface, finally feeling like I get to be myself.
From now until the day I die, I’ll never suggest swapping lives with Sapphire again.
I can’t say I regret the decision to do it this time, but I had no idea how stressful it was gonna get.
Sapphire’s phone-call goes through my thoughts, and I hope she’s doing okay now.
I haven’t felt anything from her since she broke up with that loser.
Our connection has always been strong.
If she’s hurting, no matter how far apart we are, I feel it.
I’m not feeling it, so I know she’s doing okay.
That means I don’t need to worry about her.
So, I relax, and I swim.
My decision has been made, so when I stop swimming, I know something else is about to happen. Tension has been building between us since I rubbed that sunscreen onto his back, and that spark I felt ignite when he took my hand hasn’t stopped burning since that first touch.
When he makes his move, I hold on tight.
His kiss is soft and tentative, and he lets me take the lead when I kiss him back.
Wrapping myself around him, I know we’re not going to stop, and that’s all good with me.
It’s kinda crazy that the most buttoned-down member of Chaos Burning is the one I’m about to live out my wildest fantasies with, but I’m definitely not gonna complain.
He’s attracted to me, but he also seems to like me.
When we were talking, it felt like he was seeing the real me.
I didn’t need to worry that he was into Sapphire Faris, the shy and retiring writer.
He thinks I’m wild for being excited about those sharks, and for jumping into this lake.
Yet, even if he was shocked, he joined me when I asked him to.
So, yeah, he wants me. And I want him, too.
He kisses my shoulder, and then his sharp fangs scrape over my throat.
My body goes from zero to sixty in all of three seconds.
Fangs? I glance at him as he looks up and smiles. Yeah, those are definitely fangs. Kinda sexy. But he definitely didn’t have them before we started making out.
Wait. Those are … Oh my God. Fangs are something Alphas can grow when they’re with the person they want to mark.
He wants me for his mate?
Everything inside me screams yes in response.
There are only four men I’ve ever dreamt about being marked by, and he’s one of them.
I don’t know where this is headed, but I’m not scared that it might get too serious.
If he asked to mark me, I’d let him.
I’ve never felt this sure about anything.
It’s kinda crazy, and it’s fast, but I’m ready to suggest we lose our underwear and see what happens, when I take in a breath and realize that sweet scent I don’t recognize is actually coming from me.
It’s a really specific mix of a clean fruity scent mixed with a sweeter candy smell.
Kinda makes me think of Halloween. Oh my God. It’s candy apples.
That’s what my natural perfume smells like?
It’s so weird. I loved those things as a kid.
I hope that’s not why, but I wouldn’t know.
All I do know are the basics.
I stare at Trick.
He looks mesmerized, eyes dark, clearly affected.
This can’t be happening.
I’m twenty-six years old and I’ve never perfumed before.
Not once, not ever.
I thought the suppressants were supposed to stop this from happening …
Wait. There’s at least one basic fact that everyone knows when it comes to perfuming.
“Oh my God,” I murmur, a chill settling over me.
There’s one thing that can stop suppressants from working.
Connecting with a true mate.
I blink slowly as I process that.
This only happens with true mates!
The heady intoxication of the moment dissipates when the shock of that truth floods my system.
We’re fated? As in the universe meant for us to be together?
That’s insane. There’s no way this is happening right now.
I unwrap my legs from Trick’s body and bring my arms down from his neck.
Emotions swirl through me as I push back a little from him in the water.
His eyes turn sad as he asks, “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, because it’s just too hard to explain.
There’s a lump in my throat that won’t allow itself to be swallowed.
If he just wanted to mark me, to choose me, I’d get it.
This is a whole other level of commitment.
The Fates want us to be together?
That’s so much pressure.
Are we really so perfect for each other?
Could we actually be true mates?
It feels like a fairytale fantasy.
It can’t be a real thing.
It’s for girls who want romance.
Except, it literally just happened to Karma.
And she’s hardly the romantic type.
Still, true mates?
“Are you okay?” Trick asks. “Sapphire?”
I shake my head, swallow the lump and my pride.
If this is really happening, he should know who I am.
“Actually, my name is Scarlett,” I admit. “Sapphire is my sister. My identical twin sister, who has never flown and will never fly on a plane.”
He blinks at me. “Your name is Scarlett.”
I shrug, while that sweet candy apple perfume continues to seep out of my skin.
Still want him, check. Still freaking out about it being forever, check.
“And I’m not really a writer. I mean, I write music. I don’t work for a magazine.”
Ugh! Now I’m babbling. But I don’t know what else to do.
He shouldn’t still want me, now that he knows I lied.
But he doesn’t look phased. Not one little bit.
In fact, he seems relieved.
“And you’re an Omega,” he finishes for me.
“Right.” I couldn’t bring myself to say that part out loud, even though it’s obvious.
“And that’s all you’re hiding?” he asks, as he gets closer.
“Uh, yeah. I think so,” I murmur. “Don’t you kinda hate me for lying?”
“No. Not even kinda,” he says.
It makes my skin warm to hear him sound so sure.
“I could never hate you. You’re my true mate.”
I can’t help but gasp as he says those words, with no hint of reluctance or uncertainty.
He puts his arms around me. “And now we both know that.”
My mouth drops open as I stare back at him in stunned shock.
“You mean, you already knew?”
How is that even possible?
“I felt it as soon as I saw you.”
He can’t be serious. There’s no way he took one look and knew.
That’s way too much like something out one of Saph’s favorite rom-coms.
“That’s a line, right?” I ask, vaguely hopeful that he’s not being totally earnest.
“Lines are more Riley’s department.” He doesn’t break my gaze, and I know he’s being completely honest. I can feel it. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone.”
It’s not the first time I’ve heard that from a guy, but it’s definitely the first time hearing it has made me crazy, euphorically happy and bone-deep scared, all at once.
If I had to have a true mate, if it was inevitable, he’s one of the only four men I would ever accept.
That doesn’t mean I’m ready to beg for his mark.
At least I don’t think I am, but who the hell knows if I get caught up in the moment?
I was ready to suggest we go for it and find out what happens a few minutes ago.
It would be interesting, for sure, but I don’t know if I’m ready for everything it means.
“Are you okay?” he asks, holding me with a little bit of space still between us.
“I never thought this would happen,” I admit. “It’s kind of a shock.”
“It doesn’t mean we have to rush into anything,” he assures me.
He means it, even though he’s clearly feeling the effects of my perfume.
Sweet men aren’t usually the kind I go for, but I don’t usually want to see the kind of guys I go for again after we’ve had some fun, either.
This is completely different. Nothing else is ever going to compare.
“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling a little guilty.
I never usually change my mind about what I’m doing, and a part of me still wants to throw caution to the wind. But knowing it would be a claiming throws icy water on my libido.
The thought of being mated makes me start to panic.
Even if I’ve fantasized about him being one of the guys to make me want to be marked, even if they’re literally the only men I would ever think about settling down for, there’s a block standing in my path, and I don’t fully understand what it is.
“Of course, I’m sure. I want to get to know you better, Scarlett. Is your surname still Faris?”
I smile. “Yeah, same as Sapphire. We’re both Faris’s. Both Omegas.”
“So, where is she, if you’re out here?” he asks.
It’s weird how quickly my panic sinks back under when I’m around him.
He so good at saying all the right things.
“Uh, she’s cleaning my neighbor’s house. I lost a bet.”
He laughs. “Sounds like you got the better deal.”
“I definitely got the better deal.”
Considering I never would have met Chaos Burning otherwise, and at least one of them seems to be fated for me, it feels like this must have been my destiny.
I put my arms back around his neck and kiss him softly.
And that’s when I hear it.
“Trick!”
I break off the kiss, looking around.
“Did you hear that?”
Trick looks back at me blankly. “Hear what?”
“Sapphire!”
“I think the rest of your band are looking for us.”
It sounds like Kian, and that makes me feel bad.
I got upset when it felt like he saw me as my sister, and I couldn’t figure out how to explain that.
Now that I’ve decided to be myself, I owe him an explanation.
I don’t want him thinking he hurt my feelings.
“We should probably get out of the lake,” Trick murmurs.
He kisses me one last time before he leads me to the edge of the lake, near the place where we jumped in.
“You can use Riley’s shirt as a towel,” he tells me.
“I’m sure he’ll love that.”
He laughs. “Unless you want them to see your underwear, you should probably dry off quickly.”
He lifts me up and helps me out of the water.
I drip onto the grass by the side of the lake, taking a couple of steps and shaking my body to get rid of some of the excess water before I pick up Riley’s shirt.
Trick gets out of the water behind me, and that’s when Xane comes out of the trees in front of us, Kian and Riley close behind. All three of them stop and stand there staring at us, at me.
I hold Riley’s shirt against my chest as I look back at them, smile frozen to my lips.
Trick puts his hand on my shoulder, melting away some of my sudden panic.
“What’s going on?” Trick asks, sounding calm and reasonable.
It’s crazy how much better I feel around him.
That is, until I catch Kian’s gaze.
He doesn’t look happy at all, and when he responds his voice is colder than ice.
“I think you should answer that one first. What’s going on, Trick?”