Chapter 9
BLAIR
There’s a lot I can handle.
A lot.
I can handle losing my pack. I can handle taking care of my best friend when she’s in the darkest moments of her life.
I can run the most successful cat rescue in the country and do a damn good job of it.
But this?
Being ambushed at two in the morning by the Alpha I thought I could trust, on the anniversary of the car crash that killed my pack?
This is a step too far.
Actually, more like ten fucking steps too far.
I want to scream at him, but instead I reply calmly, “what’s going on with the kittens?”
“Ryland and Rowan called me, and they said they’re acting strangely.”
At the mention of their names, my heart skips a beat.
Travis is packmates with my scent match and his brother, who is likely also my scent match.
They have cats together.
And he kept this from me.
He knew, the whole time, that he was packmates with Ryland and Rowan, and he didn’t tell me—
“Elaborate,” I snap, stopping my internal destructive train of thought.
Travis frowns, looking unsure. “Blair, I’m sorry—”
“Too late for that. Tell me what’s wrong with the kittens.”
My head reels from Travis’s admission.
Does that mean that we’re scent matches, too? Has it just not happened yet?
Cats first, drama later.
“Their tails are weird,” he says, sighing and rubbing at his forehead.
“Their tails are weird,” I repeat.
“Yeah. They’re vibrating.”
I blink.
“Vibrating. Like they’re seizing up?”
Despite my anger, the seed of worry for the kittens grows.
“No, I don’t think so,” he says. “Rowan said it was more like a rattlesnake.”
Rowan.
I still can’t believe that awkward text that Piper sent me once she found out who Rowan was.
I still can’t believe that’s how I found out my scent match has a brother.
I haven’t spoken to Ryland since we first met, and the longer I think about him, the bigger the pit in my stomach grows.
I wonder if Rowan smells just like his brother, all moss and rain…
I wonder if he’s my match as well.
My inner Omega howls with longing.
Kittens first. Drama later.
“I can’t know unless I see them,” I sigh. “Cats do all sorts of weird things; there could be a million explanations for what is happening to them.”
Travis’s throat bobs. “Should we take them to an emergency vet, or…”
I already know what my decision is before I voice it.
My night has already gone to shit.
Why not make it worse?
“An emergency vet at two in the morning will charge you thousands of dollars to run tests that may show nothing. I can come by and take a look at them first. If they’re purring and acting normal besides that, they should be fine.”
“Rowan said they were purring, but he’s still worried,” Travis admits. “The three of us are. I can take them to the emergency vet. You don’t have to come over. I was just trying to get your advice on what to do.”
I close my eyes and exhale slowly.
So many emotions swirl around inside me, but the biggest one is anger.
Fury at Travis for not telling me what he knew.
Irrational anger at Ryland for not letting me know he has a brother.
And most of all, loathing at myself for not being strong enough to move on with my life and pursue my scent match.
Instead, I bottled it all up, and it’s coming to an ugly head at two in the morning.
“Travis,” I snap. “Do you want me to come over? No more bullshit. Answer me honestly.” I open my eyes and lift my chin to stare at the Alpha in front of me.
Travis nods, his dark eyes vulnerable. “I do.”
I nod sharply, then yank open my car door. “Text me your address. I’ll meet you there.”
He sighs. “Blair—”
I slam the door shut before he can say anything else.
Fuck this.
I can sense him watching me for a moment until he turns and heads toward his car. My phone buzzes with the address, and I wait until Travis drives away before checking it.
He waits a good few minutes for me, though. When I don’t start the car, he finally gives up and heads out of the parking lot.
Maybe he thought I changed my mind, but I’m not going to let my emotions get in the way of helping an animal.
I shoot a quick text about the situation to Piper, along with the address, then ignore her phone call.
I’m still trying to process what just happened, and the fact it’s all occurring on the anniversary of the accident.
I can’t even start the car. My hands grip the wheel painfully, stuck frozen in fear and trepidation.
I take in deep breaths.
I count.
And finally, I close my eyes and think of them.
The ghosts of the pack that I let down.
Justin would tell me to go, Aaron would be mortified for me, and Cody would be laughing his ass off at the absurdity of the situation.
They always wanted me to find my scent matches just like I wanted them to find theirs.
But only one of us can be happy now.
My knuckles turn white and my fingers scream with pain as I grip the wheel.
Start the car, Blair. You can do it.
Think of the kittens.
I imagine Ryland panicking over the kittens, unsure what to do.
I imagine the little creatures crawling all over Travis and the secret, small smile he would have.
And I see Rowan, the Alpha I’ve never met, caring for the kittens as much as I do.
After all, he’s the one that found them and brought them to Furs and Purrs.
With a deep, shaky breath, I start the car.
Travis and his packmates live ten minutes away.
For ten minutes, my palms are clammy and my breathing stutters. I gasp in ugly, slow breaths, my heart thrumming in my chest like a hummingbird.
My inner Omega is reeling, thrilled that she’s finally going to be near Ryland again.
Despite what my head is telling me, my body is desperate to be near its scent match.
My womb cramps, and my core flutters as I make my way to the packhouse, pulling into the driveway. I recognize Travis’s car as I park next to it and steady my breathing before I open the door.
I’m wet already, slick dripping into the special absorbent panties I’ve been wearing since I met Ryland.
When I finally step out of the car, I scent all three of them at once, and I want to get right back into my vehicle and drive as far away as possible.
Even from the driveway, the Alpha aromas are intoxicating.
I forgot how potent Ryland’s is, the earthy moss mixed with the calming scent of rain. Travis is there too, the smoke complimenting the moss perfectly.
But there’s one scent aroma now.
I inhale sharply as tangy sea salt melds with the other two Alphas, creating the perfect layered scent.
The scent of a pack.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for it.
The sea salt belongs to Rowan—there’s no doubt.
I groan and lean against the driver’s side door of my car, my cunt fluttering deliciously. My clit throbs and my nipples pebble against my bra.
“Oh, god,” I whisper. “What the hell is happening?”
I don’t want to go inside.
The kittens need my help, but the scents that emanate from the house and waft onto the driveway make me want to weep with need.
It’s too much for tonight, of all nights.
I allow myself a couple seconds of panic, then snap into action.
If getting a bit wet because of the pack is the worst thing that happens tonight, so be it.
The night can’t get any more bizarre.
I retrieve the cat emergency duffel bag from my trunk, then march up to the front door, head held high.
My legs are stiff and argue with me every step I take, but I keep my brave face on.
The front door opens before I knock, and I’m met with a pair of eyes so piercing I forget to breathe.
I had hoped Travis would be the one to answer, but again, nothing has gone the way I want it to tonight.
Instead, I stand face-to-face with an Alpha I’ve never met but recognize from scent.
I’m staring at Ryland’s brother, Rowan.
While they share similar facial structures—a strong nose, sharp jaw, and high cheekbones—Rowan has a paler complexion, thick stubble, and shaggy brown hair that falls charmingly into his eyes.
The duffel bag trembles slightly in my grip, and I pray he doesn’t notice it.
Scent match! My inner Omega screams.
He swallows, his throat bobbing, and it’s as if time stands still.
There’s just the Alpha in front of me, his nostrils subtly flaring as he scents me.
“Blair?” he asks quietly, searching my eyes.
“Yes?” I whisper.
He holds my gaze, not blinking, and I stare right back at him.
I’m sure both of us look insane to an observer, but the scent match is happening, right now.
Rowan is sea salt and rain. He’s a storm over a violent ocean, a whirlwind of emotions that swirl around me and threaten to drag me under his current.
He’s the one to snap out of it first, leaving me gawking in the doorway. “Hey. I’m Rowan. I’ll show you to the kittens.”
There’s no acknowledgment of what we are or what just happened.
Ryland’s brother is my scent match.
I follow his quick pace, heading past their living room, keeping my eyes on the back of Rowan’s black shirt.
Kittens first, scent match panic later.
There’s only so much I can handle at once, and despite my inner Omega’s demands, I keep her quiet and focus on the task at hand.
I spot Ash looming above my head in a cat tree placed in the hallway. He’s plopped into a thick black loaf, eyeing me with interest while Rowan leads me to a cracked cream-colored door.
Stepping inside, I take in the scene.
It must be a spare bedroom. The bed is made, the basic wooden dresser has nothing on it, and the matching nightstand is bare.
Sitting on the cream carpet is Ryland, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and holding a white fluffball to his chest. Two other kittens frolic on a teal blanket, play fighting with each other.
Nothing looks amiss with them.
Even the kitten in Ryland’s arms appears content, enjoying gentle chin scratches.
But when he sees me, he freezes and his eyes widen. “H-hi,” he croaks, then clears his throat. “Hi,” he says again, confident this time. “Long time no see.”
It’s endearing, and if I wasn’t so affected by their scents, I might tease him for it.