Chapter 18 #2
I shake my head. “Beautiful. Clever.”
He hums, though I don’t think he believes me.
“Esper?”
Neven’s hands circle my waist, and my omega bounds up to attention, tail wagging. He rests his chin on my shoulder, his caramel scent wafting over me, and I smile even harder at his presence.
“Hey, handsome.” I lean into his arms. I spot my last scent match, my latest scent match trailing behind Neven. Asher grasps my hand, and I smile as my gaze moves back to Soren.
This is my Pack. My scent matches. Most of them, anyway.
My omega feels so at peace. Welcomed. I melt into Neven’s hold. This… this is what my mom was talking about. This sense of rightness when in the presence of my mates. A feeling that can’t be replicated or faked. A sure sign you’ve truly met your fated mates, and I feel it. By total accident.
Neven’s arms squeeze extra hard for a second before he kisses my temple. “What are you doing here?”
Blood rushes to my face, and I’m again grateful for the red mood lighting. “About that—”
“Besides to see us,” Neven cuts in, and I shake my head.
“I need to apologize. I’ve been… rude. Thank you, for the cookies.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” Neven’s words tickle against my neck. Send thrills down my skin.
I shake myself from the haze. “I do. I want to treat my scent matches better than that.”
Asher steps closer, tightening his grip on my hand. “You’re allowed to have emotions. Feel things, Esper. It… it was a lot.” The alpha is shy… shyer than Neven and Soren. It’s like he’s waiting for the invitation instead of making the typical alpha move.
He’s giving me space… but space is the last thing I want right now.
I pull him closer to me, close enough to lean my head against his shoulder. “I… I am still hurt. Confused. But I am sure about you, all of you. I know we’re…”
My lips tried to form the word Pack, my throat to speak it. They were just so real out loud. I’m not scared of them, or scared to be tied to them. But I’m terrified to say so.
Not because I’m not ready. I just don’t want to scare them off.
I’m extra scared now.
Thanks, Reed.
Part of me wishes I could be mad at him, but in truth, I get it. He’s also allowed to feel the things he feels. I have to accept that.
Maybe I should give him space. I wouldn’t want anyone forcing me to… like them? Want them?
I don’t know. But I do know that this gift is staying right in my purse.
“Esper?”
My name is sharp in his voice, sending chills down my back.
Reed.
I don’t have the strength to turn and face him. My gaze shoots to Soren, who seems not at all surprised at the second omega’s appearance.
“Ain’t that why you’re here, Trouble?” Soren asks.
I scoff under my breath. Of course I’m that obvious.
“Can we talk?” Reed’s voice is closer now, and Neven’s hands give my waist a comforting squeeze. I nod and push my hair from my face as I turn to face my scent match.
“Yeah.” My voice trembles despite trying to sound as cool as a cucumber. Reed grabs my hand to guide me away from the bar, and my face can’t decide on whether to flush beet red or drain of all color entirely.
This is just him being polite. Nothing more. Nothing less.
His tattooed hands under the red lighting are so alluring. I home in on them, staring at the dark ink as we wind through the bar.
The omega guides me toward the back and up a claustrophobic staircase.
Soon, the music and the voices dissipate and his pancake scent intensifies, buttery crisp batter tinged with an about-to-burn edge.
I stop myself from drooling. Harder is trying to keep my omega from reading into that delicious scent. From trying to soothe his worries.
That’s not my job, despite how much I may want it to be.
We stop in an upstairs hallway away from the noise, though the constant thumping is distracting enough for me to hold my shit together.
“Oh, Princess.” His voice is soothing as one hand reaches up to my face but stops right before he makes contact.
Heart dropping, I turn my face away. “You don’t have to do that,” I mutter. He hasn’t let go of my hand yet. His large hand swallows mine, warmth I crave shooting up my wrist.
“Do what?”
Anger flashes through my vision. “Just because we’re scent matches—”
“I—I shouldn’t have…” His eyes are downcast. The object in my purse burns. My omega convinced me that giving it to him would make him feel better, but I know it won’t.
“It’s fine, I don’t expect anything of you,” I say, swallowing my nerves. They taste rancid going down my throat, but I refuse to be manipulative in any way. “Especially not for my… you know.”
“That’s not why I asked you to talk.”
“It is what it is.” My words prod at the persistent ache in my chest, but I keep my face impassive by some miracle. His brown eyes and blond hair glow under the single light in the hallway. The smell of pancakes and humid air in the hallway fill my senses. It’s becoming much harder to remian… cool.
“It’s not.”
“Then what do you want to do? The last thing I’ll ever do is force someone to be with me. I can’t do it—”
His lips on mine silence my rant. His scent explodes, growing stronger as he presses his body against mine and backs me against the wall.
He fits so perfectly against me. My hands find his hair, and he cradles the sides of my face. He presses closer like he can’t get close enough and for the life of me, I wish my strength in pushing him away was stronger.
I folded. Completely folded the moment his lips met mine.
My knees get weak as my chest fills with warmth only a scent match could give me.
His lips are exploring, a force and confidence that only Reed could have.
His tongue slips past my lips. I let him lead.
More so because I don’t know what I’m doing but I feel like…
. I feel like he might need this as much as I do.
A chance to lead something. Lead me.