Chapter 11
Jason
“What do you guys think?” We’re strewn across Nico’s bedroom in various states of undress. It’s a form of ritual for our pack, congregating together to debrief after an event.
“It’s weird. But not entirely unheard of.” The owner of the room answers my question, frowning as he removes his cuff links.
“Flash enough money at the dumbasses at OOA and they’ll sign it off for any pack of idiots apparently,” Evan adds, settled onto Nico’s bed like it’s his. He’s thrown his suit and tie off, resting in just his boxers.
The Office of Omega Affair’s priority is supposed to be omega welfare, though the agency is composed primarily of alphas and betas.
In a plethora of the cases we studied in law school, they evaluated an omega’s state by interviewing the alphas of the pack, not the omega.
Evan’s evaluation of them being dumbasses is, unfortunately, strikingly apt.
“Odd to do it when you’ve met your scent match though.” All these years later, I still remember the feeling of meeting ours. The flood of emotions and draw towards them.
Nico and Evan stare at me, Nico’s eyebrows furrowing into a scowl.
“You know scent matches aren’t everything.” I’d wager I know it better than anyone else. I can feel the conflict battling in Nico’s pistachio scent, unsure on whether to continue or drop the subject.
“Since when do you like gossiping so much?” Sebastian’s deep voice emerges from behind me, coat and tie removed and folded over his arm.
“Yeah, you’re really invested in this second omega thing,” Evan backs him up.
“I’m not gossiping,” and implying I’m the only one invested is a lie. The conversation has managed to loop its way back to the Hale pack multiple times tonight. I’m the latest to bring Ariana Hale up, but neither the sole nor first to do so. “She just seemed…”
“Unhappy,” Evan nods, finishing my trailed off sentence.
“I don’t like the way they were tugging her around,” Sebastian takes a seat on the edge of Nico’s bed, unbuttoning his shirt. I raise my hand to my own collar, the clothing suddenly feeling constricting, like it’s squeezing at my throat.
“It was hard to watch,” Nico agrees.
Evan leans forward, tossing a pillow from behind his back to Sebastian. “They’ve got their heads up their asses.” He doesn’t have to clarify who he means. We all noticed the way Ariana’s scent dimmed watching her alpha come over. Just what is going on in their home?
“But if she’s bonded into their pack, it’s their business.” The three of them turn to look at me at my words, Sebastian’s dark eyebrows rising. “According to the law,” I clarify. “For all we know, they’re madly in love and she doesn’t mind.”
“Are you trying to convince us or yourself?” Nico looks at me like he can see right through me. “Did she seem madly in love to you?” His voice and stare are solemn. I don’t answer or hold his gaze, looking to the side.
“Didn’t feel like only their business either when they were trying to use her to suck up to Seb.” Evan mutters, falling back onto the pillows behind him. “What’re you gonna do about that?”
“Me?” Sebastian thinks for a moment. “Give them what they want, probably.”
“You are?” Surprise floods into the smoothness of Evan’s aloe vera scent.
Sebastian shrugs, runs a hand through his dark hair. “We can keep an eye on her that way. If it is a one off like Jace says, we’ll know. If it’s not and there’s a problem, we’ll be close enough to help.”
“You want to keep her close?” Nico sits on the floor, leaning his back against the wall.
“You don’t?” Nico doesn’t answer our pack lead’s question, but his eyes do flicker towards the chamomile tea scented candle dripping wax on his nightstand.
I finally manage to loosen the tight knot of my tie, rubbing my throat. “I’ll look into her pack too.”
“I thought you said they might be madly in love?” Evan asks me, knowingly amused.
“Just a precaution.” I don’t take his bait, turning away from the half smile lifting the corner of his lips.
“That’s a good idea, Jace.” Exhaustion has begun to seep into Sebastian’s voice. “Look, I’m not saying I want to kidnap her away from her pack. But what we’ve seen is concerning. If there’s a way we can help her, I want to.”
There’s a longing in Sebastian’s voice and scent I’m unfamiliar with.
A lifetime of making what he wants happen and achieving any goal set in front of him has made him confident.
The dark haired man on the bed bouncing his leg anxiously and letting his pheromones slip out filled with desire is a stranger.
“Can we kidnap her from them?” Evan’s question lacks his usual playfulness.
Sebastian’s answer is devoid of any humor at all. “If only.”
She’s truly caught his and Evan’s attention. Nico’s too, judging by the wafts of chamomile coming from the candles in his room.
A pale imitation of the true scent, they don’t do it justice.
Her tea perfume was much more floral and sweet.
And intense, in my arms as we’d swayed to the slow music of the ball.
The candles are a pale imitation of the woman with the big eyes, blinking.
I can almost still feel her in my arms. She was-
“Beautiful.” The three other alphas turn to me at the interruption of their conversation.
I hadn’t meant to utter it aloud, but they don’t look at me like I’m crazy.
“Beautiful, but sad.” I conclude my thoughts aloud.
Evan nods slowly, Nico making a hum of agreement.
They don’t ask who or what I’m talking about.
“Let’s get to bed,” Sebastian stands, looking out the window contemplatively. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
It’s so late the night is already approaching morning hours, but none of us argue with him. Our good nights are quick, each man wrapped in his own thoughts.
Shuffling out of Nico’s room, I think to myself that I should have drank less. For the second half of the night, there’s been a bitter taste in my mouth.