Scent-Drenched
SCARLETT
“Are you avoiding the Triumvirate or am I just being delusional?” Lily asked, already peeling off her shirt beside the tree near the riverbank.
It was early morning, and we had to bathe first. The river looked calmer today, sunlight glittering off the water like nothing violent had happened here just yesterday. I stood frozen for a second, cheeks already heating up as I pulled my gown over my head.
“I’m not avoiding them,” I muttered, stepping out of my panties and quickly folding my clothes. My breasts and butt were out in the open air, but most of the other girls were doing the same. Still, I felt exposed in more ways than one.
Lily raised an eyebrow, completely naked now and unbothered as she waded into the shallow part of the river. “Oh my God. You are avoiding them.”
I sighed and followed her in, the cold water making me hiss. “It’s not that simple.”
The memory of waking up this morning hit me like a truck.
I had jolted awake to my alarm at 6 a.m., only to find myself completely surrounded.
Saint’s massive arm was locked around my waist from behind, Kane’s heavy thigh thrown over both of my legs, and Rhys had his face buried in my neck like he’d been scenting me in his sleep.
The tent was thick with their combined pheromones, dark, spicy, masculine, and dangerously addictive.
The second I tried to move, all three of them woke up instantly, like they hadn’t been sleeping deeply at all.
“Where are you going?” Kane had mumbled sleepily, voice rough and raspy as he started kissing along my neck, warm lips dragging over my pulse point.
“I need to bathe,” I’d whispered, trying to wiggle free. “It’s girls’ turn first.”
Rhys had tightened his hold, golden eyes half-lidded and possessive. “You smell good already, darling. Why leave?”
It had taken me almost ten minutes of struggling, explaining camp rules twice, and promising I’d come right back just to grab my soap, new underwear, and clothes before bolting out of the tent like my life depended on it.
“I can’t believe I actually slept with them,” I whispered to Lily now, sinking deeper into the river and scrubbing my arms vigorously.
“Remember my last heat was a week before the Purge. I’ve been on suppressants, and thank God my heats are never that strong because I don’t have a wolf. But after the Purge… I only had two days of really high urges.
Nothing like you full-blooded Omegas who go through days of pain and need to be bred.”
I swallowed hard, scrubbing between my thighs.
“But waking up between three dominant Alphas pumping out their pheromones like that? It could trigger it early. Or make it way worse. I don’t need that right now, Lily.”
Lily turned to me, water dripping down her body. Her expression softened. “Scar… can’t you smell yourself?”
I froze.
Lily leaned closer and wrinkled her nose. “You smell like *them*. All three of them. It’s so strong I’m surprised other Omegas aren’t growling at you already.”
I looked around quickly. Sure enough, a few girls were shooting me weird, almost envious or wary glances. One even whispered something to her friend while staring at the obvious hickeys and scent marks on my neck.
I groaned, sinking lower into the water until it reached my chin. “This is a nightmare.”
Lily laughed softly. “It’s actually kind of impressive. Most Omegas would kill to smell like one of them. You smell like all three.”
She paused, then added more seriously, “But seriously, Scar… are you okay? After everything that happened yesterday… the river, the monster, them basically claiming the tent…”
I bit my lip, scrubbing harder.
“I don’t know,” I admitted quietly. “They’re terrifying. But when they’re with me… they’re also weirdly sweet in the scariest way possible. Saint brought me a dead rabbit like it was flowers. Kane threatened to be my mattress. Rhys brushed my hair out of my face like I was made of glass.”
I looked down at the water.
“And the worst part? I liked it. I liked waking up with them. I liked them brushing their teeth because I told them to. I liked Saint’s tail wagging when I called him a good boy.”
Lily stared at me for a long second, then sighed. “Girl… you are so screwed.”
I splashed water at her face. “I know! Stop saying it out loud!”
She laughed and splashed me back. But as we continued washing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Triumvirate was getting deeply under my skin.
******
“Gather around everyone!” Professor Ryan’s voice boomed across the clearing. “Our next activity is the Mud Pit Challenge!”
A ripple of groans and excited murmurs spread through the students.
We had barely finished bathing and changing when they herded us toward the training grounds. What waited for us looked like something straight out of a nightmare.
The mud pits stretched across a massive open field like a swamp from hell.
Thick, black, viscous mud churned and bubbled under the morning sun, deep enough in places to swallow someone up to their waist.
Ropes hung from wooden frames overhead, some slick with mud.
Tilted beams and low crawling barriers stretched across the pits.
In certain sections, students would have to carry teammates, wrestle for “flags,” or drag themselves under barbed wire while the mud tried to pull them down.
It was brutal. Filthy. Designed to break egos.
Ryan stood on a raised platform, looking far too pleased. “This challenge tests endurance, teamwork, and dominance. You will be split into mixed teams. First team to get all members across the entire course wins. Last team gets punishment duty for tomorrow.”
Lily stood beside me, already grimacing. “I hate mud. I really hate mud.”
I swallowed hard. My fresh clothes were definitely not going to stay clean.
From across the field, I felt their eyes on me.
The Triumvirate stood together, towering over most of the other students.
Rhys looked calm and calculating, golden eyes already scanning the course like he was planning three moves ahead.
Kane was grinning like a madman, clearly excited at the idea of getting messy.
Saint kept glancing at me, protective even from a distance.
Kaiden stood a little apart, arms crossed, looking mildly amused.
Professor Ryan stepped forward. “Clothes stay on. Partial shifting allowed for claws or strength, but no full wolf forms. This is about control.”
The moment he said “mixed teams,” I knew what was coming.
Of course, I ended up on a team with the Triumvirate.
And Lily.
And two other very nervous-looking Betas.
Kane clapped his hands together with glee. “This is gonna be fun.”
The whistle blew.
We started at the edge of the first pit.
The mud was worse than I imagined, thick, cold, and suctioning. The second I stepped in, it tried to swallow my leg up to the knee. I stumbled forward, arms flailing.
Saint was instantly beside me, one massive arm wrapping around my waist to keep me upright. Kane moved in front, bulldozing through the mud like it was nothing, while Rhys stayed behind me, one hand on my lower back, guiding me.
“Careful, darling,” Rhys murmured, voice smooth even as mud splattered up his thighs. “Lean on me.”
Lily was cursing under her breath as she crawled under a low beam, already covered in mud up to her chest. “I’m going to murder whoever designed this.”
Kane laughed loudly as he grabbed one of the Betas who was sinking and hauled him forward like a sack of potatoes. “This is what you call teamwork!”
I tried to move faster, but the mud clung to me like it had a personal grudge. My clothes were already soaked and heavy. When I slipped again, Saint caught me, lifting me slightly so only my feet dragged through the worst of it.
The physical contact was constant. Hands on waists, arms around bodies, bodies pressed together for balance. The mud hid scents somewhat, but not enough. I could still smell them, delicious and far too tempting.
By the time we reached the wrestling section, where teams had to fight for a flag in a deeper pit, I was panting, covered head to toe in black mud, clothes clinging to every curve.
Kane’s eyes darkened as he looked at me. “Fuck, love… you look good dirty.”
Saint growled low in agreement, staying close.
Rhys wiped a smear of mud from my cheek with his thumb, golden eyes burning. “Focus, little one. We’re winning this.”
I shivered despite the cold mud.
This challenge wasn’t just about endurance.
It was about breaking down every wall I had left… while covered in filth and surrounded by the three Alphas who refused to let me go.