“But you’re not leaving.” She looks up at me, her chestnut eyes frantic. “You promised!”
“I’m not leaving.”
Managing to get my cell and dial with one hand, I call Cole who thankfully answers on the second ring.
“Ren?” He sounds confused. “What’s up?”
In the background, I hear Damon and Laz having a loud argument over the sound of the pinball machine.
“I was with Faye in the library, and she’s going into heat.” I speak in a rush. “She wants to stay with me and?—”
Laz hollering in the background amplifies.
“Hang on, I can’t hear you.” Cole shushes the guys. “Laz, Damon, shut the hell up for a second! Ren’s in trouble.” He turns his attention back to me. “You’re on speaker.”
“I’m with Faye, and she’s going into heat.” I get to the point. “We’re on our way to the pack house.”
“Faye?” Laz asks. “You mean, Sabs’s housemate, Faye?”
“How many other Faye’s do you know? Yes, Sabs’s housemate.” I snap. “Look, I need you to make some kind of nest. I offered to take her to the wellness center, but… Um… She wants me to stay with her.”
“Fuck.” I hear panic in Cole’s voice, and he’s not easily rattled. “Who is this omega?”
“Look, I know this sounds crazy, but…” I gulp. “I think she’s my scent match.”
Daring to voice my suspicions aloud makes them more real. The first time I met Faye, I thought she smelled amazing, but I thought it was probably just some kind of odd reaction. However, after seeing her again at the party coupled with what’s happening now, I can’t ignore what every bone in my body is telling me.
“Your scent match?” Cole sounds incredulous.
We all know what this means. If Faye is my scent match, it’s pretty much guaranteed that she will also be a match to the rest of my pack. Not even scientists understand how it works, but there must be something underlying in our biology at play.
“We don’t have time to talk about it now.” I roll my eyes impatiently. “I need your help. She’s in pain. Can you get something ready? I also left all our things in the library in the group study area. Can one of you run to get them and maybe grab some snacks? She has a sweet tooth. Her heat hasn’t fully come on yet, so I think we can put a stop to it if we can get her a heat patch quickly. She’s been taking suppressants, but they’re failing.”
“Okay, we’re on it,” Cole says. “Leave it to me.”
“She smells…” Her scent clogs my throat leaving me unable to finish the sentence. I clear my throat then try again. “I may need some help to escort her through the alpha quad. I’ve done my best to cover her scent, but we may attract unwanted attention.”
“Stay calm, Ren.” Cole returns to his usual level-headed self. “Laz will meet you. Just keep her safe, okay? Leave everything else to us. It’ll be okay.”
“Thanks.” I blow out a heavy breath. Despite Faye mewling and clutching at me, I feel a little less nervous with Cole’s support. “We’ll be about ten minutes.”
Cole is a born leader and always knows what’s best. Although he doesn’t like to call himself the boss, he’s the one we trust to make the big decisions. He studies political science and has a strong moral compass. He has an unwavering desire to do the right thing, including protecting others, making him easy to follow.
“I don’t know how much longer I can cope with this pain,” Faye groans.
“Keep walking, baby.” I give her a squeeze. “You’re doing so well.”
Whatever happens, I won’t let her go.
THIRTEEN
Faye
A white-hot spike of agony skewers my stomach as I sink deeper into the cool water. I hoped a bath would alleviate the crippling tightening in the base of my belly and bring down my fever, but it’s made no difference. I whimper, gripping the sides of the tub for support.
Gram’s urgent knocking on the bathroom door brings me back to reality.
“Faye?” Panic fills her voice as she calls to me. “Is everything okay in there? What’s going on?”
