In the cuddle den, there seems to be even more blankets and cushions than usual. Lavender candles are burning, intermingling with the scent of the Stella sister balm that always hangs in this space, creating a Zen vibe. It’s like weight is lifted off my shoulders when I see Delilah and Kady lounging around, snacking on freshly baked cookies. Delilah jumps up when she sees me.
“Faye!” Delilah fusses around me like a mother hen. “Come sit here. It’s so comfortable.”
She pushes me onto a giant, lilac beanbag that melds to my body as I sink into it. Kady drapes a fluffy blanket over me, then we all get comfortable.
“Drink this.” Kady passes me a water bottle. “It’s full of electrolytes and vitamins to hydrate you. Those heat patches make you thirsty with a capital T.”
“Thank you.” Now that she mentions it, my mouth and tongue feel like coarse sandpaper. After taking a glug, I feel instant relief. “Much better.”
“I feel awful, Faye.” Kady turns to face me. “It’s all my fault. I recommended those suppressants. They’ve never failed me before, but I already have a letter of complaint ready to?—”
“It’s not your fault,” I interrupt before she decides to file a lawsuit and put the manufacturer out of business. “I don’t think the suppressants are the problem.”
A shadow falls over Kady’s features, and Delilah leans in closer, playing with my hair, which helps calm me further.
Should I tell them that the Silverwood Pack thinks we’re scent matches? I need to speak to someone about it, but Laz is Sabs’s brother. Will she find it weird or be mad?
“Are you allergic to them?” Kady asks. “Did you throw up after taking them? Sometimes that can have an impact.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Oh boy.” Delilah exhales slowly, a knowing smile playing on her lips like she can read my mind. “I had a feeling you might be.”
“Might be, what?” Sabs asks. “What’re you talking about?”
Delilah arches one feathery eyebrow in my direction, like she has a secret, but her smile reassures me that this is a safe place.
“The Silverwood Pack seem to think that, maybe, I may be their…” I struggle to get the words past the lump in my throat. “They think I’m their scent match.”
Sabs squeals, falling off her cushion with a thud. “They what?!”
“I knew it!” Delilah claps her hands. “I picked up on your chemistry at the costume party.”
“Heat suppressants have been known to fail around scent matches.” Kady nods, putting everything together. “Obviously, it’s rare, but it explains why you went into heat unexpectedly.”
“I don’t know what to think.” I rub my temples. “Are scent matches even real?”
“Of course they are,” Delilah says. “Bree, our last Stella sister, had one. She says they’re more powerful than anything.”
“Let’s be rational about this. There could be another explanation.” Kady jumps in, eager to approach the matter scientifically. Her analytical mind is exactly what I need. “None of them were there the first time you had a heat spike in the greenhouse, right?”
“Actually, Ren was in the greenhouse with me. I didn’t say anything at the time because I was embarrassed.” I cringe. “On my way back from the greenhouse, I ran into Laz here, but I didn’t read into it. I’d only just met them. But they all seem pretty convinced by it.”
“Hold up, a second!” Sabs has been uncharacteristically quiet until this point. “You and the Silverwoods? You and my brother?!”
“I’m so sorry, Sabs.” I’ve been bracing myself for her reaction. “Is that weird?”
“Weird?” She guffaws. “I mean, I don’t want to hear about any of the sordid details because ew! But this is amazing! If you were the Silverwood’s omega, we’d basically be family.”
She seems even more excited than I am.
“Slow down, Sabs.” Kady tsks. “We don’t even know what Faye thinks yet.” She turns her attention back to me. “Do you think you’re a scent match, Faye?”
“I don’t even know them.” I shrug. “I mean, they smell amazing, and I can’t really describe what it’s like when we’re together. It’s like some kind of invisible force is pulling us together.”
“And they helped you through your heat.” Delilah waggles her eyebrows. “How was it? Sex during heat is pretty great anyway, but with your scent matches, they say it’s out of this world.”
“Spare me the dirty details!” Sabs covers her ears.
