I stare at the prescription, pieces clicking into place. The flinching from touch. The careful distance she maintains. The shifting scent that’s been driving me crazy.
Holly Chang isn’t a beta. She’s an omega.
Which should not be possible. Heat suppressants do literally just that —prevent a heat cycle. They don’t turn omegas into betas. They might mute scent somewhat, but they won’t hide a designation.
This shouldn’t be fucking possible.
I don’t realize I’ve spoken aloud until Grayson responds.
“Then explain it,” he insists.
But there is no other explanation. Not any that don’t violate the basic tenets of medical science, at least.
“Shit,” I mutter, folding the prescription and shoving it into my pocket. “Does anyone else know about this?”
Grayson shakes his head. “Just us.”
“Keep it that way. It’s her business if she wants to hide her designation.”
Grayson’s voice has an edge to it. “What if she ran out?”
Don’t think about it, Klinkhart. Just don’t think about it. “Then she’s in for a pretty spectacular heat, depending on how long she’s been taking them. I hope she got what she needs from Caro’s to deal with it.”
“An omega alone and in heat is vulnerable.”
I close my eyes and let out a deep breath, the untamed alpha part of me struggling to rise in a way I can’t allow. “I doubt she’d appreciate that caveman bullshit. No omega needs a mate.”
“That’s true.” His eyes drift toward the mountain where Holly’s cabin sits. “But lots of mountain men like to roam the hills.”
And this particular omega, enlightened or not, is now alone in a cabin on the mountain and maybe about to go into heat.
There are plenty of good guy alphas in this town who might not resist a lure that potent.
Heat Mountain isn’t like the cities where designation hardly matters anymore. Out here, people still live with older values. Alphas might not fight over omegas like they did in the old days, but that’s only because there are enough to go around now. The boundaries of polite society always get a little strained when you’re far enough out from civilization.
Around here, omegas are respected and protected—sometimes whether they want to be or not.
“I should check on Holly,” I say, already calculating the fastest route to the Whitesong cabins. “Make sure she has enough supplies.”
“Weshould check on her,” Grayson corrects, emphasis on the plural.
“It doesn’t take both of us. You barely even know her.”
“You’re not going without me,” he interrupts flatly. “And you know exactly why.”
I want to deny it, but the words stick in my throat. Because he’s right. From the moment Holly Chang walked into the clinic, something about her has pulled at me. Not just physical attraction—though there’s plenty of that—but something deeper. A recognition. A certainty that she matters, somehow.
And I’m clearly not the only one.
We have a moment of tension, staring at each other. I turn away from him, irritation flaring for reasons I can’t quite place.
“Fine,” I concede, not liking the knowing look in Grayson’s eyes. “But we’re not confronting her about the suppressants. That’s her business. We’re just making sure she’s safe for the storm.”
Grayson nods once, apparently satisfied. “I’ll get the truck warmed up.”
“What truck?” Kai asks, returning with an armload of firewood. “Where are we going? I just put some beers on ice in the game room.”
I exchange a glance with Grayson, silently debating how much to tell Kai. Despite his carefree facade, Kai is perceptive. And he’s already shown too much of an interest in Holly.
