He raises his hands defensively. “Nothing new! Just carbonara.”
I’ve been his guinea pig before, with varying successes. He’s a genius in the kitchen, but his experiments don’t always turn out perfectly. There’s silence around the large table as the four of us dig in. It’s been ages since we all had chance to have dinner together in our apartment, and I’ve been craving some real food. Hudson would lose his shit if he knew how much trail mix I eat when he’s not around.
Safe to say that I amnotthe chef in this pack.
“So,” Cade begins as we push away empty plates. He gets up and grabs a folder from the side, holding it up. Everyone perks up at the symbol for the Omega Center.
Everyone except Nate. When I glance over, he’s frowning down at the scant remains of his pasta.
Hudson gestures. “Let’s have a look, then. Scent matching?”
Cade nods, flipping the folder and pulling out a pink card. He hands it to Hudson using the tips of his fingers, and Hud laughs.
“Coconut,” he announces with a wrinkled nose. “Not my favorite.”
“You hate coconut,” Nate mutters to Cade as he folds his arms.
“I do, but we all need to have a say.” He opens another card and takes a deep sniff, his face neutral as he passes the card to Nate.
Nate begrudgingly takes the card, barely sniffing before he passes it onto me. I breathe it in gingerly. A sharp, almost acrid orange scent assaults my nostrils, and I wince.
Nate straightens. “Too much.”
Every card is the same. Ylang-ylang, mint chocolate chip, fresh bread… none of them feel right. Cade sighs, slipping the last cherry-scented card back into its pouch.
“We’re not out of options,” he reminds us. “This is just the first batch.”
Nate pouts. “I know what I want.”
Across from me, Hudson rolls his eyes. “You’re obsessed.”
“With what?” Cade asks as he lifts his wine to his mouth.
“Butterscotch.” It’s almost a groan, Nate’s toasty scent spiking as he leans back in his chair with a dreamy grin. Cade chokes on his drink. I lean in to pound his back as he waves me off.
“What did you say?” he croaks.
Nate leans forward with a glint in his eyes. “Butterscotch.”
“Like the omega?” I ask, and Cade swivels to me.
“What omega?” His words have an unusual snap to them.
Hudson looks between us. “Nate met an omega yesterday. She came in looking for work but she ran off.”
Cade blows out a breath. “Tiny, dark hair, petrified?”
Everyone turns to face him, and Nate half jumps out of his seat. “You know her?”
“She stole ten dollars from my wallet,” he grumbles.
Nate’s brow drops down into a frown as Cade explains. “She needs help,” he mutters. “And she must be somewhere close.”
Cade grabs his arm when he makes to jump up from the table.
“Hold it.” He shakes the folder. “What about this? You can’t just go haring off after some random omega, Nate. Jesus. Have some self-control.”
Nate folds his arms stubbornly. “None of those scents even come close to hers,” he points out. “Do they?”
