“That’s not all either,” Riven quips. “Ezra got his job back.”
Ezra shrugs, playing it cool but not able to hold back a smile. “I start again next week.”
“And Dean Rivers thinks you could get a restraining order, if you hand the video over to the police, Kady,” Riven continues.
“You shouldn’t have done all this.” My head feels like it’s going to rupture, unable to keep my voice from sharpening. “I could have handled this on my own.”
Calder frowns. “I thought you’d be pleased.”
“You should have spoken to me first,” I snap. “I could have fixed this myself, if you’d given me all the information.”
Hale’s lips curve down. “But we wanted to help. You already have enough to be dealing with after everything that’s happened?—”
“All you do is keep trying to help!” I explode. I know they’ve done something kind, yet I can’t seem to stop the rage from spilling out of me. “I never asked you to! I don’t know why you keep trying. Why you always seem to be there. You should have left me to deal with this alone.”
I don’t know whether I’m angry at them or angry at myself for putting myself in a position where they keep having to swoop in to save me. I never wanted to depend on alphas, and look atme now. Whatever I do, the Valen Pack seem to be right there. The whole thing is infuriating: how nice they’re being, how good they smell, how gorgeous they are… meeting them was never part of my plan!
“You helped me.” Riven’s shoulders slump. “I wanted to repay the favor.”
His sweetness would make anyone feel like an asshole, but I can’t stop the tirade. Anything to help me feel more in control.
“Are you like this with every random omega you meet?” I am fuming. “Having to play the savior?”
Calder’s chest puffs out in fury, Ezra watches on with an unreadable expression, and Riven hangs his head.
“Kady, you’re not just a random omega,” Hale steps forward. “You’re our scent match.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Kady
“Your scent match?” I cough, feeling like I’ve swallowed a ton of pills.
Although he’s only confirming what my body has been trying to fight, hearing it from his mouth makes it impossible to ignore any longer.
I carefully place Larry down on the sofa before I drop him. He happily curls up in a little ball, instantly falling asleep. The room feels like it’s spinning as my control slips.
A scent match is my worst nightmare, the shackles of fate drawing you to a mate and giving you no choice over your happily ever after. It dooms you to a life of knowing that no one could ever make you feel as happy as your match does.
“I’m sorry.” Hale steps back, a hand flying to his mouth like he spoke before his brain caught up. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. We’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, but it never felt like the right time.”
I look around at the others, my lower lip trembling. “What about the rest of you? Do you think I’m your…” I can’t even say the word.
Maybe they’ll disagree with Hale. Perhaps there’s another rational explanation for what we’re feeling.
Riven is first to nod, then he holds his head up high, his earlier hesitation gone as he responds with utter certainty. “Yes.”
“Calder?” I turn to him. “You’re logical. You don’t believe it, do you?”
My legs stay rooted in place, even though my brain screams at me to run. Getting away from them as fast as possible will stop me from having to face this.
“I was reluctant at first,” Calder admits. “But after what just happened between us…” There are a few curious glances from the others in the room, but he doesn’t acknowledge them. “I think Hale may be right.”
“Ezra?” I spin to him. So far, he’s been the quietest. “You don’t want an omega. You already told me that.”
Yes, Ezra will be the one to make the others see they’re wrong, won’t he?
“I never wanted to be bonded.” After a few seconds of consideration, Ezra answers, refusing to look at me. “I told them that you feel the same as I do.”
