I grin, practically glowing with satisfaction.Thank you for the free puzzle pieces.
By removing his scent, he hasn’t made it harder for me to read him. He’s made himself an open fucking book, and I’m reading him like my favorite bedtime story. This motherfucker istrainedat hiding what he’s thinking. At concealing what he’s feeling at any given moment.
He’s deceptive and good at it. Really damn good at it, like someone who's had to use those skills to keep himself alive when there were no other options. No safety nets. No one to save him. I’ve seen him in articles talking about how he plays poker professionally. He’s well known for it because of how good he is, but he didn’t learn these skills simply from playing poker.
Because hiding his scent? Hiding his scent requires a level of control that very few people possess. Very fucking few. I only know one other person with a similar skill, and he’s in this room.
I take a deep breath, just in case I’m wrong. Maybe I just missed the Alpha’s scent and went down this rabbit hole blind, but there’s nothing from him. Just my rose petals and vague traces of Beau’s chemicals. I know part of Thor’s control over his dominance is due to both his parents being Omegas, making him genetically predisposed to certain abilities. He’s rare because of his parents.
So what made Hudson into the man I see before me? His mother is an Omega, and his father is an Alpha, which means he can’t be just like Thor.
Unless…
I jerk my head up, meeting his eyes once again as my skin heats, and my scent floods the air around us with anxious excitement. The same feeling I get when I follow a trail that helps the Haze Pack take down another operation run by evil, abusive assholes. I shiver as adrenaline pumps through my racing heart.
Pieces fall into place in my mind like a row of dominos toppling each other, one after the other. I followed the trail, watched the patterns, and solved the puzzle.
Hudson’s blank face morphs, and now he’s looking at me like I'm losing my mind right before his eyes. I’m sure that’s because I’m looking at him like a feral street cat with eyes on its next meal.
Come here, my juicy chicken leg.
My grin must look downright unhinged.
“You’re a very good little secret keeper, aren’t you, Hudson?” I whisper, lifting my brow as I watch the way his eyes spark with interest at my words. He still looks nervous about my abrupt change in behavior, though.
“Secrets?” Beau asks, and I nod slowly.
“He heard her say my name,” Apollo announces, and the vibe in the room shifts.
"Wow, you threw me right under the bus with that one,” I huff. Thor stiffens behind me, the tension in the air amping up my adrenaline, but nothing is going to kill my good mood now.
Hudson lifts his brow, clearly wondering why knowing the other Alpha’s name matters to us, and takes a step away from the rest of us. He’s brave, but at least he isn’t dumb.
“So I can kill him now, right?”Uh oh.Apollo’s trying to recruit an accomplice. Things are looking grim for Hudson.Apollo’s blunt request to murder him gets another reaction out of Hudson, and I smile as I watch him try to mentally calculate his chances of survival if the other two turn on him.
If onlysomeonehere could convince them to spare him a little longer.
His jaw clenches, and he almost looks offended by how casually we’re discussing his demise. Fair, I guess.
He doesn't look scared, though. That’s deeply concerning. Maybe he isn’t as smart as I thought after all. Apollo has madness in his eyes even at the best of times, and they’re not exactly meeting at the best of times.
“No, you can’t kill him.” Thor pauses. “Yet. Hearing your name is a complication, but not enough for a death sentence. He knows our boss; he saved Priscilla. There’s more to the story. Killing him won’t help anyone.”
At the mention of Priscilla’s name, Hudson shifts his stance, arms dropping to his sides. I don’t think he’s about to attack, but he’s certainly ready if Apollo lunges at him. Guess I wasn’t scary enough for him.
“It will help me,” Apollo growls.
“Will it though?” I tilt my head. “I’m not sure.”
“Yes, I’m very sure.”
“We could tie him up,” I offer, grinning when Hudson narrows his eyes on me. “That will give us time to determine his fate and make sure he doesn’t reach out to Scott,” I add, and the Alpha wrinkles his nose at the mention of the creepy old fuck.Same, dude.
“He looks like he would resist. You should just let me put him to sleep. Permanently,” Apollo argues, and I snort. He’s certainly got spirit.
“You’re not going to resist, are you, Hudson?” I ask sweetly as his eyes shift away from Apollo and onto me again.
“I would rather you didn’t tie me up while the feral man with a bunch of knives wants me dead, if I’m honest.” Hudson winces.
