As dawn broke, we were finally cleared to meet with General mother-fucking Stone.
His office is small but imposing. Cold stone clashing with the radiant heat from the fire roaring in the hearth.
Halley’s scent is choking the room.
I couldn’t pick out another aroma in this office if I tried. My Alpha is locked onto her like it’s mission-critical and I’m still fighting to keep her alive.
I’m stuck in a loop of trying to figure out why she smells different from before. Our camp used to be filled with the sweet, alluring scent of unmated Omega. That’s gone now, and is replaced with something more nuanced.
Lavender and lightning, yeah. Still hers. But underneath that?
Gunpowder. Pine. Smoke. Spice.
Ours.
Realization hits me square in the chest. Followed by a wash of pure satisfaction. It’s heavy and hot and primal.
Wedid that.
She smells like a mated Omega even though we didn’t claim her. There is no bite on her mating gland, and we certainly didn’t get the privilege of drenching her in our combined scent whilefucking her through her heat. But the aroma ofmatedOmega is there. It’s faint and fractured, but strong enough that every time she nervously shifts in her seat, the scent intensifies and my head swims.
The others are stuck on it too. I can sense it in their breathing, in the subtle ticks of restraint. The air is thick with it. Arousal. Recognition. Possession.
“Ah, good to see the flame of attraction is still alive despite your… little hiccup.”
Blaze scoffs.
“She betrayed us,” he says, shooting Halley a glare. “Bit more than a hiccup.”
Halley bows her head and picks at her nails. It’s a nervous habit I remember well. She’s changed, we all have, and it’s reassuring to witness familiar traits shining through. The Omega we fell in love with is still in there.
I can admit its love… or was. We all fell hard for Halley. It took me far too long to acknowledge that she’s ours. Still is. No matter what happened. No matter how deep the damage runs or how raw the betrayal still feels. Halley Sparks is our Omega.
I narrow my eyes.
There’s a thin cut on her cheek. It’s shallow, healed into a pink line, but fresh.
My gut clenches.
It didn’t come from the firefight. Coupled with Blaze’s strange mood, I don’t approve of what it suggests.
“Blaze. Stop,” I say, low and hard.
He doesn’t look at me, but his teeth snap together with a click.
We’re not going to fix any of this if Blaze keeps throwing matches at gasoline. He used to be the one who made us laugh when everything felt like shit. Now? Fuck. He’s a liability at best.
“What, Knox?” Blaze snarls. “Are we supposed to just forget she's atraitor? That sheliedand Commanded us to watch her walk away?”
He drags his hand down his face, fingers digging into his new scars like he’s trying to rip the anger out of his own skin.
The salty scent of tears drifts through the air, and I grit my teeth.
Omega tears.
Fuck.
It’s the worst scent in the rut-damn world.
