I hated the little voices that spoke in tandem in my mind. It was as if I was now sharing my mind with a pair of very needy puppies.
One felt aggressive—like it wanted to dominate and fight everyone until we stood on top—and the other sat way on the opposite end of the spectrum. All the other voice wanted was to be safe and comfortable and surrounded by all of the scents that I was trying to make off limits.
Including the watermelon scent of the alpha who was now standing just behind me, clearly having gotten over his fear of snakes for a moment to get my attention.
Tattooed fingers waved in front of my eyes and I let out a huff of frustration before turning to look up at him.
‘What? Can’t I ignore you in peace?’I asked, my fingers sliding through the air, showing my irritation with the alpha who was suddenly crowding into my space, causing his sweet scent to fill my nose and mouth.
I held in a groan as my instincts seemed to rebel against my plans to stay away from him. It also didn’t help that I was unsure if they wanted me to bite the man in front of us or to nuzzle in close and press my nose to the spot where I knew that delicious scent would be the strongest.
Instead, I chose a secret third option which involved me taking a step back away from him and nearly tripping over a jug of water that was meant to refill tank misters.
Firm hands gripped my elbows, keeping me from falling straight onto my ass.
Nico’s hands were warm, the sensation spreading up my arms and sending a shiver of need down my spine.
Mine, mine, mine,the two small voices chanted gleefully in unison as I stared up into a pair of brown eyes that reminded me of melting dark chocolate.
My fingers twitched with the desire to curl into the front of his shirt and pull his mouth to mine—something which wasn’t wholly a new experience to me. There had been many times my body had flushed with a mix of embarrassment and heat as I looked at the members of Nico’s pack.
But before now I had always been able to push the crush down firmly, recognizing that it could never happen.
My senses twitched as both voices clambered over each other, both demanding me to do the same thing.
Nico’s nostrils flared.
‘Your scent—’he began to mouth before he was cut off abruptly when he seemed to remember the snake still around my neck. Pluto was slowly winding his way down my arm, curious about the fingers that still gripped my elbows.
The same fingers that were gone in a flash as Nico drew them back to his body, his eyes darting in between me and the snake.
Suddenly, I was grateful that my hobby terrified Nico because if it hadn’t I would have almost certainly made a decision that I would have regretted.
I liked them. I had always liked them—even before Alesso had died. What had been a childhood crush borne out of stories about knights saving princesses had matured into something more.
But I could never tell whether or not they saw me like that too. I’d always been Alesso’s little sister until the night that Elio had kissed me. The same night my brother was killed.
We hadn’t talked about that kiss since and I just assumed it had been a mistake on his part. Then, before I knew it, six years had passed and so had the time to bring it up to him.
I would always be Alesso’s little sister to them and their near nuptials months ago had proven that.
Now as my scent bloomed between us, cloyingly sweet and tinged with the distinct scent of an omega, I knew better.
They definitely wanted me. My instincts were telling me—no—screaming it at me like I was some kind of idiot.
Gently shaking myself out of my sudden reverie, I turned to put Pluto back into his tank, sliding the door shut and locking it as I tried to gather my thoughts.
My fingers curled on the cool plexiglass as I stared at the snake that had been my last gift from Alesso.
He’d called him a friend just for me.
A gentle hand pressed into the small of my back, reminding me that I wasn’t alone in the room.
Nico’s pupils were blown slightly when I turned to look at him again.
‘Is it just because my body has changed?’I asked hesitantly as I studiously ignored the dual voices in my head screaming at me to kiss him.
Nico’s dark brows lifted incredulously as he shook his head hard.‘No. Cini it’s always been this way.’
