There’s a lull of silence as the four of us look between each other. Our pack bond is crackling with anxiety. It’s not good that Jett doesn’t immediately say yes.
“I’ll have the set doctor come and give you another dose of rut blockers to be on the safe side. For now, we’ll shoot close ups and singles of Iris until you feel confident. How does that sound?”
Mateo shakes his head. “I don’t think rut blockers are the solution.”
“I understand his Alpha was enraged, but it smells like a goddamn lemon grove in here. Jett, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a perfuming Omega.”
Jett narrows his eyes. “It does not.”
I run a hand over my beard. “Trust me, it does. And need I remind you, a rage can trigger a rut.”
“I’m not going into a rut!”
“Both of you, stop!” Mateo yells.
Maybe I should have had more tact in how I spoke about my observation, but Jett’s lemon keeps getting stronger, stronger than I’ve smelled it before. Even when he’s succumbed to a rut or we’ve helped an Omega through a heat together. The more I think about it, the odder I find it. His scent shouldn’t be this fucking strong and the rut blocker will hopefully subdue his out of whack pheromones.
“It’s the best solution," I argue.
Mateo throws up his hands and mutters, “Pinche idiota, alfa.”
I grunt. I am acting like an idiot, but I’m on edge and if my Alpha had his way, he’d skip everything I suggested and knock Jett out, hopefully resetting him back to before Iris walked intothe room. I need him acting like himself before I put him safely in a scene with her.
“If not rut blockers, then what?” I ask. “I’m open to a solution if you have one.”
Mateo clucks his tongue against his teeth. “You really don’t know what’s happening?”
“Mateo,” I say with an agitated edge to my voice. “He had an episode of Alpha rage.”
“Yes, but it’s more than that.”
I raise an annoyed brow at him. “Would you tell us then? We don’t have time for guessing games.”
He sighs. “I was hoping you’d all put it together.”
“Put what together?” Jett asks, his tone aggravated now.
Augie sucks in a loud breath of air, his eyes widening comically in shock before a blast of awe and elation comes from his end of the bond.
Mateo smirks. “Mi amor figured it out.”
A growl builds in my chest and my mint scent spikes, the pheromones so sharp they almost make me cough.
“Easy there, compa.”
“Mateo.” My anger builds and it takes everything in me to pull it back. Fuck, it’s like whatever happened to Jett is contagious.
The corner of Mateo’s lip lifts and I grit my teeth. I love my pack, but sometimes my fellow Alpha’s are great at pushing my buttons. Especially Mateo when he wants to; it’s part of our dynamic.
“Tell him, baby,” Augie urges.
Mateo’s dark brown eyes focus on mine, the amused twinkle in them turning serious in a way that makes my stomach bottom out.
“Iris Walker is our Omega.”
The air is sucked from my lungs and it’s as if cold water is dumped on my head. Jett is still beside me, and I don’t have to look at him to know he’s as shocked to hear Mateo’s words as Iam. Augie remains excited and in awe, his usual soothing energy a mix of the emotions.
“But that’s impossible,” I say.
