“Annoyinglygood,” I grumbled.
Now that he was closer, I could catch his scent much better. Wilder’s innate cologne was a heavily salted, almost burned caramel.
It wasdeliciousand made me want to…lick him like I was trying to clean a candy apple in two seconds flat, but I resisted.
A dazzling smile spread across his face. “Well, you smellabsolutelydivine to us as well.”
“So what is thissolution?” I asked, sinking onto the sofa a few feet behind me, unable to stand. “I refuse to be knotted by a stranger again, because it ended real damn badly last time.”
“Even though that would help”—Nolan tipped his chin down, stepping closer to Wilder—“we’re not going to ask that of you. Just being close to us should help reduce the symptoms.”
“Oh? And how do you know?” I wasn’t buying it.
“I’m a nurse,” Wilder offered plainly. “I’ve worked in a few clinics where they’ve done this sort of thing, so I know a lot about bonding health. Speaking of, what do you do? Preston didn’t exactly have time to tell us much about you.”
“I’m a paramedic,” I said.
They looked at each other, and Wilder grinned. “See? She’s absolutely perfect. Preston may be an asshole, but he’s got damn good taste. Nolan, here, is a lawyer.”
Without bothering to ask, he moved over to the couch and sat next to me, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into his chest.
Realistically, I knew I should have fought the touch, but something about it made my body relax immediately. The stress and tension that’d been seizing my muscles for days eased, and I nearly cried as the relief overwhelmed me.
His scent filled my lungs, and I wanted to bury my face into his chest to get an even better whiff, dimly wondering if it would provide even more comfort.
“Let us help you,” he said in a soft voice, his thumb stroking up and down my arm. “We’re here to help. Promise.”
“Who said I need your help?” I asked grumpily into his chest. “Also, how the hell do a nurse and a lawyer become pack mates with a convict?”
“The ‘how’ is a long story. As for you needing help, why don’t we phrase it like this? We’re here to help clean up the mess ourstupid pack mate made. Will you let us do that?” Nolan asked softly, crouching down by the side of the sofa.
Wilder’s hand reached up to my hair and slowly started running over my scalp. The light scratching motion made my eyes roll back in pleasure, more of the persistent migraine fading into the background.
Head scratches were one of the most potent tools to use against an omega. And he was damn good at it.
“Did I hit you too hard?” I asked after a moment.
“Nah, I’ve got a hard head.” Wilder chuckled. “I’ll be fine. You really should put a sock on the bat though, then if a bad guy grabs it, you can pull it back and whack ‘em again!”
“Noted. There are painkillers in the medicine cabinet if you need them,” I muttered before sleep finally started to claim me.
Maybe this was all just a weird dream, and when I woke up, I’d be back in my nest. Maybe the separation sickness was finally driving me insane, and I was now hallucinating a pretend pack to the alpha who had bonded with me.
But right now, I didn’t care.
Chapter 12
Wilder
When Preston told us he’d bonded with an omega, of course, we jumped in to help—but he hadn’t bothered to tell us that she was absolutelystunning.
And that was not the head injury talking.
The sweet woman was curled up on my chest on the sofa, snoring lightly as I ran my hands through her hair. My head was pounding, and I was pretty sure I had a mild concussion, but instead of being mad about it, I was weirdly proud of the little omega for defending herself so well.
Well done, cutie.
The call from Preston had only lasted a few minutes, during which he rapidly explained that he’d accidentally bonded with an omega—and then had to leave her right after, because in true Preston fashion, he’d pissed on the rules and snuck off to a bar. He’d sounded terrified, though, desperate to know if she was okay.
