“Show some fucking respect,” I spit out. “This isn’t some joke. Madison… Madi…” My voice quivers, and then my whole body is shaking.
“Hey, hey, Hunt. It’s okay. It’s all gonna be okay.”
I sit heavily on the stairs, a sob threatening my throat. “She’s my fucking scent match, Nix.”
Phoenix lowers himself next to me on the stairs, so close our shoulders touch. His scent breaks through his scent blockers just enough for me to pick out notes ofpapaya and vanilla. It’s so familiar, so calming, and even at its muted strength, it brings down all my walls and makes tears spring to my eyes. It would blend so perfectly with Madi’s piña colada.
And I can’t have either of them.
“How long have you known?” he asks.
I let out a little huff of a laugh before answering. “SinceLe Petit Palais. I scented her when I followed her into the restroom. But if I’m honest with myself, I’ve always felt drawn to her.”
Nix’s eyes are as wide as saucers as he stares at me. “Hoooo boy. No wonder you’ve been an uptight mess. Mr. Responsible Dean scent matched to his omega student? Scandalous.”
He’s teasing, but the words rub at all my raw edges.
I’m on my feet before Phoenix can say anything else, pounding back down the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Phoenix calls after me.
“Out.” I need time to think, space to clear my head. My scent match is bonded to a creature of legend—one I want almost as much as I want her, if I’m honest. Fuck. I need to pull myself together.
Phoenix chases after me. “Will you wait up? I’ll come with you. We can go?—”
“No.” I pick up speed.
His footsteps stop. “Will you at least be back for dinner?”
I don’t answer. I run out the door and let it slam shut behind me.
27
Hunter didn’t stumble back into his apartment until well after midnight last night, but he’s up at the crack of dawn, clattering around in his little kitchen. It would normally bother me, but I’m already awake. I barely slept last night.
“So,” I start cautiously, “what are you up to today?” I stretch as I get off the couch. His eyes track the lift of my arms and back down my torso. I have to fight to keep a smile from my face. Maybe he’s not as unaffected by me as I thought.
“I’ve got office hours this morning, then Madison is meeting me at Seaman’s Cove.” Hunter pours a mug of coffee and hands it to me as I join him in the tiny kitchen.
“So, are you gonna tell her?” I blow on the hot liquid and take a sip.
“No.” He turns away to top off his own coffee. “I can’t date students, so it doesn’t matter if we’re scent matches.”
I lean a hip against the counter and study him. “Comeon, there’s got to be some exception to the rule in a case like this.”
“There’s not.” He crosses the room to sit down at the table that only fits two.
“So you’re just gonna pretend like yesterday never happened?”
“What else do you expect me to do, Nix?” He sets his mug down so hard hot liquid splashes over the side, pooling on the table. He stares at it. “If it were just me, I might risk it. But Madi could lose her place in the program. I can’t let that happen.”
I nod, a heavy understanding settling in my gut. I know what it is to want someone you can’t have. My phone buzzes from where I left it by the couch. I ignore it.
“What time are you going down to the beach?” I ask. “Is Caspian going with you?”
“I assume so.” Hunter gets up and grabs a cloth napkin from a drawer, then returns to the table and cleans up his coffee spill. “We’re meeting at four to determine the location for the dig site.”
“Great. I’ll come.” My phone buzzes again with another text.
