My eyes sting again, and I glance away. “Yes, it’s true. I was scared. I’d lost my parents, and they took me away, placed me in some weird, overcrowded house, but luckily I had an annoying Attie to look out for me.”
“Crawled into my bed, and here we are now. Grown-ass men.”
“I mean, I’m a grown-ass adult. I’m not sure about you,” I tell him, and Attie chuckles.
“Truth. But you always were a harder worker than me.” He gulps down some more moonshine and then burps. “Always had something to prove.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not an omega.”
“Well, I’m a shaman with questionable ethics and abilities, but—” Attie hops up and stumbles into his trailer only to appear a moment later.
“I have this for you. It’s gonna work this time. I know it. I found an ancient recipe book. One from your people, actually.” He holds out a vial and shakes it. The green serum sloshes against the sides.
My face falls, my eye twitching as he holds it out to me.
“Go on. Take it. You’ve been asking me for this for ages, and I finally did it! Don’t be shy.”
“What’s that?” Glenn asks, taking another sip of his drink. I grab the vial and shove it in my pocket.
“Nothing.”
Glenn arches an eyebrow, obviously not believing me.
“It’s for his scent. Will take it away completely. Well, at least for a few days. But I can make more,” Attie blurts this unhelpfully, and my stomach twists.
“He just wants a chance at love.” Attie stands up and moves toward a clear barrel next to his door, refilling his tumbler and taking another glug of moonshine.
“That true? Is it really to take your scent away?” Glenn asks me softly, and I peer over at him, my throat bobbing.
“Yes.”
He hesitates a moment. “You gonna take it?”
I open my mouth to tell him of course not, but Attie beats me to it. “’Course he is! He’s been gagging for this. Calling me every week asking for an update. The stress I’ve been under to perfect it, and I finally managed it. Not to mention…”—he waggles his fingers at Glenn—“the slick potion your brother has been bugging me about. That took the literal hair from my head. Gods! What am I? A machine? All I do all day is get fucked and make serums for you assholes.”
He falls back into his chair, and I resist the urge to kick it. I’d gladly watch him fall backward.
But I don’t do that. I just keep my feet grounded, that vial burning a hole in my pocket.
“It makes me sad you don’t like your scent,” Glenn says softly, his eyes meeting mine. “I love it.”
My eyes water, and I sniffle. “Well, Iwasgoing to take this. I really was. It’s been hard to find someone who likes me for me. But then I met you…”
The glass Glenn is holding rests against his bottom lip as he watches me. I want to lean forward and kiss him, but I don’t.
“You know what? Why don’t I show you around now?” I suggest as I stand up quickly, tripping slightly. Thankfully, Glenn catches me, his arm moving around my waist to halt my impending fall. I’m pulled into his chest, and the moonshine sloshes over the lip of his glass and onto my skin.
It burns just a little.
Doesn’t help that Glenn’s tongue laves at my skin, licking it up. Makes me warm all over.
“You’re doing this on purpose,” I whisper, and Glenn’s eyes twinkle.
“Maybe I am.”
“Come on,” I reply, linking my hand with his once more. It feels right, having him touch me. But then again, it seems he brings out the slutty omega in me.
“Hey! Where you going? What about me?” Attie asks, stumbling up next to us. He’s put on a cowboy hat, one that I got him a few years ago. It was a joke, but he ended up adoring it.
