Baylin
Something’s wrong with our omega. I know it before I even open my eyes. Her scent hits me first…wrong, off,threat. My wolf surges up immediately, snarling, and I’m halfway to shifting before I’m even fully conscious.
Hilda’s standing at the window, staring out at the gardens. Still beautiful, still the most tempting female I’ve ever seen, but…
I force myself to stay human. For now. But my wolf is pacing, hackles raised, every instinct screaming danger.
Because something is very, very wrong.
The scent coming off her isn’t right. Underneath her usual omega sweetness, underneath our pack scent, there’s something else. Something that makes my wolf snarl.
I don’t speak. Don’t make a sound. Just move across the floor on silent feet.
She doesn’t turn. Doesn’t acknowledge me even though she has to know I’m there. Mates always know when they’re close.
My wolf doesn’t fucking like that one bit.
I reach for her through our bond and find… nothing. Just emptiness where she should be.
A low growl rumbles out of my throat before I can stop it.
She finally turns, and that’s when I see it.
Her eyes are different. Still big and brown, still beautiful, but there’s something in them that’s wrong. Cold. Distant.
Not our mate’s eyes.
“Baylin.” Her voice is flat. No warmth.
I move closer, breathing her in, trying to understand what I’m sensing. The wrongness gets stronger the closer I get.
“You sick?” The words come out rough.
“I’m fine.” She turns back to the window.
Lie. I can smell lies. This is a lie.
I grab her arm…not gently…and turn her to face me.
She jerks away. “Don’t touch me.”
The snarl that rips out of me is loud. Feral. Mates don’t say that. Mates don’t pull away.
Fuck, something is very wrong!
Callum wakes behind us. “Bay’? What’s going on?”
“Something’s wrong with Hilda.” I don’t take my eyes off our omega. “Can you smell it?”
I can tell the second he does. His whole body goes rigid.
“What is that?”
“Don’t know.” I’m starting to shake. My wolf is clawing to get out, demanding I deal with this threat. “It’s all over her.”
Arkan sits up, instantly alert. He breathes deep and frowns. “That smell… it’s familiar.”
Hilda backs up a step, and my wolf latches onto the movement. Prey behavior.
