Someone trying to ransom me for my parent’s money, I’m sure.
Butfuckno. I amnotdoing this a second time.
With a frustrated scream, I hurl the nearest pillow at him. “Who thefuckare you?” I’m surprised at the venom in my tone. I do not speak to…well,anyonelike this.
But, weirdly enough, I feel better than I have in gods-know-how-long, and it’s like something in me has awoken.
That fucking lime and bergamot is making me feel things I have no business feeling right now.
“Woah!” The man—alpha—has a voice that sends goosebumps across my flesh, and, unfortunately, I don’t hate it. “Wren, it’s okay. It’s—”
I scramble to my feet on top of the mattress. For some reason, the sound of my name on his lips fills me with…feelings. “How do you know my name?” My voice is shrill, even to my own ears. “Are you trying to ransom me? Or did Pack Caruso set this up? Did my parents send you?! Where thefuckis Teddy?!”
The door slams open, and Teddy stands there, wide eyes and heavy breathing. “Dove!” he shouts, bounding into the room, stopping at the edge of the mattress and looking up at me. I’m so short, and he’s so tall that this puts us almost at eye level.
I choke on a sob as I fall into his arms, and his head buries into my neck as his arms wrap around my back and he starts rambling. “‘Holy fuck, Dove. Never do that to me again. I was so fuckin’ worried…”
When I take a gasping breath, it hits me. Teddy’s scent. English Breakfast Tea with cream and sugar, but…different.
I’m pretty sure his scent never sent slick straight to my pantiesbefore. And why…why is it screaming that it’smine? “Teddy?” I whisper.
“Fuck, you’ve been out for three days and I was worried I’d have to take you to the ‘ospital—”
“Teddy!” I say louder, pulling out of his grasp and looking at his face. He doesn’t…he doesn’tlookany different. But…there’s that undeniable alpha musk in his scent that would normally make me gag. “What…how…are you analpha?”
“Oh, right.” He gets this sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck. “After I tried to go back for you and found you missin’, I di’n’t take it too well, and I uh…presen’ed. Poor Ethan,” he throws a thumb over his shoulder at the man I assaulted with pillows only moments ago, “got the brunt end of a bark I di’n’t realize I ‘ad.”
A late presenting alpha? I’ve never heard of that before. Though I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising, considering I’m a late-presenting omega. And plus—
My hands fly up to cover my mouth. Ethan. Hisroommate. “Oh my gods.” I cover my face with my hands before looking over Teddy’s shoulder at my victim. “I’msosorry. I didn’t know—”
The alpha merely smirks, walking over to stand next to Teddy. “Don’t apologize, Little Bird. You have surprisingly good aim—if those pillows had been actual weapons, I’d be very, very wounded.”
Little Bird? You throw a couple of pillows at a guy in a completely out-of-character explosion of rage, and he gives you a nickname.
But then I realize that the lime and bergamot has gotten considerably stronger, and not only is it doing weird things to my insides, but that same mix of voice and feeling whispers in my mind,mine.
I choke, looking between the two of them. Neither of them seem to realize the effect they’re having on me, and I don’t seem to be inciting any sort of alpha-like response from either of them.
“What—how—”
“Surprise?” Teddy gives a pained smile, glancing at Ethan. “Guess it’s a good thing I di’n’t introduce you to Ethan earlier, otherwise you mighta scent matched wiff him and left me behind.”
I shake my head at the ridiculousness of his words. Even if I had found a scent match, I never would have left Teddybehind. “What? No—” then I realize what he just said. “You mean, you can scent it too?”
They both look at me like I’m crazy. “O’ course we can, Dove. It’s takin’ everyfin’ in me to not claim you ‘ere and now.” Teddy runs a hand over my hair.
“But you’re not acting surprised,” I whisper, my cheeks flushing when I meet Ethan’s assessing gaze, and I quickly look back at Teddy.
“That’s because you’ve been unconscious for the last three days, and we’ve had some time to get used to your scent,” Ethan says gently.
Three days?
Then he holds out his hand. “May…may I?”
Biting my lip, I look back and forth between the alphas in front of me.
Teddy as an alpha is going to take some getting used to.
