“With her,” he said, voice low, “I'm dangerously close.”
Now, my brother and my conversation now replayed in my head as I looked up at the ceiling, trying to find rest before my turn on surveillance.
At the window, Silas’s posture remained carved from stone. Every line of him spoke of tension and restraint. His gaze remained fixed on the street as if it demanded every ounce of his focus. He barely acknowledged Lena at all.
She chewed her lip, sifting through files, but every so oftenshe glanced up at us. Each time, her scent thickened in the air, warm and sweet, and color spread across her cheeks.
I stretched out on the inflatable mattress, working the stiffness from my limbs. My shirt rode up slightly, exposing my stomach and the cut of my hips.
Her eyes lingered.
Another spike.
Silas muttered under his breath, “Fucking suffocating.”
“Do you need something, runt?” I asked mildly, sitting up and tilting my head, as a faint smile curved across my mouth.
She shook her head furiously, blush deepening.
“Liar,” Silas said flatly, irritation threading through the word.
I shot him a warning look. We had to be careful with Lena. We couldn't push her.
“Did you eat something?” I asked her, ignoring him.
She nodded and held up an empty MRE wrapper.
“Good.” I tapped the mattress beside me. “Take a break from that and come here.”
She hesitated, clearly reluctant to abandon the neat stacksof paperwork she’d built, but eventually pushed herself to her feet. Small steps carried her across the floor until she stopped in front of me, uncertain what to do next.
I shifted my body, giving her space to sit.
After a second of visible debate, she folded herself onto the farthest corner of the mattress, posture stiff, watching and waiting.
“I know you’re not used to alpha and omega dynamics,” I said. “Not the way they’re meant to function.”
Her eyes narrowed. Silas’ did too. They were both trying to anticipate where I was going.
“When you were cold last night,” I continued, “Silas felt compelled to fix it. That alpha instinct isn’t aggression. It’s provision and protection.”
Her eyes flicked toward my brother.
A spike.
He didn’t look at her, but the muscle in his jaw worked overtime.
“So I’ll ask you again,” I breathed. “Do you need something from us, Lena?”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Her eyes darted between us.
Silas exhaled sharply.
“We can smell you, little mute,” he said bluntly.
He finally turned toward her, his gaze dragging over her body.
“You’ve been spiking all morning.”
