Page 40 of Arrivals & Assets

We headed to the apartment door, Dylan grabbed our beach bag, and we made our way to his car. A few minutes later, we pulled up to the same extended-stay hotel that my alpha had stayed at before moving in with me.

Adam and Taal waited by the curb, and they got into the back seat as soon as Dylan unlocked the doors.

We bantered at traffic lights and as Dylan drove around the lot looking for a parking spot. Then we headed toward the water.

“I say the alphas set up the shade while we change,” Adam suggested. “Then we can set out towels while they change.”

“Works for me,” Taal said. “Dylan?”

My alpha shrugged. “I’m ok with it.”

“Come on,” Adam said as he pulled me toward a cluster of changing tents.

He and I had quickly become close. He’d said that most of his friends were alphas, so he was happy to have another omega to hang out with.

We changed quickly and were halfway to where the others were setting up the shade when Adam froze.

“Hey, you ok?” I asked.

His eyes were wide, nostrils flaring. “I… don’t know.”

“What’s up?”

“I smelled… something. Every instinct is demanding that I find it.”

“One of the food trucks?”

He shook his head. “It’s not food.” A long pause. “The best way I can describe it… is it smelled like…mine.”

“Hmm…” I mused. “That’s what Dylan smelled like to me when we met. Just an overwhelming sense that he was mine.”

“You think it’s an alpha?”

“If it’s not food… I don’t know of much that can trigger a strong response.”

He was silent for several seconds.

“Let’s find out who it is,” I suggested. “Can you tell which way they went?”

Adam sniffed, then shook his head. “It’s gone.”

“Do you want to wander around and look for them?”

“Hey, everything ok?” Taal asked as he walked up behind us. “You’ve just been standing here.”

“I think Adam might have smelled a fated mate,” I explained. “But we have no idea who or where they are.”

Taal was silent for a moment. “If you did, I think the wind was wrong. I don’t see anybody else looking around. Why don’t you two walk around and see if you can smell them? Dylan and I can hold down the fort.”

“Adam?” I asked.

He nodded. “Ok.”

We spent several minutes walking around, hoping that Adam could smell his mate again. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were gone.

The mood was muted for the rest of our fun day.

But we knew fate wouldn’t do Adam dirty. His mate was in town. It was just a matter of time.