“I’m Doctor Avery.” She extended her hand, and on the inside of her wrist was a tattoo. She caught her staring at it and smiled proudly. “It’s my omega’s favorite flower. She didn’t want rings or a ceremony but settled on tattoos. It’s wonderful, the freedom each pack has when it comes to decisions, big or small.”
Sonnet squinted her eyes. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
“I have the results ofallyour tests, and it would appear very conclusive that your heat spike was, in fact, due to the presence of alphas that have a strong biological resemblance to yours.”
“How strong?” Summer asked, trying to lean over Dr. Avery’s shoulders to read the test results.
“It’s a 100 percent match.” Dr. Avery held up the test sheet to prove it, and there it was, that perfect little number. “It’s not completely rare for a match of high status like this to be made. About forty percent of matches have a scent match anda biological resemblance between 80 and 90 percent. However, only 2 percent of theworldwidepopulation will discover what society calls a fated match, and what we refer to scientifically as a Link. A genetic and biological match of—”
“One hundred percent,” Sonnet whispered. “No decimals? No average?”
“No,” Dr. Avery laughed. “Destiny and fate are two terms slowly dying out in our society, but these terms live on in matches like these and in wolves like you. Like us.”
Sonnet lifted her head in surprise, and she was met with a warm and inviting smile. “You’re a fated match, too?”
“Indeed. Came at the worst time, too. My pack was a mess. When you have three alphas with big personalities and even bigger attitudes, things tend to get messy. Although, let me be clear, I am the perfect among the others. Well, things got complicated, andfast.But then she found us.” Dr. Avery began to fondly rub her tattoo, her eyes hazing over with memories. “It’s overwhelming. That initial realization. In fact, I remember throwing up.”
“Really?”
“Really,” she laughed. “Some packs will paint a picture of perfection. Finding a Link solves and saves everything. In my case, it made things even more complicated, but then came the sweetness, and then the good. It’s been thirteen years, and I’ve never looked back. I say this to bring comfort and hope.” Dr. Avery reached forward and grasped Sonnet’s hands, her eyes soft, encouraging. “I’ve read your record. I know you have a complicated story. I’m so sorry. I know how overwhelming this must feel. I can’t promise you it will be easy. In fact, I can promise you the opposite. The very beginning of this will be difficult and complicated.”
Sonnet’s lips twitched as she momentarily caught Summer’s eyes. “I’m pretty good at complicated.”
“Then shall we complicate things even more?”
“How?”
“By meeting your matches officially.”
“Meet them?” A lump as large as a potato jammed into the center of her throat. She looked back over to Summer and hoped she had an answer for her.
Summer shook her head softly. “This is something only you can decide, sissy.”
Sonnet pressed the palm of her hand into her chest and practiced breathing. A flood of terrible thoughts drowned in her mind. She was shipwrecked, caught in a current of the worst possible outcomes, but in the storm, the sun peeked through and offered hope. In the storm, her heart whispered to her mind;it will be okay.
Do you hear that, omega? Do you hear me?
We will be okay.
“Yes. I want to meet them. I want to meet my mates.”
Chapter8
A one-hundred percent perfect match that only happened when the stars aligned, and the cosmic council got together to decide such things was something Felix never considered being decided for him or his pack,especiallynow. This felt more like a personal attack by the universe than a last-ditch attempt to keep the pack together. Maybe the stars above needed a good laugh, because there was nothing more ironic than this shit show.
Felix didn’t feel like laughing now that he was standing outside the conference room where Dr. Avery was preparing to grant them an official meeting. Everyone looked like a mess. Zayden in particular. In fact, Felix hadn’t seen him looking this miserable since the night everyone agreed they wanted to part ways.
Kai’s reaction was no surprise. At least, not to him. His face was forced into a permanent scowl, and if Felix didn’t knowany better, he was pacing to control his urge to run away. He, more than the rest of them, was good at that. And Jude… Felix raised an eyebrow. He was bouncing on his feet and smiling so wide that Felix almost considered calling a doctor for him. If someone other than them in this pack was watching him right now, they’d probably assume he found a bag of crack.
It definitely wouldn’t help with the rumors circulating around.
Felix wondered if she had read these rumors. He wondered what the little omega thought of them. She had to have some sort of opinion, seeing as she knew them well enough to attend their concert, but attending a momentary event was different from a lifelong commitment.
A lifelong commitment.
He liked the sound of that.
His alpha chuckled.
