Page 11 of SaaS & Class

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

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

“I think Adam might have smelled a fated mate,” Flynn 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?” Flynn asked.

I nodded. “Ok.”

We started back toward the changing tents, just in case the scent had come from there. I sniffed, trying to find the scent, while Flynn scanned for somebody who might be looking for me.

For a moment I thought I smelled him again heading toward the parking lot. But as soon as I had it, it was gone again.

The breeze was almost abrasive against my skin. Scents were overwhelming as I sniffed for any trace of my mate. The heat of the sun was wrong; it was supposed to be his warm hands on me.

My instincts were screaming: run, find him, he had to be close.

I probably would have bolted if I had any idea of which way to go. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes since he’d been there.

I weaved through the surge of people heading toward the beach from the parking lot—my nose assaulted by the artificial scents of sunscreen and tanning oils.

Cars came and went.

I scanned the crowd, praying to see my alpha trying to find me. But it was too busy, and if he’d been heading that direction, he was probably gone.

I returned to where Flynn was, and we walked along the beach and through the crowd. He scanned for anybody searching, while I almost gave myself a headache trying to find my mate’s scent in the crush of smells coming from people and the sea.

Alpha… some deep voice within whimpered.

Eventually, I had to admit defeat. I trudged over to where Dylan and Taal had set up the shade, pulled out my towel, and collapsed onto it.

Taal plopped onto the sand next to me. “You ok?”

“I… don’t know.”

Flynn studied me for a moment, then sat on the opposite end of my towel. “I don’t think fate would do you dirty. This was a mean tease, but I’m sure you’ll find him.”

I let out a long sigh as disappointment curled through me. Every instinct still demanded that I find my alpha.

Dylan squeezed my shoulder. “You’ll find him.”

I forced a smile. “You two should get changed. I’ll be fine. I’ll start setting out towels.”

“You sure?” Taal asked.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I forced myself to my feet in an attempt to prove that I was ok, but it was clear that they weren’t convinced.

Luckily, they didn’t argue. Dylan and Taal headed toward the tents to change while Flynn pulled towels from a bag. I helped him arrange them, and followed his direction as he kicked sand onto the corners to help keep them down.

The alphas returned after longer than expected, but I was grateful when Taal handed me a cardboard container with barbecued meat and a side of coleslaw. Then he plopped beside me and pulled me against him. He rubbed the arm that wasn’t against him.

“You’ll find him. I know you will,” he murmured.

I forced a smile. “Thanks.”