Page 56 of Written in Scent

For the first time in days, I feel a little lighter. I dance beside Sophie, letting the beat carry me, enjoying the energy and the simple joy of moving without overthinking everything.

The world feels muted around the edges, and for a few minutes, that is exactly what I need.

The music pulses louder, and I’m laughing at something Sophie just said when a loud scream cuts through the crowd.

“The lacrosse team is here!”

The entire room erupts into cheers. People surge toward the entrance, bottles raised and voices lifting. The energy shifts in an instant, electric and wild.

Sophie turns to me with wide eyes. “I had no idea they were coming,” she shouts over the noise.

I’m tipsy enough now that the news doesn’t hit me like it should. Instead of panic, I just shrug and keep moving to the beat. “It’s fine,” I tell her, the words a little loose. “I don’t mind.”

Still, my eyes scan the crowd as the team starts filtering in. I look for Alex without meaning to, searching for his height, his dark hair, the way he carries himself. I don’t see him at first. Maybe he decided not to come out tonight.

Part of me feels oddly disappointed, but the alcohol softens the feeling before it can settle too deeply.

A deep voice speaks right behind my ear, low and smooth.

“Looking for me?”

Alex’s scent envelops me all at once. Dark cedarwood, black pepper, and smoke wrap around me like a claim. My breath catches in my throat.

I nod before I can think better of it.

He steps closer and wraps one strong arm around my waist from behind. The heat of his body presses against my back, sturdy and intense through the thin fabric of my dress. Many people in the room glance our way. I feel their eyes on us, but the tipsiness eases the self-consciousness. Sophie stays nearby, dancing close enough to keep watch, but she gives us space.

I let myself lean back into him. His hands find my hips, guiding me gently as we move together to the music. The alcohol has loosened something inside me. I let go a little more than I should, giving in to the moment and to the pull of my instincts.

His fingers press lightly into my hips as we dance. Every point of contact sends heat spreading through me. I close my eyes for a second and just feel it.

I stop fighting the way my body wants to be near him. I just dance.

And I let him hold me.

I turn in his arms without thinking. My hands slide up to rest on his chest as we keep moving to the music. The fabric of his shirt is warm beneath my palms, and I can feel the measured beat of his heart.

His pale gray eyes lock onto mine, they stand out against his dark skin so strikingly that I feel trapped by them. He smiles at me, devastatingly, and everything else in the room fades. The noise, the crowd, the flashing lights — none of it matters. There is only the way he’s looking at me.

I lean in closer. “Congratulations on the win today,” I murmur.

His smile deepens. “Thank you. But I’m hoping for a bigger win tonight.”

The words send a shiver down my spine. My omega instincts surge forward, louder than the music, louder than reason. I slide my hands up around his neck and pull him down to me.

Alex meets me halfway. “Can I kiss you?” His voice is low and throaty.

“Please,” I finally manage to hold back in a whine for once, saving myself from embarrassment at least this time.

He scent marks me first, dragging his jaw along the side of my neck with a low, possessive sound that vibrates against my skin. Then his mouth finds mine.

The kiss is deep and hungry from the very first second. His lips are decadent, tasting like something distinctly him and faintly of whatever alcohol he has been drinking. I lose myself in it completely.

My fingers thread through his hair as his hands tighten on my hips, pulling me flush against him. The world narrows to the heat of his body, the slide of his tongue against mine, and the way every inch of me lights up under his touch.

I forget everyone else in the room.

I forget that I am supposed to be keeping my distance.