AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And you don’t think it’s her heat suppressants?” asks Levi, frowning. “They aren’t properly prescribed ones, after all. And you know scent blocking soap comes in a bunch of scents and you’ve forced her to scrub down with it twice a day. Maybe you just don’t like the smell.”
“I really don’t think it is the scent blocker,” Thane says with a head shake. “I’m around Omegas who wash with it all the time at the hospital. This is nothing new. There’s no reason she should have this effect on me.” He holds up a hand before I can protest. “And it’s not attraction. I know what attraction is, what it should feel like, even with the rut blockers. This is something more. It’s almost like she’srepulsiveto me.”
I growl at him, and Levi tenses beside me. “That’s not very nice,” grumbles Miles, because apparently he’s a ninety-year-old grandma, and Thane laughs in spite of himself.
“I don’t mean it that way. It’s like…” He looks off into the distance, his gaze thoughtful, before he continues. “Did you ever have a bad memory that you associated with a smell, or a sound or touch? Like, maybe hearing a certain song makes you mad?”
“Remember that German Shepherd I had when I was a teenager?” Miles offers after a moment of thought. “Ginger? I loved that dog so damn much. Just before my mom called me at school to tell me that she died, I’d been eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. The kind that the cafeteria stocked, remember, in those little cardboard cups? Now, even the smell of mint chocolate chip makes me sad.”
“Exactly,” affirms Thane with a quick nod. “Her scent reminds me of a bad memory, but there’s no memory attached. It makes me angry and irritated and sad all at the same time, and I don’t know why.”
There’s an awkward silence while we all contemplate his words. If Thane can’t get over this, then there really isn’t any hope for Riley joining our pack. And it doesn’t seem like so much a grudge as something off-balance, like Thane’s pheromones don’t work with hers. I would never force him to be uncomfortable for the rest of his life. Better to move on to another Omega that can make us all happy, if it comes to that. I wish he’d explained this before. I preferred thinking he was just being stubborn and would eventually crack. But this?
Fuck.
I shift in my seat, uncomfortable, my skin itching.
“I do get what you’re saying,” Miles says slowly. “And I’ll admit, even now that Riley and I have slept together, there are hints of the pheromone you’re describing. Maybe it isn’t as strong for me as it is for you, but once in a while, there’s something about her scent that feels off. Like it doesn’t belong. Almost like that sickly feeling you get when you are startled, and then it goes away again. Maybe she’s just getting over a cold. Remember how rank Fox smelled when he had that flu back in May?”
“Hey,” I grouse, and Miles smirks, unapologetic.
“You think she’s sick?” Thane presses, his brows furrowing in a way that tells me he thinks that could make sense.
“She’s sleeping an awful lot,” I offer.
Thane nods.
Miles rubs at his temple. “But even with the weird note her scent has sometimes, I really think she would be right for us. She fits in well here. And you have to admit that despite it, her scent is potent. Fucking mouthwatering.”
Thane’s cheekbones flare, and I know he agrees.
“I’ve always trusted your judgment,” Thane says, and Miles’s eyes widen. I know they had some sort of blowout this morning, so for Thane to say that is a big deal. “No, it’s true. We haven’t agreed completely during this whole process, but I do trust you.”
“Thanks, Thane,” Miles says.
I shift in my seat. The back of my neck flushes with a cold sweat and my stomach tightens.
“But I need you to understand that I don’t think I can bond with her,” says Thane. He gives Miles an apologetic look. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes either. Not yet. I have to figure out what this problem is, this occasional revulsion I have to her scent.”
“I understand,” says Miles, nodding. He reaches over to Thane and claps him on the shoulder. “Whatever decision you make, we’ll work through it. We work through everything together, right?”
This is getting way too sentimental for me. “Ugh, I need a beer,” I say, too much energy flowing through my veins. I practically jump out of my seat and head to the fridge, grabbing the first four bottles I can find and coming back to the table. My hands are shaking as I open each top before Thane covers my hand to stop me.
“You’re going into rut, aren’t you?” he says, gesturing to my hands. There’s no judgment or concern in his voice. Thane trusts me to handle my urges. I nod, swallowing hard. I’ve been trying to ignore it, but I won’t lie to him. I’ve been feeling it coming on for days and no matter what I do, nothing seems to help.
“Can you handle it responsibly?”
“Yeah,” I say, twitching with need. “I’m good.”
Levi gives me a sympathetic glance, but Miles seems to know exactly what I’m going through. He tips his head toward the stairwell, giving his blessing to visit Riley. I could always ask Miles again, but my body already wants Riley. I chug down my beer and place the bottle back on the table. The alcohol does nothing for my nerves, and I find myself standing again awkwardly. “I guess I’ll go… handle it.” With that, I turn and leave the dining room, heading upstairs toward Riley’s room.
I can always jerk off and have a cold shower if she says no.
She won’t say no.
I steel myself.
You got this, Fox. Crush that pussy. But, like, gently and shit.
