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“Yeah, but I haven’t felt that way again.” She glances at me with watery eyes. “What if I was making it up in my head? What if they’re not my scent matches?”
I search for the right words, but none come. All Daria has ever wanted is to find her scent matches. We’re in the same sort of pain, but at least I know who mine are.
“Then,” I finally say, “we’ll keep looking.” Her face crumples. Not the answer she wanted to hear. “Or you stay with them.”
“I’d rather die,” she says, fisting her hands at her side. “You know what your mom went through.”
Ouch. “Yeah. I was there.”
She covers her face with her hands. “God, Quinn. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I’m just all fucked up and terrified I’ll never find them.”
Sighing, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and hug her. “It’s okay. Believe it or not, I get the struggle.”
Scent matching is always the goal, but with so many people, some omegas never find their pack. It’s not uncommon to settle down without matching. For some people, it works. For other people, like my mom...well, that says more about my dads than it does about her.
Daria leans into my touch, and we sit together, silently staring at the wall until the front door closes and not one, not two, but three voices float through the mansion. Fuck. They’re all here? I tense and Daria shoots me a questioning look.
“I didn’t expect them to be here.”
Her mouth tips up. “Are you hiding me from them?”
More like hiding them from her because she knows me too well. “Please don’t flirt with them.”
“Quinn. You should know me better than that.”
She’s right. She would never do anything that might put our friendship at risk, like flirting with my stepbrothers. I’m letting my jealousy show, and it’s not a good look.
“Sorry.” I shake my head. “They’re annoying is all,” I whisper as their footsteps come toward the family room. Every hair on my arms rises, and I focus so hard on pretending everything is fine, a hard line forms between my eyebrows.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Dylan asks as he swaggers into the room, flashing me a wicked smile before zeroing in on Daria. I brace myself, waiting for the moment he takes in my best friend in all her glory. To my surprise, he simply nods at her before dropping onto the couch beside me. He’s so close, his leg brushes over mine. “Hey, little omega.”
“Hey.” My voice is breathy, but Daria is focused on the other brothers.
Brady glares at Dylan before cutting his gaze to my friend. “Sorry about my brother. Dylan has no manners. I’m stepbrother, Quinn’s... Brady,” he says, jaw barely tensing. His gaze finds mine and, for once, he doesn’t scowl.
Someone give this alpha an award. I almost believe he doesn’t hate me.
“Nice to meet you, stepbrother,” Daria teases. “I’m best friend, Quinn’s... Daria.” Her hands stay firmly planted in her lap, not offering her hand for him to shake.
God, I love her.
I think I’d lose it if he touched her.
Dylan and Austin laugh at Brady’s expense, and the oldest brother scowls.
Daria turns her attention to the final brother. “And you are?”
“Austin.” He smiles but doesn’t flash his dimples.
Thank the lord in heaven for tiny miracles.
Dylan shifts, subtly scooting closer. The cushion dips, and I accidentally tip into his lap. He laughs and his hands burn against my waist as he helps me right myself. “Careful, Quinn,” he says, and even though it’s harmless, I can’t help but feel like he did it on purpose.
My bestie studies me with a funny look. I roll my eyes, playing up the annoyed sister.
“What’s this?” Brady asks, grabbing my scrapbook from the table.
My heart jumps into my throat. I’d completely forgotten why Daria was here in the first place. We were having a scrapbooking date, but we had so much to catch up on, we hadn’t gotten around to starting yet.
