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Or maybe Memphis just isn’t attracted to me.
The thought stings way more than it should. I shouldn’t want these Alphas to be remotely interested in me. Not only do they work for my father, they’re each strong and competent in their own right. They could easily force themselves on me if they wanted to. If my scent is so repulsive that it drives Memphis away, it’s a good thing. At least he won’t be ravenously ripping my clothes off.
Right?
Between my embarrassment and the heat of the fire, my body’s getting uncomfortably warm. My instincts are torn between tearing Denver’s jacket off and snuggling even deeper into it.
Is it embarrassment? Or is it the fever from my heat?
I’m just blushing, I tell myself. Anyone would be, if an Alpha as sexy as Memphis all but declared that he found them unfuckable. Once I get away from the fire, I’ll feel just fine.
I have to believe I’m right. Because if my heat really is here, then I’m completely fucked.
EIGHT
—
M E M P H I S
The dark trees surround me as I storm into the forest. Their trunks are hard and unbending, like they’re passing judgment on me. They saw my weakness and cowardice when I ran from the fire. I should be stronger than that, with more control. I want to roar my frustration.
I’ve never lost control like this in my life. No other Omega has ever made me feel like this. A single whiff of her intoxicating scent stripped away all my common sense. No more keeping my eye on the trees around us, checking for threats. No, my eyes were glued to Brooklyn’s face. Her cheeks had flushed the most delicious shade of pink, like a sunrise peeking through thick morning fog. Her lush lips were an even deeper shade.
Fuck, a man could spend days exploring the contours of those lips.
A bitter laugh escapes my chest when I think about the photo of Brooklyn on her birthday. The one that I couldn’t get out of my head. That girl called out to me, begging me to find her. Save her. If I dared to dream of finding her alive at all, I pictured her falling to her knees with gratitude. Thrilled that some hero had finally come to rescue her from isolation.
It’s laughable. If that helpless girl ever really existed, she’s long gone now.
There’s nothing helpless about Brooklyn. She’s a determined, clever, stunning woman. Watching her sneak into our camp, each step perfectly placed to make the smallest amount of noise, it captivated me. I’ve never seen a person move with such grace before. She reminded me more of a lynx: feline and elusive.
No wonder she was able to survive so long out here. She’s no prey— she’s a predator. She’s wild and instinctual, like she was made to walk these woods. To rule them like some savage fairy queen.
Of course she wouldn’t be happy to see us. There’s no doubt in my mind that she doesn’t want to be dragged back to civilization. What’s waiting for an Omega there? Just rules and walls. She’d be escorted everywhere by chaperones, aka glorified babysitters. Her behavior would constantly be policed in the name of keeping her safe.
There’s no fucking way the Omega by the fire wants to be kept in a cage, waiting for an Alpha to bond with her. She’s too fierce for that.
When I reach a fallen tree, I stop and sit on the stump. My body wants to keep going and let off some of the energy that’s been building in me. But I know I can’t go too far from camp. The other guys will expect me to help them keep watch. Besides, running away isn’t going to work. I need a solution.
I’ve got no idea where we go from here. The hunter in me bucks at hauling her home without her consent. I still don’t know what she’s running from, but I find that I don’t care. Clearly, Brooklyn’s out here because she wants to be. If she wanted to find her way home, she’s capable enough that she could have done it months ago. Part of me just wants to let her be.
But Roger Castle is paying us. A lot. He’ll expect results, and I doubt he’d settle for some lie about us not being able to find her. It’d be too hard to hide the truth, and I don’t want a billionaire as my enemy.
Plus, I can’t deny what I really want. What all my Alpha instincts are begging me to do.
I want to keep her. Her scent is too fucking sweet, like it was designed specifically to tempt me. It’s sweet honey and nectar, the most luscious parts of nature.
Brooklyn is like me—I can just feel it. We both choose to be silent instead of giving in to people who expect us to talk. Both of us would rather sleep under a starry sky than a comfortable roof. The wildness in her calls to the tracker in me. She was made to run free, and I was made to find her.
But I can’t think like that. Brooklyn and I haven’t even had a conversation—I have no idea what she wants. If she wants to stay out here, she might want to be alone and free. I know that if she goes home, Roger Castle wants bigger things for her than living on my parcel of land out in Memphis.
The whole thing is a mess.
I’m a quiet man, but I’m not fucking shy. I just don’t see the point in speaking unless I’ve got something worth saying. And right now, I’ve got plenty. I yell it out into the trees.
“Fuck. Fuck this fucking job. Fuck off, you goddamn judgy trees. Fuck my life. Just fuck everything!”
It’s not articulate, but it sure feels good to say. I take in a deep breath of the cool night air then sigh it out.
