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“No!” he shouts, tackling me to the floor.
We grapple on the carpet, Quinn trying to pry the panties from my grip while I hold on tight, laughing. Zane and Malachi watch with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“Give it…here…” Quinn grumbles, his face flushed with exertion and embarrassment.
“Not a chance,” I wheeze, laughing despite the air being squeezed from my lungs. “These are my trophy now!”
“Dash, stop being an ass,” Zane says, reaching down to separate us. “And, Quinn, get a grip. They are just panties.”
Malachi sighs heavily and reaches down, plucking the panties from both our hands with ease. Quinn and I pause mid-wrestle to stare up at him.
“Enough,” Malachi states firmly, holding the delicate fabric between two fingers. I watch as he sniffs them, grunting gruffly, and with an eye roll, he mutters, “Neutralizer panties.”
Neutralizer panties are used by women who want to keep their scent under control. The panties absorb not only those…ah, fluids, but completely neutralizes the scent. They became popular with beta and even alpha women after omegas began using them.
Quinn’s eyes widen. “Neutralizer panties? Those are pretty high-end. And combined with how well she masked her scent…” He trails off, looking troubled.
Zane’s expression darkens. “You thinking what I’m thinking? Black-market scent suppressants?”
Malachi nods grimly. “It’s possible. We’ll need to tread carefully here. If Aria’s been using illegal suppressants, it could explain a lot…and complicate things even further.” He points at Quinn again. “This isn’t helping anything.”
Quinn scrambles to his feet, brushing off his rumpled clothes. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I just…” He trails off, running a hand over his face.
I slowly climb to my feet, still grinning. “Admit it, Quinn. You’ve got it bad for our girl.” I smile like a fucking fool.
Our girl! Fuck, that feels right.
“No,” Zane states. “We never even had a conversation about her or whether or not we are even going to entertain the idea of her. And I, for one, am not.” He grinds his jaw. “She’s a fucking beta. With Scent Synergy hanging over us, we can’t entertain this discussion. If we get matched with an omega, this whole thing will fall apart.”
I might cry. “No,” I whine. “I need her.”
Zane rolls his eyes. “Are you fucking stupid?”
“Hey,” Malachi barks, reminding us why he is the leader. His aura flashes through the room like lightning, demanding our attention. “Attack the topic, not the person. You fucking know better.”
“I’m not sorry,” Zane snaps back, pushing off the wall, tension rolling from his shoulders. “I like Aria, yes, I admit it,” Zane rumbles, his fists clenching at his sides. “But nothing can ever come of us and her. We have a duty to our future omega, to our pack’s legacy. We can’t throw that away on a whim.” His words whip through the room. “She’s a female fucking beta. Are you all this foolish? We are still registered with Scent Synergy. At any moment, we could get a fucking call that we have a scent matched omega.”
Silence stretches between us, but it’s more than that, so much more. For the first time since being in this pack, I feel distance burning between all of us.
“Yeah, that’s what I fucking thought,” Zane snarls. “Say we get an omega, then what? What about Aria? We have literally protected beta women from the packs that they thought were their forever. Fuck, I teach some of them self-defense. Do you really want to do that to Aria? Break a fucking bond?”
Breaking a bond is the worst hell anyone can ever go through. It’s like ripping a piece of their soul in half, and it is rarely ever done. Those who do it seldom survive.
I lick my lips. “I don’t want an omega.” All eyes turn to me. “I want Aria.”
Quinn releases what I can only describe as a distressed whine. “I want Aria.”
My heart thunders in my chest as all eyes turn to Malachi. Either we are all divided, or we are all in, and he’s going to decide this. His big brown eyes assess every one of us before he runs a thumb across his pouty bottom lip.
“Fuck,” Malachi curses. “We can’t be divided like this.”
“Exactly,” Zane snarls. “I should have pulled us from the Scent Synergy like I said I would. If you three are thinking about this, then I’m doing that.”
It’s a threat. If he pulls our names, there’s no going back. My heart hammers in my chest as I wait for Malachi to make the call.
He closes his eyes. “We’re all feeling the weight of this decision, but we must remain united. Let’s approach this with the wisdom and strength we’re known for.”
My entire world begins to crumble.
