Page 36 of Written in Scent

Chase stands in the doorway, nostrils flared wide. His massive frame is tense, shoulders bunched, deep brown eyes wild with protective instinct. The second he catches her scent, a deep growl rumbles from his chest.

“Bring her inside,” he nearly shouts, voice thick with alpha command. “Now. She’s not safe out here.”

He ushers us in with urgent movements, one hand on Alex’s back and the other gesturing sharply for me to move faster. The moment we are through the threshold, Alex lowers Melody onto the large sectional couch in the living room. She immediately whines in protest when he tries to pull away, her small hands fisting tightly in his shirt. She clings to him like a lifeline, face buried in his neck.

Alex looks down at her with a mixture of tenderness and strain. “Easy,” he murmurs. “I’m right here.”

Chase can’t seem to handle it. He backs away from the scene, retreating to the hallway where he drops heavily onto the floor. He sits with his back against the wall, elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands. I have never seen him look so rattled.

Alex and I exchange a glance over Melody’s head.

“We’re going to have to help her through it,” I whisper.

Alex’s expression hardens with resolve even as his hand strokes soothing circles on her back. “Yeah. We are.”

The front door bursts open with a loud bang. Jamie comes rushing in, breathing hard, my bag slung over his shoulder and Melody’s laptop bag clutched in one hand. The second he steps inside he freezes, nostrils flaring as he takes in the thick cloud of her scent filling the house. His usual easy grin is nowhere to be found.

He spots Chase first, still sitting on the hallway floor with his face in his hands.

“Chase,” Jamie says, voice low and unusually serious. “You good, man?”

Chase lifts his head. His eyes are wild, pupils blown wide. “I am freaking the fuck out,” he admits, voice rough. “My alpha is screaming at me to protect her, but there’s nothing to protect her from. It’s driving me insane.”

Jamie sets the bags down and crouches in front of him for a second. “I know. I feel it too. Her scent is everywhere and my hindbrain is losing its mind. But you have to hold it together. She needs all of us right now, not just our instincts.” He claps Chase on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go in.”

Jamie straightens and walks into the living room. The moment he enters, Melody’s head snaps up from where she has been curled against Alex’s chest. Recognition flickers across her face. Her eyes clear just a fraction, the first real thread of lucidity I have seen since the library.

She suddenly pushes off Alex’s lap and runs across the room on unsteady legs, launching herself straight into Jamie’s arms.

Jamie catches her easily, strong biceps wrapping around her small frame as she buries her face in his neck. “Hey, hey,” he murmurs, voice hushed. “You’re OK, Melody. I’ve got you.”

A low grunt comes from the hallway. Chase has followed us in. “That’s not her name,” he says, voice tight.

Melody pulls back just enough to look at Jamie, tears already filling her eyes. “It’s not Melody,” she whispers, voice shaky. “My name is Elodie. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Jamie doesn’t loosen his hold. He keeps her tucked safely against him, one hand rubbing gentle circles on her back. “Elodie,” he repeats, tasting the name. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. My pack has you now. We’re going to keep you safe.”

The tears spill over. Elodie clings to him tighter, her small body trembling as fresh sobs break free. “I don’t want a pack,” she cries, voice cracking. “I just want to be myself. Why is my body doing this? Why is it betraying me?”

I open my mouth, already forming the precise biochemical explanation I gave Alex earlier, but Alex catches my eye and gives a small, sharp shake of his head. I close my mouth immediately.

All four of us are standing now, instinctively crowding closer around Elodie where she remains wrapped in Jamie’s arms. The air is thick with our combined scents and the sweet storm of hers. Alex reaches out and strokes a tender hand down her back.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Alex says gently. “We’re all fighting our own instincts right now, the same way you are. No one here is blaming you for any of this.”

Elodie sobs harder at his words, lifting her tear streaked face to look at all of us. “Then why are you all being so nice to me?”

The four of us exchange quick glances. Alex’s expression softens even further.

“Because you’re having a heat spike,” he explains calmly. “Your body is reacting very strongly to us. One of us can help you through it if you want, but you need to consent while you still can.”

Elodie blinks slowly, confusion clouding her bright blue eyes. “I… I don’t understand.”

Jamie holds her closer, making soothing sounds against her hair. “Did your omega parent prepare you for this? Explain what would happen?”

She shakes her head against his chest. “My parents are betas. I’m the first omega in my family. I’ve read about heats and what happens, but I’m on heat blockers. This should not be happening.”

I can’t help myself. “Certain circumstances can override even strong blockers,” I say, voice controlled despite the chaos in my body.