Page 66 of Written in Scent

When he pulls up outside my dorm it’s later than I realized. People are milling about, and they are all definitely staring. A few students dawdle on the sidewalk, eyes flicking to Alex’s car and spotting me in the front seat, looking disheveled. My cheeks heat, but the embarrassment doesn’t sink in the way it should.

Alex rests his hand on my thigh, the heat of it sending a spark through me. “Elodie,” he says, voice low and serious.

I turn to him, my heart suddenly beating harder. The usual calm confidence in his face has shifted into something deeper.

“I know a pack wasn’t what you came to university looking for,” he begins, words careful and measured. “You came here for your studies, for entomology, for the life you planned for yourself. I respect that more than you know.”

His thumb brushes a comforting circle on my leg. “But I hope you’ll give my pack a chance. I don’t want to take anything away from your studies or your freedom. We would do everything at your pace. I promise you that. I believe — we all believe — that you are the perfect match for us.”

The air in the car feels suddenly thicker. Alex’s pale gray eyes hold mine steadily as he asks, formally, “Elodie, will you allow us to court you?”

I am stunned by how official the question sounds. It lands between us like something heavy and tangible, and my voice comes out small when I ask, “What does courtship really mean?”

Alex keeps his hand on my thigh, his fingers splayed out. He explains it, his voice patient, as if he has been waiting for this moment.

“We would follow the usual steps,” he says. “Each of us would take you on at least one individual date, more if you need time. We would have you over to the house more often so you could get to know us properly. And if you eventually chose us, you could form an official mate bond with the pack.”

“Even Chase?” I ask before I can stop myself. The words slip out in an uncertain stumble. “I know what Jamie said… but I can’t help thinking that he doesn’t like me.”

Alex laughs, the sound low and surprised and so warm it makes my chest flutter. He shakes his head, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Chase’s protectiveness is an alpha urge he is struggling to control right now. He wants to keep you safe in ways he thinks you might not like yet. That’s why he always looks like he’s in pain when you’re near him. It’s taking everything in him not to pull you closer.”

The realization settles over me slowly. That pained look on Chase’s face every time our eyes meet, the way he freezes when I brush past him, the gruff tone that never quite matches the gentleness in his hands. It’s not dislike at all.

I swallow hard and meet Alex’s gaze. “I never wanted a pack,” I admit, voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t deny how attracted I am to all four of you… including Chase. I’ll think about it.”

Alex leans in tenderly, aiming for my cheek. At the last second I turn my head and catch his lips instead. The kiss is soft and surprised. He groans low in his throat and tightens his hold on my thigh, pulling me closer for one perfect heartbeat.

I pull back with a mischievous little grin, heart racing. I open the car door before I can lose my nerve and tell him, “I’ll see you around.”

I catch a few people staring as I step out, eyes wide at the sight of me leaving Alex’s car clearly dressed in a guy’s t-shirt.

I can’t bring myself to care. I stroll along the sidewalk, throw one flirty glance over my shoulder at Alex, and head inside my dorm building with my head held high.

I walk into our dorm room, the hem of Jamie’s t-shirt brushing against my thighs with every step and carrying his warm amber scent with me. It wraps around my skin like a reminder of last night.

Sophie squeals the second she sees me, hopping off her bed in a burst of pure excitement. Her eyes go wide and sparkling as she takes me in from head to toe.

Noodle immediately slinks around my legs, purring loudly at the sudden commotion, her slinky gray tail curling affectionately around my ankles.

“Did you feed Noodle?” I ask, smiling despite the faint pounding still lingering in my head.

“Of course I did,” Sophie replies, already crossing the room toward me. She reaches out and tugs playfully on the hem of Jamie’s t-shirt. “Now tell me everything right now!”

The words tumble out in a rush once I start. The ride back to the pack house, spending time with the alphas and enjoying it, the nest glowing with fairy lights, and finally falling asleep in Jamie’s arms because I couldn’t settle in the nest alone.

It feels surprisingly good to gush about the pack with a friend, actually admitting that I enjoyed myself, like letting out a breath I had been holding for days.

Sophie listens with wide eyes and little gasps at all the right moments, perched on the edge of her bed and leaning forward like she is afraid she might miss a single detail.

When I finish, she claps both hands over her mouth for a second before bursting out, “The whole campus is buzzing about it, Elodie. Everyone saw you kissing Alex on the dance floor and then leaving with him. Most people don’t even know your name yet. I made sure I didn’t say anything, obviously, but now you are this mysterious, cool ‘who’s that girl?’ everyone is whispering about.”

I groan and drop my face into my hands. “I don’t want to be anything to anyone,” I mumble. “I just want to study bugs and be left alone.”

Sophie laughs brightly and pokes my knee. “You’re lying and we both know it. You definitely want to be Pack Whitmore’s omega. Admit it.”

I peek at her through my fingers, cheeks hot, and can’t quite bring myself to argue.

I admit something else under my breath instead, the words barely more than a whisper against my palms. “Alex actually asked me this morning… if they could officially court me.”