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Because the truth is, she's beautiful.

The truth is, I want her, but that's not why this is hard.

It's hard because she's looking at me like she thinks we left because she isn't enough, when the reality is exactly the opposite.

She's become entirely too important, entirely too fast, and none of us wants to be the reason she regrets something she can't take back.

“I can’t speak for the others, Little Omega, but I’ll help you through your heat.”

She smiles and nods. I don’t miss the wave of fresh black cherry that fills my nose at my agreement.

“Okay,” she whispers, looking up at me with lust-blown eyes.

“You need to rest, Autumn. Your heat is gonna come full force, and my guess would be since you’ve suppressed it for so long with the pills, it’s gonna be hard. No matter what, I want you to know that we'll keep trying to get in touch with your brother. Once you have your first heat, you’ll be able to find your scent match. You know that, right?” I lean against the wall across from her, staring at her as I wait for her answer.

“Yeah. I’m not an idiot. All my omega traits have been snuffed out for the most part by the suppressants. An omega can be attracted to their scent matches before their heat, but the actual match itself won’t present until they have their first heat. They taught us all this in school.” She rolls her eyes.

“I just wanted to make sure. I’ll help you through your heat, no strings attached. I’ve been tested and cleared, by the way. I am curious though, why would you continue taking the suppressants if you knew they prevent you from finding your scent match?”

She worries her bottom lip before answering. “I wanted someone to like me for me, not because biology said they had to ‘cause of my scent. Peter was the first alpha I ever had feelings for. I let him touch me, but then he thought it was okay to fuck a club whore.”

“What do you mean, touched you?” I growl. He better not have hurt her, or I’ll be flying to the clubhouse to kick someone’s ass. This Peter guy sounds like a real douchebag. I wonder if Hunter knows he fondled his little sister before he fucked some club pussy? I watch as Autumn rubs her thighs together at my question. She must like my possessiveness; I don’t want anyone but me to touch her.

“He fingered me. That’s all. It felt like he was trying to give me a rug burn on my clit.” She covers her mouth, trying not to laugh.

“There will be nothing of the sort when I’m with you, Little Omega. I’m gonna make you feel so good.” I step close to her and once more cage her between my arms. I lean down so my lips are right next to her ear before I whisper, “You’re going to come so many times, you won’t be able to think straight. Gonna take my knot so well, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she murmurs, looking up at me with desire flaring in her eyes.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Tripp

I pace past three plastic bins labeled CHRISTMAS, an old riding saddle nobody’s touched in years, and what I’m pretty sure is a haunted ceramic snowman, before stopping in front of a Santa decoration that’s definitely seen better decades.

One of his eyes is missing, something chewed half his beard off, and he smells vaguely like mouse piss.

“Yeah,” I mutter, rubbing both hands over my face. “You seem like the right guy to talk to.”

Santa stares back.

Judgmental.

Or maybe that’s just the missing eye.

Thunder rattles faintly through the floorboards overhead while rain pounds against the little basement windows. I just stand there trying really hard to get my head around what the hell just happened upstairs.

Autumn’s in heat, or starting one.

Which feels impossible and obvious at the same time. Because yeah, she’s been weird for days.

Hotter, moodier, and way more sensitive.

And okay, maybe I noticed her scent changing, too, but I figured that was me overthinking because she’s pretty, funny, and somehow fits in around here way easier than anybody expected.

But this? This isn’t funny.