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Rian pulled his phone out. “We’ll listen to the entire album on the drive home.”

“Tell me what you think,” I said. “West likes the second album the best, but I can’t pick just one.”

“West?” Ben asked. “Is he the other scent on you?”

“Yes, he’s my omega partner,” I said.

Rian’s face fell, but I couldn’t figure out why. Some of the previous openness shuttered up, and it felt almost like a slap. “We’ll let you know which we prefer too. Can we get a tour of the grounds?”

“Sure.” The change in subject threw me off, but our scents were strong, and if I didn’t get some fresh air I would embarrass myself.

I led them outside, sure that something had shifted and not for the better.

But that was fine, right? I didn’t hump my clients. Maybe I really needed that pillow.

Trying not to feel rejected, I showed them down the hall and out onto the grounds.

Chapter 12

Rian

Ifollowed Ember, trying to not to panic. My brain went on autopilot as we headed out to a massive rolling green field.

Joy radiated out of the other omega when she talked about music. For a second it felt like being at the studio with Ben, jamming and talking about the thing we loved the most, outside of each other.

She was animated and passionate, and she smelled so good I fantasized about licking her. Ben wanted her as much as I did, and he had less reservations than I did. It would be so easy to pull her into my lap and kiss her. Take her apart, piece by piece. Sandwich her between us until that lemon scent coated both of us.

I wanted her more than I cared to admit, especially after the fiasco with Cindy. Even if Ben was used to people asking thoughtless questions, I wasn’t. By the end the beta was asking whatever came to mind, like Ben needed an award for overcoming his blindness.

Like he had a choice. Like the world gave him the option.

He didn’t. I saw firsthand the extra work he took to do something simple, like going to a new place, shopping, or eatingout. I took a hundred things for granted while Ben made plans and backup plans.

We needed someone who didn’t start that way. Cindy could have looked up some basic facts before heading into a date.

Watching Ember talk about music almost undid me.

“Here we’ve got the meadows.” She gestured around us.

The welcome center was one small part of the grounds. A massive lodge sat to the north of the property, with a scattering of other cottages dotting the land. Around the buildings were rolling green fields. One of the fields held a yoga class, and nearby were people doing tai chi. Ember waved hi to an alpha, and jealousy flashed through me until she said the alpha was her older brother Zephyr.

I needed to get a grip on myself. I suppressed a whine, my brain trying to justify the need for Ember’s scent on my skin.

Ember had a male omega partner. I could scent him on her, picking out a bit of sweetness, honey I thought.

Any hope I might have had with Ember evaporated the minute I found out she already had another omega in her life. I was brooding, moody, and cranky, even when I didn’t mean to be. Ember with another omega? I was destined to be the third wheel.

Ben wouldn’t leave me; I knew that as sure I knew the sun would rise. But letting Ember in, only for the relationship to flame out once the two omegas decided it was too much, would hurt me more than I wanted to admit. In the end, I would be too needy. Too clingy. We needed a slow, soft start to dating, not the burning explosion of a dying star like dating Ember would be.

I forced myself to admire the scenery. Ben brushed his hand down my arm, pushing calm confidence through the bond. I used his good cheer to buoy me, borrowing an emotion I wasn’t feeling myself.

Ben had his cane out, swinging through the stone walkway. It was open out here, so we didn’t bother with me being a sighted guide. I never minded, but Ben liked to be able to move.

“It smells nice,” Ben said. He was right; it smelled like lavender and some other flower scent I couldn’t place.

“It’s great.” Ember beamed, her red hair swaying around her in the breeze. She was attractive, the sort of beauty they wrote songs about.

Even now, a hint of a melody tickled the back of my mind. Something about the scent of lemon and cake, of the sweetest honey and deepest pain.