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"Of course."

"You handled that alpha situation back there like someone who's dealt with territorial alphas before. But you also seem to genuinely enjoy chocolate discussions and library tours. It's like you're two different people."

It's a fair observation, and one I can't fully answer without revealing more than I'm ready to. The truth is that I've spent so many years in alpha dominated business settings that I've learned to navigate them, but Belle brings out parts of me that I've kept buried under professional necessity.

"Maybe I'm just someone who's been waiting for the right omega to bring out his better side," I say.

Her scent shifts at that, becomes richer and more complex, and I can tell the honesty affects her. But there's something else in her expression now, a flicker of uncertainty that crosses her features. She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it again, her eyes searching my face like she's trying to solve a puzzle.

Maybe she's wondering if Theo broke their secret, or maybe she's starting to realize that I can smell her scent despite her suppressants. Either way, I can see the wheels turning in that sharp mind of hers, and I know she's putting pieces together.

We reach the library, and I push open the heavy wooden doors to reveal a room that never fails to take my breath away. It's smaller than the ballroom but no less magnificent, with floorto ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories, connected by a network of spiral staircases and walkways that look like something from a dream.

Belle stops dead in the doorway.

"Oh," she breathes, and the wonder in her voice makes my chest tight. "Oh, Felix, this is..."

"I know."

She steps into the room slowly, reverently, her head tilted back to take in the painted ceiling depicting classical scenes of learning and wisdom. The scent of old leather and aged paper mingles with her natural vanilla and honey, creating something that smells like coming home.

But more than that, her scent is doing something I've never experienced before. It's calling to me on a level that goes beyond attraction, beyond simple alpha omega dynamics. It's like my entire being recognizes her as essential.

"There must be thousands of books here," she whispers, moving toward the nearest shelf.

"Tens of thousands, according to the catalog."

"You've read the catalog?" She turns to look at me with surprise and something that might be respect.

"I told you I've been here before, even though I never entered. Marcus mentioned something about it.”

"What kind of collection is it? Medieval manuscripts? First editions? Contemporary works?"

I watch her run her fingers along the leather spines with the same reverence she might use to touch sacred relics. Her scent deepens with contentment, and I realize this is Belle in her element, surrounded by knowledge and possibility.

"All of the above. There's a particularly impressive section on architectural history on the third level."

"Of course you'd know about the architecture section." But she's smiling as she says it.

"And there's a complete collection of romantic literature from the 18th and 19th centuries on the second level that I thought might interest you."

She turns to face me fully, and there's something different in her expression now. Her scent shifts again, becomes warmer and more inviting.

"You thought about what might interest me?"

"Belle, I think about you more than I think about my own interests."

There’s something about this room, about the way she looks surrounded by books, which makes it impossible to keep playing games.

"That's..." She pauses, seeming to search for words. “Possibly the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me."

"That I thought about books you might like?"

"That you think about me at all." Her voice is soft, almost wondering. "I'm not used to being someone's priority."

I step closer, close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes, close enough that her scent surrounds me completely. Close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her skin.

"Belle, you've been my priority since the first time I saw you get excited about a new book shipment at the library."