Page 65

"Lucky her," Belle mutters under her breath, but I catch it.

"Being with alphas doesn't have to be all bad," I say carefully, watching her reaction.

She glances up at me, and there's something vulnerable in her expression. "Doesn't it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks pretty terrifying."

"What looks terrifying about it?" I ask.

"The loss of control. The vulnerability. The way they're all looking at her like she's something precious they want to protect and possess at the same time."

"And that scares you?" I ask.

"That scares me," she admits quietly.

We reach Felix and Theo, and I can see them both cataloguing Belle's appearance, taking in the stained dress and the tired expression and the way she's holding herself like she's expecting another blow.

"Belle," Felix says softly, and there's so much warmth in his voice that it makes my chest tight. "How are you holding up?"

"I've been better," she says with a weak smile. "But I'm here. That's something, right?"

"That's everything," Theo says, and the certainty in his voice seems to surprise her.

We arrange ourselves in a loose circle near the garden house, close enough for conversation but far enough apart that Belle doesn't feel trapped or cornered. The scent of night-blooming flowers mingles with our combined alpha pheromones and Belle's sweet omega fragrance, creating something that smells like possibility and hope.

"So," Belle says, looking between the three of us. "Who wants to start?"

I step forward slightly, taking the lead the way I always do in business situations. "I'll start. Belle, you're our omega. Our destined mate. And we've been looking for you for three years without knowing we were looking for you."

Her scent spikes with surprise and something that might be fear. "That's impossible."

"Is it?" Felix asks gently. "You felt the connection with Theo that night at the library. You felt it with me tonight when we danced. And you're feeling it right now, standing here with Marcus."

She can't deny it because we can all smell the way her scent responds to us, the way it becomes richer and more complex when we're near. Her suppressants might fool other alphas, but they can't hide the biological recognition that happens between true mates.

"But I'm on suppressants," she protests. "You shouldn't be able to smell me at all."

"Suppressants work by masking omega pheromones," I explain, keeping my voice gentle and educational rather than predatory. "They create a chemical barrier that most alphas can't penetrate. But true mates have a deeper connection, one that goes beyond surface chemistry. We can smell you, Belle, because we're supposed to smell you."

"That's..." She struggles for words. "That's not how it works. That's not how any of this works."

"Isn't it?" Theo steps closer, his military bearing softened by genuine care. "Belle, how many alphas have you been around since you started suppressants?"

"Dozens. Hundreds, maybe,” she confesses.

“And how many of them could smell your scent?" I ask.

She's quiet for a long moment, processing the implication. "None of them. Until you three."

"Because we're your pack," Felix says simply. "Your alphas. The ones you're supposed to be with."

"I don't believe in supposed to," Belle says, but there's less conviction in her voice now. "I believe in choice. In making decisions based on logic and compatibility, not on biological imperatives."

"Then choose us," I say, and my voice comes out rougher than I intended. "Not because biology says you should, but because we're good for you. Because we make you laugh and feel safe and want to eat chocolate in palace libraries."

"Because we see you for who you really are," Theo adds. "Not just the helpful librarian or the accommodating friend, but the brilliant, passionate, caring woman who deserves to be cherished."

“We want to build something beautiful with you," Felix finishes. "A life where you never have to hide parts of yourself, where you're valued for everything you are."

Belle is quiet for a long moment, her scent shifting through a complex array of emotions. Fear, hope, longing, uncertainty, and underneath it all, a growing warmth that speaks of recognition and want.