Page 14

Mr Page steps out of the bath and crosses over to the shower stall.
Caleb crowds me behind him as he lets out a low growl, pushing his pheromones to Mr Page, trying to warn him to stay away.
But that only seems to make Mr Page smile grimly as he opens the shower stall, stepping inside. “I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in, little Omega. The very precarious situation you’re in. Especially if you keep talking like that.”
The danger in his voice makes me shiver and cower behind Caleb more.
Caleb’s growl intensifies, anger and protection coming off him in waves.
And my pheromones spill from me, trying to appease, trying to appease the danger around me. I don’t even want to do it, but it still happens. They respond to Caleb’s pheromones, they respond to his anger.
I trust his judgement, I trust that if my Alpha’s pheromones signal danger, that we’re really in trouble.
It’s instinct, it’s a deeply rooted instinct.
This, of course, sets Caleb off too, his stance widening, his pheromones becoming even stronger, ready to protect me at any cost.
“Oh, fuck.” Mr Page’s voice is thin, like he’s struggling to get air. “Fuck.”
A light flowery scent, the scent of wisteria, mixes in with Caleb’s deep forest pheromones. It’s only faint, a sliver of a scent, but it mingles with Caleb’s, the emotions in them clear, fear, terror, appeasement. The same as I’m giving off…
“What thefuckare you doing?” Mr Page sounds nervous, unsure of the situation. “What the fuck is going on?”
I glance around Caleb, finding Mr Page trying to hold onto the door of the shower cabin, his eyes wide, his body shaking.
“What the fuck is this? Stop it immediately! Stop this right now!” He glares up at Caleb, finding me looking at him too and reaches out to me. Like he’s trying to make sense of the situation and I’m the only one who can provide it.
The look in his eyes tugs at me, breaks me from my fearful state, breaks our pheromone loop.
Caleb grabs Mr Page’s wrist, pulling him up, pushing him against the wall, one hand around his throat.
“Wait. Caleb. No.” I push at him, trying to get him away from Mr Page, realising what’s going on now. “Let him go. Let him go.”
Mr Page’s pheromones keep coming out intermittently, like his body is trying hard, but they’re not strong enough to get through to Caleb.
I force my pheromones out, no longer out of fear, now trying to make Caleb stop, trying to protect Mr Page.
He can’t defend himself, he can’t show any intent with his pheromones, he can’t do any of that. But he still reacted to Caleb’s pheromones. He still reacted to Caleb’s…
Oh, no. No, no, no.
This isbad.
I force myself between the two men, which gets another growl from Caleb, before he backs off, letting Mr Page go.
Mr Page grabs my shoulder as he tries to get his breath under control, his chest rising and falling quickly.
Caleb steps closer again, his pheromones angry, but I put my hand against his chest. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m not in any danger.” Not right now, anyway.
“Whatwasthat?” Mr Page’s hand tightens on my shoulder, his voice rough.
“An Omega’s instinct to submit, resolve a situation. You’re lucky that you weren’t flat out on your ass on the floor. I was, the first time it happened.” I let out a shivery laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“Hethreatenedyou?” Mr Page sounds confused, though a sliver of anger slips through his words and he stands up straighter, glaring at Caleb.
“Oh, no. That wasn’t what you responded to. Your fear response kicked in at the same time as mine did. It wasn’t being on the receiving end of the threat that set you off.” I turn off the shower.
“Let’s get out of here. This place now reeks from all the pheromones. And we need to calm down before I explain it.”