Page 11

“It’s a bit of a walk, isn’t it?” Jace says, and I nod. Each step brings us closer to her scent, which I love. I breathe in her fragrance more deeply the longer we follow her.

Eventually, we arrive at what I assume is Mia’s apartment complex. My nose wrinkles at the sight. The place looks like a dump. The building is poorly constructed, with paint peeling off the sides. Random trash and broken bottles arescattered across the parking lot, and half of the street lamps are damaged.

It’s a disgrace, and I hate that Mia lives here.

“She shouldn’t be living here,” I growl.

“Exactly. She needs to be with us as soon as possible.”

Carefully, we follow her to her door, making sure our footsteps are quiet in the hushed night. I watch as she presses a code into the main building’s door: 1-6-4-3. Easy enough to remember.

After she slips inside, I punch in the same code and follow her into the building. The place is just as dingy on the inside.

The carpet is a faded blue and smells of cigar smoke. The wallpaper is yellowed and peeling.

She’s almost at the door now, so Jace and I quicken our pace slightly, keeping to the shadows. I catch a glimpse of her apartment number: 113b.

Now, all we have to do is wait. There’s no sense in walking in there now and startling her. I want to see what’s inside that apartment first. I want to see where she lives and where she sleeps. I want to understand her.

I want tomarkher.

The thought hits me with intensity, and I clench my fist. To think that she is involved with this Justin asshole when I would worship every inch of her curvy body, every corner of her soul. Mia would never want for anything with me. Her every desire would be taken care of.

“What do you want to bet she doesn’t lock the front door?” Jace asks, interrupting my thoughts.

A few hours later, we decide we’ve waited long enough. It’s three a.m., and she should be asleep by now. It isn’t hard tobreak into the apartment, and we sneak in through the front door.

“Fuck you, dude! I won that!” Justin shouts, staring at the TV screen.

Jace and I freeze in our tracks, blending into the shadows along the wall.

Justin is so immersed in playing a video game that he hasn’t noticed us. Absolutely useless. What if we meant Mia harm? Not to mention, he’s shouting at the television while Mia is likely trying to sleep in the other room. My dislike for him grows as I slip through the living room unnoticed, reaching for the doorknob to the bedroom.

We slip inside while Justin is still distracted by the game on the TV screen.

Taking in Mia’s bedroom, my heart sinks. The room is small and inadequate, barely keeping out the cold of the night. The bed consists of a mattress on a box spring with no frame.

Mia huddles under a thin blanket, tossing and turning as if her worries have followed her into sleep. She looks so unhappy and uncomfortable.

Living here with Justin is taking a toll on her.

For a moment, we watch her trying to sleep. She sniffs the air, and I realize our alpha scents are mingling with hers, permeating the room.

A few minutes pass, and she settles down, her breathing becoming deeper and more even. It’s almost as if she can sense that she's being protected tonight, allowing her to rest more easily.

I glance at Jace, and I can tell he is already completely smitten with this omega. The way he watches her is different from how he usually looks at females. Tonight, there’s a softness to his expression. He wants her.

But he also wants to protect her.

And so do I.

I leave Jace to watch her while I take in the small, barren room. There isn’t much here, and what is here is scattered on the floor. Her life seems disorganized and uncomfortable.

Then I noticed her panties lying on the floor.

They’re pink with little bows on the side—cute and unassuming, just like Mia.

My throat goes dry, and my heartbeat quickens. I snatch them up, feeling the silky material against my skin as my arousal builds.