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But even if I could manage as is, what if the king and his army were hot on her trail? If I couldn’t help in a fight, what even had been the point of me coming here? It’d be super pathetic to die now.

As I contemplated my dilemma, a strange, sweet scent carried by the wind hit my nose, and it was like a hit of adrenaline to my bloodstream.

Omega…

The desperate howls from the alphas below confirmed my suspicions.

My dick hardened inexplicably, but I grit my teeth and forced myself to think of the least sexiest things possible to will it down—filing taxes, my grandparents kissing, stepping in wet puddles in your socks…

I took a deep breath through my mouth, grateful for the burst of energy Marlowe’s perfume had provided but trying to keep myself composed. If the alphas even got a hint that I might be attracted to their omega, I was pretty sure they’d rip me apart. And regardless, I needed to keep a clear mind for whatever was coming in her wake.

When I’d heard that my dad had nearly gone crazy over her, I had chalked it up to him losing it in his old age. But now? Yeah, I got it.

As hot as her scent was already making me, though, I was able to keep my thoughts on my servaglio. I loved my women so much, so even if Marlowe was giving me an appetite, I still had no desire to eat anywhere other than home.

I kept my eyes glued to the forest ahead of us, trying to see if I could spot another wolf heading in our direction, when a strange, rumbling roar and buzzing sound drew my attention up.

Flying right towards me was a giant, cat-like creature, with what looked like scales instead of fur, and large, papery wings. Riding the beast was a beautiful young woman, her strawberry blonde hair blowing fiercely behind her as she approached, scanning the ground for her pack.

“Marlowe!” I yelled, grabbing her attention. She looked up at me and gasped, pulling the creature to a halt.

Her hazel eyes were wild, wet from the wind and sheer desperation in her features. Her chest heaved beneath the see-through gown she wore, and I kept my gaze trained on her face.

“Who are you?” she cried. “Where…”

“I’ll explain later, they’re right below you.”

She looked down, squinting through the trees and choking out an elated gasp as one of the alphas howled. The creature dipped straight down, finding a gap through the branches.

I lowered myself slowly, giving the pack some space as she leapt into Cam’s arms. They were both shaking, their need to just touch and hold each other overriding all other instincts. The rest of them surrounded her in a huddle, hands checking for injury, breaths shuddering as they spoke.

“How did you get out?” Elias asked, his face buried in her neck from the side.

“He and Ezra were distracted. I didn’t have any guards on me…”

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Marlowe twisted from Cam’s embrace to put a hand on Nolan’s cheek. “I’m fine, really. The hardest part was just being away from you all, I missed you so much.”

“You’re never leaving my sight again, babe, I mean it.”

I kept my distance, leaning against a tree as I watched their tearful reunion, feeling my own heart constrict at the scene. The love they felt for each other was easily visible, and having gotten to know these alphas and coming to see them as possible friends, I was getting overwhelmed with joy for them.

But someone needed to keep us on track, and I gently cleared my throat. Archer turned towards the sound, then placed a hand on the back of Marlowe’s neck. “We should probably introduce you to Kian.”

Cam turned around so she could see me. “It’s nice to meet you, Kian, but… who exactly are you?” Marlowe watched me curiously, her brows suddenly furrowing. “Wait—you’re from Earth, too. How did you get magic?”

I felt a heat rise to my cheeks, and I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. “Right, yeah, about that…”

Cam waved his hand dismissively. “His dad’s the asshole who attacked you at your old place. I guess he ingested a drop of your blood, developed powers, then passed it on to Kian.”

Her eyes narrowed in anger, her tongue running along her teeth as she stared me. “I’m sorry, are you telling me that this guy gets to fly because his dad assaulted me?”

Well, when she put it like that…

“Babe,” Cam said, calm and cajoling. He took her chin in his hand, tilting her gaze up towards him. “Kian’s not like his dad. If itwasn’t for him, we wouldn’t even be here now. His blood was able to cook that magic faster than ours, so he gave us the jump start we needed to cross over. I vouch for him one hundred percent.”

A growl, more reminiscent of a kitten than a wolf, sounded through her chest but she eventually took a deep breath and turned back towards me. “Sorry, I don’t really hate you all. In fact, I’ve been arguing against my brother about the king’s treatment of vampyrs this whole time, but it’s going to take a while for me to not be a little on edge when one’s around.”