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The warmth in my body isn’t going away. It’s so intense, it’s almost like a throbbing that I feel deep inside.

I reach my hand down, cupping myself to try and ease what genuinely feels like a pulsing throb. I close my eyes, imagining that Madden actually leaned in and kissed me gently. He seems like the kind of alpha who would want to make sure I’m alright before letting himself go. The kiss would take my breath away and I’d get to trace my fingers over more ofhis muscles.

I let out a soft moan when I reach under the waistband of Chase’s boxers, sliding my fingers through my soaking folds. At the reminder of Chase, I imagine what it would be like to be between the two of them.

What would it be like to have all four of them?

Considering how much my body wants them when they haven’t even touched me like that, there’s a primal part of my brain that thinks it would be amazing. It would be nothing like what I’d experienced in the past.

I drift closer and closer to the edge, turning my head and muffling my soft cry into a pillow. Waves of pleasure flow through my entire body like I’m floating on the surface of a gently moving lake.

I close my eyes as tightly as I can, refusing to lift my head from the pillows. A wave of shame threatens to drag me under.

I’ve never felt pleasure like that in my entire life. What is it about just thinking about these alphas that can make me feel like this?

I catch the mixed scents of the pack, on their shirts, through the thickness of my scent. When I take my hand out of the boxers I’m wearing, I see my hand covered in glistening slick.

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m wiping my hand on the collection of shirts I have beside me, mixing my scents with theirs. The omega part of me is practically purring.

I throw myself off the bed, my body jolting as I catch myself before hitting the floor. I see white from the pain radiating through all the still-healing bruises on my body.

God, what in the world was I thinking?

I stumble to the bathroom, frantically scrubbing at my hands, trying to wash away the feeling of being dirty from my skin. My mind is swirling with too many emotions to really focus on the pain from moving so quickly.

Why in the world would there be a part of me that likedmixing the scent of my slick with this pack? It seems like such an animalistic thing to do.

I’ve never done anything that’s pleased the omega side of myself like this before. If anything, everyone in my life, my parents, Alpha Niall, and even myself have all seemed to do their best to suppress my omega urges and tendencies.

I splash some cold water onto my face before building up the courage to glance at myself in the mirror. I don’t pay attention to any of the bruising that’s still clear on my face. All I really notice are the flush on my cheeks, my blown pupils, and how red my lips are from biting them.

Reminders of what I did to myself. What I chose to do.

More cold water doesn’t help the warm feeling that settles in my chest. I don’t even think an ice-cold bath would get rid of it, so I give up and throw myself back into the bed.

My own sweet minty scent wraps itself around me, mixing with the pack’s t-shirts spread about my head.

I was never really allowed to learn much about the omega side of myself, or at least nothing other than what Alpha Niall wanted me to learn. My parents certainly didn’t help. Anything omega-related seemed to disgust them.

I roll over and pick up the tablet Madden has let me use. Maybe I can do some research of my own.

After a quick internet search, I find a website that seems to have what I’m looking for that doesn’t look too medical or intimidating and start skimming through.

“An omega seeks comfort from alpha scents, especially those she is most compatible with. The comfort of alphas is necessary for an omega’s well-being after a stressful or traumatic incident. Without such comfort, an omega’s hormone cycle can be negatively affected.”

Well, I guess that explains why I’m so drawn to their scents. Being threatened with a future that might as well be a death sentence and running away is definitely a stressful andtraumatic experience.

I continue reading and learning about omega nesting habits. The pictures included on the website of cozy-looking rooms full of soft things make something in my chest twist. I’ve never had that before, not until the Ward Pack’s kindness. The soft comforter wrapped around me is the closest thing I’ve ever had.

A word catches my eye:scent matches. Charlotte mentioned something about scent matches, but she didn’t really explain what they were. I think she was more concerned with whatever is wrong with my body.

I’m not dumb enough to think I can figure out whatever’s going on with just the internet when an actual doctor said it would take her more research, but it looks like I can learn more about what she was talking about.

I click on the link and I’m sent to another page of the website.

“Scent matches are pheromone-based connections between omegas and alphas. Omegas and alphas often use scents to make decisions about pursuing relationships and bonds with each other. Appealing scents are usually signs of compatibility. Scent matches are essentially, the best sign of compatibility between omegas and alphas possible.”

It’s been a while since I’ve been in school, so my reading comprehension may not be the best, but it seems like scent matches are the closest thing to scientific soulmates.