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“She is our scent match,” Archer says. “It’s only fitting that she’d fit perfectly with us.”

Kane and Archer head to their studies to get some of their work done, leaving Chase spinning on the barstool in front of me, giving me a weird look.

“What?” I ask him. “Why’re you looking at me like that? It’s weird.”

“I’ve got a weird look?” Chase’s expression shifts to his usual smirk.

“Yeah, so spill or cut it out.”

“I dunno, I was just thinking about your face when Kane mentioned he kissed Luna.”

Shit. I guess I wasn’t as good at hiding my envy.

“What about it?”

“How’re you feeling about everything?”

I sigh, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I gave her my shirt. The one I was wearing. That way, she’d have my scent.”

If anyone can help me figure out how to move forward with Luna, at least in the physical sense, it would definitely be Chase.

“Damn, so you were shirtless in front of her?”

“Yeah,” I nod.

“And she liked it?”

I remember the way she traced my tattoos and I can’t help but smile at the thought.

“I think she likes my tattoos.”

There have definitely been other omegas who have liked my tattoos, especially when I was more open to dating, like in college, but it’s always been in a “I want to make my daddy mad” sort of way. No one’s ever touched my tattoos like she did. Like I’m a work of art or something ridiculous like that.

“That’s dope, man! What’s got you all twisted up in knots, though?” Chase asks, tapping his knuckles on the counter.

“We—we were super close to kissing. But then I panicked.” I slide into the barstool next to him and rest my forehead against the cool countertop. “I basically ran away like a fucking pussy.”

“Ahhh, I get it. You’re jealous that Kane got to kiss her first when you probably had the opportunity to do it and didn’t.”

“You don’t gotta rub it in,” I mutter.

Chase just ignores my grumbling.

“Tell me, man, how much of you was worried about her not being ready and how much of you was just scared of fucking things up with her ‘cause you’ve never had the opportunity for a girl to look at you as an actual human?”

As happy-go-lucky and careless as Chase comes across sometimes, he has these intense moments of depth that still surprises me. I don’t know why I’m surprised, he’s been the best friend I’ve ever had.

I’m so god damn terrified of fucking things upwith Luna. She’s the first omega to ever see me for me and like what she sees. Northside omegas either look at me like I’m worth less than the dirt under their shoes or they’re scared shitless.

“I’m scared of fucking things up with her,” I sigh. “Of course I’m also concerned with pushing her too quickly, but the reason I fucking ran away was 'cause I’m a pussy.”

I feel Chase’s hand slap my back. “I get it, man, I really do.”

I turn my head to meet his eyes, my cheek still pressed against the counter. I must look so stupid, slumped over like this.

“Seriously? But, you have a shit ton of experience with omegas.” I don’t think I’m very good at keeping the shock I’m feeling out of my voice.

“I mean, probably not in the exact same way as you, but yeah. Part of the reason why I’ve never really kept an omega around for long is 'cause I can’t fucking keep it together emotionally. It’s so much easier to just keep it casual.” He matches my position with his head resting against the counter. “I’m fucking terrified of fucking things up with her too. I’ve never cared this much about an omega before.”