Page 23 of Rugged Hearts: Part One

“Why don’t we all talk more about this tomorrow morning? Give you the night to process this and start fresh in the morning,” Eli says, giving me a much needed out.

That sounds perfect. I can look up scent matches tonight and see what they really are and if they’re right. “Yes,let’sdo that, please,” I respond eagerly.

“I’ll bring you home, you shouldn’t drive if you still might pass out,” Ben offers.

I move to get up and out of Keelan’s lap but he holds me to him. Huffing, I look at him exasperated. “I’ll bring you to the car,” he says with finality.

“I can walk just fine and I’m too heavy for you to carry,” I say sternly.

He actually laughs at that. “You’re perfect. How do you think I got you here earlier?” I wasn’t saying it to be self-deprecating, it’s just a fact. I’m surprised, I didn’t actually think of how he got me from the woods to their pack house. Looking at him in a new light, I know he sees my realization and a smirk comes across his face. I roll my eyes at his smugness.

I’m carried through their house and out to a circle driveway where a bunch of cars are parked haphazardly. I give Ben a questioning look as we head towards what I assume is his car.

“Keelan told us it was an emergency and to rush home.” He shrugs. Ben opens the door and Keelan gently places me into the passenger seat, even buckling my seatbelt. I’m smiling internally at this gentle giant’s actions.

Looking up, I see the rest of the pack gathered on the porch watching us leave. Exhaustion is pulling at me. Ben gets in silently and we’re quickly pulling away and down a long driveway that has a four-car garage on each side. I guess that’s needed for a pack their size. We sit in silence, but it’s comfortable. I can’t help but ask, “You really think we’re scent matches?”

His gaze turns to me quickly before returning to the road. “Without a doubt in my mind we are scent matches.” How is he so sure?

“It could be scent compatible—” I begin.

He cuts me off. “No. That is not what this is. Some of us haveexperienced a scent compatible connection with an omega. This is a completely different level.”

It absolutely should not bother me that it sounds like they courted an omega before and were scent compatible with her. Get it together Thea, you don’t even know them.I didn’t expect him to be so forthright about this.

We arrive at my house within a few minutes. He gets out and walks me to the door. “Are you going to be okay?”

A tense laugh comes out of me. “After today of course I won’t be. Physically though for now I’m fine. Thank you for bringing me home.”

“Of course. I just realized your car is still at the lodge. One of us can pick you up tomorrow morning and after our talk bring you to the lodge to get it.”

“Okay. Good night Ben.”

“Night Thea.”

After closing the door and hearing his car pull out of the driveway, I collapse onto the couch. I need to look up scent matches. It’s not that I don’t believe them but I can’t handle this right now. First my heat, and now this. Oh Gods, will they want to be the ones to help with my heat? I can’t think of all that right now. Pulling out my phone, I begin researching.

24

MICAH

My pack is sitting around our dining room table, the one we usually have pack dinner at. Not tonight, the table has been taken over by Parker, his laptop, and mobile monitors. Jake is working with him as they apparently begin searching for this omega’s supposed stalker. We know nothing about her and yet she has everyone in this pack wrapped around her finger, Keelan worst of all.

We have all worked so hard this last year and a half to better our communication and being there for each other after the damage our last omega courtship did. It seems like we didn’t do that great a job at that considering I was the last to know about our “scent match.” Sure she smells good, maybe a little better than good, but that’s besides the point.

Ben finally walks in. “How was she?” Keelan asks immediately. I can’t help the eye roll.

“She’s okay, definitely overwhelmed with everything that happened today and the scent match bomb being dropped on her. I told her one of us would pick her up in the morning since her car is still at the lodge.”

I get the impression some or most of them have talked about this whole situation before today. No one is acting like this is abig deal. My frustration is boiling over the longer no one addresses it.“We shouldn’t be pursing any of this,” I interrupt all of them.

A few shocked, angry, and glaring looks are turned my way. Before any of them can respond I continue, “This whole story sounds off and she said multiple times she wants to leave town. Also this scent match thing, seems like wishful thinking. She was right about that. They aren’t real.”

Keelan is growling but I don’t give a shit, he needs to hear this. I’m protecting us from the damage this omega will no doubt do to us and this time we may not recover.

“I get you just found out about her today but you’re out of line, Micah,” Ben starts. Him of all people saying that bothers me more than anything. He was the one who almost left the pack after the last omega. Maybe he’s looking for an out. I thought we all worked through that. What the hell was all that group therapy for if not that?

“He’s right. I’ve known since I helped her move in and Liam confirmed it. You heard him. It’s rare not myth,” Eli says.