Page 103 of Scent to the Feral Cowboys

“We’re all part of this choice, Coop. Don’t take the whole of it on your head.” I shifted forward away from the wall, wrapping one hand around his calf and giving it a squeeze. Then I settled back against the wall. “However, the method, she’s here. Our Omega. We may never have found her without Eros.”

"She's terrified and furious," Cooper countered. "I don’t get it. Why sign a contract if she wasn’t willing."

“That’s true.” Was all I could say.

“What if she really refuses to stay, Boone? What if she wants to break the contract?” He asked the dreaded question.

“I’ve got no answer for you, Coop. Tomorrow’s a new day. Things will look a little different, like always.” I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, hoping that would push Cooper to go rest. After a moment, I heard the quiet sounds of his retreat. When I opened my eyes, I saw him pushing into Levi’s room.

Long after he disappeared, I stared in that direction, wondering if there was any path forward that didn't end in heartbreak—hers or ours. The coffee cooled in my hands as I listened for any sound from the room, any indication of her state of mind. There was only silence, which somehow felt more threatening than tears or rage.

Somewhere in this mess of biology, desire, and moral compromise, there had to be a way to make things right. I just hoped we could find it before she found a way to run.

Wade.

I had to shake Cooper awake. He was snoring heavily with his head lolled forward, chin nearly touching his chest. I’d have to tell the others that he couldn’t be trusted with guard duty in the future.

“What… what’s wrong?” he groaned out the question, mouth dropping in a comical yawn.

“You fell asleep, dummy,” I scolded, giving his leg a gentle kick.

I helped him to his feet, and he arched his back, spine popping. “I didn’t fall asleep,” he protested.

“Literally just woke you up, Coop.”

“Lies.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “I’m going to bed.”

“Guard the sheep you count better than you guarded Nelly,” I cajoled, keeping my voice pitched low.

“Leave me alone,” he waved me off, stumbling off towards Levi’s room. He hesitated halfway, then turned back towards me, making his way towards the living room instead. “Boone went in there. Can’t all fit on that small ass bed.”

I lowered myself to the floor, pulling a protein bar from my pocket. It crinkled and cracked, making me cringe. Couldn’t be loud enough to wake her, but I probably should have picked something quieter. I ate slowly, feeling wired and ready to act should Nelly bolt.

The first thump against the door made me panic and scramble off the floor, dropping the last bite of bar.

"I know someone's out there." Her voice, muffled but unmistakable, carried through the wood. "I can hear you chewing."

I froze, unsure whether to respond. It would probably make her mad as a hornet to know we were taking shifts outside the room.

The second impact was firmer, a deliberate pounding that made the scarred hardwoods tremble beneath my feet. My heart raced as Nelly’s scent suddenly intensified—she must have moved directly to the door, her body inches from mine with only mere inches of wood between us. The sharp tang of her Omega fragrance pulsed, clouding up from the floor gap. It hit me with unexpected force, making my breathing shallow and quick, sending heat through my core.

"I can hear you out there," she called, each word punctuated by another pound of her fist. "Just go the fuck away!"

My throat felt tight, words trapped behind the overwhelming sensations her proximity triggered. Before I could formulate a response, footsteps approached from the living room—Wyatt,his face tense with concern as he gave himself a little shake to force lingering sleep away.

"Everything okay?" he whispered, eyes darting to the door where the pounding continued.

I nodded, though nothing about this situation felt okay. Wyatt's nostrils flared as he caught the concentrated wave of her scent, his pupils dilating visibly even in the shadowy hall. The floral had taken on an acrid edge, but it still made every part of us want to touch our Omega.

"God! I said go the fuck away, but now there’s two of you!" Nelly called, her voice hard with anger. “I can freaking smell you guys!”

The knowledge that she could detect us just as we could her, that our scents might be affecting her in some way, however unwanted, made the desire flame brighter. Wyatt straightened, his Alpha presence intensifying.

"I know you're pissed off, Nelly," Wyatt answered her, glancing at me as he spoke. I could see how his chest tightened with each breath, how he struggled to maintain the steady timber of his voice. "You've got every right to be mad about us guarding you, but we can’t risk you doing something stupid. It's too dangerous around these parts."

Another slam against the door, hard enough that I worried for her hands. Did her wrists feel better? Was she hurting herself right now? That thought physically hurt me, pain bolting through my heart.

"Oh please," she shot back. “You think I'm afraid of the dark? Of wild animals? Try having drunk Alphas grab at you while you're just trying to make rent. A big ass cat is nothing. And, right now, I’d choose the fucking bear in a heartbeat!”