Page 131 of Scent to the Feral Cowboys

Wyatt’s lips twitched, not quite a smile but close. "Fair enough. But I bet you’ve never had someone teach you who knows what they’re doing."

“Oh, and I bet you’d love to be the guy who teaches me?” I challenged.

He didn’t respond. He just watched me carefully, his eyes taking on a hazel quality as light from the nearby window brought out gold flecks I’d not noticed before. The others stayed silent too. Boone, especially, seemed to be at war with himself. He fidgeted in the chair and then started braiding his long hair.His fingers moved deftly, obviously repeating steps he’d done hundreds of times. Separating the dark waterfall strands into three equal, glossy bunches, Boone wove them. Over, under. Under, over. I watched, mesmerized, as the braid grew, finally terminating just past his waistline. He held the plait’s end with one hand, leaning over in the chair to snag an elastic from his pocket. When he’d secured the braid, he looked a bit lost.

For an eternity, I watched their expressions—all unable to settle, shifting from emotion to emotion—and the way they glanced nervously at the floor and the ceiling and the window. They did their very best to avoid looking right at me. I didn’t mind; they’re wandering gazes made me freer to study them.

They were just… Such. Big. Guys.

Any one of them could probably lift me with one arm. Hold me up against a wall with ease. Toss me over their shoulder and carry me anywhere they wanted, to do anything they wanted.

I imagined being on the back of a horse with one of them.My body would press against theirs; the horse would move beneath us. Involuntarily, we would shift back and forth in the saddle, rubbing together in a painfully intimate way and…

I gave myself a quick mental shake, forcing myself not to go further down the rabbit hole. My face felt hot, my lower regions clenched, and I suddenly needed a cool shower.

The floral scent pouring from my glands took on a spicy edge. A rush of desire pooled in my middle. And, stupid biology, their Alphas began to respond. The entire kitchen became so permeated with pheromones that I worried we were all going to strip off our clothing, throw caution to the wind, and screw one another’s brains out right on the scuffed floor. Levi ripped the ink-ruined ledger in half. Cooper bent a butter knife. Boone stood up, his eyes wide and wild. Wyatt’s giant hands gripped his coffee mug so firmly that it shattered. Wyatt stood, leaning over the table for support, closing his eyes, trying to resist.

My brain was becoming too hazy.

Filling with only one thought—They’re mine. Mine. Mine.

I reached down, pinching myself savagely.

We needed a way to break the spell. We needed air. Ventilation. Something to disperse the overpowering aphrodisiac that was our combined chemistries. I spied the door and ran toward it. Wrenching it open, I let in a blast of warm afternoon wind. It wasn’t good enough; it wasn’t weakening the scent quickly. I began opening and closing the door rapidly, like fanning a fire, but I wanted the opposite effect. The flames building in this room did not need more oxygen. They’d scorch the entirety of Sagebrush if they got hotter.

Wade gave himself a shake, focusing on me. Quickly, he realized what I was trying to do. He turned around hurriedly, knocking over his chair, and opened the double windows behind him and Wyatt. More fresh air poured into the space.

Finally, the volcanic need I was feeling waned.

We all breathed erratically, chests rising and falling. The fever faded, leaving behind a smoldering understanding that being scent matches wasn’t a choice. It was involuntary. Wanting each other was written in our genes.

Wade moved very slowly, approaching me.

“More air will help. There’s a pregnant cow I’m monitoring.” He paused, closing his eyes and inhaling. He held it for a beat, then exhaled steadily. Then he parted his lashes, offering me those eyes of his that welcomed me without words. “Take a walk with me, Nelly?”

The way my name sounded on his lips—like he’d always said my name, like it had existed in his mouth for much longer than possible—made me want to say, ‘yes’.

He waited patiently; he didn’t rush me. There was no expectation in his gaze.

My eyes roved over the other Alphas slowly, one by one, taking in the truth that none of these men were truly willing to force me into anything.

The leftover breadcrumbs of doubt, the ones I’d sprinkled on the ground to remind myself how to get back home like I was Gretel, disappeared. They were eaten by the birds. And I didn’t even care. Here I was, at the witch’s house, ready to eat every sweet, delicious treat in sight.

My resolve didn’t just waver.

It cracked.

If I wasn’t careful, these men were going to work their way into the gap.

But it was just a walk.

On throbbing, blistered, raw feet.

Don’t be weak, I scolded myself.

And maybe the pain of walking was worth it. Outside, away from the confined space of this house with the glorious Alpha scents, homey decor, and strange feeling of home, I could think clearer. Just me and one of them. And it was the man who'd carefully, tenderly cleaned my wounds last night. The man who’d first spoken to me at the airport. I’d be safe with Wade.Probably.

Part of me knew this seemingly innocent walk was the first step down a slippery slope.