Page 29 of Scent to the Feral Cowboys

“And…” I pressed, feeling like she wasn’t giving me the full picture.

“And we take samples,” she just smiled, and waited.

“Fine,” I managed to say, clamping my eyes closed again.

“I’ll do the neck first,” she said clinically. “Can you tilt your head to the right?”

I tilted my head, exposing the side of my neck where my scent gland pulsed beneath the skin.

I felt nothing at first.

“What’s going on?” I didn’t open my eyes.

“Just taking a location and depth reading,” the tech’s voice responded. “Okay, I’m ready to gather the first scent sample. Are you doing okay, Mister Atwood.”

“Fine,” I repeated through clamped teeth.

When the needle pierced my skin, I roared in pain.

I bucked, trying to escape the restraints and my pack brothers’ hands. “Get that damn needle out of my neck!” I growled, ripping one arm free of its shackle.

“Do it,” I heard Levi say.

“He’s going to be pissed.” Cooper’s voice.

I parted my lashes, rage flooding my body. It wasn’t the same as the arm. This hurt like a bitch.

The male lab tech was rushing towards me with a cloth held in one hand.

Before I could react, he pressed it against my nose and mouth.

A sweet, chemical smell filled my lungs. The edges of reality blurred and softened. My limbs grew heavy, my thoughts fuzzy.I was still aware, still present, but disconnected from the anxiety that had been tearing through me. Through the haze, I felt movement. I felt the air shift around me. I felt mild stinging at my neck and inner wrists. Voices filtered through the fog. After a while, the pungent rag was removed from my face.

Gradually, the sharpness of the world returned bit by bit—the bright lights, the hard chair beneath me, the medicinal smells. The restraints were gone; my pack mates no longer touched me. The techs were labeling vials of blood and shimmering scent.

"All done, Mr. Atwood.” The female tech smiled at me. "You did very well."

I stood up, which made the world spin. Closing my eyes, I stood perfectly still until I didn’t feel like I was standing on a ship at sea. Once steady, I parted my lashes to blink around the space, finding Cooper and Levi hovering nearby.

“You good, Boone?” Cooper looked pale, his eyes crinkled with concern.

I stared directly into his eyes, fully aware now and deadly serious. "I'm going to pay you back for this, Cooper. That's a promise."

His smile faltered slightly, but he nodded, accepting the threat as his due. "Fair enough. But if this works—if we find our Omega—it'll be worth it, right?"

I stalked slowly towards him, leaning down to whisper in his ear. It made him shiver.

"It better be," I said quietly. "Because I'm never doing this again."

I made my way out into the Wyoming air and sunshine. The lingering taste of the sedative clung to the back of my throat, so I inhaled the familiar scents of our ranch to cleanse it away.What a fucking nightmare, I thought as I headed straight toward the stables. A ride would help. I’d disappear, make them worry I’d gone on one of my long solo trips. Hell, maybe I really would.

Let the others suffer through sampling without me.

Would it be worth it?

This pain?

I sure as hell hoped so…