Page 27 of Unbonded (Pack’s Companion #3)

I ignore his little smirk, and nudge Bram, who’s standing in front of me. “What about you, Webber? Did you wrestle in college, or are ubers banned from competitive sports due to unfair advantage?”

The omegas both stiffen at my aggressive tone, but Bram just glances at me over his massive shoulder. “I was captain of the Math Club.”

I stare at him, but Dash makes a swoony sound and clutches his chest. “Oof. Nerd muscle. It’s the best of both worlds.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to mention my 4.0 GPA, but I hate being the guy who peaked in college. Besides, I’m not here to win their approval. All I care about is making sure Katie isn’t getting into another shitty situation like the one with her asshole ex.

When the elevator stops, we step into a room straight out of a luxury magazine.

Katie’s the expert on design, and I catch the way she looks around, soaking up all the details.

From my perspective, there’s a lot of furniture that’s way out of my price range, and massive glass doors that open onto a million-dollar view.

They’re shut right now, but a lap pool glimmers enticingly on a paved terrace, and I’m quietly stunned that real people actually get to live like this.

Paragon diamonds , I remind myself as another alpha approaches. This one was definitely plucked from the top of the gene pool, with ice-blue eyes, platinum hair, and the kind of easy confidence that comes from knowing you’re right at home in the city’s best zip code.

“Corbus Janssen,” he says in a light, European accent, his hand extended in greeting.

Every business major worth his degree has researched Janssen’s empire, which has been one of the premier brands in precious gems for five generations.

He inherited his wealth, but he’s managed to double it with clever investments, while also giving away a substantial amount to worthy causes.

I’d normally admire him and envy him in equal measure, but right now I’m leaning towards disliking him, especially given the polite way he greets Kate.

I’ll take possessive ubers and flamboyant dancers over his cool indifference any day.

“Katie told me about this pack companion bullshit,” I say as we’re ushered towards a sunken lounge.

Katie and her ballet crush are already seated together on a chocolate leather sofa, and I quickly insert myself on her other side.

The two alphas are in the process of settling into matching armchairs, but I don’t miss the look they shoot each other.

“You want her to help you out, fine. Employ her, even give her a place to stay, but don’t take advantage of her. ”

The dancer – Dash – makes an unhappy sound, but it’s Katie who squeezes my arm. “That’s not how it is, Lachlan. I’d want to be here even if I wasn’t going to be paid.”

“Which you are,” Bram cuts in, giving me a warning look. “We don’t cheat anyone who works for us.”

“You hear that, Katie?” I ask, still glaring at the alphas. “They’re going to treat you exactly like every other employee.”

She shoots me a wounded glance, but the dancer is suddenly on his feet, his hands planted on his hips as he frowns down at me.

“Hold up. What’s going on here? Because I get that the companion thing is insulting, which is why Bram is rewriting her contract.

But I can promise we only have the best intentions.

I like Kate a lot , and I don’t think of this as a business transaction.

” He gives her a steamy look through his thick black lashes. “We’re together , right, sweetheart?”

Katie answers him by pulling him back down into her arms, and I’m suddenly drenched in an orange blossom and sweet tea cloud of arousal.

They kiss with abandon, and while it’s blisteringly hot, that nagging feeling is back.

Katie was always shy with her affection in college - probably because Lee hoarded and warped it, like every other good thing she gave him – and I’m shocked to watch her make out so passionately in front of an audience.

Yeah, I’m envious as hell that she and this guy are so into each other, but I’m worried, too.

I’ve read enough about unbonded omegas to know that Katie’s hormones might be out of her control right now.

I turn to glare at the alphas, but Bram is watching me , his brow furrowed. “You’re worried. This is about more than the job, or Dash.”

I shrug, but Katie must hear him because she breaks off the kiss, touching my arm more carefully this time. “Sorry,” she murmurs as she presses a hand to her swollen mouth. “That was rude. I got carried away.”

“In the best way possible,” the dancer adds, flopping back on his own corner of the couch and giving her a sultry smile. “Blame me, if you want. I’m besotted, if that’s not obvious.”

“No, Lachlan’s right to worry.” Katie sits up straighter, her face a picture of regret.

“I should have said something before, but I didn’t want the bubble to burst. I’m besotted, too,” she says with a small smile in Dash’s direction, “but there’s some things I should have discussed with you.

A nasty side-effect of being unbonded is that my next heat is going to be my last. And that’s triggered some… extreme behavior on my part.”

“Your last?” Dash makes a low, hurt sound as he slides forward and puts an arm around her waist. There’s no mistaking the pain in his eyes. “How can that be right? Are you sure?”

Katie’s hand feathers over his cheek. “I’ve done all the tests and seen the results myself. My hormonal production is too low and it’s causing a lot of chemical imbalances. There’s no cure, and even replacement therapies don’t work on cases like mine.”

Dash’s face hardens, his dark eyes glittering. “Because your alpha left you.”

“It’s a side-effect,” she repeats, and when her hand inches up to touch the Band-Aid on her throat, Dash grabs it, squeezing it tightly. “According to my doctor, I get one more heat, and it’s going to be a really difficult one.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

Dash looks distraught as he cuddles Katie, but her focus is on Bram.

I don’t know what she’s thinking, but her scent is right on the edge of sour.

“I think it’s why I reacted to you like that outside the club.

My doctor said I’ll act a little crazy for a while, especially around dominant alphas.

” Her mouth twists unhappily. “My hormones’ last-ditch effort to find a mate before I’m an omega in name only. ”

Fucking hell.

I knew the basics of her case through Dr. Green’s referral, but it hurts to hear Katie put her condition into words. “We won’t let it get to that,” I reassure her. “You’ve got options, including Safe Haven. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re in the best hands.”

She gives me a grateful look, but Corbus chooses that moment to speak up. He’s sitting straight-backed in his armchair, but his fingers are drawing quick, jerky circles on his knee. “Safe Haven? What are you talking about?”

“It’s a holistic treatment and support center,” I reply. “We offer heat management services, particularly for omegas who don’t have a traditional pack arrangement in place.”

It’s straight off the corporate website, but it doesn’t fool the alpha in the three-thousand-dollar suit.

Omega treatment facilities range from elite medical clinics to money-grabbing scams, so I’m used to a bit of cynicism when it comes to my job, but I bristle at the way his eyes narrow at me.

“And you work there, Lachlan? So, Katie is your…client?”

Smug asshole. I know I sound like a hypocrite after questioning their employment contract, but the two things aren’t even remotely the same.

If I could take care of Katie on my own, we wouldn’t even be here.

But I’m not that selfish. She needs more than I can give her, and unlike Lee, I’ll never make her choose between her head and her heart.

“She’s my friend, before everything else,” I reply through gritted teeth. “But if she needs a pack to see her through her heat, my company can provide it, and make sure she’s taken care of, emotionally and financially.”

“It’s an auction house,” Bram says from the other armchair. “They match omegas with packs for the duration of their heat.”

I give a reluctant nod, because it’s clear the guy did his homework when he checked up on me. And why not put it out there? They all need to know that Katie has options.

“Why would you do that?” Corbus asks, and there’s no missing the flare of color in her face at his attention.

Bram clears his throat, tapping his long fingers on the arm of his chair, but Corbus doesn’t seem to get the message to shut the hell up.

Instead, he gives her another of those fake-ass smiles.

“You don’t need an auction, Kate. You have a pack right here. ”

Is this guy for real? He can’t mean her employers , who also happen to be courting another omega…

“It’s not about need ,” I interject, feeling my own face grow hot. “This is a way for Katie to control the process, so that she’s put first at all times.”

I shouldn’t have to look at the other omega cuddled into her side, but Corbus is either oblivious, or just so used to getting his own way, he doesn’t know how to navigate this dynamic.

“Then I’ll put in a pre-auction offer,” he goes on, clearly still missing the huge fucking point.

“I doubt anyone is going to outbid me, anyway.”

Katie is sitting as still as a statue, but I catch a sly little grin from Dash.

He clearly likes the billionaire flaunting his excessive wealth, and I don’t know whether to glare at him or roll my eyes.

“That’s not how it works,” I snap. “Katie gets to choose who attends the auction. If you don’t make her list, all the money in the world doesn’t change that. ”

Corbus looks at me like his English translator chip has suddenly failed him. “But why wouldn’t she want us on the list? Wouldn’t we naturally be at the top?”

I stare at him, wondering if he is really this arrogant. But before I can explain in words he’s really not going to like, the dancer pops back up off the couch and reaches for Corbus’ arm. “How about we get some drinks, hmm? I’m thinking a nice whiskey instead of a warm beverage.”

Corbus’ brow wrinkles, but he lets his omega sweep him over to a bar area on the other side of the room.

I use the distraction to turn to Katie, who still looks like a stiff breeze would knock her over.

Fuck. She’s never liked confrontation, and even I can smell the tension in the air.

“Sorry, Katie, but is that guy for real? Talk about a big, fucking ego…”

“If you knew him better, you’d find he’s actually quite modest.”

I look up in surprise. I don’t know how the tricky bastard does it, but I keep forgetting there is an uber alpha only a few feet away.

He’s not touching me, but that same weak feeling rolls over me the longer I hold his stare, and I show him my teeth.

“He doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. ”

“Agreed.” I’m still glaring at the guy when he leans forward, his intense gaze now fixed on Katie. “But that’s because he doesn’t know about your bond. My guess is he feels the connection, but it’s confusing him.”

For a moment, I think he means me , but Katie starts fiddling with the Band-Aid on her throat. My stomach lurches, mainly because it’s a dead giveaway that she’s thinking about an alpha. “Maybe he just doesn’t want to admit it exists. I know my scent is a turn-off. Bitter coffee, right?”

“Hold up.” I’m clearly missing some key information, but I don’t care how she smells to an uber. “You smell even better than you did in college. If these guys can’t appreciate it, it’s not your fault.”

It’s the truth. Katie always smelled good, but her perfume has grown deeper and more complex since I last saw her.

Somehow, though, my compliment brings a wince to her face.

“That’s nice of you to say, Lachlan, but my scent gland was damaged when they removed Lee’s bonding mark.

I think you just remember what my natural perfume smelled like.

Without the suppressants I use, it’s really harsh. ”

I’m already shaking my head. She’s sitting right next to me, after all, and I’ve been mainlining her scent ever since she walked up to me outside my work.

“You could both be right,” Bram says, looking between us. “I’ve done some research on scent matches, and there’s evidence that the bond is on a deeper level than just what we smell.”

“Whoa!” I sit back sharply, my gaze flying to the alpha over at the bar. Corbus is giving his omega a perfectly normal smile as he pours the drinks, his body language completely different now they’re alone. “What are we talking about here?”

But the uber goes on like he’s reading from a textbook.

“While the olfactory neurons transmit information to the brain, smell goes straight to the amygdala, where we process emotion. Studies involving bonded mates and memory loss prove that the connection can exist there, hardwired into our brains, even if the receptors don’t pick up that scent anymore.

Or they absorb the new scent, but match it to the stored memory. ”

Katie sucks in a breath next to me. “Is that true? You’re not just telling me what I want to hear?”

“Hold on.” Given my job, I know more than the average person about how the olfactory system works, but scent mates are still on the blurry side of science. “You’re saying Katie and Corbus are…”

“Scent matches,” the uber replies. “And from the way you two react to each other, you might be as well.”