Page 28 of Unbonded (Pack’s Companion #3)

“Scent matches?” Corbus echoes, his accent thicker than I’ve ever heard it. I don’t know if Bram could sense Corbus approaching, but he doesn’t look surprised as the other alpha stops next to his chair, drinks in hand. “What are you talking about, Bram?”

“It’s a theory,” Bram says carefully, but I can see a level of certainty in his dark eyes as he looks between us.

At the very least, he’s given our situation a lot of thought and has come to some of the same conclusions that I have.

“Perhaps not as we usually think of scent matches, but then, they’re rare.

And so is the loss of scent due to unbonding.

We’re dealing with some complex factors here, but the bottom line is both you and Lachlan can smell Kate’s natural perfume. ”

“While you can’t,” I add, because as an uber, Bram has advanced senses. If anyone could catch a trace of my true scent, it should be him.

He shakes his head, looking a little disappointed – or maybe that’s me, projecting. “You smell good, but not like that.”

Dash has been following with more drinks, and he must have caught the gist of the conversation, because his eyes go wide. “Seriously? You’re scent matches?”

“Maybe,” I say quickly, looking around at the circle of men.

Dash seems intrigued by the idea, but Corbus is still standing by his chair, as if frozen in place, and Lachlan has shrunk into the corner of the sofa.

I focus my attention on him, since he seems the most upset by the news. “Are you okay?”

He slowly shakes his head, his hands gripping his knees. “How? I’m a beta. I can’t be a match with anyone.”

“I only have theories,” Bram says again. “But it’s not impossible for betas and alphas to match in this way.”

“Grace Rose,” I whisper, my hand fluttering to my neck. There’s no scarf there, of course, and I shoot a sneaky glance at Corbus, but he’s still staring at Bram. “She and Richard are scent-mates.”

“Mmm.” Bram takes a slow sweep around the room, like he’s assessing the mood. “I think we should explore this more, perhaps talk to others in a similar situation, like the Roses. And I’d like to get our doctor across it, just to be safe.”

“But we’ve known each other for years,” Lachlan mutters from his corner of the couch. “How can this just be happening now?” His sunshine scent is as murky as I’ve ever smelled it, and when I reach for him, he slides away and gets to his feet. “Um, is there a bathroom around here I can use?”

Dash shoots me a concerned glance before nodding and setting the drinks down. “I’ll show you. Come with me.”

I’m half out of my chair to follow when Corbus steps in front of me. Unlike Lachlan, he only looks mildly disturbed by the news, although his fingers are tapping rapidly on his thigh. “You knew? That we’re scent-matched?”

My mouth is so dry I’m tempted to grab the whiskey out of his hand, but I force myself to hold his gaze. “I felt something when we first met.”

“In the hallway of the hotel,” he says, his brow now furrowed as he thinks back.

“When I gave you cab fare, you looked at me and I felt like I’d missed something.

” Color suddenly stains his cheeks, and when he raises the glass to his mouth, he stares at the whiskey like he doesn’t remember pouring it.

“You knew we were a scent match even then?”

“From the ballroom,” I admit. “As soon as I saw you, I suspected there was something between us.”

I don’t add that I nearly fled in panic, because I can’t get a read on him.

He doesn’t look like he’s been given the kind of news that makes you reassess your life, but his scent has turned sour.

Cedarwood, if it’s been soaked in vinegar.

His fingers are also tapping harder on his thigh, and my own heart rate picks up, because this is exactly what I was dreading – Corbus finding out and rejecting our bond.

“But why didn’t you say anything?”

I jerk at the question . He’s not accusing me, but my defenses are already on high alert. “I didn’t know for sure.”

“But you were drawn to me.”

God, is he really going to make me spell it out?

“Like I said, my hormones are all over the place. I couldn’t trust my reaction wasn’t just wishful thinking.” I feel my throat flush at the admission. “Besides, you didn’t…”

“I didn’t react as you expected,” he finishes for me, leaning down slowly and placing his glass on the coffee table.

When he straightens, he seems to have tucked those little glimpses of emotion out of sight, his hand now passing smoothly over his platinum hair.

I hold my breath, but it feels like the air is being squeezed out of me as he summons one of his polite smiles.

“I’m very sorry for that, Kate. Will you excuse me? ”

“Corbus,” Bram is half out of his chair, but the other alpha waves him off.

“I need to prepare for my trip, but I would like to talk about this when I return.”

He’s leaving? It’s the first I’ve heard of a trip, and while a fresh wave of rejection urges me to stay rooted to my seat, watching him walk away makes my stomach ache. I’m off the sofa in the next breath and chasing him across the room to the elevator. “Corbus! Wait.”

He swings towards me, and while he looks shocked, at least I managed to wipe that polite smile off his face. “Kate…”

“You don’t have to run away from this, Corbus.

” He flinches and I scowl at him. How badly does he want to pretend this conversation – this bond between us - never existed?

“I’m not trying to force you to do anything, okay?

Scent matches or not, I know this situation isn’t the best, and I’m not interested in another alpha who doesn’t want me. ”

“I didn’t say that…”

The elevator doors open and I step inside, not giving him much choice but to follow me.

“I know,” I sigh, feeling so weary I have to lean back against the wall.

He takes the other corner, ramrod straight as he stares at our reflection in the mirrored doors.

My awareness of others has sharpened since I was unbonded, but there’s something about Corbus that feels shut off, like there’s a glass pane between him and the world.

“You’re very polite, Corbus. Painfully so, sometimes.

” I look around the elevator. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere.” His lips twitch an inch as he points at the panel. “You didn’t press a button.”

“Right.” We can’t go up, so I choose the next floor down and once we’re moving, turn towards him with my arms folded.

“Being unbonded comes with a lot of baggage, but you need to remember I didn’t ask for this.

In fact, when I first scented you, I nearly ran off in a panic.

It’s hard enough being pitied, but I don’t think I could take it if I was the reason people pitied you -. ”

The doors open with a soft ding, but instead of leaving, Corbus steps towards me, and in a move almost as graceful as Dash, reaches out and braces himself against the wall by my head.

Not blocking me in, but studying me up close, those icy blue eyes moving slowly over my features.

When he bends his head, my lips quiver, wondering if they’re the target, but he skims right past them, his breath feathering across my neck.

I hold still, mesmerized, as he breathes deeply though his nose.

His cedarwood fragrance rolls over me, full of warm, spicy notes, and the sound he makes on his exhale is enough to set off sparks under my skin.

“Orange blossom, if I’d plucked it straight from a sun-warmed tree. ”

I arch my neck, my omega preening as he hovers over my scent gland. “It smells good?”

He makes a hungry sound in the back of his throat. “There’s no sweeter perfume in the world, Kate, and I’ve travelled most of it.” When he pulls back, regret shines in his eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that the first time we met.”

He’s so close, I can see the silver chips in his blue eyes, and I suddenly feel like I can see all the way to his soul. “That’s okay. But it’s nice to hear you say it now.”

He nods, but his brow furrows, and he reaches out to touch my hair. Not petting me, exactly, but rubbing the strands between his fingers, like he’s testing my shampoo. “We all have baggage, Kate. I just work very hard to hide mine.”

There’s a note of anguish in his voice and I feel my stomach twist. I didn’t mean to force a confession out of him. “Corbus. You don’t have to talk about it.”

“You deserve to know.” He’s still playing with my hair, but now his gaze slides away from me.

“I’m undiagnosed, but I have many of the traits of someone on the spectrum.

I don’t really know where I fit, and I’m awkward with people I don’t know well, because I can’t always pick up on their cues.

I don’t like eye contact, and I have to mask a lot of my habits… ”

His voice falters, and I want to touch him, but I don’t know what his boundaries are yet. “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

He tucks my hair away, his fingers lingering on the soft curve of my ear. “I’m just asking you to be patient with me. Or more patient, since I’m already a few steps behind.”

I nod, but as he pushes the button to open the doors again, I don’t move to follow him out. “Is your trip real, or was that just your spur-of-the-moment exit plan?”

His lips quirk again, and now that I know how hard he works to control his emotions, I feel a little zing of victory at that smile.

Lachlan’s smiles are pure sunshine, but Corbus’ are the mercurial rainbow, a fleeting gift that makes me feel like I’ve just discovered a pot of gold.

“It’s real, unfortunately. My mother summoned me last week, and I can’t keep putting her off.

I’d ask you to come, but we’re not close, and I find it hard to mask my issues around her-. ”