6. Rian

Iroll up my sleeping bag, never feeling so disappointed with myself.

We didn"t find one Omega. Not even a single trail, and it"s hopeless.

If I can"t be of any use to my pack, then what is the point in me sticking around?

I may as well just pack up and return to the Beta Academy; I just don"t want to be court-martialed for abandoning my post.

Besides, Troy won"t let me leave.

After all, we"re scent matches.

Also, Troy knows my deepest, darkest secret, and I should be ashamed of myself for even thinking about leaving him.

He opened up his heart to me, took me under his wing, and vowed to protect me.

I never believed in soul mates before I met Troy, but that all changed from the day I first caught his coffee scent.

And I knew the feeling was mutual, and thus, we have been pretty inseparable ever since.

It"s not just Troy either. I have become close with the whole pack, but I still need to prove myself worthy of their bites.

They never had an Omega when I first turned up at their doorstep, so there was no one for me to protect.

But I still made a vow to myself that I would do my duty as their new Beta and protect them all.

But they"re barely home half of the time. Troy and Leo are preoccupied with their super, secret missions, and Jeremy is always away searching the wilds for runaway Omegas.

Those poor Omegas…

I can"t imagine how terrified they must be. That"s why it"s our job to convince them to stay in the city and register at the Omega Academy.

There, they are stripped of their rights and forced to join a pack not always of their choosing, and I couldn"t imagine anything worse.

To lose your freedom…

Something slips out from my bag, and I peer down at the bottle of hormone suppressants.

Shit.

I yank them up quickly, stuffing them in the side pocket of my rucksack just as Jeremy approaches.

He can"t know. Not yet.

Only Troy knows why I sometimes smell like baby powder, and I plan to keep it that way for a while.

Not the manliest scent, but I have started taking suppressants, and even carrying around desensitizer to keep the baby powder away.

Troy has helped out immensely, getting me the pills and the spray on the black market.

No one can know. Because only God knows what will happen when my secret gets out.

I may be forced to leave them, and I"ll be damned if anyone keeps me away from my mates.

We"re all bonded now; I wear their bites around my neck.

That may just be enough to keep the government happy.

They just don"t like secrets…

"Ready to go?"

I meet Jeremy"s storm-gray eyes, and just like that, I find myself at ease.

My Alphas have that effect on me.

"Yes," I reply, stuffing my sleeping bag into my rucksack now.

I still can"t believe we are going home empty-handed.

Not one Omega…

We don"t get paid unless we find one, and this sucks.

Such a waste of time.

Just as I"ve finished stowing my sleeping bag away, I pick up on a strange scent in the wind.

I freeze, turning my head in that direction.

My mouth waters.

Without thinking, I follow that sweet, caramel scent.

Jeremy watches me strangely.

It"s just us in the clearing. The rest of our team has already gone home, and thank goodness.

Because that scent…

I have never smelled anything like it. So sweet and so strong, and I have to find who it belongs to.

"Rian?"

I don"t stop. I track the scent through the woods, stopping at several trees and bushes.

That"s an Omega scent, and I pick up the pace, desperate to find the source of that beautiful caramel.

"Rian!"

Jeremy is never too far behind, but I won"t stop until I find her.

I know it"s a she…

There"s another smell beneath the caramel. One reminiscent of blood, and a growl spills from my lips.

She"s hurt.

I have to find her and protect her…

Jeremy doesn"t speak. He merely follows me as I track down the Omega through the woods, and can"t he smell it too?

He has to.

"Rian, what is happening?"

I stop, meeting his eyes. "Don"t you smell it?"

The Alpha stops and sniffs the air, and I spy the moment he picks up on that sweet caramel too. His pupils dilate, and then he nods.

"Yes. An Omega…"

We keep tracking her down until we come upon a clearing with a babbling brook. The cool water rushes across stones as smooth as silk, and it"s peaceful and quiet.

Yeah, too quiet.

She has stopped here. The scent is still fresh.

"Now what?" Jeremy asks.

"We wait. She couldn"t have gone—"

I don"t finish my sentence. Someone swoops down from the tree above me, jumping onto my back to catch me off guard, but I"m too quick.

I flip her around, pinning her to the forest floor, and there, I meet those bright sapphire eyes.

Time halts, and I forget how to breathe…

The most beautiful-looking creature scowls back up at me, and I swallow a lump in my throat.

Now it all makes sense.

My purpose in life was never to guard my pack…

But to find and protect this perfect little female.

No wonder I was so drawn to her scent.

Because this Omega is my scent match.