9. Belle

Istir, my mind groggy as I wake to the sound of raised voices.

"What the hell is going on? Who the fuck is this?"

"Don"t look at me. Rian was the one who wanted to bring her home with us."

My heart pounds as I realize they"re talking about me…

I"m lying on a strange couch—one that smells like a delicious cocktail of various, male pheromones, making my head spin in circles.

I"m too afraid to move. So, I continue to play possum, pretending to be dead.

Where am I?

Who are these strange people?

The last twenty-four hours come crashing back, and I bite my lip, remembering the fight with Francis and running through the woods throughout the night.

The male voices continue all around me, and I have never felt so vulnerable, so exposed…

I recall the two men in the woods, and the last thing I remember is passing out in the arms of the smaller, green-eyed male.

The larger, gray-eyed one wanted nothing to do with me.

They"re both in the room with me now; I can smell the sweet baby powder of the smaller male and the rich earthy scent of the larger.

There"s a sharp male scent of coffee too, and my mouth waters.

I could really do with a strong hot cup of coffee right about now.

Francis seldom let me drink it because it wasn"t healthy.

He only permitted me to drink herbal tea, like peppermint or chamomile.

But I"m a coffee girl through and through, and that tantalizing male smells exactly how I like my cup: strong, sweet, and steamy…

I"m aware of another scent too. One that reminds me of fresh linen straight out of the dryer, and all I want to do is bury my nose in that smell.

It wraps around me like a warm blanket, putting me at ease, and that"s when I realize that the scent is only mere inches away.

That fresh laundry is the scent of a male.

I hear a sigh next, and then I recognize the voice of my green-eyed male. "Look… you have to understand, Troy… The moment I picked up on her scent, I just…"

Silence drifts through the room now, but I continue to play dead on the couch, straining my ears for the slightest sound.

There"s a clock ticking somewhere close by, and one of the males coughs.

Finally, the angry male breaks the tension, and I"ve already learned that his name is Troy.

I"ve also learned that he doesn"t like me either.

"No. She can"t stay here. Take her to the Academy. Get her checked in at a hospital. That"s your fucking job, right?"

"Troy, please…. just listen to me…"

Troy growls, backing away from the room, and it looks as if he"s leaving. "I have to go. I want no part in this shit show. Call me when you"ve all come to your senses… Oh, and just so you know, she"s awake."

Now my heart rings through my ears as all eyes fall on me, and how long had he known?

Someone steps toward me, and I get a whiff of that sweet baby powder again.

It"s my green-eyed male.

"Hey… it"s all right. You don"t have to pretend around us… You"re safe."

Safe? I haven"t been safe in a long while.

But I recall the way he smiled at me before I passed out, and now I open my eyes, meeting that bright moss green.

Again, he gives me that hesitant smile. "Hey, there… Remember me?"

I don"t look away from him, too stunned to speak.

His words echo through my mind.

Remember him? How on earth could I not?

Finally, I sit up, hair falling in long waves around my shoulders as I cast my gaze around. I recognize the other male, the one with stormy gray eyes who can"t seem to stomach looking at me for too long, and another male just as large.

I have to blink twice when I look at him.

Wow.

And I thought I was lucky to see two handsome men in one day...

This one has long brown hair tied up in a bun, and I can"t stop looking at his sculpted cheeks, his strong, prominent nose, and his full lips.

I must gaze for too long as he winks one of those beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and my cheeks heat up as I finally look away.

My eyes land on the back of the fourth male.

He has his palm over his face, muttering the absurdity of the whole situation under his breath, and that"s when I realize…

He is point blank refusing to even acknowledge me.

But I don"t have to look at his face to know that he"s handsome too.

Not if his back is anything to go by.

His tight shirt brings out the taut muscles of his back, and now all I can think about doing is running my nose over his coffee-scented skin.

Yet he won"t look at me, and my heart caves deep in my chest.

I know that look. It"s the way Francis always looked at me too. Like I was unimportant and didn"t matter.

Like I wasn"t worth touching and sullying his clean hands with.

The male leaves the room, and it"s like he can"t stand to be around me.

He"s not the only one. The gray-eyed male does the same, and now it"s just me, my green-eyed friend, and his brown-eyed Adonis.

They hover around me, making sure not to stand too close so they don"t frighten me, but I don"t want them to keep away.

I want them both beside me.

I still remember how it felt when the green-eyed male touched me. His touch was considerate and kind, and his smile…

It made me feel like I had returned home. Whatever home may be for me.

Rian. His name finally comes back to me.

Rian kneels down in front of the couch, reaching my eye level. "How are you holding up, Belle?"

My head spins when he says my name.

I can"t even remember telling him, and I must have trusted him to part with this information.

"Belle…" the other male whispers, and I try not to look at him too directly.

If I do, I may not be able to refrain from running my finger over the marble-like texture of his sculpted face.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful Omega…"

There"s that word again. Why do they keep calling me that?

I"m about to ask, but then Rian offers me his hand, rising to his feet. "Come on. You must be hungry. Let"s get you something to eat, then we can show you to your room."

I can"t help it now. I finally forget my place, finding my voice. "Room?"

Do they intend to let me stay?

I guess I"m a runaway now. But I can"t go back to Francis, and I swallow back the fear that he is out there looking for me now.

I dread to wonder what his punishment would be for me this time.

Rian grins. "Of course. You"re free to stay with us for as long as you want. At least until you can get back on your feet again."

It"s not like I have anywhere else to go. I don"t even know if the boy in my dreams is real or not.

He could have just been a figment of my imagination all this time.

But all I know is that Rian"s smile is the closest thing I have seen to home in God knows how long, and I would very much like to remain here for the time being.

If they don"t mind.

I don"t mean to intrude on their lives, but I won"t stay forever. I will leave when the time is right.

At least until I know that Francis has finally given up on looking for me, and I am free to live my life in peace.

Finally, I take Rian"s hand, and something shoots through my fingers when our skin makes contact.

I"m not sure if he felt it too, but when I look into his eyes, it seems he does.

So, I savor his touch and let him lead me to the kitchen where he can prepare me food.

Thank goodness. Because I"m starved.