Page 90 of Knot Your Average Beta

I grit my teeth. “I mean, I want him to medically check you out. We already have an omega. You smell remarkably close to her, and we want to figure out why.” I will not give away more than that. This woman hasn’t earned my trust or Sadie’s secrets.

Her smile blooms even brighter. “Oh, that explains it, then. If she smells close to me, then you just got confused. I’m sure once we’re together, you’ll be able to see I’m your omega, not her.”

I swallow back the snarl that wants to loose itself, and instead spin on my heel heading back to the car. “Where are we going?” she asks when she’s safely ensconced in the back seat, still beaming happily, so assured of our goodness and the lure of a scent match to trust us.

The girl must be some kind of idiot, because no omega should just blindly follow an unknown alpha anywhere. Even with a supposed scent match.

But then, Sadie went into the back rooms with Luca and Ethan at The Market. I frown at the realization and decide to talk to her about her safety going forward. She can’t take chances like that. Though I suppose the point is moot, since we’ll never let her go anywhere alone again, anyway.

The entire drive back to the penthouse, Claudia chatters giddily. Cooing about the sights out the window, babbling about how our lives are going to be going forward. She seems so fucking certain that we’re going to pick her. It sets my teeth on edge and hardens my resolve against her.

Sadie. Sadie is my omega. My mate.

Her blue eyes widen when we enter the underground parking garage, taking in everything. Mostly the line of expensive cars and the gleaming surfaces uncommon in a garage. She follows us to the elevator, watches as I scan my hand and call the lift.

She’s already on her phone, typing away at the screen. I open my mouth to ask her what she’s doing, but I don’t have to. Claudia beams up at me and I feel absolutely nothing. It’s not like when Sadie smiles at me, and I get all warm and melty in my chest. Sure, the alpha urge to protect her because she’s an omega is there, but that would apply to any omega. This isn’t my omega,—my scent match,—no matter that she smells like she is.

Sadie is it for me. For us.

“I’m having my things sent here from my hotel. It shouldn’t take them very long to pack it up. And I had a room just down the street from here. How wild is that?”

I’m not sure it’s wild at all. After all, The Falcon is the best hotel in the city and it just so happens we own it. We lived there for a few years before we bought this building just down the street so we could make it into a veritable fortress. The hotel was great, but there were too many unknowns coming and going.

The lift arrives, and we step inside. I curl my hand at my side to keep from putting my hand on the small of her back. It’s an ingrained instinct that I fight. Protect the omega. Guide the omega. Make sure nothing happens to the omega.

Fuck. I need to bond Sadie to dull the instinct to coddle other omegas. I hate feeling like I’m doing something wrong, when I know it’s nothing but instincts. Sadie wouldn’t even blame me for being protective of this other woman. It would hurt her, I know that, but she understands instincts better than anyone, since she’s dealing with so many new ones.

That just makes me feel even worse.

Ethan slides between me and Claudia, creating a buffer with his body, and I give him a grateful look. He gives me a tight nod. Thank fuck I brought our beta with us today. Thank fuck he isn’t ruled by instincts like the rest of us. We’re going to need him to keep his head.

Claudia arches a brow at him and sniffs her disdain. Again making it clear what she thinks of him? Or all betas. Maybe she’s one of those omegas that thinks there’s no place for a beta in a pack. Complete and utter bullshit. Pack is pack, no matter the designation.

The elevator doors open and Claudia strides out like she owns the penthouse, like it’s already hers. She immediately starts perfuming, soaking the air in her cherry pie scent that still doesn’t smell exactly right.

Then her nostrils flare, and her scent turns acrid, bitter. A cherry pie that’s bubbled over and is burning on the bottom of the oven. Fix it! My alpha roars. I shove him away and fist my hands at my sides as Claudia moves into the open concept living area. She picks up Sadie’s sweatshirt, dropped over the back of the couch, knuckles going white as she squeezes the fabric. From here I can tell it’s drenched in her scent and pheromones. She probably wore it at the start of her workout this morning and dropped it there when she got a drink from the kitchen.

“She’s here?” Claudia asks, voice strained. “You brought another omega into my pack house?”

“Not your pack house,” Ethan’s quick to correct. And again, thank fuck for him. I’m too busy battling the alpha inside me that wants to comfort her. “Its hers. Sadie’s.”

I don’t know if Ethan knows her name is like a balm to my alpha, but it certainly works like it. Yes, Sadie, my alpha purrs at the reminder of our mate. Sadie. She’s ours, not this omega snarling like a cat because we’ve already found our mate and it sure as fuck isn’t her.

“Sadie’s,” I confirm, folding my arms over my chest. “She’s already been bitten into the pack. She’s our omega.”

“Who bit her?” Claudia shrieks, loud and shrill enough that I wince, my ears ringing.

“Who the hell is this?” Logan calls, coming down the stairs. His hair is damp, and he’s wearing a pair of olive green joggers and a gray tank top, glasses perched on his nose. He may have just showered, but even from here I can scent Sadie on his skin and I know that while I’ve been chasing leads with Ethan, he’s been fucking our omega.

“Where’s Sadie?” I ask, not answering his question. Mine is more important.

Logan comes to a stop next to me, scowling at Claudia. “In the shower. She’ll be done soon.” It’s a warning to all of us. Behave for our girl. But then Logan’s nostrils flare, and I know he’s gotten close enough to scent Claudia. His pupils dilate and a low rumble sounds from his chest, reacting to the still acrid tinge in her scent. Ethan steps between us and Claudia, disrupting her cherry pie with his clean spring rain beta scent.

“What the fuck is going on?” Logan grinds out, hands fisted by his side.

Ethan runs a weary hand down his face. “This is Claudia Poole.”

Logan takes a panting breath through his mouth. “She smells like Sadie. Why the fuck does she smell like our omega?”

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