Page 123 of Sawyer

“No, girl, I know you. I’ve only been here a few months, but you have done so much for us gammas.” She pulls me in, hugging me to her side. “Us gammas have to stick together.”

“It’s not that. It’s not that,” I repeat, pulling back and angrily swiping at the tears that fall down my face. “Thea.”

“Yeah, she is fucking insane.” Vee smiles with her naturally red lips.

“No, her mates. Her pack. They are the men I came here with,” I whisper, letting them fall off my tongue, even though I want to swallow them and keep those men to myself.

Vee’s mouth opens and closes, and she blinks several times. Her mouth forms words, though nothing comes out. “How?”

“Sin.” I blow out a breath. “He told me about her.” I release a strained laugh and lean back against the tile. “He thinks she’s dead.”

“Thea’s been here for years. Years.” Vee twists her long hair over her shoulder and twirls a strand around her finger. “She’s never mentioned a pack. Not once.”

“One of them is here.” A hollow pit forms in my stomach, a knowing that every brief moment I had with them is all I’m ever going to get. “He got caught.”

“You love them.”

“I don’t believe in love.” I lie to her, to myself, and to the damn cruel universe if it’s listening. “Besides, I can’t fall in love with someone in a matter of days. We barely know each other.”

“Oh, honey, you damn well know that isn’t how we work.” She reaches forward and brushes the tears off my face. “We aren’t built like that. Not one of us. When another is a match by our scent alone, we know. We can smell that match. We are driven to insanity just from the way a mate smells. It drives us toward one another. It might not be love right away, but it sure is fate.”

“They aren’t mine.” More tears fall as the pain builds inside of me. “They can’t be.” Otherwise, their scents alone would have never allowed us to leave on this hunt.

“Oh, honey, I’m so fucking sorry.” Again, she pulls me in close. “Doc will ensure that all of us get a whiff of him before he brings him to you, since he knows he came here with you.”

“They’ll know.” I sniff. “Time to put my big girl panties on.”

“Honestly, it’s just the ugly ass hospital scrubs. At least they got rid of the gowns.” She shivers. “My ass hung out there for weeks. My pussy was just clapping.”

Her words startle me so much, all I can do is pull back and laugh. “You didn’t just say that.” I hide my amusement behind my hand. “What was your pussy clapping for?”

“Every time I don’t match a scent.” She rears back as though that answer is painfully apparent. “Listen, just because I can play omega to a male doesn’t mean I want to.”

“Keep telling yourself that, until you find the ones.”

“Bite your tongue.” She shudders. Her joints creak as she stands up to stretch. “You good?”

“No,” I answer honestly and grip her outstretched hand, allowing her to pull me up. “But” —I force out the words— “heartache won’t kill me.”

“That’s right, boo.” Her smile is all teeth. “I like you, Sawyer.”

Smiling, I shake my head and roll my eyes at her. “I like you too, Vee.”

“Violet,” she corrects. “Most people call me Vee, but my real name is Violet.”

“It suits you.”

“It is my favorite color.” She shrugs a delicate shoulder. “When we get out of here, I want a girls’ night.”

“I’d like that.” She doesn’t know how much her words mean to me. I’m going to need a friend after all of this. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Perfect. I’ve been parched for three months.” She strips off her clothes and steps under the spray, still chatting away as I grab the clothing.

“Don’t they have drinks?” I rip open the clothing and pull on a pair of panties—granny panties. Oh well, it’s not like I’m here to impress anyone.

“No wine, my sweet, naïve reporter. No wine.” She glares at me with suds in her hair. “Parched,” she repeats.

“Noted.” I tug the top and pants on, and then tie the towel around my hair. “Hey, can I ask how you got here?”

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