Page 37 of Unbonded
“It’s a holistic treatment and support center,” I reply. “We offer heat management services, particularly for omegas who don’t have a traditional pack arrangement in place.”
It’s straight off the corporate website, but it doesn’t fool the alpha in the three-thousand-dollar suit. Omega treatment facilities range from elite medical clinics to money-grabbing scams, so I’m used to a bit of cynicism when it comes to my job, but I bristle at the way his eyes narrow at me. “And you work there, Lachlan? So, Katie is your…client?”
Smug asshole. I know I sound like a hypocrite after questioning their employment contract, but the two things aren’t even remotely the same. If I could take care of Katie on my own, we wouldn’t even be here. But I’m not that selfish. She needs more than I can give her, and unlike Lee, I’ll never make her choose between her head and her heart.
“She’s my friend, before everything else,” I reply through gritted teeth. “But if she needs a pack to see her through her heat, my company can provide it, and make sure she’s taken care of, emotionally and financially.”
“It’s an auction house,” Bram says from the other armchair. “They match omegas with packs for the duration of their heat.”
I give a reluctant nod, because it’s clear the guy did his homework when he checked up on me. And why not put it out there? They all need to know that Katie has options.
“Why would you do that?” Corbus asks, and there’s no missing the flare of color in her face at his attention. Bram clears his throat, tapping his long fingers on the arm of his chair, but Corbus doesn’t seem to get the message to shut the hell up. Instead, he gives her another of those fake-ass smiles. “You don’t need an auction, Kate. You have a pack right here.”
Is this guy for real?He can’t mean heremployers, who also happen to be courting another omega…
“It’s not aboutneed,” I interject, feeling my own face grow hot. “This is a way for Katie to control the process, so that she’s put first at all times.”
I shouldn’t have to look at the other omega cuddled into her side, but Corbus is either oblivious, or just so used to getting his own way, he doesn’t know how to navigate this dynamic. “Then I’ll put in a pre-auction offer,” he goes on, clearly still missing the huge fucking point. “I doubt anyone is going to outbid me, anyway.”
Katie is sitting as still as a statue, but I catch a sly little grin from Dash. He clearly likes the billionaire flaunting his excessive wealth, and I don’t know whether to glare at him or roll my eyes. “That’s not how it works,” I snap. “Katie gets tochoosewho attends the auction. If you don’t make her list, all the money in the world doesn’t change that.”
Corbus looks at me like his English translator chip has suddenly failed him. “But why wouldn’t she want us on the list? Wouldn’t we naturally be at the top?”
I stare at him, wondering if he is really this arrogant. But before I can explain in words he’sreallynot going to like, the dancer pops back up off the couch and reaches for Corbus’ arm. “How about we get some drinks, hmm? I’m thinking a nice whiskey instead of a warm beverage.”
Corbus’ brow wrinkles, but he lets his omega sweep him over to a bar area on the other side of the room. I use the distraction to turn to Katie, who still looks like a stiff breeze would knock her over. Fuck. She’s never liked confrontation, and even I can smell the tension in the air. “Sorry, Katie, but is that guy for real? Talk about a big, fucking ego…”
“If you knew him better, you’d find he’s actually quite modest.”
I look up in surprise. I don’t know how the tricky bastard does it, but I keep forgetting there is an uber alpha only a few feet away. He’s not touching me, but that same weak feeling rolls over me the longer I hold his stare, and I show him my teeth. “He doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.”
“Agreed.” I’m still glaring at the guy when he leans forward, his intense gaze now fixed on Katie. “But that’s because he doesn’t know about your bond. My guess is he feels the connection, but it’s confusing him.”
For a moment, I think he meansme, but Katie starts fiddling with the Band-Aid on her throat. My stomach lurches, mainly because it’s a dead giveaway that she’s thinking about an alpha. “Maybe he just doesn’t want to admit it exists. I know my scent is a turn-off. Bitter coffee, right?”
“Hold up.” I’m clearly missing some key information, but I don’t care how she smells to an uber. “You smell even better than you did in college. If these guys can’t appreciate it, it’s not your fault.”
It’s the truth. Katie always smelled good, but her perfume has grown deeper and more complex since I last saw her. Somehow, though, my compliment brings a wince to her face. “That’s nice of you to say, Lachlan, but my scent gland was damaged when they removed Lee’s bonding mark. I think you just remember what my natural perfume smelled like. Without the suppressants I use, it’s really harsh.”
I’m already shaking my head. She’s sitting right next to me, after all, and I’ve been mainlining her scent ever since she walked up to me outside my work.
“You could both be right,” Bram says, looking between us. “I’ve done some research on scent matches, and there’s evidence that the bond is on a deeper level than just what we smell.”
“Whoa!” I sit back sharply, my gaze flying to the alpha over at the bar. Corbus is giving his omega a perfectly normal smile ashe pours the drinks, his body language completely different now they’re alone. “What are we talking about here?”
But the uber goes on like he’s reading from a textbook. “While the olfactory neurons transmit information to the brain, smell goes straight to the amygdala, where we process emotion. Studies involving bonded mates and memory loss prove that the connection can exist there, hardwired into our brains, even if the receptors don’t pick up that scent anymore. Or they absorb the new scent, but match it to the stored memory.”
Katie sucks in a breath next to me. “Is that true? You’re not just telling me what I want to hear?”
“Hold on.” Given my job, I know more than the average person about how the olfactory system works, but scent mates are still on the blurry side of science. “You’re saying Katie and Corbus are…”
“Scent matches,” the uber replies. “And from the way you two react to each other, you might be as well.”
CHAPTER TWELVE - KATE
“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.”
