Page 47 of Broken Heat
The air seemed deluged with his scent as if the closer I got to him, the more intense it got. Didn’t everyone else here notice?
But of course alphas didn’t produce scent through walls, or they would be sent far away every time they had ruts. Omegas were attracted to their ruts only if they were in close proximity.
Except for mates.
Mates.
I froze on the path, inhaling deep.
Mykel wasn’t my mate. So why did I scent him so vigorously?
My body beneath my kimono, mostly naked, shivered in the heat. My skin tingled as if feathers were being brushed all over the surface. The kimono swayed smoothly against me, especially the soft cheeks of my behind. The plug shifted as I grew slicker. My cock jerked, reminding me it needed attention.
I moved forward, the shade of the trees blue and gold against the building’s windows. I wondered if you could see the ocean from the top floor.
Moving forward, I saw a door made of all glass and headed toward it. A dark blue awning stretched out over the three steps that led up to it, making the flat cement area into a little porch. Hothouse flowers sporting all the colors of the rainbow bloomed in pots lining the steps all the way up to the door.
I reached out and saw, beneath the handle, a slot for keycards. My excitement fell. This door was locked.
I didn’t know what to do. I needed to get inside. I felt like I could smell Mykel as if he stood directly on the other side of the door.
I put my palm on the handle. It was cold metal, strangely comforting, and I clasped it hard and gave a tug.
The door opened and a cool, air-conditioned wind whooshed out, making my skin prickle. It was fresh and lovely, but on that air Mykel came through loud and clear, like the spicy drink I’d been craving all morning.
The door made no sound as I pulled it all the way open and stepped into the pretty foyer, cool and quiet and shady, and let it close behind me.
I glanced around.
It was like a fancy hotel. Little sconces lit the walls with silver brightness. Overhead, an elaborate chandelier shone down, clear crystals hanging off the edges. Around that chandelier were ceiling fans shaped like palm fronds. Four of them.
Straight ahead was a hall, well-lit, and I could see doors on either side obviously leading to first floor apartments. To my left an elevator car waited, mirrored and bright. Beside the elevator was a door markedSTAIRS.
I moved forward, as if in a dream.
This way, this way, said a voice that sounded a lot like Coah, but not words he would ever use.Over here.
Maybe his spirit was looking out for me. But in this particular situation, I doubted it. Coah had been the jealous type.
As if I knew what the hell I was doing, I walked into the pretty, red-carpeted hall, following my nose or, rather, the air. And Mykel’s zesty essence.
I was shaking deep inside. What if one of the doors opened and an alpha or omega therapist walked out and caught me?
I passed one, two, then three doors. It was as if they didn’t exist. I knew they were the wrong doors.
I didn’t question. I moved on.
When I reached the fourth door, I turned and faced it. Then I stood staring at, breathing hard. It was strong, the tug, the pull. I took a single step closer. My mouth was open trying to get all the oxygen I could.
Hand trembling, I raised it and knocked. Hard. The sound startled me. My knuckles stung.
Inside, I heard a footfall, bare and faint. The handle of the door made a soft sound, not quite scraping, and moved, not a jiggle, but a definite shift.
“Who is it?”
I couldn’t think. Didn’t want to answer. He’d send me away without opening the door. He’d tell me to go.
I gulped.
