Page 59 of The Omega Archives: Part Two

“Girl.”

I don’t respond as I continue down the hallway off the living room. SofarI hadn’t found anything ofrealinterest in the house. The place was designed perfectly for them and decorated with all their eclectic tastes in mind. The colors werebright,yet muted.Elegant, yet still somehow cozy.

Pushing open the edge of one door was an office. The next was another bathroom. I traveled upstairsas Ilistened to Rita fill me in on her conference the past week and the drama that went down.

On the second floor, lined with dark blue wallpaper with swirling designs, there were clearly all the bedrooms. I didn’t want to invade them, but I could tell whose spacewas basedon scent alone.

On the other side of my room wasa door that leaked with the scent of fresh vanilla and spring days.Cal. On the other side were cedar and orange citrus. Marko. Thentherewas another thatmade a shiver roll down my spine at the slightest hint of caramel and chai. Liam. At the back of the hallsmelledlike chocolate, clove, and almost a little floral.

That must’ve been Demetri, thoughI hadn’t noticed his scent before, it perfectly seeped into everyone else’s. He was the center of them all.

It was odd now that I could tell them all apart soeasily. So perfectly.

They all smelled amazing.

I blinked, lashes fluttering as I forced myself out of whatever scent haze I was slipping under. Clearing my throat, I turned and paused. I hadn’t noticed there was another stairway here.

I mean,in the back of my mind, I knew there had to be a staircase to the third floor, but I never thought much of it.I guess I figuredthat itwas just a hidden space in the ceiling. It was an attic for old things that the pack grew out of or ghosts or dusty antiques.This stairway didn’t look like something you’d pull out of the ceiling once or twice a year, however.

The stairway was dark but decorated so perfectly that it nearly blended in with the rest of the hallway.

Before I could stop myself, I leaned towards the wall, skimming my fingers against the wall as I followed the short stairway up.

Velvet. That was what created the designs in the wallpaper. Soft, silky velvet.

Rita continued to talk in my ear, though I wasn’t paying as much attention to the conversation as I probably should’ve been.

How could I whenmy heart was hammering in my chest thishardlike I was the stupidest person ever in a cheesy horror movie?Of course, I couldn’t imagine a horror movie house being this stunning.

Coming to a door, I reached for the knob, hesitating as if expecting someone to yank it open from the other side.Only,no one did. I twisted the knob and stepped inside, small lights coming on as my feet passed thethreshold,built into the corners.

I gasped.

“What is it? What did you find?” Rita hollered through the phone. “Are they hiding a body in the attic? A sex room? Cal did look like he could be a kinky fuck.”

“It’s nothing,” I said beforeI could stopmyself from uttering the lie. I froze where I stood, stuttering out the words. “Just another room. I have to go.”

“Don’t you dare hang up now. I need to know!”

I mumbled another line abouthow I’d callher back before I hung up the phone.Because it was just another room for most people.But to me, it was something I never saw beforein my life.

At least not in person.

A nest.

Chapter

Eighteen

DEMETRI

Iwent into the office today.

Usually, when I went into the office, it was strictly working. Nothing else was on my mind but what exactly I needed to do. I had a list that I added to and a calendar to watch over. I went to meetings and got deadlines completed well in advance.

But instead of my usual swift work ethic, something crawled under my skin,andnot because I wore a new suit.

All I could think about was the frail omega back at the house.

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