Page 82 of Pucking the Enemy

As the opening credits started, Seb handed me a bag of hazelnut popcorn without a word. We had spent many hours together binge-watching things in my nest. There was something comforting about the familiarity of it.

“Your nest is smelling so different, now that it’s full of other people’s scents.”

“Good or bad different?” I asked. In my opinion, it was a good different. It was a medley of all my guys. Roman’s dark and fruity, Phillip’s apple cider, and Cormac’s root beer. With Seb’s rich cherry wine scent, it was perfect.

I giggled to myself.

“Why are you laughing?” Seb asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I just realized that we all smell like drinks—we are a regular beverage bunch!”

Seb burst into laughter. “Oh shit! You’re completely right. We are, aren’t we? I suppose all the guys smell decent. Imagine if you got stuck with alphas that smelled like citrus!” He shuddered dramatically.

“I’m not that disgusted by citrus… usually. Now that I’m pregnant, all bets are off!” I groaned. “Having my already sensitive omega nose ramped up to a thousand hasn’t been the most fun.”

“Just how bad has it been?”

“You decided to use a new deodorant today. It’s the same one Cormac uses.”

Seb’s eyebrows rose. “I ran out, and he had a spare bottle. That’s a little creepy.”

“I can also smell arousal from a mile away.”

“Really?”

I nodded.

It didn’t escape my notice that Seb had been turned on regularly since moving into the Kingswood pack house.

“Oh yeah, the nose can be useful at times.”

He cleared his throat. “So, you’ve been smelling me?”

“Yeah, but I can’t blame you. Pregnant omegas give off so many pheromones.”

The TV paused, and Seb sat up, gawking at me. “You think I’ve been aroused solely because of you perfuming all over the place?”

I sat up, frowning at him. “Yeah… what else could it be?”

He stared at me with wide eyes for a moment, opening and closing his mouth, like he couldn’t believe what I had just said.

“One of us is dumb. Possibly, both of us!” Seb declared, looking at the heavens for strength.

“Seb?”

“Do you have feelings for me, Hazelnut?”

My heart stuttered. “You’re my best friend.”

He rolled his eyes with a long-suffering sigh. “Hazel, I care about you as more than a best friend.”

…excuse me?!

“Sebastian Coombs, what the hell are you talking about?”

Surely, if he had feelings for me, I would know?

He sighed, swallowing before speaking. “I think I’ve been in love with you for a while, Hazelnut.”

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