Page 73 of Scent of Home

Locke turns on me and grabs my wrist. He drags me down a side street and then into the car park behind the diner, where he slams me up against the wall.

“You belong to me!” Locke hisses.

I blink at him. I’m a strange combination of exhilarated and intoxicated. This is the single hottest thing that has ever happened to me! It’s like one of my aunt’s romance novels. My stomach jumps, my skin shivers, I’m a tongue-tied mess. Turn me round and fuck me up against the wall!

“You belong to me. You’re my alpha,” Locke snarls and punches the bricks near my head. “I won’t let them take you away. No one gets to have you.”

I inhale the potent vanilla. It's stronger than I’ve ever smelt it. It wraps around me and chains me to this omega. I know I’ll never ever smell anything as good as he smells. This is my perfection. This omega who is so mad, so mad that someone tried to take me from him.

He is my equal, my dream, my hope.

I lean forward and kiss him, our lips cling, and then I pull back.

“I didn’t message him. I didn’t want him. Locke, wherever you go, and no matter what happens, you are my omega. That is a truth that is written into my heart and burned into my soul.”

Locke exhales roughly, and I see the moment the rage lets go of him.

How did he manage to get Dezzi to turn away?

But then Bray is there, checking over us both. Frantically searching for injuries. His eyes are wide with panic as his hands travel over my face and then Locke’s. Bray pulls me tight against his chest, hugging me hard and exhaling harshly, before he lets me go and turns to Locke.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Locke turns and kisses Bray, too. “You’re mine.”

“Yes, I know, but are you okay?” Bray says with no hesitation. That calms Locke even more than what I said.

Locke sags and puts a hand over his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out.”

I hug him and kiss the only part of his face I can see, his chin. “It was hot.”

“Hot? Really?”

“Totally hot,” I confirm.

Finn stomps around the corner and sees us, his relief is obvious as he pauses and scans us. I get all melty inside as the beta’s rage dissipates and concern takes its place. Shane is a moment behind him, and he doesn’t show anything, just stalks over to me and tilts my chin up with one finger. Our eyes meet and hold. No words are exchanged.

“Are you two okay?” Finn says harshly.

“Sure, we’re fine.” I beam at Finn. “Locke chased my ex off.”

Shane laughs as he steps out of Finn’s way. Locke draws himself up, but whatever righteous anger he had evaporates when Shane picks him up and spins him around.

“You’re incredible.”

Bray touches my cheek. “Erin, are you all right?”

There’s so much concern in his voice that it just melts me.

“I’m fine, I’m just shocked. He said he received a message from me, but the last time I tried to contact him was to send him divorce papers for his wife.”

Bray hums and glances at Finn. Something passes in their expressions, but I don’t know what it is.

“What? What was that look for?” I snap, looking between them both.

“Nothing, it’s just, I had one of my ex-fuck buddies try to hit me up, saying she got a text from me.”

“And a girl that I am not interested in showed me an email I’d supposedly sent to her professing my adoration. Luckily, she knew it was a hoax,” Finn says in a low voice.

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