Page 64 of Broken Bonds

I know why we feel so drawn to her, but I’m reluctant to voice it. At least right now. It’s entirely too soon, even if it feels like it will never be soon enough.

Scent match.

There is a lot that goes into finding compatible matches for omegas and alphas, even some betas. Scent plays such a heavy role in how we choose who we want in our packs and who we’ll bond with. I mean, you will be smelling each other for the rest of your lives, so yeah... it is best to find people you not only mesh with but can tolerate smelling.

Although it may not happen to everyone, there is sometimes a perfect match out there that can be identified by a scent that is inviting and has a certain pull, so you know that you’re meant to belong together.

Biology dictates the fate of soulmates and brings them together; I suppose you could say.

In any case, I have an incredibly strong feeling that Ramsey is our scent match and the other two just haven’t realized it. Neither has she, for that matter, but I don’t really expect her to.

She might become more drawn to us the more time she spends with us, but she likely won’t recognize why. Not while she’s still grieving. Link either. They’re both too clouded with grief to notice the pull that draws them together even as they fight it.

Forde might know, and just isn’t saying anything. Or maybe it’s been so long since we’ve thought about an omega and what we were taught in school that he’s forgotten the signs that come with a perfect match.

The day of the funeral, here atJinx,I had this gut feeling. Seeing Forde’s determination to be there for her, even though he couldn’t understand it, had me suspicious. Then I thought about the sound of Link’s voice when he told us about the way his fingers had tingled when he had touched her at that first disastrous meeting. And the longer I go without seeing her to ease some of my concern about how she’s doing, the tighter my chest feels. It’s like a vice is wrapped around it that gets tighter with each passing day of not putting eyes on her. My eyes. I can’t rely on Link and Forde’s descriptions or assurances that she’s okay because I need to see for myself.

After she walked in those weeks ago looking too thin for a pregnant woman carrying multiples with sunken eyes ringed in dark circles, my instincts have only become harder to ignore. I want to force feed her by hand to make sure she doesn’t starve to death. I want to hold her in my arms, pin her down, and let loose a rattling purr to force her to sleep so she doesn’t pass out on her feet at some point.

I might have said we could find our omega when Ramsey is all settled that day, but even then I was full of shit. Because even as I tried to ignore it, I knew our omega was already found.

She just can’t be ours right now.

If ever.

It’s frustrating and confusing to my most basic instincts.

I growl under my breath, then huff out an annoyed breath at myself.

She lost everything she’s ever known and loved, and here I am bitching about how confusing things have been since meeting her.

Sunlight streams in as the door opens and Forde walks in. I search his face discreetly, looking for any sign that something could be amiss with Ramsey. Besides Jillian, he’s the one who’s spent the most time with her recently.

Lucky fucker.

He’s not frowning from what I can tell, and he seems relaxed. More relaxed than he’s been in years. Like he’s not as weighed down by all the guilt he’s carried around since his sister’s passing.

I think Ramsey and Forde will heal each other in time.

I want that for my brother. He deserves to be happy and not to carry so much heaviness on his heart for something he never could have controlled. Not with the way things snowballed.

“You seem in good spirits today,” I tell him when he reaches me, raising a brow and smirking.

He grins, a genuine smile with teeth and all, and replies, “I’m meeting Ramsey for dinner at the diner later tonight. We had a session in the gym where she pounded out some of her frustrations on the punching bag until she wore herself out. Which did not take long,” he chuckles, shaking his head but still wearing a fond smile.

I hum under my breath and turn away from him so he can’t see the burning jealousy brimming in my eyes.

I want to go to dinner with her, too, dammit!

“You keep taking her to eat there and she might have a heart attack before she can deliver those babies,” I grunt out, scrubbing a spot on the counter with a bit more force than necessary.

I can practically feel him roll his eyes at my back, but I don’t lose focus on getting this sticky spot up. Okay, so I’m focusing on the wrong fucking thing to avoid a conversation.

“It’s not like we eat there every night. A few nights a week isn’t going to hurt us. Besides, she likes the fries, man. Says the babies make her crave them.”

I clear my throat and finally turn around to look at him. He’s leaning his hip against the bar, arms crossed, and staring at me with an amused smile.

“What?” I ask with a scowl.

---