Page 157 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

“I just…just threw myself at you and Stone. You were only trying to get me to calm down, and I repaid you by being a…a…”

“If you’re about to call yourself a slut, don’t.” His voice has gone hard. “You’re not dirty or slutty or any of the other awful things they told you. You’re an omega experiencing very normal responses to pre-heat and…” He pauses, then continues more quietly, “And to someone you’re attracted to.”

The words make my stomach flip. “But I shouldn’t be!”

“Says who?” he challenges. “The people who hurt you? The ones who tried to make you believe there was something wrong with you? Why should they get to decide what’s right?”

I open my mouth to argue, then close it again. He sounds genuinely pissed at the Academy.

“I shouldn’t want your alphas…” I finally whisper, shame eating straight from my soul. I don’t want to hurt Finn.

There’s no sound on the other side of the door and I think he’s walked away. But then…

“What if I told you, Hailey…that they want you, too.”

“Finn—”

“They didn’t want to tell you yet. Didn’t want to scare you. But I think you’re stronger than they think.”

I lift my head from my knees, not sure where he’s going with this. “Tell me what?”

“Hailey…do you know what a scent match is?”

I turn the term over in my head. It doesn’t ring any bells.

Finn continues. “It means…” He pauses.

“What does it mean, Finn?” For a moment, my embarrassment isn’t center stage.

“Do you remember what you felt when you first inhaled any of their scents? Stone, Ren, or Jax? Did you like it?”

My cheeks heat once more. The embarrassment returns.

“And then think of how you reacted to that alpha in the store yesterday. Did you catch his scent? Did you like it?”

“He smelled like black pepper,” I mumble.

“Yuck,” Finn chuckles before clearing his throat. “A scent match…Hailey…my alphas…you and they…it’s like…” Finn’s voice goes soft. “What does Stone smell like to you?”

“Pine,” I whisper, pulling my knees tighter to my chest.

“And Jax?”

“Cedar,” I admit. “Freshly cut.”

“And Ren?”

My cheeks burn hotter. “Sweet sandalwood and sharp smoke. L-like the comforting warmth of a campfire cutting through the icy air of a winter night.”

“And they each smell different to everyone else,” Finn says carefully. “To most omegas, Stone smells like leather. Jax like freshly cut grass. Ren like citrus.”

I lift my head. “What?”

“Not to me.” He grunts a soft laugh. I’m compatible with them, I guess. But a scent match is…it’s rare. Sacred, even. It’s not just about basic compatibility. It’s about a connection that goes deeper than anything you can explain. It’s like…your souls recognizing each other. Like you were made to be together.”

“But all three of them?” My voice cracks.

“That’s even rarer,” Finn says softly.

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