Page 61 of One Wild Omega

Fitz nodded. “Yeah. What of it?”

“I was wearing one of Tanner’s outfits the day we met. I was living in Tanner’s house. I lived there for six months before I found my old place.”

Six months? That was about the time the hint of a scent had disappeared, Fitz recalled. “But that doesn’t mean anything.”

“As Quinn and I were hashing it out, he told me about an incident at the baby shower I missed. Beau told him that you two were really,reallyclose and the conversation lookedheated.”

“You know Tanner and I don’t get along,” Fitz snapped.

“Or is it more?” Bellamy asked. “Quinn read something while we were sitting in a doctor’s office recently—some random medical journal they had lying about. There was this story about a rare reaction in some alphas. It’s a reaction toScentexwhen in the proximity of their omegas who were on it. Instead of simply masking their omega’s scent, it also caused aviolentemotional reaction. For some, it was anger… or others disgust. Or a little of both.” Bellamy paused. “Isthatwhat you feel around Tanner?”

Fitz shook his head. “Yeah… but it’s not the first time I’ve felt that way around an omega. There was this other one… about five or six years ago…” The green hair… the black lips.Those eyes.That sweet, pretty mouth.

A knot formed in his gut. “Ohfuck…”

Bellamy pulled some papers out from under the cushion beside him. “Quinn found a copy of the article online, and I printed it out. I was just looking over it when you arrived.” He handed them over. “It’s some interesting reading.”

Fitz grabbed the pages and scanned the first few paragraphs before his heartbeat began to pound in his ears.

He jumped from his chair. “I need to go.”

Bellamy smiled up at him. “Drive safe. And tell Tanner hello for me,” he called out as Fitz went racing for the door, journal in hand.

“Thank you!”

* * * *

An hour later…

Tanner heard footsteps crashing up the stairs to his studio and turned to greet his guest… but wasn’t expecting to see Fitz Walker’s solemn face appear in his doorway. He spun back to the painting he was working on—anotherRichardpainting—and quickly covered it with a piece of burlap. Rising to his feet, he turned back.

“Hi, Fitz. What do I owe the pleasure?” he asked sarcastically.

“When did we first meet?”

Tanner was thrown by the question. “What?”

“Whendid we first meet?” Fitz demanded. He took a step forward, curled-up pages in his hand.

“Why?”

“Tell me, Tanner.”

Tanner felt a strained pressure in his chest. “When Bellamy introduced you to Raimy and I that night in the club, I believe,” he fibbed. “Why?”

Fitz was silent a few heartbeats. “Or was it one night a few years earlier that landed you drunk in my lap?”

Tanner froze. He couldn’t breathe.

Fitz’s stare narrowed. “Itwasyou, wasn’t it?” He took a few steps forward when Tanner didn’t answer. “You dropped in my lap…” he looked off, shaking his head. “My memory of that night is thin… but I think you said something about we didn’t need to be strangers… and asked your friend why I didn’t love you.” He closed the gap, standing just before Tanner. “Ring any bells?”

Tanner’s mouth was an arid desert. “I-I don’t recall that.”

“Don’t lie to me. Not now.”

Tanner met Fitz’s angry stare. “What does it matter?”

“Because I think we met before… and you drunkenly threw yourself at me.” His frown faded some. “Atyour alpha.”

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