Page 61 of Want It All
I clapped him on the back. ‘Too bad. You would have been a good packmate. I bet my complementaries are all assholes.’
He grinned. ‘My parents always say you get the pack you deserve.’
I laughed, and we headed downstairs together.
I didn’t know how they thought they’d ever keep the party a secret, because dance music was blaring through the gardens, and there were alphas with drinks in hands standing in front of the maze. It was still early, but it looked as if a few of them had already turned to liquid courage; inhibitions were dropping. A few alphas were making the rounds, blatantly sniffing wrists, some looking more and more crestfallen each time.
Which was why it was dangerous to get your hopes up. Everyonewanteda scent match, but you had as much chance of winning the lottery.
‘Oh.’ Pravin grabbed my arm. ‘Can you smell that?’
I glanced at him; he wasn’t looking at me. ‘I can smell a lot of things, man.’
‘Leather.’ He inhaled. ‘Leather and hay. Oh,shit.’
Just like that, he dropped my arm, disappearing into the garden, and I was left alone.
I sighed, but figured I may as well stay out for a bit. The night was warm, and I swiped a can of soft drink from the fountain, which some enterprising soul had filled with ice. The air was thick with scents, battling with the lemon myrtle from the maze. Some of them were nice – freshly baked cookies, strawberrysyrup, even a toffee that smelled fairly similar to my own scent – but none did anything much for me, not like Sebastian’s mouthful of cherry had.
Fuck, I wished he was out here, so that I could smell himproperlyand see whether we were complementary.
Then we could talk –at length– about sandwiches.
Some scents made my nose itch – there was a cloying rose that gave me all kinds of conflicting feelings – but some were downright turn-offs: a too-strong jasmine that almost made me gag; a peaty whiskey that burned my throat; and even – though I could barely believe it – a strong, sharp cheese.
That’s unfortunate.
The overwhelming mass of them started to make my stomach churn, so I turned into the maze, where the lemon myrtle blocked most of it out.
It was pitch black, but in a comforting way. The night was clear, and when I looked up, I could see the stars. I could still hear the music, and I figured it was the perfect place to hide for a little while, until I could call it a night and find a barrage of memes to torment Rose. I knew there was a bench not far into the maze, and I let my eyes adjust to the dark as I took the twists and turns to find it.
Once I did, I pulled my eReader from my pocket and got comfortable.
Ididn’tknowwhyI was here.
That’s not true. You know exactly why; his name is Sebastian Aurelius Worthy.
A pair of alphas were fucking in the bushes to my right, apparently unbothered by the fact they were on full show. They were third years, I was fairly sure, a woman and a man; her mouth was bloody, and so was his neck.
Nothing like booze, bites, and bad decisions.
I continued walking into the fray because I was here now, and I might as well. The scents made my head spin. Some were tolerable. There was a hint of toffee that caught my interest until I realised there was no depth to it; it was all surface sweetness. Others were less pleasant – I swore I caught a hint ofcheesebefore a blanket of jasmine descended and I had to cover my nose.
My phone buzzed.
Anything yet?
I could almost hear the hope in Sebastian’s voice.Not yet, but it’s early!I texted back.
Itwasearly, but I’d already had enough.
We’d had a long talk before I’d left our room. Well,Sebastianhad talked, while I listened. And it was less a conversation than a litany of descriptions, all delivered in excruciating detail, of what he was okay with me doing tonight, provided I found a complementary scent.
Not much was off the table, as it turned out.Sucking is fine, he’d said, ticking it off his fingers.Fingering is in – ha – and fucking is all good with me, as long as they’re clear or you’re using protection.He’d given a long list of suggested positions and techniques –do that thing with your tongue, babe, we want to impress them –before pausing.Oh, I suppose kissing is okay, too.He’d studied me for a moment.But only if you think they’re a keeper.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fountain. The groundskeepers would be furious; someone had knocked the grotesque cherub off the top and it lay on the ground next to an empty soft drink can. I took a swig of water, trying to clear some of the scents from my mouth, then wove through the packed bodies, intending to skirt the party once more, and then head back to bed. I hated disappointing Sebastian, but I hadn’t been hopeful, and nothing about the party was changing my mind.
I’d taken two steps when I caught it, faint through the lemon myrtle.
