Page 47 of Where There's Smoke
I stayed curled up like that for almost an hour, steadily letting his scent fill my lungs. It was so peaceful and relaxing that I almost fell asleep. But a need arose that was like an itch, urging me to go and smell the others. I didn't have an inclination to smell any of the other firefighters, only the members of Pack Wilder.
I didn't want to think too hard about why that was.
“Can we… can we go see the others?” I asked in a quiet voice, sitting up.
Samson smiled at me, brushing my hair out of my face. “Sure. Who do you want to go scent?”
My nose scrunched as I replied. “Only Fitz… and Elliot, if he won’t be a complete ass about it.”
His smile widened. “You only want to smell members of my pack, do you?”
I cocked my head at him. “Well, I can always go and sniff the others if you want. There are plenty of other alphas in the firehouse. I can go have a good old huffing party.”
His laugh was deep and grumbly, making parts of me rise to attention. “No, I think we'll stick to just our pack.”
Our pack. Had he meant to include me, or was that simply a slip of the tongue?
We climbed out of bed, Samson keeping me close to his side, seeming unable to keep the smile off his face.
“Fitz will be in the den. He’s been obsessed with a new video game. So, when he isn't mooning over you, he's been playing that.”
“Okay, let’s go see him!”
Excitedly, I followed Samson out of the room, holding on to his hand, unwilling to let go. There was something about hislarge hand in mine that felt so comforting—like it was meant to be there.
Much like Samson had been when I’d found him in bed, Fitz was lounging on the sofa in the den, Dotty in the playpen next to him. He had a gaming controller in his hand and was watching the TV intently, despite his relaxed position.
His eyes flicked to the doorway when we entered, and he paused his game without hesitation, beaming at me. “Hey, firecracker, what are you up to? Isn't it a bit late?”
I couldn’t seem to form a response. There were only so many times I could ask to smell a guy without it being awkward.
Next to me, Samson smirked. “Melody wants to smell you.”
Fitz’s face lit up with what I could only describe as pure glee. He practically leapt off the sofa, making his way toward me. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, exposing his defined muscles.
“Uh… what are you doing?” I asked. I wasn't complaining, but I didn't think that smelling was a naked activity.
Then again, I had recently discovered that naked activities with Fitz were very fun, indeed.
His arms opened, and there wasn’t a hint of hesitation on his face. “Well, if you’re able to smell again, straight from my skin will be best, right?”
Samson snickered next to me. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“That's because you're so concerned with being a gentleman that you don't think straight.” Fitz laughed as he reached us.
Darting an arm around my waist, he pulled me into his chest. I was going to protest, but the sweet, overwhelming scent of dark cherries hit me, and my head swam. It was intense and rich, almost like wine, but there was something so masculine about it. Just like with Samson's scent, I wanted to melt into it, to inhale it until I couldn't smell anything else.
“Any good? Or do I need to find some way to change my scent?” Fitz squeezed me in a quick hug.
“No!” I immediately realized how stupid I sounded and shook myself, lowering my voice. “Sorry, I mean, no. You smell incredible. It’s so rich, so different from Samson’s, but…they go well together. Does that make any sense? God, I feel stupid.”
Fitz and Samson both laughed, pulling me into their arms in a huddle that I wasn’t too big of a person to admit I adored. Being surrounded by them always felt good, but now that I was able to smell them, it was that much more grounding and relaxing. Not to mention the gentle buzz that hummed under my skin just from smelling them.
“It’s not stupid, Melody. As far as I know, that’s common for nearly all omegas. And this is a big change. I can see why really digging in deep to figure it out is so important to you right now.”
Samson’s words nearly had me tearing up. I knew he wasn’t the biggest people person, according to Samson himself, but he was fantastic with me. He said the right thing, and it felt like between him and Fitz, I was getting the sympathy and humor I needed right now.
There was just Elliot to figure out. I liked being around him. There was something there, but it still felt like we were too disconnected. Maybe scenting him would help?
