Page 98 of Scent to the Feral Cowboys
I boarded the damn plane.
I worked with Eros.
What kind of delusional fucking Kool-Aid were these guys drinking?
Their home, not mine. Their territory, their rules, their expectations.
"Wyoming isn’t my home," I replied, my voice steady despite the chaos of emotions and biological responses coursing through me. “It’s true that I signed a piece of shit contract without reading the fine print, but I’m not staying here. I’m going to fight this, just so you fucking know. This isn’t what I want.”
My Alphas exchanged glances again, silently communicating.
In that moment, standing on the sunbaked tarmac with mountains rising in the distance like they cordoned Wyoming off from the rest of the world, I realized the true extent of what I was facing. Not just the legal system against me, but also a unified pack with established bonds, shared history, and a collective purpose. I wouldn’t find an ally here who’d help liberate me.
I was the outsider. The prize they'd purchased. The Omega they expected to complete them. It was all bullshit. This wasn’t some love story like my grandparents. There were days in the past when I’d thought about finding a partner, of settling down and having children. At one point, I’d even seen a future with Geoff. Never would I have pictured myself here, at the mercy of five Alphas who made my body coil with desire and dread.
I straightened my spine, ignoring the pain still radiating from my wrists, the exhaustion pulling at my limbs after hours of fear and anger and drugged unconsciousness.
I might be delivered, but I wasn't defeated. Not yet. Not ever.
“We can talk more once were back home,” this from Wade. I shot him an icy look, and he corrected himself, “the ranch. We’ll talk more when we get to the ranch.”
“You can talk. I don’t promise to fucking listen,” I snarled, stomping away like I knew where the hell I was going.Just keep faking fierce, I told myself.Keep faking and maybe the fear won’t overtake you.
24
COOPER. BOONE. WADE. WYATT. LEVI.
Cooper.
Damn.
When she’d taken off that stupid hood, her scent had hit me with scorching heat. A wildfire, burning through every inch of me. Her natural perfume made my mouth water and my muscles tense. Freesia. Gardenia. A hint of earthiness, like juniper or sage.
Now, I watched her stomp away from us, her auburn hair whipping in the Wyoming breeze, and couldn't help but notice how Wyatt's nostrils flared as she passed him, how Wade's eyes followed her like she was water in the desert, how Levi's jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth, and how Boone looked a little lost… and he never was lost. The man could navigate with the stars on a cloudy night.
We were supposed to be her protectors, her partners, yet here we stood, five grown Alphas nearly brought to our knees by the mere scent of the woman we'd essentially purchased. And I got the sinking feeling that this beautiful Omega didn’t realize what she was getting in to with Eros. I hated that for her, butI really hoped we could make the best of this situation. I hoped she could see how wonderful our pack could be.
I’m going to fight this.
This isn’t what I want.
Fuck, had she wanted a fancier pack? Big shots in the city? Did she hate being out here in the middle of nowhere?
“We’re parked behind the hanger ahead,” Wyatt’s commanding voice called after her. She ignored him, but I could see the slightest relaxing of her shoulders, relief that she’d stormed off in the right direction.
I hung back as the others followed her, watching the glossy fabric of her dress catch the sunlight. The sight of the purpling bruises on her wrists sent anger surging through me again. Those Eros bastards had cuffed her like a criminal. If we'd known they'd treat her that way... but then, what had we expected? We'd bought a person. No matter how willing she’d been when she signed on with Eros, she seemed to regret her choice. I wondered if any of our Eros contract fee went to her…
My stomach twisted with guilt even as my body responded to her proximity.I’d started this. I’d made the choice for us.
A part of me had known there was something shady about the whole Eros deal.
But the bigger part of me hadn’t cared enough to dig deeper.
I’d just wanted to find our Omega. Had Eros treated her poorly the whole time?
No one said anything as we crossed the distance to the truck, but once there, Boone’s voice broke the quiet.
"Would you like to ride up front or back?" Boone asked her, his voice remarkably steady despite the way his pupils had dilated.
