Page 8 of Switch Heater

I may spontaneously combust—no biggie.

I quickly give a non-committal excuse to step away for a moment to Hunt and Gabe, taking off in the direction I saw the man and woman go. Their scents get stronger the farther down I go. I want to wrap myself around the alpha and embed myself into her warm, caramel skin. I want the beta to hug me tight to his body while they both do dirty, wicked things to me. And that other scent? I nearly groan, my mouth watering again. I want to suck that person down and never come up for air.

I smell my perfume thickening in the narrow hall and try to calm my dirty thoughts. This is so fucked up. I huff at myself.

Might as well slap a stalker tattoo on my forehead.

This is stupid. What the hell am I thinking? I get one tiny whiff, and my omega senses are tingling. I snort. Gods. Just call me spider-omega, I guess.

If they find me in this hallway lingering like a psycho with my ear pressed against whichever door they’re behind, they’ll for sure run away then. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to chase after a random alpha and beta that I’ve never even spoken to a day in my life. I shake my head, preparing to turn around when I hear her.

“What. The. Fuck,” the alpha growls out.

My knees straighten and lock up, freezing me in place. I nearly sigh at the sound of her smoky, honeyed voice. And that growl. I squeeze my thighs together and inch closer, though I stay far enough back that they shouldn’t smell me. Gods, I hope they don’t catch me spying. That would be super embarrassing.

I really shouldn’t listen, but I have always been overly curious and downright nosy.

A male’s voice soothes her, low and modulated, and just that little sound nearly has me weak in the knees. I try to calm my racing heart so I can hear them. I want to know what’s going on. If I’ve finally found them or not.

“I don’t know, Syn. You felt it, too?” The beta asks.

Syn. A perfect name for a sinfully yummy alpha.

“I don’t understand, Kian. We have River. Our pack is supposed to be complete.”

My breath catches in my throat at her words, and I realize I’d been holding it, waiting to hear what they would say.

It’s not fair. Frustrated tears gather along my lower lid, and I blink my eyes furiously, trying to get them to dissipate. Stupid omega hormones. I don’t need to hear anymore. They already have an omega and a complete pack.

I turn and storm my way back down the hallway to my table. Of course. Of course, the one alpha I find in years that my omega senses get all tingly over already has an omega. I’m so jealous; it’s ridiculous. I don’t even know this omega. I bet they’re great, honestly.

River. They have a cute name. I bet they are cute. I bet they take their alphas’ knots and love so generously, making them super happy.

Urgh! Stop thinking about it, Ripley!

I’m beyond disappointed. I was fine and coping with this whole shit day and shit night. Why did I have to scent them? It’s like Fate is rubbing it in my face. A good old ‘ha-ha look what you can’t have’ sort of thing. Maybe I am broken, and I’ve just been deluding myself.

I mean, seriously. What kind of omega goes crazy for the scents of another omega’s alpha and beta? I wonder who the other scent that I smelled on them belongs to. That one was extra delicious to my senses. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I sigh as I sit back down between Pack Jin and Hunter, avoiding looking at how disgustingly happy Hunt and Gabe are as they give goo-goo eyes to their alphas and beta. I know I said I was going to be happy for them. And I am, honestly, but now I’m ready to pack my things and go back home with my parents.

I don’t want to sit in misery for the rest of the night, watching everyone else get everything they want and more. I’d rather binge an anime or read a new alien romance, locked up tight in my room at home in a nest of blankets, and stuff my face full of everything wrong for my biological makeup.

“Everything okay, Rip?” Sasha, one of Gabe’s alphas, asks me kindly.

She’s sitting closest to me and must have heard my sigh. I give her a small smile and nod. Sasha is a lovely alpha, with her light blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. Her hair is curling down her back tonight, hanging to the middle of the black dress, clinging to her curves like a second skin. Although her scent does not get me going, it is pleasant—the smell of campfires in the summer dancing around me. It reminds me of warm nights spent outside camping and roasting marshmallows with my family.

“I’m fine. It’s just been a long day. I think I need a nap.”

She chuckles at me. “Gabriel said you three spent the entire day at the spa and salon before we found you all holed up in Huntleigh’s room, taking tequila shots.” She quirks an eyebrow at me, and I giggle.

“To be fair, you guys found us right as we took our second shot, so we aren’t wasted. I tried to keep them as sober as possible until you guys showed up.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure it was all Gabriel and Hunt’s idea, and you were just along for the ride.” She smiles lovingly at Gabe as he and Rhett grin at each other, whispering in each other’s ears.

“Oh! Before I forget. Happy Birthday!” Sasha passes over a square-wrapped gift and hands it to me. “It’s from all of us, Gabriel included. He, of course, helped us pick it out. He said you’d had it on your wish list for a while now.” She smiles at Gabe again, and he flushes, preening under her attention.

I unwrap the gift and grin when I see the cover of a book I’d been eyeing for a while now. You can never go wrong with alien smut, honestly. And not just any aliens, either. Giant, blue barbarian aliens. Giddy with excitement, I can’t help myself. I throw my arms around Sasha’s shoulders and hug her before going around and hugging Gabe, Rhett, and Jordan, thanking them all for the book with the biggest smile on my face.

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