Page 46 of Hunting Their Omega

I continued down the busy path, noticing more and more males turning their faces with brief, almost fearful smiles. A few even changed directions when they saw me. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Did I do something wrong?

“Don’t look so down. It’s not every day the males get to scent the change in an Omega,” mused Laris as she exited the bakery, startling me.

She gave me a once-over, her gaze almost indifferent. Tossing her long golden hair over her shoulder, she fell into step with me.

I kept my face neutral, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing me uncomfortable in her presence. I couldn’t get a handle on this girl. Sometimes, she was cordial, and others, she purposely antagonized me.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your scent. It smells like the males pissed all over you.”

I flushed, embarrassment creeping up my throat.

She laughed. “Oh, don’t be coy now. It’s not like the pack is oblivious to what your purpose is here. The Alpha unit was bound to fill every orifice with their scent. It’s what dominant males do.”

My hands curled into fists, and my cheeks grew hot as we approached the nursery. Who said things like that?

“Look, you don’t have to like me, but you have to respect me,” I snapped.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Laris stopped walking and turned to face me. Her larger frame towered over mine. “We may work together, and you may be the Alpha unit’s mate, but you haven’t earned anything yet, little Omega.”

She stepped back and walked inside the building before I could register the chill of malice that swept off her.

What the hell was that?Pushing it aside, I walked to the nursery doors, still puzzled about the increasingly odd behavior of the males around me. Part of me believed it could be my scent, but something didn’t quite fit. The males, who once exchanged friendly nods and amiable greetings, now averted their gazes. Their avoidance was blatant, leaving me bewildered and, in a way, disheartened.

Did I think I belonged too soon?

Was this strange behavior a result of my heat?

My wolf growled, rejecting the idea.

Burying my confusion beneath a mask of indifference, I forged ahead, determined to fulfill my obligations at the nursery. When the tan building came into view, I released a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. Maybe I could find some respite from the questions littering my brain.

The doors opened with a soft chime, and I smiled at the faint smell of paint in the air. Women scurried about, all busy with their respective tasks. Some of the women offered strained smiles, and my gut churned.

Up ahead, I saw a flash of white hair.

“Winnie,” I said, waving.

The petite Beta gave me a bright, sly smile. It was the first normal reaction I had received all day. “There’s my baby maker,” she said, waggling her brows. I blushed. “How was the . . . quality time?”

I burst out laughing, but my eyes widened when I realized she was serious. “Oh, Goddess, you’re not actually expecting me to answer that, are you? Wynn is your brother.”

“Hold back all the creepy parts and tell me about the rest. Come on, that’s what sisters are for,” she said, leading me into the main area where paints were already set up.

“It was . . . nice.”

She scrunched her nose. “Nice? Do I need to speak with your mates?”

My face flamed. “No. Winnie, no.”

Her laughter echoed off the walls, and several women smirked.

I nudged her with my elbow. “How about we get to work before the paint dries?”

Winnie sat next to me, and we worked on the animal mural we decided on the last time I was there. As we painted, I noticed a few women displaying the same odd behavior as the men. They either looked away completely or gave me a wide berth, even when I asked questions. After they spent an hour avoiding my gaze, my worry turned to anger. What the hell was going on?

Gathering my courage, I looked at April, a Beta who had been kind to me since we first met.

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