Page 86 of Examining the Bond

I’ve always avoided mixers. Not because I wasn’t trying to find an omega, but I hate the idea of shoving a bunch of alphas and omegas in a room together and hoping for the best. That’s a recipe for disaster.

I always wanted a bond to happen naturally. To cross paths with an omega on the street and suddenly know she was the one, just like in those cheesy movies I hate to love. Call me a hopeless romantic, but the idea of a kismet match disarms my alpha instincts and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Like when a stunning delta walked into my clinic and completely swept me off my feet…

My jaw hardens as I search the foyer, trying to deal with the heady scents slamming into me from every angle. I’ve neverbeen in a closed space with this many omegas, and I hate the fact that my delta could be mingling among them. Not to mention the heavy undercurrent of alpha scents stirring my possessive instincts to life.

Riann’s words tease my mind, taunting me with my worst fear. If she wants to be an omega so badly, all she has to do is find an alpha willing to bite her. And this mixer is packed with horny alphas who would leap at the chance.

What if I’m too late?

Rage snaps through me at the thought, and I dive into the sea of bodies filling the room. I lift my nose in the air as I weave through the crowd, hunting for any hint of her familiar, delectable marshmallows.

I can’t let her be with anyone else. I shouldn't have even put her in a situation where she had to consider it. My job, my home, my life, I’d find a way to preserve them all. But none of those things mean anything if she’s not part of it.

If I can’t be with her, if she doesn’t carry my bite and evidence of my love for her, then I won’t be able to rest.

And if she’s in this crowd, hunting for an alpha, I have to be the one she finds.

I do my best to catch even a whisper of her scent. Despite the hundreds of smells wafting around me, I know I’ll still be able to pick hers out if she’s here. Her scent calls to me like nothing else does, sinking down to my bones and leaching into my marrow. Like a siren call, singing just for me.

After a lap of the entire room, I slip down a long hallway and follow it past a dozen open doors. The walls are adorned with light fixtures and elegant paintings, a tapestry here and there, but the same beige and gray color palette is everywhere I look.

How are people meant to navigate this fucking place when every room looks the same?

My jaw clenches tighter as the minutes tick by, my teeth grinding together. I dip my head through every single doorway I can find, sniffing like a hunting dog as I steadily grow more restless. Worst-case scenarios are beginning to play with my head, and it’s all I can do to shut them up.

“Dr. Morales?”

Ice washes through me as I slam to a stop, whipping around in the middle of a room at the sound of my name. An unfamiliar male omega stares me down, wide-eyed, a few feet away. He’s wearing a glittering fishnet top and purple mascara on his long lashes.

“Holy shit,” he whispers just loud enough for me to hear when our eyes meet, immediately ditching the alpha at his side to hurry over. I know who he is before he even introduces himself. “I’m Ziel.”

“Please, call me Skylar.” I offer him a hand, which he eagerly shakes. “It’s a pleasure, truly.”

“Likewise,” he says, his face splitting into a grin. “Riann didn’t tell me you were coming…”

At the mention of her name, my body lights up with another wave of nerves. “She doesn’t know I’m here.”

“Holy. Shit,” he gasps, his jaw dropping. “You’re joking. You came all this way tosurpriseher?”

I nod. “Yeah. Figured it was best so she didn’t try to talk me out of it… Have you seen her?”

“Yeah, a few minutes ago.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “We were getting drinks in the refreshment hall. Do you want me to show you?”

I’m tempted to say no, but I’ve already wasted way too long looking for Riann. I need to see her. Now.

I swallow my pride and nod. “That would be great.”

At that, he takes off with a pep in his step, waving at the alpha he abandoned moments ago, and I follow along behind him.

“Riann is going to lose it when she sees you,” Ziel comments over his shoulder as he leads me back down the hall. His words have confidence swelling in my chest, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.

Not yet. Not until Riann is in my arms.

“Has she… talked about me?” I can’t help but ask.

He flashes me a sympathetic look over his shoulder. “Not much since she got back from Boston, but she's had a lot on her mind with her impending expulsion.”