Page 5 of Puck Your Bunny

She shoves past a group of fans and disappears into the crowded lounge. She moves fast, using the chaos of the room to cover her escape.

Kel takes a step forward to go after her. I throw my arm out and hit him in the chest. He snarls, his posture stiffening with aggression, then halts his pursuit. Chasing a panicked Omega only makes things worse.

Kirsty steps up beside me. She tracks the spot where Vayda vanished into the crowd and lets out a long breath.

“It’s complicated, I’ll go talk to her." Kirsty looks up at me, then at Kel and Simon. "I need to go make sure she's okay."

She turns and jogs after Vayda, leaving the three of us standing there in stunned silence.

I watch the empty space they left behind. The sour scent of her lingers in the air for a few seconds before the smell of stale beer and perfume drowns it out. A cold, empty ache settles in thecenter of my chest. It feels like someone just reached right past my ribs and ripped a piece of my heart out.

Chapter 3

Panic claws at my throat and makes the edges of my vision blur as I shove my way out of the VIP lounge. The thumping bass of the music fades behind me, replaced by the chaotic noise of the arena concourse. Fans wearing red jerseys bump into my shoulders. I ignore them, keeping my head down and my feet moving as fast as my boots allow.

I just need to get outside. I need fresh air.

My lungs burn with every breath. The rich, overwhelming scents of those three Alphas are still stuck in my nose. Crisp bergamot, rugged leather, amber, and sea breeze. It is a perfect, intoxicating combination that makes my mouth water.

And it makes my body want to tear itself apart.

A cramp twists my stomach. I stumble sideways, catching myself against a concrete pillar near the exit doors. The bondrejection symptoms always flare up when I get too stressed, but this is different. Being that close to a true scent match has sent my ruined nervous system into overdrive. My scent glands pulse with an aching throb. A cold sweat breaks out across my forehead, and my joints feel like they are filled with broken glass.

I push away from the pillar and force myself to keep walking. I hit the thick glass doors and shove them open, stumbling out into the mild spring night.

The cool April breeze hits my face. It helps clear the lingering scent of the Alphas from my nose, but it does nothing to stop the tremors shaking my hands. The thick knit of my oversized sweater traps the heat against my skin, suffocating me in the warmer weather. I dig my phone out of my pocket. My fingers are clumsy and numb as I unlock the screen and open the rideshare app.

A group of rowdy fans walks past me on the sidewalk, shouting about the game. I turn my back to them, hunching over my phone screen. Hitting confirm for the order.

"Vayda!"

Footsteps slap against the concrete behind me. I stare straight ahead. I keep my eyes glued to the map on my screen, watching a little black car icon turn onto Main Avenue.

Kristy catches up to me. She grabs my arm, her fingers digging into the sleeve of my oversized sweater. The sudden contact sends a jolt of pain up my arm. My skin is hypersensitive from the rejection sickness.

I yank my arm out of her grip and take a quick step back. My boots scrape against the pavement.

Kristy holds her hands up in surrender, her chest rising and falling as she catches her breath. The arena lights illuminate the worried crease between her eyebrows.

"Vayda, wait." Kristy lowers her voice, stepping closer so the passing fans can’t hear us. "You smelled them. You know they're a match. I saw your face."

I stare past her at the line of cars waiting at the stoplight. The streetlights reflect off the wet asphalt. My stomach rolls again with a wave of nausea so strong I have to clench my jaw to keep from gagging.

I shake my head and take another step back.

"This conversation is over, Kristy." I force the words past the lump in my throat. "I'm going home."

Kristy steps in front of me. She blocks my view of the street, forcing me to look at her. She's a Beta. She lacks the instincts to understand this. My body wants me to run back inside, but my mind is terrified of what that means, and my heart aches because they aren't the Alphas I bonded with twelve years ago. She just sees a solution to a problem.

"They could save you." Kristy points a finger back toward the massive arena building. "The rejection stops if you bond or knot with a match, right? The sickness goes away. You wouldn't have to suffer anymore."

Her logic makes it sound easy. Like finding a true match is a magic cure-all that fixes everything broken in my life. She thinks I can just walk back inside, let three professional hockey players knot me, and be okay with it all.

A bitter laugh scrapes its way out of my chest.

My phone buzzes in my palm. The screen lights up with a notification that my ride is two minutes away. I look down at the license plate number, memorizing it so I can get out of here the second the car pulls up to the curb.

I look back up at Kristy. She looks desperate for me to listen and fix myself. The sheer exhaustion of existing settles deep into my bones, a crushing weight making it hard to stand up straight.