Page 73 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

"You alright over there?" I asked, sending a teasing nudge down our bond.

"I’m fine." He said tightly. Probably as tight as his pants felt right now. I could tell the man was aroused and trying not to show it.

Ivy laughed. "Why does your voice sound weird?"

"It sounds like it always does. Eat your dessert, Ivy." He grumbled. She laughed harder, then her knee brushed mine beneath the table. I clenched my teeth, trying hard to keep my body calm. I’d wanted Ivy for a long time. Over a year, in fact, and my desire had only grown stronger each moment I was around her. It was difficult to think straight, or even talk, when I knew how badly I wanted to make her feel good.

The laughter slowly faded, and I could hear Ivy breathing slightly faster. I reached for the dessert in the dark, and my arm brushed hers. Her skin was soft, and warmer than usual. I couldn't see her, but suddenly I could feel her awareness of me as clearly as if our eyes had met. Her leg pushed against mine, warm through the fabric of my trousers, and I noticed the rest of our pack had gone quiet. Then, I inhaled.

My entire body locked. There, slowly but surely filling the air around us, was Ivy. Not one of the perfumes she'd created, but her own perfume. I sucked in a breath, my body suddenly shaking as I realized it.

The scent bloomed through the darkness with a sudden intensity, rich and warm and unmistakably omega - unmistakably Ivy. I'd smelled traces of it before, occasions where it had slipped out, like at the gala, or her dreaded heat, tainted with pain and fear. I’d even smelled hints of it now that we were back in her life, on several occasions. But this wasn’t just a trace.

This was Ivy’s pure perfume, strong and full. Her beautiful scent - and her arousal. It filled the space around us in a powerful wave. Ronan made a low, strangled sound.

"Hunter," I warned, reaching into my pocket. I had extra suppressants to calm an alpha from going into a rut, but this was different. We were in public, with our match, the one we were destined for. And she’d just let out a full blast of her perfume, about ten times stronger than I’d ever smelled it before.

I couldn’t risk the alphas going into a rut. I gripped two suppressant auto-pens from my pocket and quickly uncapped them. I reached over for Ronan’s massive thigh, finding it easily in the dark, and slammed the injection into him. Then, I quickly got up, feeling my way past Ivy to do the same to Hunter.

I heard his grunt, then his strained voice. “Was that really necessary?” He asked in the dark.

“Well, it was for Ronan. That man was about to tear this place apart to protect her.” I said. Then, the three of us reacted almost simultaneously, standing to gather around Ivy. I heard her let out a surprised, embarrassed noise.

Thankfully, the restaurant employed bonded betas precisely because scent reactions could become unpredictable in an environment where smell was intentionally heightened. One of the servers appeared almost immediately, spraying descenter and calmly helping us toward the exit while I heard Hunter shuffle around for his wallet.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to-” Ivy started to apologize, but I wrapped my hand over hers, threading my fingers with her own.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. We just need to get you somewhere safe.” I said, and now that Ronan and Hunter were safely out of the realm of going berserk due to her perfume, we could go home.

Once we were outside, the evening light was such a shock that it still felt odd to be able to see suddenly. Ronan had Ivy’s other hand, and Hunter quickly ran for the car, opening the door as Ronan scooped her up into the back seat. I didn’t bother to try to sit next to them - Ronan had her wrapped up in his lap, his eyes nearly feral as he held her to him. I slid into the passenger side as Hunter started to drive.

She sniffled a bit as he rocked her, and when I turned back to comfort her, he shot me a look and a low growl. “Stop, Ronan. Don't scare her.” I chided him, but she was clinging to him tightly and buried her face into his chest. Soon, his growl turned into a low purr, and I could see Ivy's body relax into him as we drove.

Ivy didn’t say a word until we reached her apartment. Her perfume, the most incredible smell in the world, had stopped escaping from her scent glands, though the lingering fragrance was still there. I could see Ronan enjoying every breath of the lingering scent, and I was a little jealous that he was the one holding her. A lot jealous, actually.

Once we got her inside, she covered her face. "Oh, my God."

Ronan was pacing several feet away, maintaining a heroic amount of distance. Hunter was stationed close to the door, and I stood nearby.

"I perfumed an entire restaurant," she moaned. Despite everything happening inside my body, I laughed.

"Technically, only one section," I said with a shrug. She scowled at me through her fingers.

"That doesn't help, Elias," she said, and her face reddened.

Hunter loosened his collar. "Everything was alright. No one was hurt from it." He said, trying to ease her anxiety. She groaned and dropped onto the couch. We remained standing. A few feet away, though - none of us trusted ourselves quite enough to crowd her yet.

"I don't understand why this keeps happening," she muttered. “My glands just do that at the most inconvenient times.” I paused. It reminded me of something she'd said on the witness stand that had bothered me ever since the trial. I sat in the chair across from her, leaving space between us.

"It’s normal to perfume, Ivy,” I said, and she shook her head.

“But mine don’t work properly. Only in very rare circumstances. I have to be feeling very comfortable, relaxed, and like the people I’m around, along with… attraction.” She said, glancing away.

I bit back a smile. “And that’s why you thought your glands were defective?” I asked. She nodded, still looking down.

“They are defective.” She reiterated. “They’ve barely worked my whole life. I can barely perfume. Although they seem to be getting a little better. Now that I’m off of suppressants.” She added.

“You know, I’ve seen a lot of cases as a physician,” I said. “And while it’s true that some omegas can perfume just at the sight of an alpha, many don’t.” She looked up at me. Now I had her attention.