Page 245 of Infernal Secrets

Zeke’s hand froze in her hair at the sound, and Ezra shifted.

From his place on the floor beside Zeke’s legs, Cyn turned his head toward her. His gaze flicked from my hands on her feet to her head in Zeke’s lap before returning his attention to the movie.

I bit the inside of my cheek and kept massaging her feet as if nothing had happened. She didn’t need to feel self-conscious now that we’d finally gotten her to join us—especially over something involuntary.

She took a deep breath and sighed, staring at Cyn while he watched the movie.

Zeke’s brow furrowed, watching her. “What’s wrong?”

She turned her head to look up at him when no one else answered. “Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Nothing, why?”

“You sighed.”

“Just a breath.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m fine.”

He twirled a strand of her hair around his index finger. “Sounded like more.” He glanced at Cyn, lowering his voice. “You were looking at him.”

Her body tensed, so I squeezed her foot.

She rolled onto her back, staring up at Zeke’s face. I repositioned her feet so her legs draped over my lap. “His scent.”

“What about it?”

“I smelled him. It just got me thinking about the whole mate scent thing y’all talked about.”

The movie had ended, though I doubted she realized it. Her words had both Ezra and Cyn watching her now as she looked up at Zeke.

I didn’t want to shake her out of the relaxed state she’d slipped into with Zeke, so I stayed quiet, hoping she’d keep talking so that we’d finally learn what she thought of our situation.

Zeke smiled at her. “What does he smell like to you?”

She closed her eyes, nostrils flaring as she inhaled deeply.

Cyn’s shoulders stiffened, like the idea of her scenting him so openly affected him. He shuddered as she exhaled.

She already knew his scent. She’d wanted to smell him again.

Rae’s eyes opened, and her legs shifted in my lap. “He smells like cedarwood and jasmine flowers.”

Zeke sniffed the air. “I don’t smell it. I guess that’s his scent for you.”

“Scent for me?”

“His scent is unique to you,” I said, giving her foot a squeeze to gain her attention. “No one else can smell it. It’s a pheromone meant to attract only you.”

Her nose wrinkled like she’d smelled something odd. “So that’s why I like it? I planted some jasmine out back last year because it’s nice, but he smells better.” She squeezed her eyes shut when Cyn cleared his throat.

“Not necessarily,” I said, hoping to distract her. I didn’t think she wanted him to hear. When her eyes opened again, I added, “I mean, it’d be counterproductive if you didn’t like your mate’s scent, but it isn’t there to manipulate you.”

“Sounds like it.”

“It’s not.” I shook my head. “It allows for a deeper connection between mates.”

“You’re able to know things about him through his scent,” Zeke said.