an eyebrow and turned more toward Marcus’s desk, laying an arm over the back of the couch and making a go on gesture with his other hand.
“I…” he began, choosing his words carefully out of habit, not because he didn’t trust the pack’s second, “believe I know why I couldn’t let go of the Deputy Medina problem.”
The corners of Bennett’s lips twitched in amusement, but he covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled, “Oh yeah?”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed for just a moment, and then he carefully smoothed out his expression once more. “Yes. I believe my wolf is convinced the deputy is still a threat”—the words were like bile in his throat, but he forced them out—“and believed the pack would be harmed if that threat wasn’t dealt with.”
Hand sliding up to prop his head on his fist, Bennett gave Marcus a long look, then a sad smile. “You know, I’ve never met anyone who can control themselves like you can, but not even you can suppress your scent. Not completely anyway. You and I both know that’s bullshit. Talk to me, Marcus.”
The panic he felt at Bennett’s words was instinctual, but B gave him space to breathe through it until his heart wasn’t pounding quite so hard. When he could refocus on the room, he realized Bennett had closed the door at some point, giving them as much privacy as possible in a manor full of shifters.
Bennett’s and Marcus’s phones both pinged, and they glanced at each other before pulling them out.
Alpha: Good?
The lump in his throat made Marcus glad he didn’t have to verbally respond. He quickly typed out that he was fine, then almost rolled his eyes when he saw B’s response.
Bennett: No, but I’m taking care of it.
He carefully swallowed and set his phone facedown on the desk. “I am fine.”
Bennett grunted and didn’t bother hiding his eye roll. “It’s okay that you aren’t. I know it’s hard for you still to say that, but that’s okay too. When you’re ready, tell me why you really can’t let the Medina thing go.”
His wolf wanted that, wanted to trust in his pack second so fully he could spill his guts and fears and hopes and dreams in the quiet space of his office, but his wolf hadn’t endured the lessons Marcus had. The ridicule. The taunts.
“I’m not…” He stopped before he lied to the third-highest-ranking member of his pack. Again.
Bennett watched him struggle with sympathetic eyes, and that was what finally gave him the strength to spit out the words. He didn’t want to be seen as weak or broken. Especially not by Rick or Bennett.
“I don’t know. My wolf… It’s almost like he yearns for the deputy. It’s… very confusing.” He blew out a breath when he finished, oddly proud of himself.
Bennett nodded, eyes wandering around the office as he contemplated Marcus’s words. Finally, he said, “What does he smell like?”
Marcus’s eyebrows twitched. “What?”
“His scent. Not his emotions or intentions, what does he smell like to you?”
“You met him…”
“Humor me,” Bennett said, white teeth flashing against his black skin as he grinned.
Fingers twitching where they still lay on the desk’s hard surface, he carefully said, “Basil. Fresh basil.”
Bennett didn’t seem surprised, even though Marcus had never scented anyone with that particular smell before and had struggled to understand what it meant. “Makes sense. Kieran smells like sunshine.”
Marcus let his eyebrows rise slightly. “Sunshine doesn’t have a scent.”
“Well, no, not by itself. But you know how the earth smells when it’s been heated by the sun for hours? That’s sort of it.”
Marcus nodded, though he was still confused. “Okay. That sounds… nice.”
Bennett chuckled and sat forward, leaning his forearms on his knees. “It is, but that isn’t my point. Rick told me once Kai smelled like his mom’s perfume sometimes.”
He was extremely confused. Shifters didn’t usually wear colognes or perfumes. “What?”
“Not like in a weird way. His mom sometimes wore this subtly scented stuff, I guess, when his dad was on a rampage and she wanted to hide her emotions from him more fully. Anyway,” Bennett said, waving a hand like he hadn’t just surprised the hell out of Marcus. “What I’m saying is, Rick loved his mom more than anything.”
“Okay?”
“And I love the sun…”
Marcus started putting the pieces together finally and shook his head, but Bennett continued before he could articulate how wrong Bennett was. Why did everyone keep assuming Robson was his damn mate?
“And you love your damn plants. I’m guessing fresh basil is your