his scent alone, when he got out of the truck, Gray could already tell that the kid was full of questions for which Gray wasn't in the mood. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't guarantee Ryder's safety on his property in light of recent events.
"Hey, Gray," Ryder called. "We all thought we'd see you down at the bar tonight."
"Not tonight," Gray answered flatly. "Other things to do."
The pup's nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath. Gray knew Ryder had to have caught Olivia's scent miles ago, but he had the brains not to ask about her right out of the gate.
Yep, that was one smart kid.
However, he was also a brand new alpha in close proximity to an unclaimed omega. The poor guy's blood had to be boiling in his veins right now, but he was doing a decent job of keeping his cool.
"Don't mean to bother you, and I won't stay long," Ryder said, shifting back and forth on his feet. "But I ran into Mitch at the bar, and he said he was concerned about some strange sounds coming from your land earlier. He asked if I would swing by and make sure everything was okay."
Gray suppressed an eye roll. He just bet his neighbor Mitch was concerned. With all the moaning and howling that he and Olivia had done earlier, Gray wouldn't be surprised if everyone this side of the midlands had heard her.
Most of them would have the courtesy to keep their mouths shut. Not Mitch, though.
That wormy bastard still had a bone to pick with Gray over his friend Sloan's death. He probably thought it was funny to send the pup off to Gray's house to embarrass him the day after an omega had shown up. But that wasn't Ryder's fault.
"You're a smart kid," Gray said mildly. "You've probably already sensed what those sounds were about."
Ryder didn't answer directly, blushing and toeing the ground with his boot. "Yeah, I get it. But how—"
He was cut off by the sound of the front door being unlocked from the inside. Both alphas' heads snapped around to stare as the door opened.
What the hell? How had Olivia managed to slip out of bed and walk through Gray's house without him hearing? The woman wasn't just talented when it came to sneaking around, she was a fucking genius at it.
A low rumble filled the air, and Gray didn't have to look at Ryder to know he was the source. He glanced over and found the kid gaping at the omega emerging from the house with his jaw hanging open and his eyes glazed over.
Gray couldn't blame the kid—he couldn't fight his own nature, after all—but his possessive instinct flared into an inferno at the sight of her. The thin blanket Olivia was draped in had slipped down her shoulders, and her dark waves fell across her face. But her scent…that unmistakable, undeniable scent wrapped around him like a lasso, reeling him in.
Every cell in his body longed to bend her over the porch rail and let that blanket slide to the ground. He'd part her legs with his hand and let her slick course down over his fingers.
Gray tore his eyes away before things got out of hand. He had no idea how an alpha as inexperienced as Ryder was managing to hold back. It must have been taking every ounce of discipline that pup could scrape up.
"There you are," Olivia murmured, oblivious to the drama playing out in front of her. "I was scared when I woke up, and you weren't there. That bedroom is so warm. I kicked off the covers, but I was still so hot. Oh! I didn't know you had company."
Of course, she was hot, Gray thought. Right on schedule, her heat was taking over her body, sending all her systems into overdrive. The heat she was feeling didn't have anything to do with the temperature of the room. It was coming from inside her.
And there was only one way to satisfy it.
The pup let out a choked gasp as the scent of Olivia's primal scent grew stronger and stronger. His face had gone white with the effort of holding himself back, and though Gray knew he meant no harm, that wouldn't protect Ryder if his own protective instincts got the best of him. He needed to kid the hell out of here before either of them did something they'd regret.
"Ryder," Gray muttered, but the kid didn't answer. "Ryder."
The pup