Carnage Island (Reject Island)(91)

I just want to revel in their presence.

They’re okay.

They’re here.

They’re alive.

I nuzzle Volt’s chest, inhaling his coppery scent and sighing at the hint of ash in its wake.

He smells like death.

A death I would not mind experiencing.

Caius’s peppermint essence tickles my nose next.

Followed by the strong fragrance of pine and male.

Tieran is suddenly there, taking me from Volt’s hold and hugging me with a fierceness that makes it hard to breathe. “Ours,” he growls, taking off in a run that has me wrapping my arms around his neck to hold on for the ride.

I almost repeat my ability to walk, but midnight air touches my neck, causing me to curl further into Tieran’s heat.

I breathe him in, relishing his existence.

He takes me to the den, running through the cave with purpose and not stopping until he reaches the main bedroom.

Caius is already there, warming the shower. Apparently, the underground generators aren’t impacted by the power outage on the island.

It’s something I almost ask about, but I’m distracted by the onslaught of testosterone and strong male scents.

My shirt disappears to the floor and Tieran’s intense blue eyes meet mine.

“We’re going to bathe you. Dress you. Then claim you before the pack.” His palm cups my cheek. “You’re ours, Clove. Never again will we be without you. Never again will you be alone. The ceremony is set. We’re biting you at three beneath the moon.”





34





TIERAN





The shock in Clove’s gaze tells me how badly I’ve fucked this up.

She’s surprised we’re going to claim her.

She shouldn’t be surprised.

She should be expectant.

Instead she’s gaping at me.

I slowly lower her to her feet. Caius is immediately there behind her, grabbing her hips to provide balance. Not that she needs it. She’s fully healed, just has a bit of dry blood on her.

And Alpha Kin’s saliva.

My wolf growls inside at that.

He had no right to touch her, let alone lick her. If he wasn’t already dead, I would kill him again.

I cradle Clove’s face between my hands as Volt enters the shower last. I walk her backward into Caius, trapping her between us. “I should have bitten you the moment I knotted you,” I tell her. “You’ve been ours from the moment that Volt pulled you out of the water.”

“But… but we don’t know if…” She trails off, swallowing. Then her brow furrows as her gaze drifts to the side. “Well, my mom did. So maybe…” She blinks back at me. “Is that what you’re basing your claim on? That Alpha Kin’s father was able to impregnate my mother?”

My eyes widen. “What? No.” Just the notion of it infuriates me. She thinks we only want to claim her now that we know how she was conceived?

That’s… that’s so beyond wrong it makes my wolf snarl in fury.

Not at her.

But at me.

He’s pissed that I let it go this far, that she thinks the only reason I would actually claim her is to procreate.

“Do I need an heir?” I ask rhetorically. “Yes. But you know what I want more, Clove?” My palm slides from her cheek to the back of her neck. “You.” I press myself fully against her, aligning us from our knees all the way up. She’s officially trapped between me and Caius without any escape. Because Volt is blocking the only exit.

Not that she appears all that interested in running.

“I… Okay. But we can’t mate unless—”

I press my mouth to hers, silencing that statement. Because I’m so tired of hearing it. I’m so tired of thinking it, too. Fuck, I’m just so exhausted from this fight.

“You’re ours,” I say against her lips. “The rest will sort itself out.”

She presses her palm to my chest, pushing me back a little. “But I may never be able to give you an heir, Tieran. Then you’ll have to take—”

“Then I’ll have to either rewrite the rules as Pack Alpha or abdicate,” I say, refusing to let her finish that statement.

Because I won’t take another Omega.

Only this one.

Only Clove.

“I’m listening to my wolf,” I continue. “I’m taking my own advice… and letting him lead.”

“About fucking time,” Volt says, picking up the water sprayer and aiming it at Clove’s neck. He does it in a way that doesn’t splash her face, just washes away the presence of another male.

But her gaze is locked on mine, her expression giving nothing away.

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to realize what matters most. It’s not my heir or my duty to the pack. It’s you, Clove. You define our clan. You’re the heart we didn’t realize we needed.” I allow her to see my wolf in my eyes, to feel his desire in my touch.

Her gaze searches mine, her lips parting a little at whatever she sees inside me.

“I feel in my soul that you’re meant to be mine, Clove.” I tighten my grip around her nape. “You’re meant to be ours.”

She shivers, her pupils blowing wide. “I want to be yours,” she admits on a whisper. “My wolf says you’re already hers.”