Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(121)

I caught sight of him at the bar to my left, his back to the counter so he could keep an eye on me. The beta club girl, Deedee, was at his side, leaning into him and batting her lashes as Ghost tugged on our bond. He shifted to rise from his seat and Deedee reached, grabbing his arm. I arched my eyebrow at Ghost, and his panic flared anew.

"You better watch out for that one."

I turned and found another of the girls watching the exchange with me. Chance and Ghost had caught me up on Ghost's history with the women of the club. There was a feral, possessive part of me that clawed and roared at the sight of Deedee's hand on Ghost's arm, but the feedback from Ghost in the bond made it too obvious that I had nothing to worry about. And he needed to figure out how to turn women down on his own. I wasn't starting a cat fight.

"I don't need to worry," I answered the girl at my side, and she blinked at me and shook her head, wandering away.

Sure enough, Ghost patted Deedee's hand, prying her fingers up and offering her a sheepish grin as he slipped away from his barstool. She pouted slightly, rolling her eyes, but moved on easily, and by the time I met Ghost halfway, she looked well on her way to finding company for the night.

"Should I be offended you didn't come to my rescue?" Ghost asked.

"You're a big boy, I knew you could handle it," I said, patting his chest.

He beamed at me, and I wanted to dig and probe at the pride in his chest. I knew him the least, and even with the bond on my thigh and the eager attention he paid me, we still felt halfway up in the air sometimes.

"Wanna get some fresh air?" he asked at the same moment I said, "Wanna go back to the nest?"

"Either," he said.

I chose quickly, grabbing his hand in mine. "Outside."

His fingers tightened, a warm and solid grip marked with callouses that I'd already learned to love brushing over my most sensitive skin. The yard was empty tonight, and I led Ghost to the table with the best view of the full moon. He sat down and pulled me between his thighs, nestling me with my back against his chest.

"I wasn't flirting with Deedee," Ghost murmured at my back.

I closed my eyes, the round moon blue behind my eyelids, and stroked a hand over his arms where they crossed around my waist. "I know."

"I just don't want you to think that I'm going to…to ghost you," he huffed.

My eyes opened and my lips curved, my head falling back onto his shoulder. "I won't let you."

He sighed, and I sank into him further. He was comfy, a little clingy, and frequently nervous, even when he wore that silky smile of his. This man wore layers of masks, but the bond cut through most of them and I would learn to peel away the rest.

"What's your real name?"

"Gavin."

"Oo, that's a sexy name," I said and shook with his chuckle. I tested it out on my own, slow and smooth. "Gavin."

The alpha wrapped around me purred, the sound vibrating through us both. "Well, I don't mind it when you say it."

"You don't like it?" I asked, twisting halfway to face him.

Ghost kept his arms around me, holding me close, studying my face. "Gavin Moore, Junior. It was my dad's name," he said, wincing. "My single inheritance from a drunk asshole."

I reached up, tangled my fingers into the dense beard, and smiled as Ghost's eyes fell shut when I tugged. "Was he an alpha?" I asked. Ghost nodded, brow creasing with tension, a turmoil of anger and shame and self-loathing circling in the bond. "Is he still alive?"

"Dunno," Ghost rasped.

I tugged his beard once more, pulling him down enough for me to stretch up and kiss his furrowed brow. His eyes blinked open, startled, and I softened my touch against his jaw.

"Tell me about you and Chance," I said. Ghost's eyes widened, and I continued, "You like when he talks down to you."

"During sex," Ghost added.

I nodded. "Right. I like it too. It's like he's giving me permission to enjoy the things I'm still afraid of," I said. "I can pretend I can't help myself, and I can enjoy the shame and the pleasure all at once."

Ghost was quiet for a moment, eyes bouncing back and forth between mine before he finally licked his lips and spoke. "It's him seeing the worst in me, and still wanting me," he whispered.

I leaned in, and Ghost's eyes fell shut again as I pressed my mouth softly to his. "You are not perfect, but neither Chance nor I think you're unworthy. Whatever you think the worst is, I promise that isn't what we see in you," I said, sealing the words with another kiss.

Ghost moaned and licked into my mouth, his tongue sweet and searching, the bond eager and anxious all at once.

"You're ours now. You'll be good to us," I mumbled against his lips, catching my breath and kissing across his cheeks and over his nose as he nuzzled into Chance's bite bruises.

"I will," Ghost whispered, arms tightening to a vise around me. "I'll be so good. Promise, slick."

There was a thick and demanding need in the bond, and it took me a moment to realize it wasn't sexual. I wrapped my arms around Ghost's shoulder, shifted until I was straddled over his lap, and held him tight.

"I know, alpha," I said.

Ghost shuddered and let out a slow exhale, lifting his face. "Part of what drew me to this club was that we were always brothers. It was never alpha or beta. My dad spent my fuckin’ life telling me what an alpha was and wasn't, but he was just so fucking…awful. I never wanted anything to do with it. Either it meant I was growing up into a monster, or the pressure of living up to it was impossible."