Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(37)

I carried her under the water with me, purring at the slide of her damp skin as I dragged her down my body. Her cheeks were flushed, lips still swollen from the night before, and she wiggled her hips as my cock stroked between her thighs.

I wanted to spend another day between those thighs, knot her right here and now, and watch the bliss take her into that hungry insanity she'd found last night. But King wasn't known for his patience, and Faith's heat would demand plenty of hours and sweat and desperation from us both when it hit in earnest.

I stepped back, bending to kiss her forehead, and focused on my list for the day.

"Hold onto me while I wash you," I said, and Faith hummed her agreement. "I got an idea I wanna run by you."

She beamed up at me, gaze unfocused and smile bright.

I knew this woman wanted protection, wanted to cling to the first person who'd made her feel safe in who knew how long. And maybe, with enough time, she would find her footing in the world again and the feeling would fade. Maybe she'd be ready to find a full pack, rich and safe and gentle.

But I wasn't sure I would be ready to let her go. I'd never considered myself a selfish person, but the more time I spent with Faith, the more the urge grew.

To bite her, keep her, claim her.

And if I was going to be selfish in that way, then I needed to be right for her in every other way. That would take some help.





15. FAITH





I fidgeted on the couch cushion, squished between Bear and Chance. My eyes were closed, head tilted down, and I was taking shallow breaths, trying to only catch the familiar flavors of the men at my side, rather than the oppressively masculine alpha pheromone coating the room. My eyes flicked up and opened briefly at the thought of him, King. There were two of him, white-blond hair and gray beard twisted in a scowl. He was glowering at the three of us from the other side of his desk, and I shivered at the slice of those cold eyes.

This was his territory, and we were the invaders. In spite of what Bear had said earlier, I wasn't convinced this man felt anything but contempt for me. But I'd noticed yesterday that the rest of this “clubhouse” stank of too many scents, fresh and stale, beta and alpha. Here in this room, it was only the rough leather and smooth olive of King.

Chance's arm draped over my back, delivering a solid and comforting squeeze of his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes again and rubbed my cheek against Chance's shoulder, marking him with my scent. His breath hitched and then his arm tightened, face nuzzling into the top of my head. Through the curtain of my hair, I thought I felt the burn of King staring at us with hostile curiosity.

"You can change your mind," Bear said to me in a low voice.

King made a garbled sound of protest, but it died quickly as Chance and Bear glared back.

I had to swallow down the immediate answer of Yes! Take me back to the nest.

"No, I… It was bad enough when everything was fuzzy," I said slowly. "I don't want someone else…touching me, but I'm getting scared about what happened."

The double vision made me queasy. At least when my vision was fuzzy, I'd been able to keep my eyes open, but now I had them squeezed shut, when all I really wanted to do was finally get a good look at the handsome faces around me.

Bear purred to soothe me, bending down and kissing the crown of my head, and I glanced at King. His two faces were staring at me, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. Was that suspicion or worry on his face? And who was it directed at?

Strong fingers found my hand at my side, tangling our grip together, and I looked down at Chance's hand knotted with mine, surprised at how simple touch made the world feel solid around me.

King's phone chimed from his desk. "Molly's here. I'll get her."

I stiffened as the alpha rose from behind his desk, crossing the room.

"Molly's a former Catholic sister turned trauma nurse," Chance said to me, which Bear had already mentioned. "She's on our books mainly ‘cause…" Chance cleared his throat and spoke over my head. "You think she's back with him?"

Bear scoffed. "Think he'd be this uptight? No, they've been done for years." Bear's fingers brushed through my hair, soothing trembles that made my muscles tight. "She's a beta. Very quiet, almost no scent. She's not going to touch you 'less you say it's okay."

I nodded, but ragged memories clouded my vision of the room, figures in white suits forcing needles into my arms, into my neck, strapping me down when I fought. Footsteps thudded in the hall, approaching King's office, and my blood was ice in my veins.

I'm with Bear. Omikron hasn't found me. I want to be better, I chanted mentally.

King's steps were unmistakable, heavy alpha stomps into the room, the huff of breath as he threw himself back into his seat, the chair squeaking in protest. And strangely, the gust of his scent as he passed cleared my head a little, made Chance's grip on my hand solid again. The next set of steps moved slowly and softly into the room, letting their feet scuff on the floor, making a large arch around the couch. I shuddered and stared at those innocuous white sneakers, the illusion of four shoes like some kind of monster at the corner of my vision

"Hello, honey," the woman, Molly, said gently, taking a seat in a rolling chair.

Just look, and you'll know it's safe, I told myself.