Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(83)

I stepped forward. "Wait, what?"

Her eyebrows rose and she shrugged, but her voice gentled. "She went through an extremely traumatic experience. Omegas develop a defense under those conditions where their hormones try to mimic that of an alpha. Added aggression, extreme temperaments, increased fight response."

"But when she finds a pack…" I said, hiding my clenched fists behind my back.

Molly snorted and rolled her eyes. "Maybe it will help, maybe it won't. There's not a lot of research available, from what I could find. Considering the extended period of her duress, I would assume it's going to be a long time before she levels out again, if ever. Considering the current circumstances, it's not bad for her body to still be ready, as long as she isn't under constant threat."

I thought of Faith splayed out on my desk the night before, limp and sweaty and satisfied as I licked her flavor off my fingers.

"We try and keep her relaxed," I said.

Molly's smile flickered out again. "I'm sure you do."

I resisted the impulse to grin. I'd be a lying bastard if I said that Faith's presence in my life didn't leave me swinging on a pendulum between coiled tension and weak-kneed, smug satisfaction. Luckily, the door down the hall opened and closed once more, preventing me from blurting as much out to Molly.

If her smirk was anything to go by, she already knew.

Bear's massive hand was cupped over Faith's shoulder as they appeared. She was wearing a leather jacket he'd gotten her, as well as a pair of thick jeans and solid boots. She looked every inch the old lady we claimed she was, but worse, she looked like Bear's.

I should've been relieved. I should've kept my mouth shut when Chance and Bear claimed her in front of the others. I should've tossed her out on her ass when she’d slipped into my office, all poison and sweetness.

But I'd made myself a liar dozens of times already. What was once more?

"You're riding back with me, princess," I said.

Bear rolled his eyes; Molly hid her smirk behind her fist. Faith just smiled and shrugged, reaching a hand out for mine.

"Okay."

And fool that I was, I reached back, clasping her hand in mine, running my calloused fingers over her smooth ones before tangling them together.

"Thank you, Molly," Faith murmured as I headed for the door.

"Anytime. I'll check in with you guys soon."

Bear rounded in front of me, opening the door for us. "Same route back?"

"It's the fastest. You think it'll be an issue?" I asked.

Bear shrugged. "We're at the edge of our territory, near theirs."

He was thinking of the Wasted. I was worried about the phantom of Omikron that haunted Faith.

"Then I'd rather be quick getting out," I decided, and Bear nodded, smiling at Faith and passing me her helmet.

Faith and I stopped in front of my bike, and I plopped the helmet down on her head. Her hair was braided back, and she tucked the ends into the collar of her jacket as I zipped her up.

"You like riding?" I asked. I’d watched her on the back of Bear's, learning to lean into the curves with him, relaxing gradually.

"I do, actually," she said, smiling. "It's hot, though."

I nodded. "We head north for the mountains a lot. It's fresher there. But we can ride year-round out here."

"How come you don't wear a helmet too?" Faith asked.

"Helmets are for precious cargo," I said, offering her a hint of a smile in exchange for her blush. "Now hop on."

She followed me onto the bike as I held it steady. She was less awkward getting on my bike than she had been with Bear, and I was pretty sure she'd have the hang of riding in no time.

My bike roared to life and Faith's thighs squeezed around mine, her arms wrapped around my chest as we rolled smoothly forward.

The vision of her on the back of my bike as the club rode out together was a tempting one, but Ghost's warning from a couple nights before lingered. The longer she stayed, the more restless the others would grow.

I'd wanted to believe they'd grow used to her, used to her place with us, but Ghost was probably right. Faith couldn't stay on suppressants indefinitely, and when her next heat came, there'd be no pretending she wasn't a buffet of temptation to all the alphas on the premises.

I had enough money saved to buy the kind of house an omega dreamed of, somewhere to tuck her away safely, but who would stay with her there when Bear and I were swamped, when I needed Chance's ear on the club?

She's a complication, the cold part of me reminded.

Everything was already complicated, the other half of me answered.

Both halves were right, and all it meant was that the scales were unbalanced, trouble heaped high and heavy.

Behind me, Bear's engine snarled, and my focus was drawn back to the road, to our surroundings. There were small figures in the rearview mirror, more motorcycles chasing our heels.

"Shit."

I twisted, nodding briefly at Bear to let him know I'd seen them. I reached down, pulling Faith's arms tighter around me, patting them in place, trying not to be so goddamn pleased with myself as she pressed herself against my back. I remembered Molly's words and my own in tandem—my promise to Faith that she would heal in the right hands, and Molly's claim that she may have been changed permanently.