Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(93)

I ran for the pair at the same time Bear leapt up from his seat. He grabbed my brother, yanking him back. Ghost surged up from the barstool, teeth stained with blood, lip split. His eyes were wild and he lunged forward, chasing Bear and Rider. I caught him, banding my arm around his chest, shoving him back onto the stool.

I hissed at him as Rider growled and wrestled against Bear. "Stop, you fucking idiot, that's not—"

Ghost's hands grabbed my face and drew my mouth to his with stunning and clumsy force, mashing our lips together without any finesse. He tasted like spice and soda and blood, and for some reason that flavor lit me up from the inside. I clawed briefly at his chest and back, drawing him in, claiming the upper hand because it was mine. Ghost moaned into the kiss, sagging into me, mouth opening for my tongue to thrust in. Power was the explosion in my veins, the weak note of surrender from the alpha in my ear. It was the way he clung to me, melting in my hands. Familiar and heady, and…and sanity came in the soft, feminine gasp from my right.

I pulled back immediately and the room returned, watching, baffled, maybe disgusted.

"Fuck," I muttered.

Ghost grinned, teeth red. "Fuck yes."

A small hand caressed my elbow and I spun to face Faith, her eyes wide, bouncing around the room.

"You okay?" she asked.

I'd fucking kissed Ghost right in front of her. He kissed me first, a weak part of my head chimed in, as if it mattered when I'd immediately leapt into the action.

"Rider, Bear, my office. Chance, take her up," King ordered.

"I want you fucking out, King!" Rider roared.

The room held its breath, and I thought my heart stopped beating for a moment as Faith slid under my arm, tucking herself against my chest.

"You'll make your case," King said cooly, eyeing my brother with all that icy command he'd held for years. "For now, you're still my VP. And you'll join me in my office."

"We should get Ghost out of here too," Faith whispered.

I blinked, frowning down at her. "What?"

"He's bleeding," she said, shrugging. "And everyone is staring at him."

"I'll be fine," Ghost rasped from behind me.

I was tempted to leave him here. I was tempted to turn around and strangle him for just fucking announcing to the whole club that we'd been fucking, for kissing me in front of them all. He would survive whatever heckling or harassment the others wanted to give him better than I would. But Faith was staring up at me with those huge eyes of hers and those full lips pursed.

"No, she's right. You're acting crazy, you're gonna get in a fight," I said, glancing at him over my shoulder. "Come on."

He grunted, rising at my back, and I tried not to look back at the others. Bear was marching Rider out of the room, and there was no shield for me and Faith as we headed for the hall.

"If I'd known you liked it up the ass, I woulda found a blindfold and helped you out, Ghost," Buck called.

I tensed, but Ghost just huffed. "You and I both know you wouldn't need the blindfold. I'm too goddamn pretty."

"Just walk," I muttered.

A few others heckled Ghost, and every time he responded with a laughing answer. I was queasy with an irrational jealousy, furious with his ability to roll with the jokes. Faith's hand slipped into mine, our shoulders brushing with every step, and that anger was snuffed out as quickly as it had spiked. I was mad at her for how easily her presence calmed me, but relieved too.

Ghost's room was on the first floor, but Faith tugged me toward the stairs. I was putting her in charge, my own head tossing on stormy seas, incapable of making a decision that wouldn't lead to a fight.

"I'm sorry," Ghost said.

Faith glanced back at him, but neither of us answered. My steps slowed as we neared my door, but she tugged me along to the end of the hall.

"Not the nest," I murmured.

"No, not the nest," she agreed, squeezing my hand.

I wasn't sure I even wanted to let Ghost near the nest, but it was hers, and she made the decisions about who was allowed in and when. She unlocked the room and led us directly into the bathroom.

"Shit, it smells good in here," Ghost breathed, pausing in the doorway, pupils dilating and gaze losing its focus. He licked his lips and then winced, finding the open wound and turning for the bathroom. His eyes widened again. "The fuck? Why is Bear's bathroom so fuckin' nice?"

"'Cause he gives a shit," I answered, sitting down on the edge of the soaking tub. I'd used the tub during Faith's heat, and it was enough to convince me to embrace the finer things in life, if I could get my hands on them.

One of those finer things was the gorgeous omega currently crouched down in front of me, digging in a drawer through all the bubble bath and CBD oils for the first aid kit.

"Sit on the counter," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Ghost purred, a little rumble in the words, his cocky grin ruined by the sight of blood.

If I hadn't known Faith so well by now, I would've missed the slip of her shoulders, the instinctual effect of that purr.

I wasn't sure if I could do this. It was one thing to share her with Bear or King. I'd never felt the need to challenge their role as alpha, and they'd never rubbed my face in it. But Ghost was…mine, in a way. Challenging him was a shared thrill. Watching him alpha Faith, knowing I never could do the same…