Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(94)

Faith stood, staring up at Ghost with a disgusted wrinkle of her nose. "You're a mess," she muttered.

"You know it, slick," Ghost answered, a little drip of blood running down his chin.

She gripped that chin and pressed an antiseptic swab to Ghost's bottom lip, drawing out a hiss and growl of discomfort. I smiled.

"I'm going to leave you two to talk, but I just want to say that what you did was not only stupid, it was really disrespectful," Faith said, holding Ghost's gaze. My heart hammered in my chest, stare flicking between her firm and steady confidence and his bravado crumbling.

"You said I had to show him I wasn't ashamed," Ghost mumbled as she cleaned him up.

I sat up straighter. She'd said that?

Faith huffed and scowled. "I said show him, not the whole fucking club at the most volatile moment. Can you honestly tell me you thought that moment through?" Ghost answered with silence, and she arched an eyebrow at him. "I didn't think so."

All the unease, the anger, the jealousy was slowly puddling together and melting away as I watched them. Faith didn't fall into Ghost's chest like she did with Bear, seeking shelter. She didn't bat her lashes and tempt him like she did with King. She saw Ghost for the charming but ignorantly insensitive idiot he was.

"Open your mouth," Faith snapped at Ghost, lifting up a tube of antibiotic ointment. He obeyed, shoulders slumped and body slouched to make it easier for her reach.

He was staring at her with something like awe, not that hooded and hungry look he got when I started to snarl at him and put him on his knees. This was vulnerable and sheepish and a little scared.

Faith had said she was curious about watching Ghost and me together, and I understood now. Seeing my two lovers together, learning how they looked at one another and spoke to one another, learning the way Faith could strip Ghost down as effectively as me, but with something sweeter and sterner all at once, was fascinating.

"Hey, birdy," I said as she capped the tube.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Hm?"

"You love me?" I asked.

Her eyes lit up, lips curving, and Ghost gaped at us.

"You know I do," she said softly, transforming just for me.

"C'mere."

She dropped the tube, forgetting about Ghost entirely, and took the two steps to reach me on the tub, stepping between my legs. Her lips were tipped up in offering, and I plucked at them gently with my own in a series of soft, quick kisses. My hands rested around her waist, and I watched her with my eyes open as she softened with every peck.

"I got it from here, okay?" I said, pressing a final kiss to the tip of her nose. She nodded, blinking drowsily at me. "Wait for me in the nest?"

"’Kay." She drifted toward the door and then paused, glaring back at Ghost. "Behave."

He blushed and nodded.

Faith shut the door behind her, and for a moment Ghost just stared at the spot. I accepted the pause, organizing my thoughts in the silence.

"I am her pack," I said finally.

Ghost's eyes whipped to mine.

"I don't care what King says or what he thinks, Bear and I are Faith's pack. I don't get to bond her, but that doesn't mean I haven't decided to stand by that woman from now on."

Ghost smiled, bracing his hands on the edge of the counter, studying me. "Okay."

I frowned at him and shook my head. "No. Don't make it sound easy. I'm telling you that whatever it is you think you want from me now, it can't change that I am going to follow her first. She chose me, right from the start."

Ghost's eyes slid away, and he nodded. "Heard. You and Bear thinking about leaving?"

"You think Rider and the others are going to stand for us staying?" I asked.

He raised a hand, pinching between his brows. "Fuck."

"Yeah."

"You'd really leave the club?" Ghost asked, pulling his hand away, frowning at me.

I tried to give it some thought, but the answer was easy. "Yeah. I would. Even with King in charge, I barely feel like this club wants me here. If Rider has his way…"

Ghost blew out a breath, shaking his head. "He's too obsessed with the way it was when he was a kid."

"It was a shit show when we were kids. He just listened to my dad's bullshit stories too many fuckin' times," I muttered.

Ghost grunted, fiddling with the remains of the first aid kit Faith had left out. "I never wanted you to feel shitty about what we were doing, Chance."

I swallowed, and it felt like my tongue went down my throat.

He looked up, locking gazes with me. "I didn't know that you did until you were fucking telling me not to come around."

I grit my teeth and gripped hard at the porcelain ledge I was perched on. "How was I supposed to feel?"

Ghost shrugged. "I dunno. I'm not saying my behavior was on you. I just wish I'd known, so I could've done something about it."

I was used to locking alphas out, keeping my feelings to myself so I didn't give anyone room to harass me for them. I'd never complained to Ghost about keeping me a secret, and I'd done the same to him.

"Figured it was just the same as how you were with the girls," I said.

Ghost groaned and scrubbed his hand through his beard. "I never went back to any of them."