Knight Life In Vegas (Sin City Omegas #3)

Chapter 16

I n all my imaginings of seeing her again, not one of them included the sheer panic in her eyes. Okay, breathe. There had to be some explanation. She wasn’t afraid of me, was she?

“Can I escort you to collect your children?”

She looked uncertainly to the alpha next to her. Who was he? Was she panicking because she was already with him and had been with me secretly? The thought made me queasy. My duchess was just as beautiful as I remembered, with her bright hazel eyes, soft mouth, and sweet flush to her cheeks.

“I’ll come with you,” he said to her, adjusting the baby in his arms. Was that one of hers too?

I had far too many questions about her and not nearly enough answers. Her fingers locked around his suit jacket sleeve as they stood, leading me deeper down the path of assuming she had been stepping out on her alpha without permission. Was he a scent match?

Her lemon meringue sweetness reached me with her movements, renewing that primal knowledge that she was meant to be mine. I exchanged a look with Dylan, his eyes wide, pupils blown, and lips parted as her scent reached him too. Eduardo had the same mask of shock and longing on his face as well. That cemented things then.

She was ours.

“I can walk by myself,” she squeaked out.

“ Please .” I wasn’t proud of how much begging was in my tone. I just needed a few moments with her. Maybe her alpha would be open to a pack and I wouldn’t have to resign myself to feeling like my chest had been hollowed out forever. Her scent had already begun to fill it back in, but I needed more than that.

She chewed her lip indecisively before carefully opening her grip on the other alpha. “Okay.”

“How do you feel about horses, duchess?”

Her gaze slid from my face to the sleek black gelding I sat on top of. “I love them.”

“Do you want to ride him with me?”

Longing was plain in her eyes as she reached her fingertips to touch his inky flank. “I’m allowed?”

“The boss says it’s fine.” I offered her a smile, hoping it would help put her at ease. The hints of burnt sugar in her scent had me on edge, my instincts demanding I fix it.

“I’ll be right back,” she promised the other alpha.

He frowned. “I’ll follow along.”

“Hop up on the edge,” I instructed, watching her carefully step onto the ledge of the arena. I cradled her hips and let her sit down sidesaddle in front of me. We didn’t have a ton of space, and she locked one arm around my waist to keep herself steady. I gave the horse a light tap with my heels and he made directly toward where her children were sitting with our Arthur and Guinevere.

“Are you afraid of me, duchess? Did I do something wrong last time we were together?”

She shook her head hastily. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…I just…” Tears slipped over her cheeks.

“Okay, let’s do a lap so your kids don’t see you crying. Talk to me. What happened?”

“I’m trying so hard and fate is not listening to what I want.”

I squeezed her a little closer, purring softly to soothe her, and breathing deeply of her scent: lemon, butter, and sugar. “Could you elaborate a little?”

She clung tightly to me, burying her face against my chest. “I don’t want scent matches. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust myself … ”

“Did you think disappearing on all of us would make the match go away?”

“Wishful thinking. I shouldn’t have; I know that. It’s not fair to anyone.”

We rounded the arena, the few guests that still remained being entertained by our other knights for photographs.

“You’re right. It’s not fair,” I agreed. “But it’s not like we’re gonna shackle you by the ankle and force you to be with us. Can’t we at least have the chance to get to know you?”

Charlotte huffed. “That sounds dangerous.”

“Maybe.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Having her in my arms again with her scent on full display smoothed down all of the sharp edges of my stress. I wanted to drown in her, to drag her away to a nest and worship every inch of her body.

She wiped her cheeks and took a steadying breath. “What’s the horse’s name?”

“Eclipse.”

“He’s beautiful. Is he an Andalusian?”

“He is. You’ve got a good eye. Dylan trained him. He does a great job with our horses.”

She swiveled her head to look at my packmates who had collected her sons and were letting them meet the horses.

“I didn’t mean to upset anyone.”

“Duchess. Charlotte .” I hadn’t said her name out loud before, and I liked the sound of it on my tongue. “I’m not mad. None of us are. We just miss you.”

The first note of a whine slipped past her lips before she silenced it.

“Who’s the alpha that came with you?”

She let out a long sigh. “That’s a complicated answer.”

“Try me.”

“His name is Beau. He’s a match too. I met him after you three.”

I tensed. “You didn’t run from him?”

“He’s a lot harder to run from. He’s my friend’s father-in-law and his granddaughter is half sister to my boys.”

I furrowed my brows, trying to figure out the exact family tree that would lead to that. “How…”

“It’s messy. His daughter-in-law had an affair with my ex-husband before she knew I existed and before she met her pack. My ex was a very good liar. She was already pregnant when she bonded into her pack, so our children are half siblings, and the alpha with me is the father of one of her alphas. I know it’s weird, but it’s worked out okay. Our kids get to know each other, and my ex is out of the picture for all of us.”

“Was your ex-husband an alpha?”

She nodded.

“And he never bonded you?” I couldn’t imagine having this omega in my life for so long and never bonding her, never getting to experience that soul-deep connection.

“No, he never wanted to. I wonder sometimes if it’s because he knew it would be harder to hide affairs if I could feel what he was feeling. But honestly I think he just didn’t like me enough.”

Charlotte stiffened at the growl that bubbled up in my chest. I was of the personal opinion that alphas who didn’t treasure their omegas should take a long walk off a short pier. No wonder she was panicked.

“I’m sorry. That growl isn’t for you. You didn’t deserve to be with an alpha like that.”

She blinked up at me, hazel eyes mesmerizing, her lashes dewy with tears. “Thank you.”

“Are you and Beau together?”

“No. We’re barely friends. I’m getting to know him at my friend’s request. It’s just been me and my boys since my divorce.”

I shoved down the urge to gallop right out of here and take her home. She was taking care of those kids all alone. I hadn’t thought too hard about being a parent. I kind of figured if it hadn’t happened by now, it wouldn’t ever, but I was open to the possibilities if Charlotte ever changed her mind about us.

“Mommy, can I ride the horse?” one of her children shouted.

“You can sit on it with their permission. You’re not moving yet.” She sighed. “He’s going to want to do lessons. I definitely can’t afford that. I could teach him myself if I had a horse, but that’s even more money.”

I stored away every word she said in my memory. “You know how to ride?”

“I do.”

“Do you want to take Eclipse for a spin?” It was technically an insurance nightmare, but if it would put a smile on her face, I would take the risk.

“I’m allowed to do that?”

I shrugged. “Boss is cool with it.”

She looked at me shrewdly. “Is the boss you?”

“Guilty as charged. Do you wanna ride or not?”

Charlotte chewed her plump bottom lip. I wanted to tilt her chin up and claim that mouth for myself, but she was already on edge and I didn’t want to spook her.

“I’d love to. I haven’t ridden in years.”

I navigated Eclipse to the edge of the arena and stepped off, helping her properly into the saddle before I adjusted the stirrups. “How’s that feel, duchess?”

Charlotte shifted carefully, testing the stirrups and reins. “Perfect.”

She made a clicking sound, and squeezed Eclipse with her heels, the horse setting off into a tidy trot. Watching her was a fucking treat. She posted beautifully and surged Eclipse into a canter, the biggest, most beautiful smile on her face. My pack, her children, and her companion all froze, watching our equestrian goddess loop the arena with a grace that made my chest ache. I knew how good it felt to be on the back of a horse, to have all of that power at your beck and call. I couldn’t imagine going years without it.

“Mommy, why do you get to ride the horse?” the littlest of the two boys yelled. Dylan had him perched on Applesauce, but the horse was kept still by Dylan’s steady hand on the reins.

I helplessly watched Charlotte, consuming every detail: the tensing of her thighs, the strands of golden hair slipping from their confines, the bounce of her chest as Eclipse ate up the distance beneath his hooves. My whole body tightened with desire. Dylan was slack-jawed, and Eduardo had fire in his gaze.

Charlotte’s companion, Beau, stood as far away from the horses as he could manage while still being near her children. He flinched every time one of the horses flipped their tail or shifted. Apparently he wasn’t as much of a fan of them as Charlotte was. That was a point on our side then. He had the benefit of a family connection, but her joy on the back of Eclipse lit up the arena like a beacon, and it didn’t seem as though he’d be able to give her that.

When she finally slowed, drawing Eclipse up next to me, she was flushed pink, all the burnt edges of her scent vanished. She stroked his flank, cooing at him. “What a gorgeous boy. You’re so beautiful.”

I knew she wasn’t saying it to me, but it hit me all the same. Eclipse turned to nuzzle her leg.

“Someone’s his new favorite. You didn’t even have to bribe him with treats.”

“Can I anyway?”

“You can if you’re not going to run away from us. I’m not the only one who wants a chance to talk to you.”

All the excitement on her face melted away, like she had forgotten the reality of scent matches for those brief moments when it was just her and Eclipse. “Are they mad at me?”

“I told you no one was mad.”

She swallowed hard. “That doesn’t mean anything. I spent over twenty years with someone who would say they weren’t mad when his actions clearly spoke otherwise.”

“We’re not like that,” I assured her. “You get pretty good at communication when you’re in a pack, and we don’t dick around. If someone has something to say, they say it.”

“I don’t know how to believe that.”

I set my palm on the back of her calf, the heat of her skin an inferno through the fabric. “Listen, I get that you’re scared, and you have every right to be, but you’re never going to believe it unless you give us a chance to prove it. If you don’t want to talk to them today, you don’t have to, but please, at least give us a way to reach out. I can’t go through the thought of never seeing you again.”

Charlotte fussed with Eclipse’s mane for a moment before answering. “Okay. I won’t run away this time, but I can’t give any more than that.”

Halle-fucking-lujah. If that was all she could give us, then I would take it gratefully and start making a plan to prove to her she never needed to be afraid again.