Chapter 27
twenty-seven
Calling Ivy “princess” might fill me with satisfaction, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot more to help her feel like one.
Asher is doing the most, though, immediately pocketing his phone and stepping up to offer his hand. It’s a very gentlemanly gesture—his palm outstretched to keep her balanced as she blushes and ducks into our Maybach limousine.
God, she looks so fucking pretty. That seafoam color is miraculous against her milky skin and cool-blonde waves. The way the fabric cups her waist and ruches along the tops of her breasts makes me salivate . My fingers itch to unlace the little bow tying her square neckline together. I settle for sliding into the seat beside her and running my palm up her crossed thigh, tracing the little white daisies sprinkled across her skirt.
Ivy flashes me her small smile. My heart flips at the sight. After a week of only seeing her through my phone screen—feeling so close but so fucking far away—the timid curl of her lips is all it takes for me to start purring.
We had to keep our distance to make sure the press wouldn’t identify her before we made the move back to the palace. But, clearly, having some time has given her a chance to come to grips with her Omega a bit. Instead of wide-eyed panic, she reacts to the rumbling in my chest with a contented sigh, only casting me the quickest apprehensive look before scooting into my side.
I open my arms for a proper hug, nuzzling the top of her head. “There’s my girl.”
Her happiness is a sweet, warm breath of heaven. The second it sinks into my lungs, a week’s worth of tension melts away. “God, I missed you , angel.”
It’s true. We talked all day, most days, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The more texts and calls we exchanged, the more I adored her.
She’s the lightest, loveliest person I’ve ever met. The fact that the universe made her my mate seems like it must be a mistake.
What did I ever do to deserve her?
I can’t even imagine how Dair and Asher feel, knowing how much they’ve let her down. Under ordinary circumstances, I’d probably have some sympathy for the bastards—but, lately, their mistakes enrage me in an unfamiliar way.
This is my mate .
And they’ve jeopardized that.
What if we can’t convince her to stay with us? What if we get to the palace and she hates it? What if ? —
Dair’s foot kicks my shin in a pointed hey, asshole move. He drops onto the bench across from ours and subtly rolls his head toward Ivy.
Oh. Right.
I did this last time. Getting so wrapped up in my reactions and my concern for her, I forgot to actually talk to her.
It was easier over the phone, when I couldn’t scent her or feel the way her body fits against mine. Now, a wad of anxiety sticks in my throat, blocking all the stupid small talk I would usually make. Leaving me defenseless.
I’ve never had this issue before. Back in school, when Asher would brood over every social situation and the extent of Dair’s game was some combination of teasing and glaring, I was the one who knew how to talk to girls. The social clean-up crew. The packmate with all the witty observations and polite chit-chat.
None of that will work with Ivy.
It’s obvious I’m not the only one struggling. While Dair stretches his legs out and eyes our omega like he’s searching for signs of wear, Asher slides into the space on her other side. Stiff as a board.
Good Lord.
We are pathetic .
I move as casually as I can, jostling Ivy slightly to move her a bit closer to the paralyzed prince. Over her head, he catches my desperate get your shit together look.
Knowing Asher, I wouldn’t be surprised if he still hasn’t figured out how to properly apologize to our girl. I guess he sort of did, that day in his room after he carried her out of his closet, but he probably needs to do it again. With clothes on.
I know he’s spoken to her over the past week, arranging things for our impending move—but has he really connected with her? Will he be able to work that out before it’s too late?
The way his eyes soften when they fall to her face is a good start. After a long moment tracing her profile through his glasses, he reaches over and cups his hands around hers.
Ivy turns, blinking in surprise as he lift her knuckles to his lips and skims a kiss over them. Their gazes connect, his blazing as he murmurs, “Hello, goose.”
I’m not sure why he calls her that. But then I realize—this is exactly the shit we need to be talking about. To bond.
“Where did our prince get such an illustrious name for our princess?” I ask, squeezing Ivy’s knee and adding in a mutter, “Did you try to tame a goose, angel?”
Our omega’s sweet little giggle makes the whole car feel lighter. “No,” she laughs, skirting her eyes to Asher’s again. Her scent somehow darkens and sweetens at once. “I guess I sort of picked that name, huh?”
I’ve never seen Asher like this; his phone sitting abandoned on the seat beside him and his focus so completely aimed at one person. He doesn’t look like the formidable leader or dominant alpha he wound up growing into. Right now, with his brows and lips quirked up, he seems… young .
Defenseless, but brighter. Carefree and more caring, too, somehow. Like she’s accessed a part of him no one else gets to see.
Or maybe the part no one else ever bothered getting to know.
“I’m not sure about that,” he hedges in reply. “I think I picked it.”
Ivy’s eyes glow as she turns to Dair, melting the steel off his face. “Does he like to take credit for other people’s hard work, or is that just you, duke?”
Dair’s dark eyes flicker as he smirks. “I don’t take credit. People just give it to me.”
“Hmm,” she hums, looking up at me. A bolt of amazement sticks in my gullet as I absorb her beautiful grin.
“Asher and I were dancing,” she explains. “He was trying to learn a Viennese waltz for some big event, and he had this book: How to Ballroom Dance for Morons .”
“It did not say Morons ,” Asher grumbles, his flushed face betraying him.
“Yes, it did,” Ivy chirps, smiling wider. “Anyway, we practiced in the garden. Because I guess I was the only girl he could find.”
Asher’s mouth quirks up fondly. “Oh sure. That was the reason. Nothing to do with you taking pity on me.”
“Right.” Ivy nods, agreeing with his sarcasm. “And one of the chapters compared the person being led in the waltz to a swan. So when I did a turn correctly, Asher told me I looked like a swan.”
Asher moves closer, dipping his head to put them face to face. His voice drops into a quiet tone just for her. “And you said, ‘I’m no swan, I’m a goose .’”
God, his attention makes her so happy . My canines ache from the golden, buttery sweetness leaking into the confined space, my knot pulsing. Dair suppresses a growl, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat.
Asher and Ivy are in their own little world. She arches her neck to tilt her chin up, and his eyes flicker to her lips. The hand not wrapped around hers touches the side of her cheek, lightly grazing her blush until he slides his fingers into her hair.
There’s a brooding pause that she recognizes—because she knows him . More than I realized. And she knows he’s overthinking at a mile a minute right now.
The corners of her mouth flicker, and his eyes flash. I can’t help the grin that cracks my features when he finally lowers his lips and softly presses them over her smile.
Hell, even Dair is grinning.
He tries to hide it, but I catch the bastard biting back the expression as he slaps the control panel on the door. An opaque panel glides up between the backseat and the driver, sealing the scent of blooming bergamot and Ivy’s golden sweetness around us.
Asher pulls back with a quiet groan. Ivy’s lips look even more tempting than before, the darker pink striking against her pale skin. Silver-blonde lashes flutter in surprise.
“I can’t believe you remember that day,” she whispers.
Pain carves lines around the prince’s eyes. “I remember everything, goose.”
Dair and I might not know exactly what that means, but our omega definitely does.
Or, rather, her Omega does.
Ivy’s pupils blossom as her scent explodes . Asher’s chest stutters. Dair snarls . And I have to lock every muscle in my body down to stop myself from lunging at her.
Instead, she launches herself at Asher. He catches her on instinct, the dark center of his eyes edging out his irises. An alpha roar echoes in his chest as he growls and purrs simultaneously.
The sound melts Ivy. She goes limp in his arms, tilting her head in supplication. His for the taking.
I expect him to pause. Consider. Overthink again.
But he immediately takes what she offers, sealing their mouths together while one hand clutches under her breast and the other skims up to band around her throat.
Holy fuck .
She squeaks, but her kisses grow more frantic. She likes that, I realize. And when Dair makes a pained sound, I can tell he’s noticed, too.
Our omega better be careful, or she’ll end up wearing tattooed hand necklaces every night.
Actually, she may not mind that.
Her perfume is so thick, I can taste it in the air. Rich, crumbly, sugared perfection .
Goddamn . I could come from that alone.
I did last time.
Dair snags my attention, shooting me a loaded look. We discussed this sort of thing as a pack. One of several group decisions we’ve made this week. Which is novel for us.
We’re determined to do everything we can to encourage Ivy’s sexuality. It’s all so new for our omega—and we want her to enjoy how it feels to give in to her body’s needs instead of feeling shame.
Time to put our money where our mouth is.
Or maybe just put our mouths where she wants them.
Dair has the same thought. He waits for the car to finish coasting around a turn and then drops to his knees. Asher moves the collar of his fingers to the soft place under Ivy’s jaw, clearly keeping her kisses for himself as he adjusts their position, pivoting her hips until her ass is flush with his groin.
Ivy moans, and he growls, greedily licking the sound from her lips. His free hand moves back to her breast. This time, he strokes the side of the gentle curve with intent.
Jealousy spikes hot and hard in my middle. I shove Dair to the side, claiming the spot directly between her parted knees.
Our packmate starts to rip me out of the way, but Asher’s sudden growl stops us both cold.
Fuck . He taps into his full dominance so rarely, I always forget how strong it is.
With Ivy still secure in his grasp, he shoots both of us a glare and allows his expression to melt into fond indulgence before turning back to her stunned, gasping face.
“Don’t worry, darling,” he whispers. “Your alphas are gentlemen . I’m sure they can work out a way to share.” He flicks one final warning glance our way and then gazes back into her crystal eyes. His thumb strokes her lower lip. “If that’s all right with you, princess.”
Our omega whines, a heartrending sound that has me bending to suck softly at the pulse in her wrist. “We can share, angel,” I assure her. “Would you like that? Both of us kissing your pretty pussy?”
Ivy’s hips buck slightly, a sharp whimper tearing up her throat. Asher soothes her sweetly, running his nose down hers before kissing her again, purring against her back.
My own rolling rumble starts up as Dair eases her legs apart. The sideways look he shoots me would be funny if I weren’t two seconds away from strangling him to get to our omega’s panties first.
But I won’t make the same mistake twice. I’m going slowly this time.
So, instead of rending the soft pink cotton peeking at me, I skim my lips along the inside of her knee.
Ivy draws a sharp breath when Dair mirrors my motions with a wicked smirk he can’t quite swallow. We both kiss the insides of her creamy thighs—me licking and sucking while he nips and scrapes his teeth over her thin, silky skin.
“Oh!” she cries, grinding into the air. “ Oh! ”
Dair laughs darkly. “Baby, we haven’t even started with you yet.”
I hum my agreement. My mind races. There’s so much to show her, but she seems to be enjoying this, so I offer, “What if Dair takes those wet panties off and I keep kissing these gorgeous thighs?”
My packmate pauses, surprised. But Ivy nods, the motion desperate. “Dair,” she cries, “P-please?”
He snaps into action, filling the space between her legs, opening them as wide as he can. One of his tattooed fingers hooks into the soaked fabric covering her center, pulling it aside.
Oh fuck, she’s beautiful . Peachy pink and glistening. Visibly trembling with need .
Her perfume pours into the air while her opening twitches, begging for one of us to fill her. I groan into her thigh, my teeth biting harder than I intended.
Our omega thrusts her hips forward as she moans—and Dair can’t take anymore. His ink-covered hands spread to frame those gorgeous, glimmering lips. With a pained sound, he lowers his face and laps at the cream trickling from her core. Ivy gasps again, spasming in Asher’s arms.
“Shhh,” the prince murmurs. “Such a good girl, giving your alpha so much slick.”
His fingers unlace the bow holding her dress over her breasts, letting the split neckline fall open. As he dips into the strapless bra underneath, Dair teases his teeth over the top of her mound.
Ivy shrieks, leaking more sugary wetness. My impatient snarl pauses Dair’s greedy licks. With a grumbling sigh, he leans aside and makes room for me, turning his attention to the leg slung over his right shoulder.
While he mumbles rough praises along her skin, I jolt out of my stupor and move into position, automatically glancing up at her for permission. Her slack features turn tender. “Please, Sebastian,” she whispers. “I—I’ve wanted you so much. All week. I?—”
She’s about to apologize. Again . For being scared and having such a strong reaction the first time I touched her.
But none of that was ever her fault, and I won’t let her think it was.
With a low growl, I snap forward.
Good. Holy. Fuckingggggg ? —
The taste of her renders me completely feral. I inhale the sweet, golden musk coating my tongue as I plunge it directly into her quivering core. Ivy sobs a moan, her hand winding into my hair. She tugs, drawing my gaze up to her wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape.
Asher trails kisses along her jaw, murmuring to her as he frees both breasts from their cups. Her nipples match her perfect pussy—peachy and tight . Fucking hell .
Her inner walls clamp around my tongue, trying to keep me inside her. I push as deep as I can get, managing to reach the ring of swollen muscle that will stretch to fit our knots.
Slick slips down my chin. I moan my appreciation, hoping it soaks into the collar of my shirt. Into my skin. Into my soul .
Yes. More .
It ends much too quickly. Dair grips my bicep hard enough to bruise. I can tell he’s riding the same fine line I am—and if either of us lose our shit, we’ll scare Ivy.
Dragging in a pant, I let him at her, falling back to watch. Unlike me, he goes right for her clit, rolling and plucking it between his lips.
Her pleasure is glorious. The way her skin glows. Her sparkling eyes and quivering keens. I watch while I try to drag air into my lungs, my hand falling to my throbbing erection, gripping it though my slacks.
Ivy’s gaze tracks that motion. Another, more desperate sound flies from her mouth.
She turns to Asher and satisfaction smolders in his eyes. He loves being the one she turns to—her pack alpha.
“I—” she stammers, looking back at me. “I want?—”
She may not know, but the prince does. “Bast, darling?” he asks. “You want his cock?”
When our omega nods, whining, I nearly spill in my pants. Her wide gaze drops back to the bulge along the front of my trousers. Her tongue peeks out to wet her lips.
Dair hums his approval. His shoe knocks the side of my leg as he mumbles into her mound. “Our omega wants to suck your dick.”
Holy fuck, but she does . Her irises shine with eagerness—because that’s exactly what this sweet girl wants.
My hands fumble with my belt, unfastening everything in her way as I move around Dair and kneel on the edge of the bench seat. Asher slides her lower in his lap while I present her with my straining dick. It juts forward, mere inches away from her parted lips.
We both moan when she slides her mouth around the head. Smooth, wet heat surrounds me. My knot instantly twitches fuller, the thick swell growing heavy at the base of my buzzing shaft.
I exhale, shaking, and sift my fingers into her hair. “Ivy, love,” I pant. “Fuck, you feel so good .”
She soaks up my encouragement, gazing at me with the prettiest vulnerability in her eyes. “So good,” I repeat, petting her hair. “Perfect for me. I loved the way you tasted so much, I almost came in my pants.”
“Again,” Asher adds, smiling to himself as he nuzzles the side of her face. I understand why when shock pours through her expression, followed by a tinge of delight.
“I see how it is,” I mutter, cocking a brow at her. “Are you going to be a naughty princess?”
Her tongue whispers along the underside of my cock as she pulls back just far enough to answer, “No… my lord.”
Beautiful little coquette . She knows I have a love/hate relationship with hearing her call me that. It reminds me of just how proper she can be while also mocking me. The fact that I don’t think she’d ever want to tease any of the others this way makes it our thing.
My heart swells as my cock thumps. The fingers woven through her hair tense, resisting the urge to fist the blonde strands and tug her back to me. Instead, I offer a grin and guide her back slowly, showing her how to tilt her chin for a better angle.
A hiss escapes as she takes my dick halfway into her mouth, testing how far she can stretch. Dair chooses that moment to go back to work, sucking her clit until she moans around my length.
Asher reaches for her tits, swirling the pads of his fingers over the pert little nipples until she starts to chase Dair’s lips, pumping into his face. My head falls back when she naturally finds a rhythm, sliding her lips up and down in time with her hip thrusts.
Just that—the thought of her imagining my cock plunging into her slick-soaked center—sends me over the edge. I try to bumble out a warning, but Asher has to help.
“You want your lord to come in your mouth, darling?” he asks. “You want to taste him?”
Ivy hums sharply, grasping my hips and sinking as deep as she can, her nose grazing beneath my navel. I come instantly, my knot screaming as hot cum rises up my shaft and bursts onto her tongue.
My flavor must be as good for her as hers is for me, because as soon as I finish, she follows me over the edge. Dair practically sobs, his groan ragged and breathless while she strangles his fingers and slicks his face a final time.
“Shit,” he gasps. “ Fuck .”
The tart scent of cranberry winds into the rest toffee-and-shortbread sweetness filling the air as he comes in his pants, clamping his teeth over the top of her pussy while he loses control.
When he’s done, he turns his face and finds her lower stomach, pressing his cheek into her softness. Her hand flutters to his hair as those wide, awestruck blue eyes find mine again.
I smile softly, hoping my expression is as reassuring as Asher’s murmured praise. I nod down at Dair—who resembles nothing so much as a tamed panther. Sleek, dark-haired danger, all cuddled up and purring against her belly.
“Well angel,” I sigh. “That’s two of us. Are you going to ruin the prince’s boxers next?”