Pack Fever: Omegaverse Romance

Chapter 11

Eleven

Ilean against the wall just outside the spare bedroom we’ve given to Danica during her stay at our home. Seth’s in there with her after carrying her from the car. The girl was close to passing out from exhaustion, her heat wreaking havoc on her. The whole thing of Seth vanishing with her in the bathroom didn’t go unnoticed at his parents’ place by anyone. They all knew, yet nobody said a word. Even when she returned to the party, cheeks flushed and shyly avoiding looking at anyone, the silence remained.

Uncertainty churns in my gut about my feelings toward her. I want so fucking badly to say I’m indifferent and she does nothing to me, but then I’d be a damn liar. As much as I hate my reaction, I can’t fight evolution. Doesn’t mean I have to accept my fate…

At the core, I know my reaction is my parents’ fault. I’m not an idiot, but their decisions have scarred me. After losing my dad, I haven’t spoken to Mom for years because each time I do, it brings back a reminder of the fucked-up world we live in and how easily it can burn down around you.

Not wanting to relive that bullshit, I grunt under my breath and push off the wall just as Jasper rushes up the stairs after heading out on some late-night shopping spree the moment we arrived back home. Sure enough, his hands are full of paper bags filled with what looks like boxes of chocolates, cookies, and wine.

I roll my eyes at the sight.

He catches me and says, “Go fuck yourself. Just admit you’re jealous.” Then he darts past me and into her bedroom, ready to shower her with treats.

As I push away from the wall, a bitter taste coats my mouth. Me, jealous? Right! That’s a joke. I’m Reed, guitarist for Fever, and I can have any girl I want, and I sure as fuck don’t do jealousy.

Yet she’s on my mind all day. She’s only been with us one fucking day, and everything’s already gone haywire.

I stroll away from the room, from her giggles and gushing, from the confusion that this is happening so fast. I’m not ready for my body to crave an Omega. I shake my head, picturing Danica in Seth’s arms, the way she looks so vulnerable yet so desperate for him. It’s damn unnerving to have this sensation creeping up on me, this interest in someone I barely know.

Heading downstairs, I can’t get her out of my head—her blushing cheeks, her shy smile. The thought of making her writhe beneath me is fucking destroying me.

Down in the entertainment room—aka the basement—I head for the big screen and grab the controllers. Before I know it, I’m slouching in my favorite position in the middle of the leather couch, speeding down the track, ready to smash my last score and get Danica out of my head.

I have no idea how long I’ve been playing that I barely notice when Jasper and Seth join me. Each grabs a controller, flops down on either side of me on the oversized couch, and soon they’re part of the race in the next round.

“You vanished,” Seth says, glancing at me momentarily.

“I didn’t want to cramp your style,” I reply, my attention fixed on the screen. “Plus, I would have thought you got your fair share of the Omega earlier tonight.”

“Don’t blame you for being bitter, Reed,” Jasper blurts out, currently racing to overtake Seth’s car. “I wanted to be with her so badly, it chewed me up on the inside. I swore I could hear her crying out from the bathroom when we were out there entertaining the family.” He glances at Seth, who chuckles in response.

“I was helping her in need,” he retorts with a smirk on his face.

I grumble under my breath at his kidding himself.

“Yep, helping her.” Jasper gives out a fake, loud laugh. He then expertly maneuvers his car, crashing into Seth’s, sending him spinning off the track.

I chuckle at his anger, though their conversation is really annoying me.

“Asshole. And this isn’t about us. It’s about keeping her safe and not in pain, okay?” Seth barks.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jasper grumbles, his focus back on the game. “But just so we’re clear... next time she needs help, it’s me who goes to do it first.”

“You bet,” Seth states.

“You two should listen to yourselves.” I shake my head. “She’s only been with us today… TODAY! And look at you both bickering like love-sick idiots.”

Jasper pauses the game abruptly and turns to me, his mouth pinched tight.

“Which begs the question… what the hell are you doing?”

Seth’s in my face too, and it’s pissing me off.

“You know, man, you can’t keep hiding from the inevitable,” he murmurs.

“Whatever.” Grunting, I push to my feet and drop the controller on the couch. “No one says all three of us have to share the same Omega. You two go for it.” When I glance back, they’re staring at me as I walk out of the room.

I don’t want to think about Danica or talk about her, it’s all become too fucking much. What I need is space, time to think, to process it all. Before I can make sense of where I’m going, I find myself standing outside her bedroom, my hand already on the door handle.

What the fuck am I doing?

Excitement bubbles in the pit of my gut at seeing her alone, just her and me, and I fucking hate myself for it. Yet here I am, turning the door handle and pushing it open. I don’t know what to expect, but hearing the heavy breaths tells me she’s asleep.

Stepping into the room, I shut the door behind me and stride closer to where the soft glow of the lamp dances across her face. There’s something absolutely perfect about her, the softness of her features, of her skin. Her eyes are shifting behind her eyelids like she’s deep in a dream.

She’s beautiful—undeniable. Blonde hair is sprawled across the pillow while the sight of chocolate smudged at the corners of her mouth, evidence of Jasper’s indulgence, brings an involuntary smirk to my face. A small mountain of candy boxes lies next to her, and one piece is still clutched in her hand as if she dozed off mid-bite.

It’s a side of her I never expected to find endearing, yet here we are. I clench my jaw at how out of control she makes me.

I’ve read somewhere that heat can drain an Omega of energy, and seeing her like this, so vulnerable, only intensifies my conflict. It irritates me that I can’t look away. My gaze skates to her chest, tempted to peel back the blankets to see if she’s only wearing a T-shirt.

Breathing heavily, I curl my hands into balls at my side, telling myself to get the hell out of her room, yet my legs won’t move. Then I’m there, gingerly grabbing the blanket and peering down to find her fully clothed. Fuck, I’m an idiot. Her scent smacks into me, the sweetness of lavender and mandarin taking me over. My cock responds instantly, throbbing in my pants.

I hate that she has this impact on me. She’s like an accident happening in slow motion, and I can’t look away. I want to see it all.

“What’s wrong with me that I can’t stop thinking about you? What makes you so special?” I whisper into the quiet room. “Why do you have to complicate everything?”

She stirs in her sleep, rolling onto her side toward me. The chocolate from her hand smears on the pillow and the sheets, leaving a messy trail. Seeing her this way tugs at my insides.

A groan spills from her throat, and my pulse speeds up at the sound, as if we’re in tune, and I fucking hate that.

I turn to leave when her hand suddenly grasps mine. Heart rate spiking, I jerk my attention back down to her, thinking she’s caught me in her room…

Except her eyes are closed, her breathing shallow. She’s not awake, but her body sensed me. Fuck! This is what I’m talking about—how nature is forcing us together, whether we like it or not.

Staring down at her tiny hand in mine, something stabs in my chest. Thoughts of keeping her safe filter through me. Heaving a growl in my throat, I slip my hand free while hers drops to the blanket. She doesn’t stir, yet my pulse is racing at the electricity in my body from her touch.

Hell…

No one has ever affected me like this. The fact that I can’t easily brush it off is fucking frustrating. But if I’m one thing, it’s damn determined to stick to my guns. As much as this Omega impacts me, I’m not ready for such a commitment. I just need to find a way to resist her.

Danica

Waking up the next morning with the taste of chocolate in my mouth, I slowly open my eyes to a white ceiling. Sleep still clings to my insides, and I’m sore, as if I’ve exercised muscles that have never been used. Then thoughts from yesterday flood me. I was almost caught by Nexus, the unexpected sanctuary with Fever, and the whirlwind of the party at Seth’s parents’ home.

My thoughts focus on the mesmerizing kiss I shared with Jasper in the flower garden. Then the memory of Seth taking care of me in the bathroom—his hand on my inner thighs, me asking him to touch me there. His eyes invaded every inch of me.

God, those fingers.

They were inside me. His cock in my mouth.

An excited shiver zips up down my spine, my pulse racing right between my thighs. I reach under the blanket and slip my hand under the band of the loose pants I borrowed from Seth’s mom, and I’m still so wet. Sliding my finger over my clit, I sink into the bed, picturing Seth touching me again like last night. The hunger he showed, the passion with which he stared at me, the intensity of fingering me.

The mattress suddenly shifts beneath me as if someone’s in bed with me, rolling around.

I freeze, my finger still on my clit, and I twist my head to my side, only to come face to face with Reed, lying next to me, his head propped up on the heel of his hand.

Eyes open, he’s wearing a wide grin and showing his white teeth.

My heart catapults into my ribcage.

“Is this how you get off? Breaking into my room and in my bed to play with yourself?” His voice is raspy, as though he’s just woken up, too.

A whimper slips past my throat, and my hand shoots out of my pants so fast, I almost knock myself out. Then I’m scrambling out of bed, my legs still tangled in the sheets.

“Wh-What are you doing in my b-bed?” I finally stammer. At that same moment, I stare at the framed poster on the wall of a naked woman riding a Harley.

Wait, that wasn’t in the bedroom I fell asleep in.

Blinking in confusion, I finally free myself of the bedsheets and literally tumble out of bed. I hit the wooden floorboard on my ass. What the hell’s going on?

“Did you bring me to your bed last night while I was asleep?” I accuse, as Reed peers over the edge of the bed, staring down at me with a smirk. Tattoos reach up to his neck, more on his arms, which he folds in front of him to rest his chin on. Dark blond hair sits messily over his brow. I hate how incredibly handsome he looks.

“Why would I do that when you’re not my type?”

My shoulders flinch back at his rudeness. I push myself to my feet fast enough to catch a glimpse of him lying on his stomach, uncovered. I catch sight of his firm, bare ass, the tattoos that cover his back and more on the back of his thighs. Hell, why does he have to look so tempting?

I’m unsure where to look now, except his words are nagging me.

“Yeah, says you, who was too scared to touch me in the car yesterday because you might lose control. Is that how much I’m not your type?” I mock. Grabbing the pillow that tumbled down with me off the floor, I hurl it at him out of pure frustration. “That’s for being a rude asshole.”

He bursts out laughing. I’m storming out of the room just as he calls out, “I know I’m irresistible, and you’re struggling to control yourself, but you’re coming across real desperate by sneaking into my bed.”

I slam his door behind me, gasping heavily for breath.

Fucking dick!

The corridors of the house are quiet, almost too quiet. I glance down at my fingers, which feel sticky, finding them coated in chocolate and my arousal. Just great. Hell, I can’t believe I just touched myself in front of Reed in his bed.

I need to hop onto the internet and search for any updates from Nexus and if they found my friends. That’s my focus. They seem to be on the news all the time, so maybe they’ll give an update on them tracking me down to this town. Anything to give me an idea if they are going to hang around longer in town.

The idea of leaving this pack spins in my mind. Right now, going anywhere alone is dangerous for me. So, if these Alphas want to look after me, to let me hide here, then I’m going to accept their help until I work out what I’m going to do. Especially if it involves being spoiled with chocolates and wine to survive my first heat cycle moment.

What happens when my heat escalates? I heard when an Alpha knots in you, a connection between an Alpha and Omega tightens, drawing them even closer to one another. Are these the Alphas I want to do this with?

I don’t have another choice right now…

Jasper is simply adorable. Seth is intense, but I can tell by the way he stares at me the guy gets his way. And Reed…. I simply sigh at our last encounter. I will just steer away from him. The fact I ended up in his room, and he appeared genuine when he said it wasn’t him who carried me to his bed, I’m wondering if it’s me.

Years ago, I used to sleepwalk, triggered by stress, and the past few days have been nothing but anxiety-driven. But why would my mind take me to Reed’s room, of all people?

As I pass the kitchen, I backtrack and decide to rush inside to quickly wash my hands in the sink, then grab a drink. Maybe something to eat to get the furry chocolate taste out of my mouth.

The kitchen is white with a few essential gadgets on the counter—a coffee machine, toaster, and plug-in kettle. It gives a serene vibe, as though no one has ever used this room to cook actual food.

I quickly move to the deep farm-style sink and scrub my hands clean. Drying them with paper towels, I stare out the window into a small courtyard that appears unused. It’s sunny, and I’d love nothing more than to go out there to get some sun.

With my stomach growling, I instead turn toward the pantry, only to find Seth standing at the kitchen entrance.

His hair’s disheveled, and his brows are furrowed in a way that suggests he’s troubled by something. He’s in blue jeans and a crinkled white t-shirt. My insides squeeze at seeing him while last night’s events pour over me like honey. That pulse between my thighs escalates.

Just staring at him has me close to stumbling toward him. The man is an absolute god—standing tall, broad, muscles pushing against his shirt, and a strong, brooding expression calling to me.

Except something darker lingers behind his eyes today.

“Morning.” I try to sound casual, despite the sudden tightness in my chest.

He doesn’t return the greeting. Instead, he places his phone on the round table in the kitchen, spinning it to face me, then slides it across the surface in my direction.

“Mind explaining this?” he asks, his tone clipped.

Curious, I lean forward to study the phone screen. It’s a national news website, and as I focus on the title of the article, my heart sinks.

Love Strikes a Chord. Fever’s Lead Singer, Seth, Engaged to Mystery Omega.

Panic rises through me, strangling me the longer I stare at the photo of myself in a side view. The focus is me staring down at my hand, where the ring is. I feel as though I’m going to pass out. I scroll frantically as my face flushes with anxiety, scanning each line, reading the lies about Seth introducing me to his family as his fiancée, the engagement. It’s all there in bold print.

Fuck!

The only relief is that they haven’t printed my name or shown my face, which is a minuscule comfort, considering Seth is breathing like a damn dragon. Then another photo catches my attention—Seth lifting me into the back of his car, which he did when we left the party, and my exhaustion became too much.

Who the hell was watching us? The thought turns my stomach.

I glance up at Seth. “I-I don’t understand why someone would publish this. Why would they lie? I mean, at least they didn’t show my face, so Nexus can’t track me down. There’s that.”

His brows furrow as he asks, “You told the girls you were chatting with that we were engaged?”

I blink at his anger, a reaction that stabs me in the chest. Here, I assumed he might actually like me a bit after last night, but instead, he’s staring at me as if I killed someone he loved all because he’s announced as engaged. It’s fake, of course, so what the hell is his problem?

“I didn’t tell them anything,” I gasp out, my hand trembling as I hand the phone back to him. “Why the hell would I say that to anyone? And why would they take a photo of me and spread these lies? Was it the paparazzi?”

His gaze drops to my outstretched hand, and he’s silent, his expression dropping. He takes back his phone.

“Is that my grandma’s ring you’re wearing?” he asks, his voice darkening.

As Seth’s stare hardens on the ring on my finger, my frustration boils over.

“Yeah, your mother insisted I wear it, and I couldn’t exactly say no. We’re just faking being together,” I snap. “So, really, us being in the paper is your fault.”

“Dani…” My shortened name escapes his lips, almost like a warning.

But I’m not backing down.

“I get it. You’re angry because your bachelor reputation is at risk. Maybe you should have thought of that before taking me to the party.”

His breathing grows heavier, his shoulders inching up as he just stares at me. I’m half expecting him to blow up, except no way in hell is this my fault.

Shaking all over, furious at myself that I felt anything for him yesterday, I yank the ring off my finger, then round the table and shove it into his hand.

“Take your ring back. I never asked for it, so don’t look at me like I’m some groupie dying to tell the world we’re together. That’s the farthest from the truth.” My insides are trembling, my throat thickening because I’m mad at myself, but I’m not going to let him see my angry tears. As I stride past him, I call out over my shoulder, “And just so you know, I regret ever kissing you… at the club and last night.”

My emotions are overwhelming, my heart hammering in my ears. I feel foolish, na?ve, for thinking there could be something more between us. At least Reed’s been honest about it, not pretending.

Seth suddenly snatches my wrist and pulls me back with a surprising strength. In an instant, I’m pinned against the wall, his body blocking any path to escape.

Our eyes lock, and there’s a storm in his gaze, a tumultuous explosion of emotions mirroring my own. Anger and tears push forward, and I hate how quickly he brings them out of me. I realize then it’s because of how trapped I feel. Not just physically by his presence, but by Nexus on my heels, by the growing heat whirling through me. Instead, I’m standing there with tears in my eyes and my thighs clenching together from his delicious scent, from how desperately I want him to strip me.

I’ve lost control of my life and my body.

“What’s your problem?” I ask in a husky whisper.

His expression softens as he sighs. “That damn article is going to be such a pain in my fucking ass. We’re under contract with the record company not to get married, engaged, or settled down with anyone, especially not publicly. All to maintain the illusion that we’re available,” he murmurs.

“Oh, shit.”

“Yep. The team at Wing Music rang me at seven this morning and blasted me. Lawyers are involved as I try to undo the mess and not end up with a lawsuit on my hands.”

His words press down on me, dread hammering in my chest as I know that Wing Music is the country’s biggest record label.

“B-But it’s not real. Just tell them that.”

His hand loosens on my arm, but he doesn’t step back.

“The damage is done. This news will spread like wildfire, and the image their marketing team has built around us will be demolished in a flash. That’s what they care about… getting more record sales.”

“I-I’m sorry.” The words spill from my lips, not because I have anything to apologize for, but for the trouble he’s now going to face.

He pulls back suddenly, and I hate how my body steps after him, my chest sticking out, how my lack of control is so obvious. It’s embarrassing.

“I’ll talk to them,” I suggest. “I’ll convince them it was a mistake. Maybe I can say I’m a family friend, married to a cousin, that I’m working for you. We can come up with more ideas.”

Seth heaves a heavy sigh, his expression painful. He stuffs the ring into his pocket with a quick, almost angry motion. Stepping back, he glances at me with something tender behind his eyes.

“Leave it to me to fix. I’ll think of something,” he says firmly. Then he strides out of the kitchen.

I’m alone, standing there, drowning in a feeling of rejection. The situation sucks, yet there’s that lingering sting from how upset he seemed about having me wearing his grandmother’s ring before he knew the full story.

I can’t deny the attraction toward him. The excitement of being close to someone like him is mind-blowing, but perhaps Seth isn’t for me. The same goes for Reed. Doubts about Jasper start creeping in, making me wonder how long it will be before I see his true colors, too.

The ground might as well be shifting beneath me because I’m left feeling unsteady and uncertain. What am I supposed to do now? It’s not like I can just leave… even though it’s exactly what I’m dying to do.

I push into a fast step, heading up to my room, humming a tune in my head, playing the words of my song…

The stars above have stories to tell, but none as bright as us…

And those whispered dreams are now dust

Because you’re not the man I thought you were…

Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm