Pack Obsession (Love Knot War #3)

Chapter 21

Chapter

Twenty-One

CASEY

M y arms tighten around Axel’s waist as the stolen motorcycle weaves through traffic, the city becoming a blur of concrete and glass. His body radiates heat that seeps into my bones, dulling the constant heat that’s been humming beneath my skin and the dread of Julian?—

My throat closes up. Julian. The man who killed my parents.

The truth is broken glass in my chest, cutting deeper with every breath. But Axel’s solid presence grounds me, reminding me that I’m not alone anymore. They came for me. After everything, the three Alphas actually came.

The warm wind whips strands of my white-blonde hair and tugs at my clothes as we leave the city behind. Soon enough, the urban landscape gives way to coastal roads. The ocean appears, a slate gray expanse that matches the ominous clouds gathering on the horizon. My body throbs with each bump and turn, but I can’t seem to stop myself from pressing closer to Axel, breathing in his addictive scent.

I’m still coming to terms with escaping Julian. For a while, I was certain I’d be his sex slave forever, a thought that terrified me to my core.

The bike slows as we turn onto a private drive lined with twisted cypress trees. My breath catches at the sight of the house that comes into view—a modern two-story structure of stone perched right on the edge of the beach. The waves crash against the rocky shoreline below, sending spray high into the air.

Axel guides the bike into a garage that opens automatically, the door sliding shut behind us. The sudden silence when he cuts the engine is deafening.

“Wait,” I say as he helps me off the bike, my legs wobbly. “This is yours, too?”

He parks the bike and is off in moments, then steadies me with those huge, careful hands. “One of our safe houses. You’re the first person we’ve brought here who isn’t pack. Though you will be soon.”

I blink at him, trying to make sense of his words. My fingers curl into his shirt of their own accord. “I have so many questions?—”

“Later,” he says, and before I can protest, he scoops me up into his arms like I weigh nothing. A giggle escapes me, quickly turning into a groan as my bruised ribs protest as my heat envelops me, thumping in my veins.

“Axel! Put me down… this isn’t helping my heat.”

“Not a chance, peaches.” He carries me through a door and up a floating staircase to an open-concept living area that takes my breath away. Windows and French doors frame the turbulent ocean, while the interior is a bachelor pad—leather couches, steel and reclaimed wood furniture, and abstract art that looks suspiciously like Axel’s style. Weapons are mounted on walls like artwork, telling me exactly what kind of safe house this is.

He doesn’t stop in the great room, instead carrying me down a hallway and to what appears to be a covered deck. Except the walls are some kind of semi-transparent material that lets in the sea breeze while maintaining privacy.

“Bulletproof smart material,” he explains, seeing my confusion. “We can see out, but no one can see in.”

Then I notice the massive hot tub set into the deck, steam rising from its surface, a barbecue, a table, and chairs. He sets me on my feet and starts pulling back the cover on the hot tub to crystal, inviting water.

“I had the caretaker prepare this for us. I messaged him when we pulled over on the bike, wanting it ready for you.”

“What? why?”

“You’re getting in the water,” he says, his voice brooking no argument. “It’ll help with the ache. And I’m joining you.”

Logan

T he house feels different now that Casey’s gone—emptier but charged with anticipation. Nash and I secured the area, dealt with Julian’s men, and watched as another Omega was rescued by someone else. Not our business, not our fight. We had our mission.

Now we wait in the room where they kept Casey prisoner, the space still holding echoes of her fear and pain. My hands itch for violence.

“Think any of his men managed to warn him?” Nash asks, pacing the length of the room like a caged lion. His glasses catch the light, hiding his eyes.

I lean against the wall, counting my breaths. “Doesn’t matter. He’s coming back either way. Thank fuck Casey’s safe. That’s what matters.”

“And destroying that fucker Julian,” Nash adds, his voice dropping to a growl. “Been waiting too long for this.”

“Patience,” I remind him, though my own blood sings for the hunt. “Waiting is part of it.”

Nash stops at the window, body going still. “Well, fuck. We’ve got company.” A predatory smile spreads across his face. “Julian’s back. Three huge guys with him.”

“More fun for us,” I say, moving into position. We take our places—Nash by the door, me in the shadows near the desk. The wait stretches forever until footsteps approach.

The door opens with a deliberate slowness that makes my teeth ache. Julian strolls in like he owns the fucking world, his expensive shoes silent on the polished floor. Three mountain-sized men flank him, their bulk filling the doorway. Amateur move—he doesn’t even scan the room. His arrogance is going to cost him.

I catch Nash’s eye across the space. One heartbeat. Two. Then we move. They’re all inside.

Nash slams the door with enough force to rattle the hinges while I launch from the shadows. Julian’s hand goes for his gun, but I’m faster—always faster. My arm locks around his throat as I slam him back against my chest. The blade I’ve been itching to use finds his throat, replacing my arm and drawing a thin line of blood.

“Don’t fucking move,” I growl in his ear, enjoying the way he goes rigid. “Arms where we can see them. Up front. Now.”

He tries to resist, but I increase the pressure until he slowly raises his hands in front. With my free hand, I strip his weapons—a custom Glock, two blades, and brass knuckles. Rich boy came prepared. I shove them into my belt, never letting the knife at his throat waver.

“On your knees!” I bark at his men. They’re huge bastards, faces carved from stone, but they’re smart enough to hesitate when they see the blood trickling down their boss’ neck.

Julian’s laugh is pure venom. “You stupid fucking animals. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” He struggles against my grip, and I press the blade deeper. “When I’m done with you, death will seem like mercy. I’ll take weeks pulling you apart.”

“Big words from a man bleeding on my knife,” I say conversationally.

“Where is she?” he snarls, trembling with rage. “Where’s my Casey? She’s mine, you hear me? MINE! When I’m done making you watch each other die, I’ll find her. And this time, I’ll make sure she never leaves.”

Nash’s smile is all predator as he keeps his gun trained on the guards. “Your Casey? Funny. She seemed pretty happy to leave with Axel. Ecstatic to beg for my cock. She’s our Omega now, forever.”

Julian goes absolutely feral at that, thrashing against my hold.

“I’ll fucking gut him! I’ll tear his fucking heart out and make her watch! You think this ends here? I have people everywhere… in every city, every state. She’ll never be free. She’ll never be safe. I’ll?—”

The door suddenly explodes inward, wood splintering as two more guards burst through.

Nash flinches, backing away, his gun swinging to the newcomers.

Fuck.

“Nobody move!” Nash roars, now moving to cover both groups. “Your boss dies first, then we start on you. Who wants to test me?”

One of the new arrivals, younger, twitchy, reaches for his weapon. Nash puts a bullet through his shoulder without blinking.

“Next one goes through his brain,” he tells the others as the man crumples, screaming. “Anyone else feeling lucky?”

Julian’s pulse hammers against my blade. “Kill them,” he orders through clenched teeth. “Kill them now!”

“Boss ain’t looking so good,” Nash tells the guards, his voice deadly calm. “One wrong move, and Logan here takes his head clean off. Then each of you is next. Play your cards right, and you’ll walk out of here.”

I see the calculation in their eyes, the way they weigh their options. Julian must see it, too, because he starts thrashing again.

“You fucking cowards! I’ll kill you all myself! I’ll?—”

I slam his head back against my shoulder, pressing the blade until blood flows freely. “Shut. Up.”

The guards exchange looks. Slowly, they raise their hands, yet I can tell they aren’t going to cooperate…

Casey

T he water embraces me like silk, hot enough to make my muscles unclench. I’m not wearing anything, but the churning bubbles provide enough cover that I don’t feel completely exposed. At least until Axel returns with a tray of drinks and starts stripping off his clothes.

“Don’t you have swimwear you can wear?” I squeak, trying and failing not to stare as acres of tattooed muscle come into view.

He chuckles, the sound doing dangerous things to my insides. “Nobody wears anything in a hot tub. And they will only get in the way of me helping you with your heat.”

My mouth falls open. I know I need him, yet I’m nervous, shy, and so fucking turned on.

I should look away, I really should, but my eyes trace the muscles across his chest, following them down to where— No. No, I’m not looking there. God, I am staring at a huge cock, already so erect, his manscape short and trimmed, making him appear so much larger.

A tingle of excitement slides over my pussy, and my thighs clench at how easily my body responds. Yep, see a naked Alpha, and bam, I’m dripping wet.

My face burns as I grab one of the drinks, nearly spilling it when I notice the scars. So many scars, telling stories of violence and survival.

“Like what you see?” he teases, stepping into the water.

“Shut up,” I mutter, sinking lower into the bubbles. “This is totally inappropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate is how tense you still are.” He moves closer, water rippling around his shoulders. “Let me help.”

“That’s... probably not a good idea.” But I can’t look away from the droplets trailing down his neck, catching on his collarbone as he sinks into the water.

He reaches for me, and I know I should stop him, but...

Logan

“ N ash.” I keep the blade steady against Julian’s throat, feeling his pulse hammer against the steel. “Get their weapons. All of them.”

Nash moves fast, patting down each guard. Guns, knives, daggers—the pile grows impressive. These guys came loaded for war.

“Good dogs,” Julian sneers at his men. “Just stand there while they?—”

I press the blade deeper. “One more word and I start with your tongue.”

Julian’s jaw clenches so hard, I hear his teeth crack.

Nash finishes the pat-down, gathering the weapons. Without ceremony, he crosses to the window and tosses the entire arsenal out. The clatter of metal on pavement below is oddly satisfying.

“Now,” I say into the tense silence. “All of you… that corner. Away from the door, away from the window.”

When they hesitate, Nash’s smile turns feral. “He said move.”

Julian suddenly barks, “Kill them! I don’t care how?—”

I slam my elbow into his kidney, cutting him off. “What did I say about that tongue?”

The guards exchange looks, then slowly back toward the corner. Nash and I edge toward the door, keeping everyone in our sightlines. Five trained guards against two of us, but we’ve had worse odds.

“Here’s how this goes,” I tell them, feeling Julian tremble with rage in my grip. “Your boss and I need to have a private conversation about certain life choices he’s made. You stay put, you get to walk away. Try anything stupid?—”

“You’re all dead, anyway,” Julian wheezes. “Everyone who helped you. Everyone who touched what’s mine. I have people everywhere, in every?—”

A flash of movement catches my eye, one of the guards reaching for his boot.

“Nash!” I yell.

Nash’s gun barks once, the guard’s thigh exploding in red. But in that split second, another guard hurls something—a fucking paperweight from the desk. It catches Nash’s hand, sending his gun spinning.

“Fuck!”

Julian throws his head back, trying to smash my nose. I dodge, but my grip loosens just enough…

And everything goes straight to hell.

Casey

A xel slides behind me in the water, his presence like a living flame at my back. I should tell him to stop, should maintain some distance to go into this with a clear head. The intensity between us is overwhelming, like standing too close to a bonfire—the warmth is both inviting and dangerous. My heart races as I find myself leaning back, my head falling against his shoulder despite my better judgment. My body is starting to take over again.

“Let me help,” he murmurs, his hands finding my shoulders. When his thumbs dig into the tight muscles there, I have to bite back a response. “You’re carrying too much tension.”

My fingers tremble as I set my drink on the side table. My mind is a storm of confusion and heartache, yet there’s this undeniable pull between us that makes it hard to think straight. The water around us feels too warm, or maybe that’s just me.

His fingers trail down my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Right now, you need to let go.”

“I thought...” I whisper, my voice unsteady. “I thought the water was supposed to help me relax.” Every gentle ripple against my skin only heightens my awareness of his presence. My nipples are hard as pebbles, desperate to be touched.

“Axel...” My voice comes out embarrassingly breathy. “I’m struggling to hold on?—”

His lips brush my neck, and coherent thought scatters. The ache in my chest burns, a reminder of what happened with Nash. But this... this feels bigger, more powerful. More consuming. Like comparing a candle to a wildfire.

My body feels like electricity, every touch sending sparks through me. I’m shuddering, my pussy is dripping, and I know I should pull away, should try to think this through, but the current between us is too strong to resist.

My heat is here…

Logan

T he fight turns brutal fast. Nash takes down his first opponent with savage efficiency, but there’s no time to appreciate his work because two more are on me. I duck under a wild swing, drive my elbow into a kidney, and spin away from a knife thrust.

The room becomes a storm of violence—flesh hitting flesh, grunts of pain, the slash of a sharp blade. Julian tries to make a break for the door. I catch him with a roundhouse kick that sends him sprawling into the wall.

Nash, his glasses long gone, is taking on three men at once. Blood sprays as he breaks someone’s nose. A knife scores my arm, but adrenaline turns it to nothing more than distant heat.

One of the guards gets his hand on Nash’s fallen gun, but Nash lunges forward, shoulder driving into the guard’s sternum. They slam into the old desk against the back wall with a thunderous crash.

I pivot between two attackers, using their momentum to slam them into each other, when movement catches my eye. Julian’s pushing himself up from the floor, blood trickling from his temple. His hand closes around a broken chair leg, eyes locked on Nash’s exposed back as he grapples with the guard. My heart lurches. I need to warn Nash, but one of my attackers has his meaty fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back, while the other drives a fist toward my ribs?—

Casey

A xel’s lips trace a burning path up my neck to that spot behind my ear that makes my toes curl. His hands slide down my sides, moving up to cup my breasts. His fingers pinch my aching nipples, setting every nerve ending on fire.

I hiss at the touch and lean against him, so desperate for him.

“So fucking beautiful,” he growls in my ear, pressing his erection against my ass, grinding into me. “The things I want to do to you,” he whispers against my skin.

The tornado in my head has finally gone quiet, replaced by the thunder of my heartbeat, the pulse of my pussy, and the feeling of his hands on me.

“I want it all.”

He makes a primal sound, turning me in his arms so fast, water sloshes over the edge of the hot tub. His eyes are electric fire, pupils blown wide.

“Casey...”

My hands find his chest of their own accord, tracing the lightning bolts that dance across his skin. The huge muscles move under my touch, and he shudders against me.

“Don’t make me beg, or I will.” The words come out breathier than I intended, but I can’t bring myself to care. One of his hands is tangled in my wet hair, tilting my head back, while the other slides down my stomach and between my thighs. I’m lost. Fingers part my lips, and he glides them down my length. I’m shaking with need.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he growls, then his mouth is on mine.

This is raw and savage, a claim that sets my blood on fire. I arch into him as he pushes two fingers into me. Moaning into his mouth, I forget everything but the feel of his skin against mine, the way he’s fingering me brutally. I can’t get enough, the scent of his raw masculine sex calling to me.

His words, a low rumble against my lips, send a fresh wave of heat coursing through me. “Don’t make me beg, or I will,” I’d said, but the truth is, I’m already begging internally. Every cell in my body screams for him. His fingers move, a slow, deliberate exploration that sends shivers down my spine. I can feel the slickness coating him, a testament to my body’s betrayal, and I hate it, yet crave it.

“Axel,” I gasp, trying to pull back, to regain some semblance of control, but my hands only find purchase on his hard chest. He doesn’t let me go, though. Instead, he deepens the kiss, his tongue tangling with mine, stealing what little air I had left.

“Shhh, little one,” he murmurs against my lips, his words thick with desire. “Don’t fight it. This is natural. You’re beautiful like this, completely undone.” His words, meant to soothe, only ignite me further. “Let it take you,” he breathes, his one hand now cupping my cheek, thumb stroking my skin as he never stops fingering me.

The primal urges are drowning me. Fire flares from me, the throbbing ache between my legs growing more intense with each passing second.

“I hate this,” I whisper. “I hate that I have no control. That I’m just… slick and begging.”

A low chuckle vibrates in his chest, sending a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

“But you’re so beautiful like this,” he murmurs, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw. “Dripping wet, begging for me. It’s driving me crazy.”

With his fingers free from me and me shaking, needing him back in me, he gently but firmly turns me, my back to him, and I brace my hands on the smooth tile of the hot tub’s edge. His hand slides up my back, sending goosebumps rippling as he forces me to bend over. My ass in the air, half in the water, Axel spreads my legs with his hand on my inner thighs.

Heat pulses through me.

My hands white-knuckle the edge, as if bracing against the onslaught of sensation. Every nerve ending seems to be screaming, each pulse of heat a reminder of the void he left within me. I shift slightly, trying to find some sort of relief, but the movement only intensifies the ache, the yearning for him to fill that empty space once more.

“The view from here is spectacular.” His fingers trace my spread pussy, and my breath hitches, coming in shallow, ragged gasps that echo in the steamy air.

“Such a pretty little hole for me.”

“You’re teasing is making me wild.” My skin is on fire, hypersensitive to every touch, every breath of his. I rock my hips.

“Easy,” he murmurs in a husky growl that sends tremors through me. “You’re so responsive. So… eager.” The possessiveness in his tone, the knowledge that he’s fully aware of my body’s desperate cries, only adds to the intensity of the heat.

I bite my lip, desperate to keep from crying out, to maintain some semblance of composure, but it’s a losing battle. The overwhelming need is like a tidal wave threatening to drown me.

“Open for me,” he whispers, his cock nudging at my entrance.

I shake, my body burning up, so desperate to have him inside me. My body’s a slave to this heat, to the overwhelming need that seizes me.

He chuckles softly, a low, rumbling sound that sends a fresh wave of shivers cascading through me. “Good girl,” he breathes, his words like a caress against my skin. The ache is becoming unbearable. My hips tilt involuntarily, drawn by the primal urge to take him into me deeper and deeper, to find some relief from this agonizing need.

“Axel, you’re killing me. Please fuck me.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear.” He drives into me, so fucking big that I scream, unsure I was prepared for him. I begged for it, but he’s a damn stallion, and I’m tiny compared to him… yet he’s in there so deep that I can barely breathe. Hands on my hips, he doesn’t seem to notice as he growls and starts fucking me.

“So stunning,” he says. “I am going to enjoy plunging in your little pussy over and over, knotting it, stretching it. Are you ready for me?”

I try to speak, but only a moan spills out as I hold on for dear life, my body rocking back and forth while this mountain of a man destroys my pussy in the best possible way.

Logan

T he fist connects with my ribs, stealing my breath, but I swing a fist into the fucker, smashing his face in. Swinging the blade with my other hand, I catch another guy in the throat. Blood, choking. Fucking asshole!

“Behind you!” I manage to choke out toward Nash as Julian raises a chair to slam into his back. In that same heartbeat, I hurl my blade at the fucker, and with his movements, I catch him right in the arms. He howls like a baby, the chair dropping from his grip, which does the trick. But Nash is drowning under three men.

A blur of motion, I vault over the fallen man, my body moving on pure instinct. My boot finds one man’s back with a satisfying shove—the crack of breaking bone sounds as he collapses, howling in agony. No time to savor it, I pivot, driving my elbow into another’s temple, feeling the impact reverberate up my arm as he drops.

“I had it under control,” Nash grunts from where he’s still wrestling with the guard over the gun. Always the stubborn one.

“Sure you did.” I move to help, grabbing the guard’s gun hand. I twist until I feel the tendons strain and pop beneath my grip, the weapon clattering to the ground. Nash ends it with a headbutt that drops the man like a stone.

I twist around to see the guards groaning on the floor, bleeding. I’m fucking tired of this shit. I march over to Julian, leaning on the wall, attempting to pry free the blade rammed into the back of his bicep.

Nash straightens what’s left of his shirt, somehow managing to look like he just stepped out of a business meeting rather than a brawl. Show-off.

“We should finish this. More will be coming.”

My focus is that damn idiot who started all of his.

He sees me coming and backs away but has nowhere to go… He’s got blood everywhere on him and the wall, but he jumps at me like a damn wild cat, and I take him on.

We go down in a tangle of limbs. Julian fights dirty, clawing at my face, trying to gouge my eyes. I catch his wrist and twist until something snaps. His scream of pain is satisfying but short-lived because suddenly, there’s white-hot agony on my side.

Another knife he must have forgotten.

Julian’s face twists into something inhuman. “I told you that you’d die here.”

The pain at my side is distant, unimportant. I grab his throat with both hands, squeezing.

“Not... alone...”

A gunshot rings out. For a moment, I think it’s hit me, but there’s no new pain, just a strange numbness spreading from my side. Julian’s eyes go wide with shock, and a red stain blooms on his pristine white shirt across his chest.

Nash stands close, gun steady, despite the blood running down his face. “Get the fuck off him.”

I stare down at Julian’s body, at those dead eyes that will never again look at Casey with that revolting hunger that made my insides boil.

“Good riddance,” I mutter, though the words catch as fire rips through my side. The blade wound—I can sense blood soaking my shirt, making it stick to my skin. Worth it, though. Worth every drop to know Casey’s safe.

Nash moves like a shadow through the aftermath, gun steady as he checks each of Julian’s men. They’re all down, groaning, some not moving, but he’s not taking chances. Smart. We didn’t get this far by being careless.

“Two of them won’t be getting up,” he confirms, voice cold. Then he’s at my side, staring at my wound. “You’re bleeding all over my crime scene.”

“Dramatic much?” When I try to straighten, the room tilts dangerously. “Okay, maybe a few stitches wouldn’t hurt.”

“No shit.” Nash gets under my arm, taking my weight. The movement sends fresh agony through my side, but I grit my teeth. I’ve had worse. Much worse.

We make our way toward the door, leaving behind the wreckage of furniture and bodies. “Call the cops,” I tell Nash as I take one last look at Julian’s corpse. “Let them see exactly what kind of operation he was running here. Get this whole place shut down.”

“Already on it.” Nash adjusts his grip as we reach the hallway. “You good?”

I nod, though my vision’s starting to dance at the edges. All I can think about is Casey—her fierce spirit, the way she fits against me like she was made for us. “She’s safe now. Really safe.”

“Yeah, she is.” Nash’s voice softens. “And once we get you patched up, we can focus on making her all ours.”

A growl builds in my chest, but it’s one of satisfaction rather than threat. “She already is. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

We stumble toward the rear door.

The knife wound throbs, reminding me we’re not quite done, but for the first time since we found her, I can breathe easier. Julian will never hurt her again. And soon, very soon, we’ll show her exactly what it means to be cherished by three Alphas who would burn the world down to keep her safe.