Salvation (Wild Heat)

Chapter 13 – C A M D E N

The minute Denvercloses the tarp behind him, Brooklyn backs away. She’s so weak and tired, it’s really just the tiniest of twinges backward. But it’s enough to tell me how frightened she is. My orders might be to hurry, but right now, I don’t fucking care. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her feel comfortable before I lay a finger on her.

I sit on the edge of her makeshift bed, carefully leaving her space. “I know I just told the others that you need a knot. But if that’s not what you want, I promise, I won’t lay a finger on you. Everything we do from here on is your choice, okay?”

Her big, blue and brown eyes just stare at me. She’s still wary. The mud’s all washed off her olive skin, and she’s just wearing a loose t-shirt and soft shorts underneath Denver’s jacket.

She should be wearing my clothes, not his.

I blink in surprise at my own jealousy. I’m normally not that guy. I always expected that one day, I’d bond with an Omega and a few other Alphas—with Cervus keeping the Omega population low, I never expected to be lucky enough to have an Omega all my own. Anyway, all that would happen far down the road. I planned on enjoying my independence a few years more, thanks. Now, all that’s irrelevant.

Now, all I can think is, Not Denver’s. Mine.

I take a breath and focus on Brooklyn. If I want her to trust me, I have to stay in the moment and react appropriately to whatever she’s giving me. I meet those gorgeous eyes and try to be as open as I possibly can.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, okay?” I tell her. “I want you. You’re so beautiful, and your scent—it’s incomparable. Being invited to your bed would be an honor. All that said, I wouldn’t want it like this. Not with you crying and suffering.”

Her expression shifts. Instead of looking wary, she looks almost intrigued.

“The only reason I’m offering now is because you’re in pain,” I explain. “Trust me, I’d rather wait until you feel just as sure about me as I do about you before I made a move. But I can see how this heat is killing you, and I want to help take that pain away.”

Brooklyn’s eyes aren’t narrowed anymore. If I’m reading her right, she might be…hopeful. She shifts slightly to sit up, and Denver’s jacket falls off her shoulder. In the dim light, I can see a mark on the smooth skin at the base of her neck. It’s pale and imperfectly round. Almost like…

Like a bite.

Now that I see it, the shape is unmistakable. An Alpha has already bitten her, yet her scent clearly tells me she’s unbonded—or at least, if there’s any remnant of the bond, it’s too weak to register. Which can only mean one thing. Someone forced her. When she was vulnerable, broken and in pain, some evil motherfucker took advantage of her in the most intimate possible way.

I can barely hold back my rage. I dig my fingers hard into my palms, because I know that she’s scared enough already. I refuseto let my own feelings take precedence over hers, especially now. I’m practically shaking with rage, thinking about how nobody protected her. Even though it’s impossible, a voice inside me insists that I should have been there to stop whoever the bastard was. Like Brooklyn should be mine to protect.

I guess in this moment, though, she is mine. I can protect her by swallowing my anger. Brooklyn needs someone to be calm and gentle with her when she’s this defenseless. I give her my sweetest smile.

She doesn’t return it, but her gaze softens.

This is about her. Give the Omega what she needs.

“Can I touch you?” I whisper. My fingers reach out toward hers, hovering above her hand.

She blinks, and her head dips in a quick nod. Lightly, I set my hand against hers. I stroke the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, making little circles. The skin of her hand is callused from work, but the rest of her is so perfectly soft. Her breathing gets heavier, and her eyes wander from my face to follow the movement of my hand. I can fucking smell her slick get heavier. She’s just as turned on right now as I am.

But I don’t rush. I have to earn her trust for this.

I drag my hand slowly up her arm, and she doesn’t stop me. By the time I’ve reached her shoulder, I take a chance and cup her face in my hand. She leans into my touch so beautifully, and my chest swells. I’ve never had anything this precious in my hand.

“You’re doing so well,” I murmur.

One minute we’re staring at each other, and the next, she kisses me. The touch of her lips is light, and I only get a second to appreciate how soft and plush her lips are before she backs away again. Her chest rises as she breathes rapidly, like she’s scared of what she just initiated.

I can’t help my grin. She doesn’t want me to just fuck her fast to take the pain away—if she wanted to rush, she could have just jumped me instead of backing off. No, she wants me to take care of her and make her feel good. The way an Alpha is supposed to.

If Brooklyn wants me to take care of her, I’m more than happy to oblige.

I lean in and kiss her softly. Her lips part almost immediately, like she’s a rose blooming under my touch. She’s so beautifully responsive, melting against me like she knows our bodies were made for each other. A little moan escapes her and sets my pulse thumping. Already, my cock feels rock-hard against my zipper. I’m drowning in her perfect wildflower scent.

I guide my tongue into her mouth as the kiss deepens. Our tongues tangle, and the taste of her could take an Alpha to his knees. Her back arches as she pushes more firmly against me, her gorgeous breasts pressed against my chest.

I guide her to lie back against her quilt, supporting my weight on my elbows while I settle her under me. Her legs open to let me fit between them, my cock lining up perfectly with her hips. I can’t stop myself from thrusting against her, enjoying the friction between us. Her rosebud lips part and she cries out, her fingers gripping my shoulders through my shirt. She feels so small underneath me. The perfect little Omega.

It’s time to warm her up for me. I reach between us, and my fingers move slowly up her thighs, giving her time to stop things if I’m going too fast. She lifts her hips, her core pressing into my hand before I touch her. I groan at how hot and wet she feels already seeping through her shorts and panties.

I should undress her first, but I can’t fucking wait. I pull the fabric to the side and cup her slick folds. Fuck, she’s absolutely drenched. I want to plunge my fingers inside her and watch her face while she gets filled up. But now that I’m touching her, she’s frozen. So I let her take a moment to think—this is her show.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispers finally.

My heart cracks open. She speaks. Her voice is rusty and broken, like she hasn’t used it in a long time. But she’s communicating with me, and it’s all I could ask for right now.

“It’s okay,” I say, nuzzling my face against her neck. “I’ll show you.”

I take my time tracing her swollen pink folds with my fingers, carefully avoiding her clit. All in good time—she’s going to be desperate for me by the time I deliver the relief she’s craving. I don’t give a fuck about anything outside this shelter. It’s just her and me, and I plan on taking my sweet time making her come.

The next time my fingers slide along her core, her knees snap closed. I tut disapprovingly at her.

“No, baby,” I murmur. “You’re going to keep those legs open so I can see you. Trust me, I’m going to make you feel good.”

She whimpers, but lets her legs fall back open. I smile my approval, and reward her by brushing my thumb against her clit. She gasps, then whines when my fingers go right back to stroking her everywhere else. Even though I’m driving her crazy, her thighs glisten with her slick. I know what she needs, and I have every intention of giving it to her.

I watch her reaction with each swipe of my fingers. Her thighs are trembling harder, her gorgeous pussy so pink and sensitive. Her scent fills the shelter, overwhelming me. I alternate between touching her clit like she wants me to and circling around it, delaying her satisfaction. When she doesn’t get the touch she wants, she whines in desperation. I kiss her roughly, swallowing her cries.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” I tell her. “Moan for me. Show me how much you want it.”

Brooklyn obeys, like the good girl she is. It’s a perfect symphony, her noises of pleasure surrounding me as I drive her closer and closer to her orgasm. When I slip one finger inside her hot, tight channel, she buries her face in my neck like she’s overwhelmed. Gently, I guide her head back down.

“No, baby,” I instruct. “I want you to look at me. You’re gonna come, and I want to see every moment.”

Her walls flutter around my finger, and her teeth are clenched, like she’s trying to stop herself from letting go. That won’t do.

“No holding back now,” I whisper. “Let go and let me get you there. There we go. Come for me, baby.”

Her inner walls clench around me and she shrieks unabashedly as she comes. She’s so fucking beautiful, arching her slender body as pleasure rockets through her veins. A sense of power and satisfaction thrums through me. I made her feel like this. I might be the first one who really made it good for her. It shouldn’t, but it still feels really fucking satisfying.

I press soft kisses against her neck while she comes down. She’s still wearing far too many clothes. I want to physically tear her shirt and panties off. As for Denver’s jacket, if you ask me, it belongs right in the wildfire outside. I have to hold my breath to keep from hissing as I slide it off her slender shoulders.

I’ll kill any other Alpha who comes near her like this.

She’s mine.

The force of my thoughts shakes me. I’m not a violent guy. Hell, one of my sisters slapped a “Give Peace a Chance” bumper sticker on the back of my truck. But when I think about anyone else getting near this precious Omega, I want to rip their throats out with my goddamn teeth.

I toss the offending jacket on the floor, then move on to pull off her shirt. I take my time, sliding my fingers along each of her ribs as I go. The light touch on her sensitive skin makes her shiver, and I groan when I see her hardened nipples poking through the thin fabric. I can’t help it. I lean down and suck hard on one nipple through the cotton. Brooklyn arches her back, hissing her pleasure. I grin, treating the other one to a quick bite, to her apparent delight.

Finally, the shirt’s off and I can get a good look at her gorgeous torso. Her breasts are on the small side, but pert and more than a mouthful. Her rosy nipples rise in stiff, perfect peaks. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Yet when she stares up at me, Brooklyn looks almost shy. Like she’s not sure I’ll like what I see.

It’s insane. How can she have any doubt how flawless she is?

“I love these,” I tell her, cupping her breasts one at a time. “So beautiful.”

Her answering smile makes my cock throb.

Fuck it, I’m not taking my time with her shorts and panties. I yank those down her legs fast, exposing her pussy. It’s deep pink and shiny with her slick. I lick my lips, desperate to get a taste of her.

“Please,” she begs me, her voice breaking on the syllable. “Please, Camden.”

Camden might not be my real name, but it sure sounds sweet coming out of her mouth.

I cock an eyebrow down at her. “Do you even know what you’re asking me for, sweetheart?”

She frowns, then shakes her head. She looks so frustrated—I get the feeling she hates feeling ignorant.

“I think you want me to make you feel good. You want to cum on my cock, is that right?”

“Yes,” she whispers.

I kiss her warmly. “And you will,” I promise. “But first, I’m going to use my tongue. Trust me—it’ll feel good.”

She groans her dissatisfaction. I can tell she’s starting to doubt my plans, so I decide to get straight to it. Let her see what she’d be missing if I skipped straight to the main event. I lower my mouth to her core and drag my tongue over her clit. Her surprised moan goes right to my cock.

“You taste so good,” I mutter against her. “Like fucking honey.”

I lick her again, taking my sweet time moving from her opening up to her pretty little clit. Her thighs tremble—she likes that. Every lick, I move a little faster, cataloging what she likes. Every swirl, every breath, every drag of my teeth. I could devote my whole life to learning how to drive this woman wild.

Brooklyn’s thighs try to clench together, but she stops them every time, remembering my instructions—knees open. Her breath’s coming in short, rapid gasps. She’s so close to falling apart.

“Get ready, baby,” I murmur. “This is gonna be big.”

I close my lips around her clit and suck hard.

That’s all it takes, and her slick floods into my mouth. She cries out in a broken animal wail. Fuck, I love how loud she is.

I pull back so I can look at her stunning body, laid out for me like a feast. Some animal urge in me wants to shove her down against the bed and dominate her. Fuck her so roughly that she’ll never be able to forget that I was here. That I was the one who knotted her when she was crying from desperation. I want to forget about tenderness and leave my mark on her gorgeous body.

I force that urge down. Right now, all that matters is being who she needs me to be. The Alpha who makes the pain go away.