Salvation (Wild Heat)

Epilogue

Husky stompsher foot happily as I scratch her mane. She’s the smallest of our horses and rather slender, actually. She got her name because, like Brooklyn, she’s got one brown eye, one blue.

Behind me, Brooklyn crosses her arms and huffs in faux annoyance. “How come all the horses like you better than me?” she complains. “I spend way more time with them than you do.”

“You’re too easy,” I say. “They don’t have to work for it. Try being a little more mysterious.”

“I’m plenty mysterious,” Brooklyn says, offering Olive an apple.

The horses all adore Brooklyn. She spends a lot of her spare time with them, cleaning, feeding or sketching them. She’s a natural in the saddle, and rides almost every day. But she’s not completely off-base—for whatever reason, I’m their favorite. Probably because they know the land their stable was built on is mine.

Behind us, a man clears his throat. It’s Frank, the Beta we hired to train the horses. He’s in his sixties, a no-nonsense man who lives not far from us.

“Anything you need before I hit the road?” he asks.

“Nothing, thanks,” I say. “See you next week.”

He tips his hat to me and Brooklyn and heads out to his car.

Frank was the first person, besides the other Alphas and me, that Brooklyn feels relaxed around. It took a while for him to earn her trust, but Frank is practical, no-nonsense, and honest to a fault. He doesn’t try to charm anyone, which is probably why Brooklyn likes him. She’s had enough of assholes who use charm to hide that they’re assholes.

I throw my arm around Brooklyn’s shoulders and walk with her back to the main house. It’s a gorgeous clear night, the sunset coloring the sky in rich shades of red.

“Is Camden back yet?” I ask.

“He flew in this afternoon,” she says excitedly. “He and Denver are back at the house.”

When we left our hotel in Seattle, Brooklyn and Denver moved in right away. A military man at heart, Denver only kept the bare essentials at his apartment. He threw most of his stuff out before he flew to Memphis, showing up with a single rolling suitcase. He’s definitely the neatest person in the house; he makes his bed perfectly every morning and has a rigid cleaning schedule that keeps the house spotless. I appreciate his discipline, even if I’m not the kind of guy who enjoys vacuuming all that much.

Camden took a little longer to move. I know it’s been hard for him, leaving his sisters and their families in New Jersey. He’s been alternating weeks with them and weeks here, slowly moving his stuff in, suitcase by suitcase. It hasn’t been easy—I’d never tell him to his face, but I’ve missed him. I hated feeling his emotions through the pack bond, not knowing what got him upset or excited. I also miss his stupid lopsided smile.

His most recent trip will be his last for a while, though there are plans for his sisters to come and visit us next month. Brooklyn and I have talked to them on the phone quite a bit, but their visit will be the first time they’re officially meeting their brother’s Omega. She tries to hide how nervous she is about meeting them, even though Cam has assured her probably a thousand times that they’re going to love her. I’m pretty excited to meet them, myself. Honestly, I never thought I would like this many people.

But I do.

I like Frank, and Camden’s sisters. I like the two veterans Denver met at a boxing gym and brought over for beers. I might not need his friends to be my friends, but I don’t mind having them around.

Most of all, I like having my Pack around me. Camden, Denver, and Brooklyn make my life better and brighter, and I never want them to leave.

Brooklyn shivers under my arm. “Winter’s coming,” she says. “Nights are starting to get chilly.”

“Winters in Memphis are not like winters in Washington,” I remind her. “Some days, you won’t even need a coat.”

“Not when I’ve got you as my personal human space heater,” she says, snuggling into me.

Two figures are waiting for us on the wraparound porch. I don’t have to see them to know it’s Camden and Denver, waiting for us. A shiver runs through me, too, but it’s not the cold. It’s anticipation.

Tonight, we’re bonding with our Omega.

Brooklyn has been showing signs of her heat coming for a few days, and we decided that it was time to make things official. It’s been a little frustrating to have her this close without bonding, but seeing how excited she is today, I’m glad we waited. I can’t resist kissing the top of her head affectionately.

The other Alphas both greet her with a kiss. Camden kisses her passionately, happy to see her after a week apart. Denver is more patient—he knows he’s got plenty awaiting him inside.

I take Brooklyn’s hand and lead her down the hallway to her nest room. Denver opens the door, and she gasps with delight.

We’ve all brought her a few surprises to make it special. We didn’t want to mess with the nest itself too much, not when she’s already arranged it so carefully, but I can tell that we’ve pleased her with our changes. Denver hung some string lights that bathe the room in warm light. Camden picked wildflowers to make his own bouquets, reminding her of the flowers he picked for her back in Olympic. Colorful bunches of blooms sit in the corners of the room.

I reach into my pocket to press the remote control. Music filters into the room from hidden speakers, guitars vibrating softly through the air. I was waiting for the right time to surprise Brooklyn with the sound system I installed. She looks at me with amazement.

“Firebrand?” she says softly.

I can’t help my grin. “Camden told me you love them.”

Cam takes her hand in his. “We wanted tonight to be perfect.”

Her pupils grow wider, her smile one of pure satisfaction. “It already is.”

Denver pulls her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. His body looks massive next to Brooklyn’s tiny frame, but she has total power over him. Over all of us.

He releases her, letting me kiss her next. She tastes perfect, fresh and wild and uniquely her. I bury my fingers in her dark hair, pulling it tight so she gasps against my lips. A deep purr of satisfaction emanates from my chest, and I hear her answer in kind.

Mine.

She’s been mine since the moment I saw her photo. That lost, alone girl in the picture, looking off toward a future she couldn’t see. She didn’t know that we were coming for her, ready to fight to make her happy again.

We’ll always come for her, no matter where she is.

Our Omega.

I spin Brooklyn in my arms so Camden can touch her. He presses a sweet kiss to her lips before he undoes the button and zipper of her jeans. He pushes them down over her thighs along with her panties, too impatient to take them off completely. He just presses his long fingers into her channel.

Cam moans, and I know it’s because she’s soaking wet for him. I can see her slickness sliding into the juncture between his fingers and it’s all I can do to stop myself from kneeling to lick it off. My cock swells against my jeans.

She pulls her shirt over her head, and my mouth waters when I see that she hasn’t been wearing a bra. Her dark pink nipples are already peaked with arousal, and I can’t resist running my fingers over them. She mewls and arches her back, pressing into my touch.

“You too,” she says, turning to look at us all. “I want to see you.”

No three males have ever stripped faster than us at hearing her request. We’ve pulled our shirts off already by the time she steps out of the puddle of jeans around her ankles.

Once we’re naked, she runs her eyes over each of our forms, appraising us. I moan as she licks her lips with anticipation. Her naked desire for us is such a turn-on. My cock is so painfully hard, I have to stroke it to keep from losing my goddamn mind.

Brooklyn’s blue and brown eyes clock the movement, and she crooks a finger at me.

“Memphis, please,” she says. “I need your knot.”

She knew that of all of us, I was the most impatient to bond with her. I’ve never had self-restraint when it comes to this Omega, and I don’t intend to start now.

I press my fingers into her hair and pull her to me for a bruising kiss. She moans against my mouth, arching her back and writhing against me. Cam shifts so he’s behind her, reaching between us to keep playing with her clit. Getting her ready for me, while letting me grind my hips against his hands. It feels so right that he’s part of this moment.

The music surrounds us, heightening the moment. A new song starts, one that’s slow, rhythmic and sexy. I take Brooklyn in my arms and lower her to the floor, nestled in the soft pile of blankets she’s gathered.

I worship her body with my lips and tongue, starting by kissing her neck. Soon, she’ll bear my mark here. Our bond will be written on her body.

Moving down her body, I nuzzle against her breasts, lick a line down the center of her stomach, and nip lightly at her hip bones.

“Flawless,” I mutter. “There’s nobody more beautiful in the whole fucking world.”

Goosebumps rise on her skin, and I can smell the slick seeping from her at my touch. I follow it right to the source.

My fingers press against the flesh of her thighs as I spread her open to me. Her swollen folds are pink and glistening.

I’m done waiting.

She keens as my tongue swipes through her. I don’t give her a second to adjust to the sensation, because she tastes too goddamn good. Over and over, I run the flat of my tongue from her opening up to swirl around her clit. I drink down her slick, pressing my face against her. I want to be fucking covered in her.

Brooklyn’s fingers plunge into my hair, looking for purchase. My curls come loose from the leather holding them. Good. I want her to make my hair a mess. Tug so hard it hurts my scalp. Tousle it until it’s messy and tangled. Make me look like I’ve just fucked the life out of her.

Because that’s exactly what I’m gonna fucking do.

Her breathing turns rapid, her thighs trembling while I lap at her. I know how close she is, and I can’t resist lifting my head.

“Come on my mouth, Brooklyn. Now.”

I lower back, closing my lips around her clit. I watch her eyes squeeze shut as she follows my orders.

She comes, and her already beautiful face becomes transcendent. She practically glows with happiness, cheeks growing pink and full lips forming a perfect O.

Fuck, I’m one lucky Alpha.

“So fucking gorgeous,” I say, moving up to kiss her.

She circles her arms around my neck and rocks her hips against mine.

“I need you, Memphis,” she says in a throaty voice.

Just when I thought my cock couldn’t get any harder…

“And I need you, Sunshine.”

I line my cock up with her entrance, the precum on the tip mixing with her slick. For a moment, I imagine that the seed I leave in her tonight will take root. Seeing her belly rounded with my pup.

There’s no more beautiful image in the fucking world.

When she’s ready, I’ll make it reality. Right now, I’m just going to fuck her until she can’t see straight.

Even after her last orgasm, her inner walls are still unbearably tight. I rock into her slowly, and her body makes room for me. Kissing her forehead, I push into her until I’m fully seated inside.

It’s heaven. She’s heaven.

Brooklyn’s inner muscles clench around me, and I indulge myself for a moment, staying still in her wet heat. She looks up at me with eyes wide in adoration, and I can’t believe I was lucky enough to find her. As long as she wants me, I’m never fucking letting her go.

“This pussy is mine,” I growl.

“Yes,” she answers, eyes glazed. “Yes, God, yes.”

I shift my hips back and drive back into her, hitting a spot inside her that makes her cry out. Her fingers clutch at the muscles of my back, telling me how close she wants me. I thrust faster, my rhythm getting more frenzied the more she claws at me. I have to bite my lip to keep from losing myself in a haze of desire. I want to be present for every second of this.

The night where Brooklyn becomes mine.

My sunshine.

My Omega.

My Pack.

Our girl.

Her hips rock back against mine, her clit brushing against my pubic bone and my growing knot. I can feel her slick dripping around my shaft and making a small puddle on the blankets under us. It’s so unbearably hot, it brings me right to the edge. My balls tighten, and my knot is fully swollen.

I see the glow in her eyes, and I understand that she knows how ready I am.

“I love you, Brooklyn,” I growl. “You’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” she says eagerly, full lips curling into a brilliant smile.

I grit my teeth and force my knot inside her. She screams out with her own orgasm as I lock into her. The connection between us feels like a force of nature. As powerful as an ocean riptide, as solid as the plates of the earth.

My orgasm thunders through me, red hot and completely overpowering. My cock empties itself in her, leaving a piece of me with her. I taste something salty and hot, and I see a rounded wound on Brooklyn’s olive skin. I barely remember making the final conscious decision to do it. Can’t recall the act itself over the raucous thundering in my chest and the all-consuming waves of Brooklyn as she bathes my mind in her light.

Pride and satisfaction course through me, knowing that I’ve marked her. Nobody will ever question that she’s mine.

Suddenly, I feel the faint echo of my joy. It’s like my feelings have doubled, like my heart is able to hold something completely new. Something green and alive, like a new tree branching out.

It’s her.

I feel Brooklyn.

I feel our bond, wild and joyful and bright. She’s like a forest, full of life and growth and secret pleasures.

Brooklyn lets out a long breath, her eyes fluttering shut. I know that she’s going inside her mind, reveling in the feeling of our bond. I roll to my back, pulling her into the crook of my arm so she can rest on my chest.

Once, Brooklyn and I both thought we were meant to be alone.

I’ve never been so humbled by being wrong.