Chapter 11
Iwas fed up with this dress, so this shopping trip came at just the right time or else I would have thrown a fit. Dorian kept looking at my leg to the point that he’d swerved a few times.
And each time, he squeezed the steering wheel so hard it creaked.
I tried not to pay attention to him, to study the roads, but my attention kept drifting back to him. With my next peek, he was staring at my leg again. I’d done nothing to hide from him, and my Omega instincts preened under his attention.
He muttered, but it was too low for me to hear. He pressed the button to slide his window down, then popped the compartment below his radio to pull out a cigarette. I stiffened at the sight of it. My throat closed, and it became harder to breathe.
Father preferred cigars.
I exhaled slowly, keeping my gaze fixed on him. Watching his every move helped soothe my anxiety. I swiped my damp palms against my thighs.
He popped the end in his mouth before grabbing a lighter. All this while he drove. So skillfully, the habit was obviously a long-standing thing. Dorian inhaled a hard drag to the point that his cheeks caved. Then he turned his head to the side and released a long stream of smoke.
The smell filled my nose, mingling with his coffee scent. It stung my eyes. I exhaled slowly. I was okay.
He exhaled again, resting his arm on the edge of the car door.
He revved into a lot, approaching a huge building that was connected to other buildings. Considering it was afternoon, it wasn’t a surprise there weren’t many people walking around.
Dorian put the cig in his mouth and dragged in again. He turned his head and breathed out again, trying to avoid blowing it at me, but I turned my face away to hide my watering eyes. I breathed in at the wrong moment and a cough wracked my frame, sounding choked from my effort to stifle it.
“Fuck.” He put it out on the outside of the car, then tossed the stick in the cup holder. His hand went to his thigh, and he tapped his fingers in a quick rhythm.
“You didn’t have to put it out,” I offered, speaking for the first time since I’d gotten in the car.
All he did was look at me from the corner of his eye. Then he moved his jaw from side to side.
“You’re not to speak to anyone. Understood?”
“I can’t even speak?” I exclaimed.
He careened into a parking spot and twisted in his seat to grip my jaw. I gasped at the sudden grab, my neck straining from his grip. Instinctively, I tried to draw back, and pain spiked down my neck. I mewled, but his grip didn’t soften.
“I brought you in a show of goodwill, but I’ll easily lock you back in that closet and forget about you.
” The toneless voice struck me with genuine fear.
Nothing but cold reality was reflected in his green eyes.
“Are you willing to do your part or not? One more outburst, and I will not ask you again.”
I swallowed with difficulty.
“Okay, Alpha,” I breathed, successfully cowed. His nostrils flared with his sharp inhale, and he released me. I gingerly touched my face. “You talk so easily about disappearing me,” I muttered, bitterness coating my tone.
He grunted and exited the car. I scrambled to get out, hobbling out on my heels, and shut the door to catch up to his wide stride. He held out his arm, and the look in his eyes said it wasn’t a request.
“What a gentleman, Alpha,” I commented glibly as I gripped the crook of his arm.
A wide smile spread across his lips. “We didn’t get the docile Omega we were promised in our purchase either.” His words rendered me silent. “Instead, we got a spoiled brat.”
I barked out a laugh. Brat? Me? “Ah, yes, because I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
I never had a say in anything, much less what I wanted. Sure I’d had materialistic things in spades, but what I’d always wanted, truly wanted—safety, protection, respect— was never given.
He looked at me and scoffed. “You’re saying it’s a lie?”
“Not at all,” I said between laughter. He could believe what he wanted. He grunted and continued forward. “So that’s why you searched overseas for an Omega? To find someone docile?”
“Unregistered.”
“Right, the ORD,” I mused.
Dorian guided me through the electronic doors that swooshed open, letting us into the air-conditioned department store.
The US government—The Council—had different divisions, and one of them was the Omega Rights Division. Every single Omega in the USA was to register under The Council, and ORD came into play to advocate for Omega rights and fair treatment.
It was nice in theory, if there weren’t loopholes to everything, and if there wasn’t corruption at every level of government. Either way, at least there was a registry here. It made it harder to get sold off like cattle the way I was.
“So now that we’re working together, you’re going to have to fill me in a little on why your pack needed to procure an Omega.”
He guided me to the shoes. I let go of his arm and selected a pair off the stand. I waited as he seemed to contemplate whether to answer me. Pushing him on the topic wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I kept my mouth shut.
“We needed access to an exclusive gathering.”
I hummed, rifling through what I’d heard him discussing with Elias. “A Heat Auction.” I kept my voice low even though there was no one around.
“You well know how Alphas desire Omegas.” He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his slack pockets as he swept his gaze around. Alpha pheromones came off him in droves. A hard masculine energy that would make anyone beg. “Either way we decided, we’d get in with an Omega.”
“Either way?”
“If we had to auction you or gift you to Elias’ pack.”
I went silent, slowly placed the shoes back on the shelf, and turned on my heel to stride toward the dresses. He followed close enough that I felt his warmth.
“Why so desperate to get in?”
He didn’t say anything, so I peeked back at him.
“Patience.”
In other words, I wasn’t getting any more out of him. I zeroed in on the outfits lining the back of the wall.
“So, I get you guys in, cooperate, and after I.” I paused. “Offer myself to a Pack during my heat, you will release me?”
“As long as you satisfy your end of the bargain.” More underlying threats. I plucked a cocktail dress that was a size larger than my size to accommodate my hips.
“Welcome to Langley’s. Can I help you?” A short, older woman approached while I’d been lost in his words.
“Yes—”
“No, thank you,” I interrupted Dorian and ignored the thundercloud of his expression. The woman’s nose moved, and her eyelids lowered as if she liked what she smelled. My territorial instincts swelled, and she noticed me tense.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” She withdrew, keeping her distance.
Dorian was watching me with deep contemplation again, like I was a puzzle he just couldn’t figure out. I was getting the feeling he always figured things out.
A familiar melody echoed from the speakers.
I loved this song. More accurately, I loved the band Bellrose, and especially their drummer. Humming, I swept my eyes around for the sleepwear area.
“Where are you going?”
“I need something to sleep in.” I grabbed an outfit I passed, complete with the pleated skirt, white top, and a matching blazer. He was still watching me. “Consider all this payment for my services.”
He scoffed. Ironwyld had already forked over a fortune to purchase an unregistered Omega. But that wasn’t my fault.
I ignored his looming presence and continued hunting for clothes.
We’d been shopping all day, so when we arrived back at the house, I headed straight for my bedroom and came to a dead stop at the cracked door. On my bed, Cade was sprawled over the mattress, one hand pressed to his face and his cock in the other.
Wait a minute. He’s holding my stolen slick-covered panties to his nose.
Ribbons of the single bag containing my sleeping clothes and underwear slipped out of my limp fingertips and thumped on the floor.
His eyes sprang open, watching me over the fabric. His eyes almost seemed to shine demonically, but it was purely a trick of the light. Movement from his hand hadn’t stopped. A bead of cum gathered at the tip of his cock. My mouth watered, thinking about the delicious taste.
Our cum was an aphrodisiac for each other, so I tried not to be too hard on myself. Or how my body tensed, like I was ready to pounce on him. He swiped his thumb across the tip, smearing the liquid across the head. A dare lit in his eyes.
A dare I would like to give in to.
“Get out.” The voice that came out of me didn’t sound like mine. Husky, needy, verging on whiny.
Mierda.
His grin widened, and he pumped his hand to the base of his cock, squeezing that delicious knot before dragging his grip back up.
My core pulsed.
Slick dampened my brand spanking new panties I’d put on at the store.
These Alphas were going to catapult me into my heat if I wasn’t careful.
Tingles hovered underneath my skin, rioting for freedom.
I staggered back and smacked into Rafe as he was walking down the hall.
My eyes were so wide they hurt. His eyebrows furrowed, but it took him no time to take stock of the situation.
I sidestepped to slink off to the living room, but Rafe’s arm banded around my stomach so my back was to his front. He stepped forward, forcing me into the bedroom.
Cade’s grin widened.
Even that made slick gather. I pressed back, and a pleasurable tingle shot through my core. Rafe’s cock prodded at my lower back. If he weren’t so tall, his cock could nestle against my ass . . .
Shivers wracked my frame, and I bit my lower lip to stop my whimper. Panic stilled me.
“Get out!” I blurted.
My chest heaved with each of my ragged pants. I was so warm. Sweat trickled down my nape. If this didn’t stop, I’d end up in heat.
“Dorian!” I screamed, kicking and throwing my ass back. Literally doing everything and anything to get free.
Cade smirked, watching me rage.
“This is what’s making you two so happy?” Dorian’s voice lashed through the bedroom. He came into view, arms crossed and looking over the wire rim of his glasses. He looked like a disapproving father.
“Happy?” I scoffed, following his focus to the other two. He could feel their emotions coming through their bond. Pon atención, Eva! “We had a deal, Dorian. You said we’d work together.”
“We are.” He turned to me. I could only pant, limp in Rafe’s grip. “The Omega has a point. Let her go, Rafe. Cade, stop being a pervert.”
“Dorian—”
“Cade,” Dorian said in a voice fused with dominance. My knees buckled, and I stumbled into Rafe, grabbing his arm for purchase. His chuckle gave me the strength to stiffen my knees.
Cade was already on his feet, disgruntled. He shoved his cock into his pants. As he strode past me, he swung my panties on his long pointer finger. I glared, jolting to the side to get away from all of them. My back was to the restroom.
I held my breath when all I wanted was to sniff their coffee scent. With a smirk, Cade disappeared down the hall. Rafe was already gone.
Dorian stared at me for a moment, his nose flaring as he inhaled. Confusion flitted over his expression, then he scrubbed his hand over his mouth as he backed out and closed the door.
A breath exploded from my mouth. Coffee hit me across the face, sending shivers all over my body. I moaned and was at the bed, my face pressed into the pillow Cade had been lying on.
Smells so good . . . A moan crawled free. I shouldn’t be doing this.
Quickly yanking myself back, I stumbled to the bathroom and turned the knob to make it as hot as it could go. I didn’t bother taking the dress off and stepped inside.
I wish the searing heat would burn their effect on me out of my body.