Chapter 15
The mattress jostled under my weight as I rolled over. My nose collided with a hard, yet smooth surface. When my eyes snapped open, I found a chest near my face.
I breathed in deeply, taking in the coffee scent. Instead of inciting a flurry of heat that bubbled under my skin, it simmered, as if there were a plastic wrap over it. I could feel it just under the surface, hovering—waiting, but I wasn’t driven by the sensation.
Blessed relief.
Still, that didn’t solve the current personal space issue in front of me. I dragged my eyes up until I met Cade’s light green ones. A beautiful shade that seemed to have hazel-green starbursts closer to the iris.
What was I doing staring into his eyes like a sap?
I rolled backwards to get away from the heat he exuded. A large barrier stopped me mid-roll. In the same motion, an arm went around me, tucking me close until skin was flush against mine. Everywhere. Because I had no clothes on.
“Why am I naked?” I bit out. “You fucking pervs.” I shoved at the arm. “Let me go.”
Writhing against Cade was only making it very clear his cock was hard and shoved up against my lower back. With every thrash, energy leaked out of my frame. I was incredibly weak. I swatted at Rafe’s hand that was reaching toward my face, but the Alpha bastard didn’t let it deter him.
He gripped my jaw, angling my face up to meet his eyes. “What happened to your back?”
“What does it matter?” I couldn’t make sense of their question, nor the anger marring his features. “Does it piss you off that the Omega you purchased is all scarred up?”
Cade’s arm tightened around my middle, forcing a hard exhale free from my lips. “We’re not monsters,” he scoffed against my ear.
“I beg to differ,” I muttered under my breath. Rafe’s chest moved. Was he laughing? It was so brief I could have imagined it. My limbs felt weighed down, and moving my arm to swat him away had been a feat.
“Stop fondling the girl, Cade,” Dorian drawled, standing near the end of the bed.
Cade sighed against my ear, and his grip loosened enough for me to push upright. The blanket fell to my waist, exposing my breasts. I yanked it up, trying to wrap myself with it, but Cade had it bunched in his fist, stopping me from making any progress.
Rafe reached over, his arm grazing mine, and he tugged it hard enough for it to slip out of Cade’s grip. I kept my mouth shut and shot him a look as I tucked the blanket around myself.
“How are you feeling?” Dorian tucked the collar of his dress shirt in place. Droplets of water hung from the tips of the strands hanging near his forehead. “We’ve been taking turns keeping you warm. You were shivering all night.”
“I was?” I scowled.
Cade rolled onto his back and tucked his arms behind his head. I turned to Rafe who still rested on his side, his bare chest on display. I stared at Rafe, and his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes flicking away from me. With a clearing of his throat, he rolled to his feet, dressed in sweats, unlike Cade.
“Meet us out in the living room,” Dorian ordered and left.
“What?” I gasped, but he was already gone. Dorian was so severe, it made me feel like I was in trouble.
Cade cupped my nape and tugged me toward him.
His lips met my temple. I startled from the tenderness, gawking at him in confusion.
What was even more mind boggling? He reflected the same shock at me.
Cade almost leapt away from me, then stood and rolled his shoulders, not sparing me another glance as he strutted out.
Rafe hovered behind, standing near a half-open drawer.
He plucked out a piece of clothing and returned to the side of the bed.
His knees pushed against the edge as he opened the neck hole of the shirt and shoved it over my head.
With his careful touch, he reached inside to collect my hair and tug it out of the collar.
All I could do was watch his quiet, intimidating movements.
Then, he too, was gone.
How bizarre. They were behaving . . . decently. It was suspicious.
I tossed my legs over the edge of the bed and scooted off the unfamiliar mattress. The end of Rafe’s shirt landed at my shins, and I tugged the collar of the shirt higher to sniff.
A shiver spawned and rolled down my spine. He smells so good—
I had to stop. Trudging out of Rafe’s bedroom, I wound up near the door closest to the last. The door from the following bedroom I crossed hung open, and the intense coffee scent I was becoming addicted to wafted out.
That must be the third of the Alpha’s bedroom.
I reached the end of the hall and took the right, passing their stupid sex room, the gym, then the room I’d been shoved in.
Hesitating near the door, I chewed my lip. Should I change?
Rafe’s shirt enveloping me was comforting. Like he was with me. That was the reason I should remove it.
I straightened my shoulders, rushed into the bedroom and shucked off the shirt, leaving it near the pillow, and dressed in my PJ set.
Undressing and dressing, as little as it was, left me breathless and sluggish.
I stopped right outside the door and focused on breathing so I wouldn’t fall apart.
My body hung on by a thread of strength. Repressitol had done a number on me.
I forced myself down the few steps, striding into the living room. All three gazes pinned me. Nerves took flight in my stomach, but I continued forward and stopped at the start of the simple gray carpet.
Rafe studied me from where he perched on the coffee table across from Dorian on the couch. Cade entered through the entrance opposite from where I stood.
“Takeout is on the kitchen table,” he announced.
They were feeding me? I furrowed my eyebrows, scrunching them so tight that my forehead wrinkled.
“I don’t understand.”
“That there’s food? I ordered bagels—”
“Not that.” I huffed and tucked my hair behind my ear. It lay in half of a mess. The strands I’d taken care to perfectly curl were limp. “Why did you bring me back?”
“You were sick,” Rafe was the one to answer.
I gave them the blandest look I could muster. “And you expect me to believe that you brought me back because I was sick?” Rafe’s mouth thinned, and he grunted. “Elias—”
“Don’t say his name as if you know him intimately,” Dorian snapped. Cade seemed almost proud of his lash out. I was numb to it. I didn’t know what to think or feel.
“Whatever. Surely, it would have been better to leave me with them than to ‘make an enemy’ out of them.” I motioned quotes with my fingers, recalling Elias’ threat.
They remained quiet, and Dorian’s expression rivaled a thundercloud. They wouldn’t know or understand this urge to keep me near. Or the possessiveness they’d felt when I was on that platform with other Packs watching me.
“So, what now?” I crossed my arms, refusing to let things rest. I stiffened my knees so they wouldn’t buckle. Exhaustion was making it hard for me to keep my eyes open. “I kept my end of the bargain. You said you’d free me.”
Their silence was like nails on a chalkboard. Dorian crossed his ankle over his knee and leaned back. “Did we?” he drawled. “I don’t recall.” He threw his arm over the backrest of the couch, meeting my eyes. Dominance radiated from his hard stare.
They are never going to give me freedom. The realization slapped me across the face.
“Just call the Greymonts and tell them you agree to their terms.” The desperate words almost ran together.
Dorian scoffed.
“No,” Cade said, scowling.
“But they said they’d help you find Susanna?”
Every single expression stiffened, and air seemed suctioned out of the living room. My tongue stuck to the top of my mouth.
There was no time for cowardice.
“Are you absolutely sure they wouldn’t know?” I emphasized. I’d been half out of my mind, but the words remained, ringing in my head. Cade’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “If they said it, they must know something.”
The way Elias had looked when he had thrown it in Dorian’s face told me as much. The Ironwyld Pack had been there for a reason, and he’d known it. Dorian straightened, and he rolled his shoulder. He’d been doing that more and more, like it was bothering him.
Dorian met my eyes. “We can figure it out ourselves if that’s the case.”
“Why do it yourself if they were willing to help as long as you left me to them?” I insisted. Dorian straightened, pinning me with an angry gaze. I stepped close until I stood before him. “Don’t you want your Omega?” I spat. “You’ve been searching like madmen—”
“I don’t know!” Dorian roared.
The shout was so sudden, so shocking, it struck against my weak heart.
He stood, and his lips remained a thin slit.
I inclined my head to keep his gaze, and I didn’t cower.
Dorian’s chest jerked with hard breaths an inch away from my face.
With a final hard look, he strode away, toward the kitchen area.
I jumped when a hand settled on my waist.
“He won’t be able to admit it, but I will,” Cade murmured against my ear. The soft brush of his breath sent shivers down my spine. “We haven’t had enough of you.”
“Cade and Rafe!” Dorian’s bellow echoed.
“You’ve done it now.” Cade kissed my cheek and left. I scowled, wiping my face as I watched him leave.
“You have us in knots, Omega,” Rafe whispered. I could feel him at my back, the heat radiating from him.
“Until you have your Omega.” I sounded dead to my ears. “This isn’t what I agreed to.” Rafe wrapped his large hand around my wrist. I yanked it away and ran.
Halfway up the stairs, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
“Eva!” The shout was the last I heard before darkness took over.
I was so warm and comfortable. Sleep had never felt this good. I hadn’t even known it could feel so peaceful. I nestled closer to the chest.
A chest?!
I blinked bleary eyes repeatedly. Was I seeing correctly?
Cade lay at my side with one of my legs trapped between his and his hand shoved under my shirt, big palm over my breast.