Chapter 5 #2
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remain in control as that metallic taste spread across my tongue. I was all riled up, and I didn’t know if it was already too late to stop a rut.
Shit.
Just breathe.
“Classy,” Jewel was saying. “Maybe learn to read? My scent-matching event is next Wednesday. And it was not, in fact, an invitation to approach me on stage or anywhere else, though I’m sure my lawyer will be spelling that out for you later.”
The alpha was being dragged from the room, and Jewel blew him a kiss.
“Ta-ta, darling. See you in court. Yes, buh-bye. Now, where were we before all that unpleasantness? Right. I was about to introduce the band! We're starting off with Fionne, local stars. They're identical twins—”
Someone wolf whistled. Jewel tutted and bent at the waist, a hand on his hip. I was still frozen, afraid of moving and losing control.
“No, don't fetishize them. Don't deny it, I know how filthy your minds are! You know, people sometimes think me and Laurel are twins because we look alike? I know, I don't see it. Sorry, Laurel, I got the looks.”
“Fuck you, Jewel!” Laurel shouted from the back.
Jewel gave an exaggerated blink of offence. “And the manners, apparently. Anyway, would you believe her scuzzy former fiancées were planning to try and bond both of us? No fucking thank you.”
There was a beat of tense silence following that tidbit of information. Red was creeping over my vision. Jewel covered his mouth, eyes widening. “Oops! Allegedly! I'm supposed to say allegedly.” He laughed. “Anyway, we're not here tonight to talk about my problems. Right, Claudia?”
He raised a finger to his ear, cocking his head to the side.
“No, that's next Friday. Tonight we're here to have fun. So, without further ado, please welcome Fionne!”
Adrenaline was still buzzing through my veins, and I was still processing what had just happened.
Someone touched my shoulder, and I whirled around, sizing up the new threat. I relaxed as I realized it was only Casey. He might have been intimidating if it weren't for his round, plush face and soft eyes.
He offered me a sweet smile and made me want to puff out my chest.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath, willing myself to stay strong.
Casey rested a hand on my arm, forehead creasing in concern. “You okay? Maybe we should get you somewhere quiet.”
Casey grabbed my hand and started to lead me through the crowd. The movement was dangerous, but now I was focused on Casey. This close, and I could get a whiff of him—a pleasant beta scent of peach tea.
I wanted more.
Jade appeared at my side, her face lined with worry.
Quiet would be good. I needed to go to a quiet place with Casey and Jade, a place where we’d be all alone. Where I could drink in their scents fully.
Security parted for him, and he was soon leading us up a set of stairs and into a private booth.
My head was pounding, a restless energy building in my veins.
My head felt fuzzy, and I wasn’t quite sure if I was dreaming.
Sometimes I dreamed about rutting.
The worst nightmares. Exposed, raw, and hurting. Driven by nothing but instinct, but that instinct was screaming that I was wrong, that everything was wrong.
“Hugo? You okay?”
Jade was looking at me with concern.
“His bag,” Casey said. “He’s got sedatives—he told me. I’ll grab them.”
He hurried out of the booth.
“Hugo?” Jade had moved closer, her brows pinching in concern.
The sight and smell of her made the steady, simmering desire I’d been trying to control flare to life.
Her face hovered in front of me, flushed from the heat of the club.
She was leaning over, her shirt hanging down and revealing the slight curves of her breasts, a hint of nipple making my cock harden fully in my pants.
My scent poured thick pheromones into the air as I lost control and pulled her onto my lap.
I needed her.
Right now.
“Holy fuck,” she whispered, her hands landing on my shoulder. Her faint scent was spiked with her own lust as her eyes met mine.
“You need me to take care of you?” she whispered.
There was nothing except her, this beautiful woman on my lap, her dress rising up her thighs as she spread her legs wider. Her tights were in the way, and I grabbed them and tore them open. Her hand came up to my chin, and she tilted my face up. I captured her mouth with a kiss.
She melted against me, letting out a groan as her hand came down to stroke against my erection through my pants.
She nipped my lip and pulled back with a cheeky smile, pushing me further into the booth so she could straddle me properly. She looked beautiful in the dim light, her bare skin glowing as she reached down and freed my cock from my underwear.
She shrugged off the straps of her dress, and it fell to her waist, leaving her top decorated only by a black choker necklace.
I growled and pulled her closer. I needed to be inside of her, claiming her. Fucking her sweet, tight pussy. She seemed to sense my urgency and wasted no time as she clasped my cock in her hand. My hands came to rest on her hips, cupping her soft curves as she started to impale herself on my cock.
She was biting her lip and panting with the effort as she stretched around me, yielding to my invasion inch by delicious inch. It was torture to wait as she cried out and spasmed around me, only halfway on.
I was planning to enter as slow as I could, but that plan failed as soon as the head of my cock slid inside her tight passage. She was warm and wet, and a snarl escaped me as I pushed forward, claiming her relentlessly.
She arched her back, and her fingers dug into my skin as a colorful stream of expletives flew from her lips.
I was nothing but a frenzy of lust, chasing the high of feeling myself rut into this beta's sweet body. I hoisted her hips for a better angle.
Fuck, that felt so good, and she sounded perfect. Desperate and needy.
I needed her. I wanted her to be mine, completely and utterly.
I pulled her up, holding her to me so I could inhale her sweet lavender scent.
I opened my mouth and bit into her neck.
I was reaching out to her, and she trembled in my arms, squeezing around me.
I could feel her consciousness stir against mine, a beautiful, shining warmth, but then it slipped out of my grasp as she swiftly rejected the bond.
“Fuck! Hugo. No fucking biting,” she huffed, shoving at me.
The words meant nothing to me, but her rejection was clear.
It stung.
I still needed her to need me, though, and rose up until she was laid out on the bench and I was hovering over her. She moaned as I drove my knot against her skin, grinding right against her slit. I had the pleasure of watching her eyes glaze, her breath come in pants as I fucked her.
She felt so good, but I didn’t want to finish before making her fall apart completely. It was a need in me, as strong as the lust itself, and I almost roared in triumph as she cried out and shook beneath me, her pussy clenching around my length.
That was enough to let go and fill her with my seed. I pushed forward, eager to knot her, but the resistance reminded me she was a beta. She would take my knot in time, but tonight, this would be enough.
Tonight it was enough to run my hand over her body as she panted beneath me, sated. To pull from her and scent the way my cum had marked her as mine.
Hurried footsteps sounded nearby, and my head snapped up to see Casey duck back inside the booth. He was out of breath. “Sorry, it took me forever to find—”
He then looked up and stopped, a flush appearing on his cheeks. It was good that he was back; he belonged here too. He was staring at my cock, which started to harden again.
His gaze dropped to the floor, and he swallowed. He looked delightfully nervous, the picture of sweetness wasting to be ruined.
I’d claimed Jade, and now it was his turn. I wanted to see him be just as tender and shy as he blinked those long lashes and parted those pink lips while he took my cock down his throat.
“No problem, Casey,” Jade said, grinning and slightly out of breath. “We got a bit out of his system.” I still wasn’t processing the words, but she was happy. I knew that.
I stepped off her and rounded on my other beta. Casey took a step back, which allowed me to cage him against the wall as I drank in his sweet peach tea scent.
Jade’s voice had spiked in alarm. “Shit! Get him in the arm, Casey, like we did with the ferals.”
I buried my nose in Casey’s neck, and he let out a whimper as I scent marked him, going pliant beneath me and arching into my touch. When I looked at his face, his eyes were hooded. His tongue darted out to wet his plump lips.
There was a prick in my arm and a burning sensation.
My arm was feeling heavy, and the feeling spread to my head. I tried to fight it, but it tugged me under into darkness.
JADE
I helped Casey maneuver Hugo’s limp form onto the bench before cleaning myself up. I frowned as he covered Hugo with his coat.
“Sedatives don’t usually work well for ruts.” Casey shrugged.
“From what Hugo shared, it’s not really a full rut. More like a pseudo-rut. It’s why he gets them so frequently. He seemed pretty sure the drugs would knock him out.”
He looked back up at me. I’d put my dress back on now. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Better than fine. That alpha can fuck.”
Hadn’t been on my bingo card for tonight, but I’d be down for growly daddy sex any day of the week.
I noticed Casey’s hand was trembling, and I took it. “Are you all right, peaches? That was kind of intense.”
He nodded.
“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” I asked. “He moved so fast, I didn’t have time to grab him.”
Casey’s eyes widened. “Hugo would never hurt me!”
A smile tugged at my lips. “So, what, was he claiming you, then?”
Casey went beet red, eyes flicking over to where Hugo was lying.
I heard the sound of heels approaching and a familiar, annoying voice calling out. “Casey-poo? Did I see you come up here?”
The curtain was drawn back, and Jewel peered inside. His nostrils flared, his eyes widening as he surveyed the scene. “My, my.” A wicked grin formed on his lips. “What has been going on here?”
“None of your business,” I said, but Casey was already answering.
“Hugo went into a rut. He worked off a bit of steam and will sleep the rest off.”
“Sounds like I missed all the fun. Invite me next time, all right?”
I could feel my cheeks heating a bit as I imagined it. “Not in your wildest dreams.”
“So there will be a next time. Good to know.”
“Will you just fuck off?” I jumped to my feet, getting right in his face. “If you weren’t being so stupid and selfish, this wouldn’t have happened! Hugo went into a rut because he was protecting you. Which he wouldn’t need to do if you hadn’t put a massive target on your back!”
Jewel’s look turned thoughtful. “Oh, I wondered who stepped in for me. The lights are so bright up there, I can barely see a thing. I suppose I should thank him, even if it means I have to pay that alpha double now.”
There was a beat of silence. I swear I could feel my eye twitch. “That was staged?”
“Of course it was.” Jewel waved his hand dismissively. “It’ll be amazing publicity. And sets clear boundaries that alphas aren’t to approach me before next week.”
I just stared at him.
“I didn’t plan this.” He waved a hand at me and Hugo. “But you’re welcome!”
I pushed past him, too angry to even speak. I snatched my coat and headed for the exit. I couldn’t believe I’d come out here tonight to support him and everything.
“Jade! Jade, wait up, angel, I’m in heels—”
Despite my short legs, I managed to slip outside before he caught up.
Asshole.