Chapter 9
Emilio
I wake up refreshed and stretch, my body feeling loose and relaxed in a way it hasn't in weeks.
The exhaustion that's been weighing me down for months seems to have lifted, replaced by a sense of calm that's almost unsettling.
But then I turn my head and find myself face to face with Liam and everything that happened last night slowly starts to come back to me all at once.
I freak out, sitting up so fast my head spins. The room tilts slightly, and I have to press a hand to my forehead to steady myself.
A large shirt covers me, the fabric soft against my skin and smelling like cedarwood.
It's not mine. None of this is mine. I look around frantically, trying to piece together where I am and how I got here.
Liam's face is relaxed in sleep beside me, his breathing deep and even.
His arm is stretched out across the space where I was lying, like he was holding me before I woke up.
The heat. The desperation. Akira and Liam taking care of me. My face burns with embarrassment. I need to get out of here before either of them wakes up and tries to talk about it. This was just a necessity. It doesn't mean anything. It can't mean anything.
Carefully, I slip out of the bed and grab my pants from where they're draped over a chair in the corner, groaning when I realize they're soaked through with slick and cum.
There's no way I can wear these. The fabric is damp and sticky, and just touching it makes my stomach turn.
I search around the room, my heart pounding in my chest, looking for anything else I can put on.
My eyes land on a random pair of shorts crumpled on the floor near the dresser.
I snatch them up and slip them on, the waistband hanging low on my hips even after I tighten the drawstring as much as it'll go.
The hem falls past my knees, making me look ridiculous, but I don't care.
I just need to get out of here. I need to get back to my apartment before anyone realizes I'm gone.
My shoes are the next priority. I search for them, dropping to my knees to look under the bed.
They're kicked so far back, I have to stretch to reach them.
When I finally pull them out, I shove my feet into them without bothering to tie the laces.
My hands are shaking too much to deal with knots right now, my heart pumping out of my chest, panic clawing at my throat.
Every second I spend here feels like a second too long.
The bedroom door creaks slightly when I open it, and I freeze, holding my breath.
Liam doesn't stir, relief flooding through me as I slip out into the hallway, moving as quietly as I can.
The apartment is unfamiliar since I didn't really see it on the way in, all dark wood and minimalist furniture.
There are photos on the walls, pictures of Akira and Liam together at various ages.
They look identical in most of them, save for their hair.
It's strange seeing them like this, younger and less guarded.
A clock on the wall tells me it's just after two in the morning. Alarm bells ring in my head. Zaden is probably already looking for ways to use my absence against me. The thought makes my stomach churn with anxiety.
My phone. Where the hell is my phone? I search around, checking the coffee table and the couch cushions.
Nothing. Panic rises higher in my chest. Without my phone, I can't call a cab.
I can't let anyone know I'm okay. I move into the kitchen, and finally spot it on the floor near the refrigerator. How the fuck did it get over there?
The screen is cracked, a spiderweb of lines spreading from the corner, but it still works when I press the button. Thank god.
Quickly, I pull up a cab app and request a ride, my fingers fumbling over the screen. The estimated wait time is twelve minutes. I can do twelve minutes. I just need to get to the front door and wait outside. No one needs to know I was here.
I'm almost to the front door, my hand reaching for the handle, when I hear a voice behind me. "Where do you think you're going?"
The sound makes me jump, and I spin around to see Akira there.
He's half dressed, wearing just a pair of sweatpants that hang low on his hips.
His arms are folded across his chest as he tilts his head, studying me with those dark eyes.
He looks like he just woke up, his hair messy and sticking up in places, his eyes still heavy with sleep, but there's an alertness there too, like he was waiting for this.
Muscles ripple beneath those tattoos as he moves, walking over to flip on the light. I cringe by the door, squinting against the flood of brightness through the room.
"I didn't mean to wake you," I say quickly, the words tumbling out. "I already called a cab and…"
Akira laughs, the sound low and rough with sleep. He stalks forward, closing the distance between us with slow, deliberate steps. "Cancel it."
The command in his voice makes something in my chest tighten. I'm about to argue, to insist that I'm fine and I need to go, but Akira cuts me off before I can get the words out. His expression turns more serious, the amusement fading.
"I might be a lot of things, but I'm not throwing you out on your ass this early in the morning," he says.
My mouth opens again, but he continues before I can speak.
"I get that you're your own man, and I respect that.
I get that none of what happened tonight means anything.
" His eyes lock on mine. "I also know that if you stumble back into your apartment at this hour, there are going to be a lot of fucking questions and your brother is going to be doing everything in his power to frame a certain narrative. "
He's right, and I hate that he is. If I show up at the club right now, at two in the morning, looking like this, smelling like this, Zaden will have a field day.
He'll twist it into something it's not, use it as ammunition against me with the investors.
They already think I'm irresponsible for being pregnant without an Alpha.
Showing up disheveled and reeking of sex will only confirm their worst assumptions.
I sigh, my shoulders sagging with defeat. "I can't stay here."
Akira laughs again, but there's no mockery in it this time.
He shakes his head, running a hand through his messy hair.
"Well, you can't go out looking like that.
I'll set you up in the guest bedroom if that makes you feel better, and then one of us will drive you back over to Aurum Pulse in the morning.
" Before I can argue, he holds up a hand.
"Don't argue with me, Emilio. I'm really fucking pissed off right now because what I sell isn't supposed to be used like that.
" His jaw tightens, anger flashing in his eyes.
"I saw the fear in your eyes, okay? Fucked me up a little.
Now, get your sexy ass in that bedroom and we'll figure out a game plan tomorrow. "
The genuine anger in his voice surprises me.
He's not just annoyed or inconvenienced.
He's actually pissed that someone used his product to drug me.
There's something almost protective in the way he's looking at me, and it makes my chest feel tight.
I'm not used to people caring about what happens to me.
Most people just see me as the Omega running the club, the one who's supposed to have it all figured out.
I nod slowly, not trusting my voice. Akira gestures down the hallway as I walk to the bedroom beside Liam's.
When I open the door, I see it's already set up with fresh sheets pulled back invitingly and a glass of water on the nightstand.
The room is simple but comfortable, with soft gray walls and blackout curtains.
Someone took the time to prepare this for me.
"I figured you'd try to dash," Akira says from behind me, his voice closer than I expected.
I turn to look at him, a frown spreading across my lips as a question bubbles up before I can stop it. "Why does it fucking matter to you? And if you say some bullshit about me being pregnant or an Omega, I'm going to kick you in the fucking balls."
Akira laughs, the sound genuinely amused this time.
His lips curve into a smirk, and he shakes his head.
"That'll only make my current predicament worse.
" He waves at his crotch, and before I can stop myself, I drop my gaze.
The Alpha is hard, his cock creating an obscene tent in his sweatpants.
The outline is clear, thick and demanding, my breath catching in my throat at the sudden need to help him with his current predicament.
Heat floods through me, my body responding despite my exhaustion.
I meet his eyes and step back, knowing I shouldn't complete what I'm thinking right now.
This is a bad idea. A terrible idea. I should just go to bed and then leave in the morning since the Alpha won't let me leave right now.
That's the smart thing to do. The responsible thing.
But something about the lingering taste on my tongue from Akira begs for more.
The memory of his hands on me, the way he looked at me during the heat spike, the way he commanded the situation without being cruel about it.
It's all too fresh. Too tempting. My body is still humming with the aftereffects of being knotted, and part of me wants to chase that feeling again.
"Goodnight," I manage to say, but I stutter over the words. My voice betrays me, coming out breathy and uncertain instead of confident.
Akira tilts his head, his pupils dilating, his expression turning almost predatory. "If you need something, Emilio, you need to tell me what it is. I'm not my brother."
My face flames red, heat crawling up my neck and spreading across my cheeks.
The implication in his words is clear, especially as his scent thickens in the air between us.
"Liam makes me ask too," I mumble, wondering why I told Akira that.
"I don't need anything, though. Goodnight, Akira.
Thank you for the room. I'll cancel the taxi. "
The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. I do need something. I need to stop thinking about the way Akira's hands felt on my skin, the way his voice sounded when he was talking me through the spike. I need to stop wanting things I shouldn't want from people I can't trust with anything more than my body.
Akira steps up to me, closing the distance in two strides.
His hand comes up to my cheek, his thumb dragging across my skin.
Then he presses his thumb against my lips, and I part them without thinking.
It's instinct, pure and simple, my body responding to the Alpha's touch before my brain can catch up.
His taste explodes on my tongue, my lids falling closed as I suck on his thumb before I can stop myself. A desperate whine escapes me, the sound snapping me back to reality. Horror floods through me as I step back and put distance between us.
"What are you doing?" I ask, my voice wobbling as I fist my hands at my sides. I'm not sure if it's from fear or arousal or some combination of both.
Akira's expression is dark, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that makes it hard to breathe. "I figured out what my brother sees. And since none of this shit means anything, I thought I might take care of the problem I'm having."
I shudder, my body responding to the promise in his words. This is exactly the kind of thing I should be running from. But instead, I find myself rooted to the spot, unable to move. "Right," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is just sex."
"And then in the morning, we go our separate ways," Akira agrees. "You'll see us tomorrow evening like normal and we don't have to talk about it."
No strings attached. No expectations beyond tonight. It's exactly what I need, what I've always needed. But the mention of Liam makes me hesitate. "But Liam…"
Akira's lips curve into a slight smirk, amusement flickering in his eyes. "We're all adults here, Emilio, and you two aren't dating. But you're welcome to ask him. I'm sure he'd love to join."
The image of both of them, together, focused on me, it's overwhelming. My breathing quickens as my eyes dart toward Liam's bedroom. Part of me wants to knock, to wake him up and see if he'd actually be okay with this. But another part of me is too scared of what his answer might be.
I look back at Akira, studying his face. There's no judgment there, no pressure. If I say no, if I walk into that guest bedroom and close the door, I know he'll let me. That knowledge makes it easier to nod slowly, my decision made.
I never get fucked the way I want on a regular basis.
Too many people talk. Too many people have expectations or try to use it against me later.
They want something from me, whether it's access to the club or bragging rights or a way to control me.
But Akira and Liam have never been like that.
They've always been straightforward, honest about what they want.
And if Akira is offering without any of the consequences, without any strings attached, I'll take it.