Chapter 3 – Arin
CHAPTER THREE
ARIN
I’ve never heard Theo so panicked before.
“ Arin, I don’t know what I did — she’s — it happened — the heat started and I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t want to hurt her. I can’t end up like my fathers. ”
Trapped in Paris, with my entire pack frantic, as my new omega goes into her first heat? Yeah, that’s just what I wanted for this week.
I barely remember to thank the driver before I sprint from the car and up the walkway to the front door, ignoring everything around the townhouse in favor of just getting inside it . Unlocking the door, I step inside, inhaling sharply on instinct. It doesn’t smell like anything but cheese and garlic, wafting from the kitchen. Dropping my bag in the foyer, I pivot toward the smell, stopping when I see Theo stirring a pot of risotto on the stovetop.
He looks up, then lets out a breath, stepping away from the stove and heading toward me. I feel the pull in my chest, wrapping my arms around the other man, tugging him to me. Now Theo smells like more than just his fresh rain scent — mixtures of Seth and Juniper lingering on his skin. I’ll get the details later, but for now, I touch the back of his head gently, my voice low.
“How is she?”
With the question, his rainwater scent sours, going muddy as his face twists. Theo pulls away, going back to the pan and stirring it quickly — I don’t know enough about Bennett’s specific risotto recipe to know if he’s supposed to be doing it or not, but it doesn’t deter me from staring him down.
“Fine.” Theo mumbles the word under his breath. “Bennett and Seth have been upstairs the entire time. They’re probably tired though. Bennett told me how to make this” — he motions to the pot — “and said she wanted it.”
Within the span of a breath, Theo’s voice takes on a gentle, almost loving tone. His eyes focus on the rice as he mumbles, “I need to get her to eat something, she’s only had two clementines and some water.”
I push my sleeves up, nodding as I move around the kitchen. Crackers, pre-sliced fruit, and anything with high enough nutrients in small bites goes into a basket I got for this very reason. I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted when she was in my bed days ago. It was the perfect time to get her to give me a list of the things she likes to snack on.
But this will have to do.
Pointing at one of the oversized mugs I bought, I mutter, “Spoon her food into that so it’s easier to hold.”
I anticipate she’s probably too tired to feed herself, but that’s why I’m here.
Theo portions out the risotto, then slides the mug across the marble counter to me.
I look up as I wrap my hand around the mug. “I’m sending Bennett and Seth down. Make sure they shower, eat, and sleep.”
Theo dips his head at me. “I’ll help where I can down here.”
His shoulders sag, his head dipping lower as his eyes stay on the stove.
“Theo, you are not your fathers.” I should know, I’ve had the misfortune of being around the two bastards for a majority of my life. “You’re not going to cross a line with her. You won’t hurt her during this.”
He looks away, his jaw flexing. “I might.”
I growl, unable to help myself as I abandon June’s food on the counter. It’ll be fine for a moment. Rounding the corner of the island, I step into Theo’s personal space, making the other alpha look up sharply. His eyes widen as I grab him by the back of his throat, my lips pulling back in a snarl.
“Theo, you are not them.” I give him a stern look, making sure he hears me. “I would not have formed a pack with you if you were even remotely similar. I don’t know what happened when I was out of this house, but I wouldn’t have left you with her if I was worried about your behavior. Are we clear?”
Something vulnerable shatters behind his eyes. “She’s just so small .”
I squeeze the back of his neck, feeling the snarl leave my face as quickly as it came. “And I trust you. More importantly, she was okay with being alone with you. I asked her before we left.”
Theo closes his eyes, dropping his head as he nods. I let him go. I don’t have time to work through every tiny issue he has with his alpha designation, but I do hope that he eventually gets it through his thick skull that I didn’t make the choice I did lightly. I would have never left them in the position I did if I didn’t trust him. And I do trust him — implicitly.
Snatching the food, I turn on a heel and jog up the stairs, reaching the topmost floor of the townhouse and sucking in a breath. I wish I could have gotten her back home to Rochester — because the nest there is more comfortable and set closer to the kitchen — but this is what we could make do with. After this is over, she can come home .
I reach for the door, opening it slowly and glancing in to see Bennett on his side, running his hand up and down June’s spine as she lies on her stomach. Her pale back is flushed, a sheen over her skin as she sighs softly. Seth is on her other side, stroking her hair. Bennett and Seth both look up at me, and I see the dark circles and bags under their eyes — a little pile of water bottles and food scraps in a corner.
I’m proud of how well they’ve done, but I’m here now.
Clearing my throat, I focus on the naked omega in the nest. “Juniper, can I come in?”
She lifts her head, her eyes widening as she scrambles to sit up. “ Arin .” Her voice is so raw and soft, worn out from use.
I smile gently, lifting her mug. “I brought food.”
The smile she gives me makes my heart ache. In the light from the hall, I can see the shadows caressing the curves of her body, thick hips, bare breasts, utterly unconcerned with the state of herself. I feel a little out of it as her focus flickers over me, like she’s seeing into my mind.
Her voice is husky when she whispers, “Come into my nest, alpha.”
I step in, moving over to her as I drop the basket of snacks within reach of the mattress. My eyes dart to Bennett and Seth, tone brooking no argument. “Go. Go eat, shower, and rest.”
Bennett hesitates before he nods. He bends down and kisses June’s head before he passes her, naked, to leave. Seth wraps an arm around our omega, kissing her jaw and lingering to whisper something in her ear. She laughs, a light, giggling sound as she turns into the beta. I watch as her arms wrap around him, squeezing tightly, clinging to him.
I hear them shut the door, but don’t see it as I step down onto the mattress with bare feet. Suddenly surrounded by the mixture of their perfumes, my brain clouds, instinct and desire warring. Her full attention turns to me, hazel eyes blown out as she crawls across the mattress. When she reaches me, she sinks back to sit, ass to heels, perched in front of me. The picture of a perfect submissive, hands in her lap, eager to please.
Fuck .
I suck in a breath as I lower myself down to sit, leaning against one of the walls, opening my arms. “Come here.”
She leaps forward and I grunt as she launches herself at my chest. Grabbing her, I help her crawl into my lap and hum as she wraps her arms around my neck. June bends her head down, barely giving me a glimpse of her sweet face up close before she kisses me, sliding her hands through my hair. I hold onto her as she moans, wiggling her hips.
I can’t think. She smells so good , damn near edible.
Her whine is breathy in my ear. “Missed you, need you.” Her lips slide across my jaw, rubbing over my beard. “Alpha, please .”
I jolt my hips up, unable to help myself when she’s bare on top of me. Sliding my hand over her hip, I work to swallow. “You should eat.”
“After, please,” she mumbles against my lips, kissing me again as she pushes at my button-up.
I pull back, watching her pout as she rests her hands on my chest.
“Don’t make me beg , Arin.”
My lips twitch — she’s more lucid than I expected — but she also smells like sex, and my mouth fills with saliva at the thought. I’m not predisposed to watching as much as Bennett is — but god — I have two handfuls of a stunning woman on top of me and picturing her overcome with pleasure from all of us makes my blood heat.
I kiss her jaw, muttering against her skin. “You beg so prettily though.”
She wraps herself around me, kissing me heatedly as her hands fumble with my trousers. I help her push them down, just enough to pull myself out, then I flip her onto her back and settle between her thighs. Running my thumb over the skin between her thigh and pussy, I stare down at her, my brow furrowing. “You’ve got bruises all over you.”
Her smile scrunches her nose as she grabs my hand and pulls my chest flush to hers. “Theo got a little carried away. I like them.”
I dip my head down, relenting and kissing her slowly as I slide myself against her slick entrance. Humming, I press my tip into her. “Should I add mine to the collection, Juniper? Would you like my teeth marks next to his? Or my bruises beside Bennett’s?”
She nods, her hands sliding over my shirt. I feel like a deviant, dressed on top of her as I thrust into her deeply, kissing her entrance with the knot at the base of my cock. She moans, a gentle sound, her neck arching as she sighs. “It’s so different with you.”
My heart stops as I stare at her, pliant and willing under me. Fumbling with my shirt, I push it off as I kiss her throat. “What do you mean, love?”
June gasps as I pull out and then thrust into her. Her hands move over my ass, then she manages to wiggle my clothes off of me — fucking minx . I grin as she moans, wrapping her legs fully around my hips, lost for a moment as she pants out, “The heat ebbs. I feel like myself when you’re inside me.”
I’d read as much as I could on the flight back — about omegas, heats, and what helped the most. There had been a few vague mentions that when a pack was involved, the prime, or pack alpha, would be the best suited to keep the omega satisfied. The entire dynamic apparently revolves around everyone deferring to me . It’s a lot of weight, sometimes, juggling Theo’s moods, Bennett’s cool sensibility, and Seth’s impulses.
It all fades as I brace above her, finally naked, one hand on the mattress and the other on the meat of her thigh. Kissing her deeply, I give in and fuck her. My omega — the woman who trusts me enough to be here with her, to have embraced our pack in a time of chaos and need.
I nip at her lips, sliding my fingers through her hair, my voice rougher as I push deeper, grinding myself against her clit, teasing her with my knot.
“ Arin , please knot me. I need it. I need you so —”
Her gasp makes me even harder as I jerk her head to the side, biting softly at her neck, not breaking the skin. She clenches around me, and then she comes, flooding me with her orgasm as I suck softly, slipping my knot into her. The feeling of her strangling me is otherworldly and I come with a strangled moan, breathing out against her skin.
She writhes under me, nails in my shoulders as she comes down, making little satisfied sounds. I shift us, buried and locked inside of her, lifting her into my arms and settling back to sit with her draped across me.
June turns her head, smiling at me with flushed cheeks and bee-stung lips.
I grab the mug of risotto and put some on the spoon for her. “Open.”
She complies, and I feed her, leaving her to rest tucked against me as I focus on getting some energy back into her tired body. Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, I settle in to be here for as long as she needs me — even if someone has to carry my corpse out later.