Chapter 31
Maddox
The phone hits the bed with a soft thud, the sound swallowed by the frantic panting in the room. My heart hammers against my ribs, a wild, frantic drum that matches the pulse beating in my cock. Relief and terror war inside me, a sickening, exhilarating cocktail.
Liam’s coming. He’s on his way.
But that doesn’t help Millie. Not right now.
“More,” she begs.
Her voice is a broken, needy whimper that shreds my control.
She’s on her stomach, her face buried in a pillow, her back arched in a beautiful, agonizing curve. Her thighs are wet with slick, the scent of her heat a thick, intoxicating cloud that fills my head and makes my teeth ache.
I nod, even though she can’t see me. I have to try. I have to do something. I bury my face between her thighs again, my tongue sliding into her wet heat. She cries out, her hips bucking against my mouth in a seeking motion.
She’s so close to the edge, so desperate for release, but it’s not enough. It’s not what she truly needs. I can feel it in the way her body trembles, in the frantic, pleading sounds she makes.
She needs the knot. She needs the pressure, the fullness, the biological release that only an Alpha can provide.
And I am failing her.
My cock is a hard, demanding ache, a painful reminder of my inadequacy. I stroke myself, my movements rough, willing my knot to form. I close my eyes, focusing on the feel of her, the taste of her, the scent of her.
I picture her face, her eyes wide with pleasure, her lips swollen from my kisses. I try to summon the primal, possessive rage that should fuel this, the instinct to claim, to mark, to own. But all I feel is panic. A cold, paralyzing fear that I’m not enough, that I can’t give her what she needs.
And the panic is a knot-killer.
Frustration, hot and sharp, surges through me. I stand up, my body trembling with a mix of unspent lust and impotent rage. This isn’t working.
“Let me try something,” I say, my voice rough.
She whimpers, a sound of pure, animal need, grinding her hips into the mattress, searching for a friction I can’t give her.
I flip her over, my movements rough and clumsy. She’s on her back now, her legs falling open, a glistening, wet invitation. I lie on top of her, my body covering hers. Our skin slides together, slick with sweat and her arousal. It’s better. More intimate. More... right.
“Better?” I whisper in her ear, my breath hot against her skin.
“Mmmh.” She nods, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer.
I rock against her, my cock sliding through her wet folds, the exquisite friction a tantalizing preview of what’s to come. And then I feel it. A subtle shift, a tightening at the base of my cock. A swell.
That’s it.
This is it.
This is what I need.
The feeling is intoxicating, a rush of power and relief so potent it makes my head spin.
And then a loud, demanding meow cuts through the haze.
Nimbus. The damn cat walks through the bedroom door, his tail held high, his yellow eyes fixed on us with a judgmental stare. He jumps onto the bed, his paws landing on my back.
And just like that, it’s gone. The feeling of power, the swelling of my knot, it all deflates like a punctured balloon, leaving me with nothing but a frustrating, half-hard cock and a crushing sense of failure.
“Fuck,” I curse, my head falling against her shoulder.
“No,” she whimpers, her body trembling beneath me. She grinds her hips into the bed, a desperate, searching motion that breaks my heart. “Please, Maddox.”
I can’t leave her like this. I can’t. I spit into my hand and use the saliva to wet her entrance before I push inside. She moans, a long, low sound of pure relief as I fill her. It’s not enough. It’s not the knot, but it’s something. It’s me.
I turn her head, my mouth finding hers, kissing her with a neediness that matches her own. It’s a messy, clumsy kiss, a clash of teeth and tongues, but it’s honest. It’s real.
“Be patient with me,” I say, a raw, pleading whisper. “Please.”
She nods, her eyes wide and trusting, a universe of faith in her gaze that I don’t deserve. I rock into her, my movements slow, searching, trying to find a rhythm that will work, a way to give her what she needs without the one thing she craves most.
And then I hear it. The sound of the front door opening downstairs.
Relief washes over me. They’re here. They’re finally here.
And in the moment I realize that, my cock begins to swell.
A true, demanding pressure that builds at the base, a primal, undeniable response to the presence of my pack.
I needed them here. I needed their scents, their presence, their strength to help me navigate the immense pressure of this, to be the Alpha she needs.
I am so glad they’re here.
Millie’s eyes widen as she feels my knot push against her. A moan escapes her lips, her body arching to meet mine.
I turn my head just in time to see them standing in the doorway. Knox. Liam.
“It’s about time,” I growl.
“Holy shit,” Liam says in a low, raw whisper that seems to hang in the air, thick with disbelief and something else. Something darker, more primal.
“You came,” Millie says, her voice a breathy, dazed sigh of relief. Her eyes, wide and unfocused with pleasure, find his, a small smile touching her lips.
“Yeah, baby,” he says, walking to where she’s laying on the bed. He moves with a purpose that’s both graceful and predatory, his gaze fixed solely on her.
He crouches beside her, his hand reaching out to tenderly touch her face, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I’m still thrusting inside her, my knot a demanding pressure that connects us in the most intimate way.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
“Nice.” She sighs dreamily.
“Good,” he says. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, then her nose, then her forehead. Each touch is a reverent act, a silent promise of care and protection. Then he kisses her lips, a deep, possessive kiss that makes her moan in pure pleasure.
He pulls back, his gaze softening. “Knox is here too,” he says gently.
She looks dazed, her eyes struggling to focus as she waves a weak hand in Knox’s direction, a small, clumsy gesture of acknowledgment.
Then Liam stands, his movements fluid, confident. He takes charge, the natural leader of our little pack.
Knox walks over. He takes her hand, his thumb stroking over her knuckles in a soothing motion.
“What’s going on?” Liam asks, his gaze shifting from me to Millie, his expression a mixture of concern and command.
“She had a headache, a fever. She’s thirsty. She’s had, like, three bottles of water so far.” The words feel inadequate, a pathetic attempt to describe the overwhelming biological storm that’s raging inside her.
He nods. “She’ll be fine,” he says, his tone leaving no room for doubt. Then he turns to me, his gaze sharp, commanding. “Continue doing what you’re doing.”
He picks up Nimbus, who has been watching us with a curious, unblinking stare. I watch him carry the cat out of the room, a small, strange moment of domesticity in the middle of all this.
He comes back two minutes later, his arms laden with four bottles of water. He finds Knox stroking her hair, his lips pressing soft kisses to her palm, a tender gesture that makes my chest ache. He sets the water down on the nightstand, his expression serious.
“We need a strategy,” he says, all business.
I begin to pull out, but she whimpers, her body clenching around me.
“I just want to come,” she pleads.
I smile, a genuine, affectionate smile that feels out of place in the midst of all this intensity. “We will make sure of that,” I promise. “We will take care of you.”
Liam is almost professional as he asks, “How many orgasms has she had?”
“Three,” I say, my voice tight with a mix of pride and frustration.
He nods, his mind clearly working, processing the information. He looks at me, his gaze shifting to the bruised, tender skin on my side. He shakes his head, a small, almost imperceptible motion.
“Okay,” he says, his tone decisive. “I have a hurt hand, but my mouth works.”
Millie laughs, a real, genuine laugh that cuts through the sexual tension in the room. She sits up a little, her eyes wide with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
“What the hell is going on?” she asks, her voice a playful, teasing whine.
Liam smiles with a predatory grin. He leans in and kisses her cheek, his lips lingering against her skin. “Baby,” he purrs. “We are about to fuck you.”
“Okay,” I say, and it comes out a little shaky. “What do we do?”
Knox clears his throat. “I’ve never had group sex before,” he admits, his tone a little too casual.
“Neither have we.” A small, confident smile plays on Liam’s lips. “But I have some lube in her drawer. And as long as we take turns, we’ll keep our girl satisfied.”
I never realized how much I needed Liam’s guidance until now. I like that at least one of us has dealt with her heat before. It takes so much pressure off us. Off me. I feel my cock swell a little more, a demanding pressure that makes Millie gasp.
“We can’t be the only naked people here,” I say with a challenging smile.
“Right.” Knox smirks, pulling out his phone. “I’ll send a text to my deputies that I’ll be coming in late.”
But I don’t hear the rest. Millie is looking at me, her eyes dark with desire, her lips parted in a silent invitation. “Kiss me,” she says, her voice a husky command.
And I do. I lean in, my mouth finding hers, and the world falls away.