Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
SIMONA
T he instant we step out of the event centre, the noise drops and so does the press of the crowd. It’s overwhelming being around so many Alphas but at the same time I wasn’t worried. I know Nigel and Dale are good at what they do. The events at Raney’s packing day is proof of that.
“I didn’t think you’d be an MMA fan, Miss Simona,” Nigel says as we dodge around people still trying to get inside.
I shake my head, “I’m not. But my girlfriend needed to go, so I went.”
His eyebrows flick up slightly, and as he shifts to face me, it’s the glint of interest in his eyes that gives him away. “And Tristan Cameron is a good friend?”
I try to soften the blow. “Nigel, did Tris look at you? Even for a millisecond?”
He shakes his head, and I grimace, making him chuckle. “Like that, huh?”
“She’s pretty forward. You’d know if she was interested. ”
“Damn.” He shrugs before he smirks. “In case she’s just playing hard to get, you feel free to give her my phone number if she asks.”
I join him in his laughter. “Will do.”
Neither Nigel nor I bother including Dale. He made it abundantly clear when the three of us reunited on the way to the fight that he’s only here because Ryder told him he had to be. Until Ryder is touring, or until Dale finds a new employer, he is part of my security. Thankfully, he’s professional enough not to be an ass about it.
The carpark is as full as it was when we arrived. The only place Dale could find to park was right down the back corner. It’s not an issue; the walk helps clear my senses. But with each step, more of my facade drops away, giving me the space to feel my bond with Dominic but also to properly acknowledge other things. My heat has been simmering away in the background for too long. Now, it ignites and burns. No simmer or boil either. I go from managing to being in trouble in the space of a few feet.
My insides twist as a flush of heat races up from the soles of my feet and blasts through me. The sudden violent eruption of my heat literally means I trip on my own feet. Nigel grabs me, and I narrowly avoid face planting.
“You good?” he asks unnecessarily.
I have to shake his hand off my body. It feels wrong to be touched by another Alpha. I don’t need to explain, but good manners are hard to shake.
“Sorry, Nigel.”
“No need,” he says quickly, pulling his phone from his pocket. Then he guides me, careful to avoid touching while walking deliberately slower. He pushes his phone into my hand, being cautious in his movement, then takes a purposeful step away to give me privacy .
“Hello, sweetheart.” Hendrix’s voice is like a cool flannel, soothing the burn.
“Hey,” I manage before I succumb to another wave. All I can do is hiss until the cramp passes.
“We’re leaving now. We will meet you on the road and then get you feeling better.”
“It’s okay,” I whimper. I’m quickly getting past the point of caring how I sound, which is probably another sign of how fast things are moving.
“No, it’s not. We don’t want you suffering. And I suspect, as soon as you’re with us, you’ll feel better.”
“Probably.”
Hendrix purrs through the phone, “Good girl.”
And I have to stop walking because my eyes close as I melt under his praise.
“You’re doing amazing, Simona. I promise we will look after you.”
“I know.
“Can you pass the phone back to Nigel now so I can arrange with him a place for us to pick you up.”
It sounds perfect. And it’s exactly what happens.
I focus on trying to control my breathing and little else as soon as we get in the SUV. It feels like we drive for forever but eventually I open my eyes and look up to see we’re surrounded by tall skyscrapers and city traffic. I don’t get the chance to ask where we’re going before I catch sight of Hendrix, Dominic, and Ryder standing on the pavement.
I whine.
And shame floods me instantly as the sound escapes. The Range Rover pulls to a stop, and wordlessly, Nigel and Dale get out, racing across the busy lanes of traffic. I have no idea why they did it, and I really don’t care. Instead, every cell in my body and every thought in my head converge, drawn to the spot where the three of them stand .
I get a measured look from Dominic. His features are shut off, and while I feel him in the centre of my chest and his warmth wraps around me like a hug, he appears set like stone.
Hendrix appears similar, in a mask of Alpha seriousness. His designation pounds like a drum on my skin even across the distance. Together they look dangerous in their seriousness, their worry making their expressions even sharper than usual. Except for the matching twinkle in their eyes. I don’t miss that. Perhaps because I searched for it. Maybe no one else would see it, but nonetheless it is there, and all of me swoons.
Ryder moves before either of them do. The smile on his face, paired with the energy of relief and sheer joy radiating from him, feels like the first rays of sunshine after a long, cold winter. I feel his energy, and just like I did with Dominic’s bond, I latch onto Ryder’s positivity with both hands. But when the back door opens, I don’t just cling to the bond, I also launch myself at him, finally getting to use my physical hands as well as my metaphorical ones.
“Sin, baby, you smell like nirvana to a dying man,” he whispers, peppering my face in hundreds of butterfly kisses as our bodies wrap around each other like twisting snakes.
I feel him everywhere.
I need even more.
Two doors open and close, and my need for more is fulfilled.
My heart pounds so hard it rattles my bones as I inhale all three of them at once for the first time. Ryder’s sunshine-dipped honey scent drips down the back of my throat with every shaky breath—intoxicating and thick with warmth. It’s made even more potent by the electric charge of an impending thunderstorm, filling my senses and raising the hairs on my skin. The combination is mind-blowing. When you add in Dominic’s paper and ink perfume—richer today, with vanilla and floral overtones—the blend is indescribable, perfectly balanced into one sticky-sweet fragrance that makes me ache to press myself against every inch of him.
I moan once and the sky falls as my heat surges.