Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Ransom
Marie comes downstairs into the kitchen with flushed cheeks and her wet hair tied up in a bun.
She has a private smile on her face, and it’s no wonder.
Her screams of pleasure could be heard through the entire house even as we all grabbed showers in the other bathrooms, and Lore can’t seem to be able to stop touching her.
After the horrors of the last few weeks, it’s unsurprising.
Wilder is making food now, and called Devon to cryptically explain that he needed to see him in person. My ex-president is going to be chomping at the bit to find out exactly why he needs to come to Minneapolis after just seeing Wilder, but there’s not much that can be done about that.
He even tried to call me, and I declined the call. I want no part of that familial drama. I have enough pack concerns to deal with. How I ended up with a soul bond and three asshole pack mates is beyond me. I think the one I’m the most angry with is Lore.
I hope Devon punches him in his goddamned face.
“If you need to punch me, please get it over with so you can repeatedly stab me with a needle to close what I’ve opened up in my chest wound,” Lore drawls, helping Marie onto the barstool.
“How could you tell? We aren’t bonded,” I growl.
“Fuck, I’ve missed a lot. You all bonded this asshole?” Lore snorts.
“He was at your funeral and had the audacity to announce his presence,” Storm says, rolling his eyes. “Don’t act jealous, Lore. It doesn’t work with us. We bonded him on his suggestion so we’d know his intentions with our girl.”
“I did suggest it. I have nothing to hide. You guys are hot, but I’m here for Marie,” I say honestly.
“Let’s see then,” Lore says, holding out his hand. “All’s fair in love and war, right?”
“That means he can punch you then,” Marie says, smirking as Wilder plates food for her.
It’s currently mid-afternoon, and he chose to make tacos with all the fixings. Fuck, there’s even fresh salsa out on the table with tortilla chips. We all watch as he places the plate on the island, picks up a taco with salsa on it and lifts it to Marie’s lips.
Instead of complaining that she can feed herself, she opens her mouth, tilts her head, and takes a large bite. Her eyelashes flutter with pleasure as she chews, and my cock hardens and twitches with desire as she moans.
“She can’t eat in public, not ever,” I say immediately.
“Welcome to the pack,” Lore snorts. “You’re just as much of a Neanderthal as we are.”
“So you think,” I grumble, waiting until he’s within arm’s reach before punching him as hard as I can.
I swear the alpha knew somehow that I was going to hit him, and let me do it anyway, because he barely stumbles before grunting. “You’re built like a goddamned tank. That’s the best you got? My jaw isn’t made of glass, man.”
“One shot,” Storm growls. “We’re not going to fucking brawl this close to Marie.”
Our omega is wearing a pair of loose fitting pants and a long sleeved shirt, and pulls a stun gun from her pocket as a warning.
“I won’t shoot you, but I’ll fry your knots,” Marie says simply, before taking another bite of the taco Wilder is holding.
“Everyone else can build their own damn tacos. I’m quite enjoying feeding our omega,” he says. “It’s sexy as fuck to watch her chew after the past couple of weeks of her being sick.”
“Was this because I was dead?” Lore asks carefully, sitting down so I can check his chest wound.
It looks angry as fuck, and I grumble as I glance at Storm.
“Do you think you can get us some antibiotics?” I ask him. “He needs to fight this infection.”
“Bad, bad, alpha,” Storm sighs. “I’ll order some now. The black market is the equivalent of delivery for the illicit. I don’t want to talk about some of the things you can order.”
“Ew,” Marie says, making a face. “To answer your question, Lore, yes. Mostly anyway. I think there was a healthy dose of anxiety with the bond sickness. I knew something was off, but not what. I haven’t been able to eat much until now.”
While Marie was asleep, we discussed how she thought she was pregnant for a small amount of time. It makes me want to breed her even more now. We pumped her so full of cum the last few days, a part of me hopes her stomach swells with our babies.
On the other hand, bond sickness can make omegas reject children due to not wanting to get pregnant while grieving their alpha. We’re all working through unknown territory at the moment.
“I’m taking your stitches out and fixing them when the antibiotics get here,” I decide, walking to the sink to wash my hands.
“Now that you’ve accepted your nest, Marie, I think you should decorate it,” Lore says, making my brow raise.
I’m also skeptical about why she hasn’t decorated yet. I thought a nest is supposed to be an omega’s happy place. Marie doesn’t act like a normal omega.
“Did you have a nest where you lived before?” I ask her. I’m unsure of when she moved in.
“The shelter? No, I didn’t. If you mean my apartment in Chicago, I didn’t then either. I worked too much for it to make sense to have a real one, and even if I had, I lost everything in the move,” she says, shrugging.
“What am I missing?” I ask. “Was there a fire? What the fuck?”
“Something like that,” Storm mumbles from his computer. “Antibiotics are on the way. Marie, would you prefer to order online or at the nest store? The brick and mortar option is about twenty minutes away.”
There’s a choice for her, but refusing isn’t on the table. I can respect that. I send happiness down the bond to Storm, and watch as he smirks and adjusts his cock from where he’s standing at the island.
Cocky fucker.
“I need to go in,” Marie finally says. “I am really sensitive to fabrics. What if it’s a microfiber?”
She shudders delicately, shaking her head as she watches as Wilder dresses another taco for her. I’m addicted to watching her eat too.
The thing is, I’m not a sappy person. I never thought I’d be fighting for Marie to be able to retain her autonomy with fellow cavemen for pack mates.
“Rude,” Storm grunts. “I fucking heard that.”
“Not possible,” I squeak out, drying my hands.
“The bond is getting stronger,” he says unapologetically. “It’s only half formed and I can already tell when you’re thinking shitty thoughts. A lifetime with you is going to be like living with a spur in my knot.”
“Oh that’s fun,” Lore chuckles. “That reminds me, I need you to come over here so I can bite you. I want to pull your pants down so I can find a juicy spot on your ass.”
“Arm only,” I say, cheeks heating as I tentatively get closer.
“Demands get brats punished,” he growls, his neck turning from side to side as if to relax the kinks from it.
“Mmm. There’s Daddy,” Storm snorts. “May as well just take the licks, Ransom. He doesn’t play fair.”
As soon as I’m in front of him, he turns me to face the island and shoves my back and head down.
A hand yanks my sweatpants down, and I feel disoriented because there’s no way Lore has the hands for that.
Lore releases me so the other person can hold me as I struggle, and I yell as teeth bite down on my ass cheek.
“Fuck!” I complain, feeling his smugness as the bond begins to form. Since turnaround is fair play, I picture water boarding him while refusing to kill him.
“Kinky. You definitely fit in perfectly,” Lore says smacking my ass on the side opposite his bite. “Now, let’s get my chest sorted out.”
“I think you’re the worst of them,” I sigh, finally able to struggle away as I pull up my pants. “I need to wait for the—”
The doorbell rings as I roll my eyes. Storm pulls up the video feed before pulling his gun and standing.
“That’s him. Do you need to go to your bike to get anything?” he asks.
“Isn’t this too nice of a neighborhood for all that?” I ask, gesturing to his weapon. “My medic bag is down here. I’ll go grab it.”
“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Storm confirms. “I bought other medical supplies too that I don’t think you regularly need. Lore is a terrible patient.”
“He’s not wrong,” Lore admits, beginning to load up his plate with food.
“Eat now, because this is going to suck,” I say. “I’d suggest taking the edge off with several drinks.”
“We have tequila and whiskey from earlier this week,” Wilder confirms.
“The boys were here?” Lore asks.
Leaving Wilder to explain, I half listen as I walk into the living room to grab my bag.
“Hey man,” Storm says as he answers the door.
I guess there’s not an issue there.
“The boys are a bit obsessed with Marie,” Wilder explains as I rejoin them.
“They call her Little Queen,” I chuckle, remembering how Arsenal and Burner talk about her. “It’s really cute.”
Marie growls under her breath as she finishes another taco before deciding she’s full.
“If you decide you’re going in for thirds, don’t be shy,” Wilder says, walking to the sink to wash his hands. “You need your strength. It sounds like we’re going shopping.”
“Today?” Marie squeaks out.
“Yes, today,” Storm says, returning with supplies. He lays it all on the counter, and I get to work getting Lore’s shots ready. “Don’t enjoy sticking him too much. I’ll know.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask. “I have a feeling I may enjoy whatever punishment you decide to give me.”
“I’m an expert at degradation,” Lore shrugs.
“Shh. You’re just making my cock hard,” I say, stabbing him with a syringe full of antibiotics.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
“Whiskey or tequila?” Marie asks. “It’ll make you bleed a bit more, but it’ll keep you from passing out from the pain.”
“Whiskey,” Lore growls as I glove up. “Want to have some with me, Princess?”
“Sure,” she says, grabbing glasses and pouring the liquid into them.
I was concerned when I heard she was avoiding her pain by self medicating with whiskey, but now, I realize she was just trying to survive the bond sickness. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been because she muffled it with the alcohol.
Unfortunately, her stomach revolted so she couldn’t stay drunk.