11. Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
Mateo
T he entire pack was on edge. Even the betas were feeling the strain. Raece had been a dick for a few days. Ever since he’d done exactly what I’d warned him against and forced himself on Wren.
He hadn’t fucked her, but he’d used his alpha bark to keep her still, then ripped her flesh with his teeth. From what I’d heard coming from Dean’s room after, he’d either been horny as fuck or full of anger.
The anger better damn well be aimed at himself.
He’d had no right. Yeah, it would keep her safe from being taken from us, keep her safe from outside alphas. But I’d wanted to give her time to get used to us, to grow to trust us and respect us.
Instead, he’d set the entire thing back by weeks. Maybe fucking months.
Hell, she might never trust us now.
And, while I would never expect anything from her, her scent was too fucking tempting. She was beautiful, obviously strong, and had a fire in her I wanted to explore. I wanted to spend time getting to know her, but she’d more or less simply stared at me any time I’d brought her trays of food. And I wouldn’t force her to talk to me.
Although, I could always take a seat on the couch and simply hang out with her. I could let her grow used to my presence. We could gradually build a comradery, grow a friendship, and then, hopefully, she would accept me as her alpha.
Banana, cream, and sugar floated throughout the house, the perfume strong, sweet, and fucking mouthwatering.
“Damn,” Dean said, inhaling deeply and tilting his head back as he closed his eyes. “I’m not even an alpha and that’s about to drive me crazy.”
“She’s in heat,” Doran muttered.
We’d known it was only days away from the bonding ceremony. For some reason, I’d hoped it would hold off a little longer, at least until one of us – preferably one of us alphas – formed some type of truce with her.
“Get the shit ready,” Raece said, pushing to his feet and pulling the trays of fruit and veggies from the fridge. We’d had a feeling she only had a few hours when each of us had passed her room this morning and detected the increase of her pheromones.
“I’ve got the water,” Winter said. Doran grumbled but helped his mate load his arms with water bottles we would all need.
Even the betas would have to tap in periodically as we alphas grew exhausted from fucking her and knotting her over and over until her body let her rest.
Once we had what we needed for the next week – although the betas could always leave to retrieve anything we’d forgotten – we filed up the stairs as a pack and pushed into her room.
Her food sat untouched on the coffee table, but the drinks were missing as was the bag Raece had me deliver to her.
The fucker obviously felt bad and had ordered her a crap load of sensory comfort items specifically designed for omegas. I’d wanted to rub each of the items along my throat or wrist so she could wrap my scent around her but decided that was right up there with forcing shit on her. If she wanted my scent, she would ask.
And there wasn’t a damn thing I would deny her.
Raece was the first one to the nest door. Generally, we would have waited to be invited into the space that was hers. It was a place where an omega should feel safe.
But this wasn’t the time for manners. Our omega needed us.
As he pushed the door open, something flung past him as he ducked and smacked me in the face.
A pillow. She’d thrown a pillow at Raece.
“Get out!” she screeched just before a keening whine escaped her lips.
“You’re in heat, omega. You need your pack,” Raece said. He tried to keep his voice calm and even, but the anger was there in the growl wrapping around his words.
“I don’t need you. Get out!”
“Fine. Good luck,” he said, setting the tray inside the door and stepping out of the way.
I glanced at her as he passed. She was curled up in the fetal position, several blankets wrapped around her as sweat beaded along her forehead. The room was dimly lit, but even from here I could see her dilated pupils.
The heady scent of her slick and perfume nearly bowled me over and I instinctually cupped my rock-hard cock.
“Fuck me,” Dean muttered as he looked around the wall at her.
She whimpered again and it took every ounce of self-control to keep from barging in there, rolling her onto her back, and shoving my cock knot deep into her slicked cunt. She needed me. She needed us . It was the only way for her – for any omega – to find any peace or comfort during this time.
“Please leave,” she cried out, doubling over even further, her forehead nearly touching her knees.
“We can’t leave her like that,” Winter said, the strain in his voice and all over his face.
I stepped backward, shoving Dean out of the way so I could close the door. “We need to give her time.”
“She’s in fucking pain. She’s our responsibility,” Winter said, setting his armful of water bottles on the floor outside the nest.
“I gave her some ibuprofen the other night. She’ll be fine,” Doran said.
Three heads turned in his direction as Dean, Winter, and I gaped at him. “What do you mean the other night?” I asked.
“I couldn’t sleep. I was in the kitchen, and she came creeping around the corner. Said she was looking for some pain killers, so I gave her a bottle.”
“Creeping around the corner? This is her house, too,” Dean said, surprising me with his serious tone and look of anger on his usually playful handsome face.
Another long, keening whine made its way through the door. Winter turned as though to enter the room, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Let’s give her a few hours. Maybe a day. We’ll take turns making sure she has food and water. Keep an eye on her fever.”
“Toys,” Dean said as he stepped away from the group, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m going to order her some toys. They have those fake knots for unclaimed omegas. I’ve seen them online when I was looking for…stuff.”
“Slut,” Doran muttered.
“Flattery will get you a blowjob,” Dean said as he turned the corner but not before raising his middle finger to flip Doran the bird over his shoulder.
“Will that help?” Winter asked.
“I have no idea.”
Winter and Doran left, Doran wrapping his hand around his mate’s and practically dragging him from the room.
I, however, had a hell of a time leaving my spot in front of the door when I knew our omega was in pain.
We weren’t in love. I couldn’t say I even had romantic feelings for her yet. But she was our omega. I was her alpha. It was our job to take care of her in any and every way possible. Leaving her in the nest to suffer went against every biological urge in my body.
I knew I was about to get yelled at, but it had to be done. Pushing the door open, I knelt in the doorway so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck to look up at me.
“We’re going to give you space. But if you need anything, just call out. We’ll be through this door in seconds. I don’t want to see you suffer, omega. I’m your alpha. We’re your pack. We’re here if you need anything.”
She kept her gaze on my face the entire time, but tears had welled in her eyes. She nodded, then whimpered again, bringing her knees back up until she was almost folded in half.
If she didn’t let us help her through this, the next week would be nothing short of hell.