Chapter 29
THEO
Ihave no idea what the fuck I’m doing, or how this situation just took a hard left into territory that I’ve got no business being in, but the three of us end up in a narrow, dark corridor. Bass reverberates through the thin walls, making it even harder to think clearly.
“My truck is in the parking lot.” I turn and face the two of them, extremely fucking aware that Wren isn’t herself right now. Christ. Not only that, but my son is just the other side of that partition.
So much for taking care of her. I just landed us in boiling water.
Renfro shakes his head. “No fucking way. She needs help right now; this can’t wait.”
“How would you know what she needs, hmm?” The growl that comes out of me isn’t exactly aimed at him.
But maybe it is? I don’t even goddamn know.
Because he’s certainly not supposed to know about this thing between Wren and me, either.
Yet, he’s standing right here, scenting her perfume, and she keeps smiling at him.
My Alpha instinct is to shove the guy up against the wall by his throat for even daring to be within arm’s reach of her.
“Trust me.” His eyes flare in the dim lighting. I really don’t like the way his hands sit so comfortably on her bare shoulders. “She’s fucking burning up.”
“Just help me get her out to the vehicle. I’ll take care of things.
” As I say it, I still don’t have a plan, but I’ll figure it out.
I can’t exactly pay off Renfro, but maybe he’ll be up for some contract perks to be negotiated.
Reaching for Wren’s hand, she slips her tiny palm into mine without hesitation, and it’s the first time we’ve touched skin to skin.
The first time I’ve been able to have physical contact with my scent match, and it’s like the entire world fades away.
All I can do is stare at her hand swallowed up inside mine. All I’m capable of is stroking circles with my thumb to try and reassure her that I’ve got her, I’m here to be responsible for caring for her, no matter what it takes.
This time, it’s Renfro’s voice that dips into a threatening tone. “Like hell. You’re not taking her anywhere, Brennan.”
I’m scowling at my star fullback, fucking bristling at the words coming out of him. “You’re just a player. There are easily a hundred girls or guys in that bar, Renfro.”
“Screw you. When did I look twice at anyone out there?”
“Don’t need to go looking, do you? I know your reputation.” My teeth clench.
At the sound of the two of us in the midst of a game of tug-of-war over the Omega between us, Wren lets out a faint whimper.
God, it’s a noise that stabs me straight in the stomach.
Hearing her in distress is enough to have me changing tactics real fucking fast. I turn and test the handle of the door closest to where I’m standing, rattling it a couple of times.
It’s locked. Shit. The next one along opens, to my relief.
It’s nothing but cases of alcohol stacked on pallets inside.
“Storage room. Now.” I jerk my chin for them to get their asses in there ahead of me, before I follow and lock the door from the inside.
Beggars can’t be choosers right now. It’ll have to fucking do.
As soon as the heavy thunk seals us inside, I lean my shoulders against the door and take in the sight in front of me.
Trying to think clearly, even though Wren’s scent is completely turning me upside down.
I know Omegas go through powerful changes in personality while in heat, but I didn’t think it would have such a vise grip on my awareness at the same time.
All my Alpha instincts are dialed up to the extreme.
The most primal, unhinged of thoughts beat inside my chest. Knot.
Bite. Claim. Mark. Which has me glaring at the Scot standing before me with renewed distaste at what I’m seeing.
Renfro has his arms banded around her tighter now, dragging her back against his chest. As if he has some sort of right to my girl.
Wren still hasn’t taken her hand away from mine. I squeeze tighter, even though I shouldn’t be touching her at all, I shouldn’t be in this room with her. But the overwhelming need to tug her small body against mine is calling the shots.
“Don’t fight. Please,” she implores. There’s only a small sliver of blue left visible. Her pupils have bloomed to almost fully take up her irises.
“Talk to me, sweetheart.” I keep my gaze fixed on hers. “What do you need? Do you want to stay here, or leave?”
“I’m really bloody confused right about now,” Renfro mutters.
She licks her lips, and goddamn do I want to swoop on that plump mouth. To taste how sweet those tiny little breathy noises are when I’m lost inside her.
“I… I need…” Her features tighten before the words can come out, and a wave of her scent fills the room as she perfumes.
But it’s the look on her face that slays me where I stand.
It’s filled with lust and unspoken apologies.
A fact I hate with every fiber of my being, that she feels like this is something she still has to fight.
Renfro groans at the unavoidable knowledge of how turned on she is. “Can someone fill me in here? Are you two screwing, or what?”
“My scent match,” Wren answers without hesitation, holding my eyes.
The way she says it, with a little rasp coating the gentleness of her voice, yeah, that goes straight to my dick.
“But we’re not… we haven’t…” Her mouth hangs parted.
Unable to put into words what we are, or aren’t, as this case may be.
“Oh, Jesus.” His eyes go wide, looking at me, then down at where his hands are all over my girl.
Yeah, that’s right, motherfucker. That’s my scent match you’re pawing at.
Stepping forward, I bring my hand up to hover over her cheek.
So agonizingly in need of touching her properly, and yet this feels like the worst moment to be rampaging straight over all the boundaries Wren felt most comfortable keeping in place.
“Is this okay, sweetheart?” My eyes flick down to her lips for a moment, then back up to search her gaze, tilted up to meet mine.
She nods. Another of those tiny noises of need comes out, but this time it’s less pained and more an expression of relief.
Cupping her face ever so gently with one hand, holding her fingers tightly inside my other, I swallow and take in the sight of her almost wrapped in my arms.
“Wren is my scent match. We haven’t known for long and certainly haven’t wanted to risk anything that might jeopardize her scholarship.
” Brushing a thumb over her soft skin, she absolutely melts beneath my touch.
I drag my focus up to drill into Renfro, and really goddamn drive home the seriousness of this situation. “That was my son out there. Her ex.”
The word is bitter fucking comfort on my tongue.
“Ohhhh, shit.” Renfro’s eyes widen.
“Yeah. A real oh, shit situation.” I clear my throat. “So, you can appreciate this is goddamn complicated on multiple levels. And I would never do anything to hurt Wren or go against her wishes. I’ll ask you to give her the same courtesy.”
My focus drifts back down to where his arms are still wrapped across her, banding my girl to his torso without hesitation.
“Now kindly explain to me why you’ve got your hands all over my scent match.” It takes a monumental effort to grind out the words. The muscle in my jaw feels tight enough to snap.
Renfro’s face falls as soon as I say it. He might be a superstar on the world stage, he might be worth millions, and a World Cup darling for his home nation… but he’s a decent guy. I know Coach thinks highly of him. It’s why we signed his ass in the first place.
“We… fuck. I swear, I didn’t know.” His Adam’s apple bobs. “We’re friends.” It’s plain as day he detests the fucking word just as much as I would if the tables were turned.
This guy is strung out on Wren. It’s unmissable in the way his usually cocksure attitude wavers. Right now, I’m not dealing with Connor Renfro: rugby god. I’m staring straight in the eyes of a guy who would do just about anything for the girl between us.
“Friends?” I arch an eyebrow at him.
A muscle pulses in the side of his bearded jaw. “It’s not what I would prefer to label it, if that’s what you’re asking me, Brennan. But if it’s what Wren needs me to be, then I’ll respect that. Even if I was planning on counting every goddamn second until her scholarship was over.”
Tilting my head to one side, I see the war going on behind his eyes. The sudden realization that there’s more to this equation than any of us bargained for.
“I swear, I never meant to step on this thing between the two of you.” He exhales heavily, lifting his arms away.
Wren immediately whines in protest.
“Hey, it’s okay, Bambi,” he soothes, coming to stand in front of her also. She’s in no mood to have him stop touching her. I notice it immediately, the way her fingers catch his wrist, leaving the two of them both shuddering at the point of contact.
The same way I felt taking her hand just before.
Would you be okay with that? She outright asked me that day if I would be okay with sharing her. Looks like I’m about to put my money where my mouth is.
Fuck it. “There’s something strong between you two, isn’t there?” I keep my focus on Wren’s expression, and it’s filled with hopefulness as her wide eyes float from me to the man at my side.
She nibbles on the plump curve of her bottom lip. “You’re my scent match.” Her focus is on me. “But I also choose you, big guy.” As her eyes drift to him, I see the certainty there.
“You need both of us?” Reassuring her with a slow stroke of my thumb against the apple of her cheek, I’m trying my best to convey that it’s okay.
With each touch, I try to let Wren know that she doesn’t have to feel ashamed for needing more than just me.
I’ll give my girl anything she wants, and knowing that includes Renfro?
Well, apparently, I’m about to get real fucking familiar with our star fullback, real fast.
Her lips part on a shaky breath, more of that thick, sweet scent filling the space.
“Please.”