Chapter 16
MAEVE
My boyfriend is going to be the death of me.
“You can all sit in the back together,” he says, grinning. “I don’t mind being a chauffeur.”
It’s a shit-eating grin, mischievous and conspiratorial.
“I know what you’re doing,” I whisper to him, and he shrugs innocently.
“What? You wanted to have a fun trip, right? Why make one of them sit up front? That’s not fair.”
I gape at him. “You’re impossible,” I hiss.
He just waggles his eyebrows. “Make yourself comfortable, babe.” Then, he tilts his head down and kisses me sweetly. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”
“I hate you,” I grumble, biting my lip to keep from smiling.
“No, you don’t.” He kisses me again, then pulls me into his arms while Logan and Ivan wait for us. I breathe him in and all his sweet caramel apple goodness, sighing in his hold.
“One more thing,” he says quietly. “If anyone makes you uncomfortable, including me—”
“Then I’ll stab your eyes out with the car keys,” I say. “I have pepper spray in my purse.”
“Just don’t do it while I’m driving.”
“I won’t.”
“Wait, who’s stabbing who?” Fang calls out, and I grin.
“Why are you eavesdropping?” I tease, and even Logan starts to look more comfortable. His smile is small and wistful, but his eyes brighten when I meet his gaze.
All three of their scents combined create something delicious.
Fang’s leather mixed with Logan’s bourbon, along with Ivan’s caramel and apple, is mouthwatering. It’s an aroma I’ve never scented before, and it makes my stomach flip, my heart race, and my core throb.
It feels like I’m seeing a potential pack in front of me.
Ivan senses it too, but he’s made it clear this is all on my terms.
“Can’t help it, you’re impossible not to pay attention to,” Fang deadpans, and Ivan scoffs.
“Do I have to up my flirting now?” my boyfriend murmurs, pressing his forehead to mine.
“Not yet,” I tease. “You worried about competition?”
“Nah. I welcome it.” He pecks my cheek. “You ready?”
But a dark thought passes over me. “Fang doesn’t know about the worries,” I murmur. “About how I get sometimes with the cats and their health. He might think I’m weird.”
“Have you seen that guy?” Ivan whispers. “He’s the one covered in cat tattoos. I think he’s the last person to judge you. You know Logan doesn’t judge you, either. I see the way they look at you, sweetheart.”
“Hey…are you talking about us?” Logan asks, and I chuckle. Fang and Logan stand there, looking at us strangely.
“Just discussing logistics,” Ivan calls. “Do you two mind riding in the back with her?
Logan clears his throat while Fang gives me a devious grin. “Nope, not all,” he purrs.
“That would be fine,” Logan adds, his cheeks coloring an adorable pink.
“Great,” Ivan says, entering the driver’s seat. “Then let’s go.”
So, not only do I get to travel with my boyfriend to pick up kittens, but I’m also going with my two crushes?
Best. Trip. Ever.
Even though Ivan’s car is roomy, Logan and Fang are both so tall that I end up kind of squished between them, Logan on my left and Fang on my right.
I’m not complaining, though.
Logan’s tantalizing bourbon mixed with Fang’s leather scent has my inner Omega drooling.
I brought strong mint flavored gum with me along with extra scent blocking gummies, but I purposely don’t use them.
I don’t want to stop scenting them.
“So, you’re okay with everyone calling you Logan?” Fang asks as we begin our drive. “Not Doctor?”
Logan shifts slightly, and his thighs bump against mine. “I don’t mind when Maeve does it, or her friends,” he says softly.
I make an embarrassed face at him. “I never even asked. With the other vet, I always call her Doctor Jolie, but with you…”
“I like just Logan,” he says quietly. “I enjoy when you just use my name. It feels more intimate.”
He says it like a confession, and warmth spreads across my face and down to my core.
“I like it, too,” I say to him sweetly. I can sense that he’s a bit nervous about the trip, and it only makes him more endearing.
“I really appreciate you coming, Logan,” I murmur.
He nods. “I’m happy to help.”
The car air slowly grows thick. The windows are rolled up, and the longer I sit with the Alphas, the more my body heats up.
Sweat gathers at my back, and I shift in my seat.
“You hot back there, sweetheart?” Ivan asks knowingly. “You want the windows down?”
Fang watches for my reaction, then smirks. “I think she could use some air.”
I stick my tongue out at him, and he laughs.
“I knew this trip would be fun,” he says.
Once cool air blows in from outside, taking away some of the intense Alpha scents, I relax in my seat.
Soon, I’m extremely comfortable, my spine melting against the back of the cushion, and I close my eyes and start to doze, lulled by Ivan’s smooth driving.
It’s surprising. I’m not a napper by any means; I usually can only rest when I’m sick, and even then, it’s difficult.
I only experience these waves of fatigue during my Heat.
Uh-oh.
“So, Fang,” Ivan says, “how did you turn from her professor to private tutor? I’m curious.”
“Yeah, about that,” Fang chuckles. “We decided it would be better off if she wasn’t my student.”
“Hmm,” Ivan replies, even though he already knows the story. “And how did that happen?”
There’s a warm weight at my side, and I realize I’ve made myself comfortable against Logan. His strong arm wraps around my shoulder, and I sigh in contentment.
“I’m sure you can guess how it happened,” Fang replies easily, and I shift closer to Logan, breathing in his delicious scent.
The window rolls back up again, and their voices grow lower.
Logan keeps his arm wrapped around me, and when I snuggle closer, a deep, low vibration sounds in his chest.
He quietly purrs while his fingers gently draw circles on my shoulder.
“Are you okay with this?” he whispers, and I hum in agreement.
Soon, I’m asleep and unable to decipher the rest of Fang and Ivan’s conversation.
I wake up overheated with soaking wet panties.
My eyes snap open, and Fang is right there, watching me carefully.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he says, his lip quirked. “Have a good nap?”
I’m not sure if good is the right word.
I would say this nap was my body preparing for something.
Something that shouldn’t be here for at least another week.
We were playing with fire, my inner Omega purrs. And what a wonderful time for this to happen. We have three Alphas that can help us.
“Water,” I croak, and a cold bottle is in my hand immediately. Logan still has an arm wrapped around me, and he rubs a soothing palm down my back.
“How?” I ask, surprised at how icy the bottle is.
“I brought my cooler,” Ivan replies. “Just in case.”
Just in case I needed ice water?
I’ve never been more grateful to have such a prepared scent match.
But the air in the car is delicious. So insanely tempting that it makes my head spin and my heart race.
I shift in my seat, feeling the stickiness of slick in my panties.
There is no way the Alphas in the car don’t scent it, but they’re doing a very good job of pretending not to.
Even Fang is keeping a good poker face, even if he won’t stop staring at me and his pupils are so wide that his eyes are black.
“Are you feeling okay?” Logan asks, his voice strained.
Everyone is pretending everything is normal, which is helpful.
Because everything is definitely not normal.
My body is hot, my cunt aches for attention, and goosebumps pebble along my skin.
Everyone smells delicious.
“Can we roll down the window?” I ask, and there’s a prolonged pause.
“Uh,” Ivan says. “Have you looked out the window, sweetheart?”
My brain starts working again and I’m able to process what I’m seeing.
“Oh,” I murmur.
Snow.
Snow is everywhere.
The sky is white, and snow falls freely onto the windshield.
“We have to stop soon,” Ivan adds. “It’s not safe for us to go much further.”
“Wait.” Arousal forgotten, panic flares in me. “What about the cats?”
“I already spoke to the foster,” Logan says with a strained voice. “They understand. Agnes and her kittens will be okay another day or two.”
“Wait. What?”
Ivan drums his fingers on the steering wheel. “A surprise snowstorm,” he chuckles bitterly. “We’re getting off at the next town.”
“Yeah, babe,” Fang says as I gulp down the water. “We’re having a surprise sleepover, too.”
I meet Ivan’s eyes in the rearview mirror, and he shrugs.
“There’s not much we can do, sweetheart. It’s too dangerous to keep driving.”
Holy shit.
There are two parts of me right now.
One part, the rational part, realizes that I’m going to be spending the night with my scent match and my two crushes.
Rational Maeve recognizes the signs of an early Heat, and the primal draw to both Logan and Fang.
Their scents are far too tempting combined together.
And, if I spend the night with them, and their scents continue to mix with Ivan’s…
“Wait,” I swallow nervously. “Wait. Where are we staying?”
“Good question,” Ivan sighs. “Fang found a cabin online while you were sleeping. It’s literally the next exit; there are no hotels out here.”
“We’re snowed in for the night,” Fang says, his eyes falling to my lips. “It’s going to be an adventure.”
“Holy shit,” I murmur.
“I agree,” Logan says quietly. “It’s going to be an interesting evening.”
He sounds pained. When I turn to him, his lips are pulled into a thin line, and his cheeks are flushed red. His pupils are as wide as Fang’s.
Oh, my god.
“Where are we?” I ask, attempting to sit up and crane my neck to get a better view out the window. But the little movement makes me gasp, and my clit throbs to life, desperate for attention.
Sweat drips down my back, soaking through my sweatshirt.
Every time I try to take a deep breath, I’m assaulted by the unique aroma of all three Alphas.
What have I done?
What did I agree to?
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Ivan sighs. “Looks like…Tiff County? The sign said population ninety-nine, so we’ll see where this takes us. Hopefully that cabin is in good shape.”