Chapter 45
Forty-Five
DARIA
The guys have been extra sweet with me in the days since my heat. They cleaned the nest. They kiss me every chance they get. They feed me. Hug me. Touch me. They’re so amazing, but doubt has my heart in its taloned claws, like one wrong move could rip the organ from my chest and leave me a hollow shell.
I hate that.
I hate that, when they smile, I brace for disappointment.
So, out of habit, I start to shield myself, building a barrier to protect my heart from the fallout.
I know they sense what I’m doing, but for a few days, they don’t call me on it.
We’re in the middle of dinner when everything breaks. I’m pushing food around my plate. Kai and Lincoln are talking about work, their eyes straying to me every once in a while. The heat of their attention has my cheeks burning. I smile, but it’s not real.
It’s fake.
As fake as my tone when Vic asks me what’s wrong. “Nothing.”
He heaves out a breath. “Little doe.” The nickname is growled, and I stiffen at the undercurrent of sheer frustration.
My eyes lift from my plate to meet his.
A hard line cuts between his eyebrows, and his eyes flash with anger. “No me mientas,” he says, then translates. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I—”
Vic’s eyes narrow even further, cutting me off. “You’ve been acting weird since your heat.” He glances at Kai and Lincoln, who’ve fallen silent to listen to our conversation. “You’re still mad.”
“I’m not mad.” And that’s the truth.
“Sad, then,” he says, shaking his head. “You still doubt us?”
“No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I...” I trail off and shake my head. “I’m being dumb.”
“Don’t talk about my mate like that,” Kai says.
My eyes fall to my lap.
“Bunny,” Linc coaxes. “I’m sorry we didn’t mark you, but you have to know we’re all in. We moved you into our house.”
I nod. These are all things I’ve told myself. But my instincts don’t care. “I know.”
“And yet you still pull away?” Kai prods.
Biting my cheek, I glance at him, hating the confusion.
“Maybe you need to be punished, hmm?” Vic begins. “Maybe our omega needs to realize how serious we are.”
Linc shifts in his seat, something dark flashing in his gaze. “A hunt?”
Vic tilts his head to the side and studies me. “What do you think, little doe? Do you want your alphas to chase you? To capture and ravage you? To mark you?”
A thrill rolls down my spine. “Yes.”
Two hours later, my body is thrumming with excitement as Vic parks in the driveway of a small home that butts up against the natural woodlands surrounding a golf course. There’s a blue sedan parked next to us, but none of the lights are on inside the house. Vic and Linc are in the front seat, both lost in thought as the heavy bass-filled song comes to an end. Kai waits patiently in his seat next to me.
“Um. Not to be annoying, but this is not After Dark.” I thought they were going to chase me? After dinner, I even ran up to change into something appropriate for the sex club. Now I feel a little weird in the sheer slip dress and lacy underwear.
“Technically, this is,” Kai says. But that’s all he gives me.
Frowning, I study the neighborhood again. It’s as suburban as suburban gets. Streetlights. Quiet. There are even a few bikes in the front yard of the house next to us. The home we’re parked at is unassuming. There are even perfectly manicured hedges, for fuck’s sake. How is this part of the sex club?
A couple emerges from the front door. The woman is wearing all black and almost blends in with the night. If there were no streetlights, it would be hard to make out her form. The man beside her is wearing a dreamy look. He passes by the truck to get in the passenger side of the sedan, and I’m not sure he notices us. The woman does, though, her gaze lifting to the truck. She nods at Vic before sliding into her car and pulling out of the driveway.
A notification dings on the truck’s console. A single message sent to Vic’s phone from an unknown number that reads: The playground is now ready for you .
Before I can ask any questions, Vic and Linc slip out of the truck. Both have been uncannily quiet. I look to Kai for guidance.
“They’re getting into the right mindset for the hunt. Do you remember your safe word?”
I nod. “Stop.”
He smiles. “Easy enough. Let’s go inside.” Kai climbs out of the truck, and I follow suit, waiting for him to meet me by the sidewalk. The knee-length jacket isn’t practical for a summer night, but it’s necessary. I don’t think the Stepford Wives would appreciate me flashing my ass around their picture-perfect neighborhood. Kai grabs my hand and draws me toward Vic and Linc at the front door.
Vic taps in a code to unlock the door, and the mechanism flashes green, the whir of the lock engaging. No one speaks until we’re inside. There’s a dim lamp illuminating what used to be a living room. The space has been converted to a welcome area, walled off from the remainder of the home with a singular door providing access to the rest. An employee greets us and checks us in, following the same process as the club itself, going over kinks and ensuring consent forms are on file for each of us, before walking over to open the door.
Linc places his palm on my low back and guides me toward them.
“You’re booked for two hours, that includes playground and aftercare room time.” The employee nods at me as I pass through to the next space. “Our lot extends to the vacant house next door and into the trees beyond both homes. Pay attention to the red posts that line either side. If you find yourself going beyond those, you’re no longer on After Dark property.”
“Thank you,” Kai tells the employee.
They nod and shut the door, locking us in the open-concept kitchen, dining room, and second living room. A hallway extends beyond that, leading to bedrooms and bathrooms. The far wall is lined with sliding glass doors. The night is still light enough to make out the eight-foot-tall fence running along both sides of the main yard, but instead of connecting in the middle, the back part of the yard gives way to the thicket of trees beyond.
Kai remains at my back, but Vic and Linc come to stand in front of me. They stare at me like they’re starving, like I’m prey they’re ready to hunt and devour.
“What’s your safe word?” Linc asks.
“Stop.”
He nods. “You’ll go into the yard first, with a two-minute head start.” Eyes darkening and lips tipping into a wolfish smile, he continues, “And then Vic and I will hunt you.”
My stomach flutters. “What about you, Kai?”
“You’ll come to me when they’re done with you.” Kai’s fingers brush over my shoulders as he grabs the collar of my jacket. “May I?”
Nodding, I undo the tie, and he glides the material down my arms. The sheer slip leaves nothing to the imagination.
Vic’s and Linc’s gazes trail down my body, eyes flashing in approval. Kai purrs, placing my jacket over the back of the kitchen chair before returning, pressing his chest against my back. His hand splays across my stomach, and his lips brush over my ear, making me shiver.
“Look at how they watch you, baby,” he murmurs, kissing my shoulder. “Look at how much they want you.” Kai pulls my body flush against his, allowing me to feel his arousal as my eyes stray down to the erections tenting Vic’s and Linc’s pants. “This beautiful omega is all ours. By the end of the night, she’ll wear our marks.”
My heart squeezes. There’s nothing I want more.
Linc swallows and turns away, opening the sliding glass door and arching an eyebrow at Kai.
Vic steps toward me, staring down at me with the same hunger as when we first met. “Ready to run, little doe?”
“Yes,” I breathe as he brushes his knuckles over my nipples.
“She’s such a good omega.” Kai gently bites my neck before kissing the same spot. “Make them work for it, baby.” He releases me, and Vic steps back.
“Two minutes, bunny.” Lincoln watches me approach the door, pupils blown wide.
I hesitate at the threshold, peering into the night. The sandals I’m wearing aren’t practical for running through the forest. I slide out of them. The tile greets the pads of my feet with a cool kiss.
Linc stalks toward me, brushing his chest against my side as he leans down to growl, “Run,” in my ear.
The command slides over me, jolting me into action. My feet hit the concrete patio and then the grass beyond that. Humid air fills my lungs as I run into the trees, surprised to find well-maintained paths. It makes sense, given that this area is used as hunting grounds.
Strategically placed lights provide enough light that I don’t run straight into a tree, but for the most part, it’s too dark to make out more than vague shapes.
My heart slams against my ribs, pulse racing as I stick to a smoothed trail, heading deeper into the trees before stopping to scan my options. There are a few hunting blinds, but there are no deer to hunt. No. Those are for my predators.
Adrenaline zips through me, my breaths coming in soft pants, as I try to formulate a plan. Two minutes isn’t a lot of time, but that’s probably intentional. The less time to think and hide, the more likely my prey instincts will come out.
There’s a clearing directly ahead of me, surrounded by the thickest crop of trees. The hunting blind is out of the question. I don’t want to be cornered. A narrow path leads into the space crowded with trunks and bushes. Hoping there won’t be any creepy critters, I take a chance and head that way, my pulse roaring through my ears.
I find a wide trunk and tuck myself against it, thanking whoever maintains the property for clearing away most of the brush that might hide creatures I’m too terrified to think about. The possibility of what might be out here in the wild, in combination with my hunters, is enough to turn my blood cold with fright.
Sense of time is lost on me. I don’t have a watch, but I’m not going to fall for Vic’s trick again. I’ll maintain my hiding spot until they’re close enough to find me. Seconds tick by, punctuated by the hammering of my heart, and I try to steady my breathing, worried the guys will be able to hear me if I keep panting.
The buzz of summer insects is a steady serenade of what’s to come. Out here, there are fewer reminders of the real world. The playground at After Dark was fun, but this is next-level predatory-prey play. My hands tremble against the tree trunk, and I peer around it, squinting into the dark to try and catch sight of my men, but it’s no use. Not even the dim lamps hanging in the trees can help me find them.
There’s no advantage for me out here, other than the head start.
This is their game.
A soft snap comes from the path I left behind in favor of the narrow one. For the most part, there were no twigs covering the ground. The intentional snap of wood kicks my heart into overdrive.
I hold my breath and wait, listening for any sign of movement, but other than that sound a few seconds ago, there’s nothing that might indicate they’re closing in. It doesn’t help that my heart is beating so hard, I can hardly hear. I take the smallest sips of air, enough to keep me from passing out, and peer around the trunk again, shrieking when I find Linc’s face mere inches from mine.
“Gotcha,” he growls, lunging around the tree to grab me, but I stumble back, pivoting and racing down the narrow path and back to the main one. A wild burst of laughter chases after me. “You can run, but you can’t hide, bunny.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How did he get so close?
Endorphins flood through my body as I sprint along the winding path. Where’s Vic? He has to be somewhere close.
Over the thudding of my feet on the dirt, I hear swift movements closing in. I chance a glance to the side, spotting Vic running along the path next to mine. Fear spikes in my chest. Pumping my arms and legs harder, I surge faster down the path, pivoting at the last second before our trails collide and dashing down the one going the opposite direction of Vic’s trajectory.
He growls, and the sound skitters down my spine.
The hairs on the nape of my neck rise as he pursues me. I search for Linc but, unlike Vic, he’s not openly chasing me. I don’t know what’s worse, not knowing if I’m running straight toward one predator or fleeing from the other.
I’m gasping for air, definitely not used to this sort of cardio, but self-preservation kicks in and keeps me going. Honestly, I think I’m doing great. That is, until Vic’s fingers brush against my back.
“Fuck,” I gasp, pushing myself to go faster until another path crosses over the one I’m traveling down. I turn, nearly slipping from the abrupt change in direction, and run away from the snarling beta, who hadn’t anticipated my movements.
“Lincoln!” Vic calls for help.
Ha. I’m losing him. A tiny burst of delight floods through my system. I’m doing so well. Definitely redeeming myself from the last time he chased me. I have no idea where Linc is, but I’m quickly putting more distance between me and Vic, and it’s only a matter of time before I can hide?—
“There she is,” Linc says right as he jumps out from behind a tree and snatches me around the waist, pinning me to his naked torso. Somewhere between the time I ran into the trees and now, he stripped down to his boxers, and I’m not mad about it. He full-on growls in my ear as I thrash against him. Every time I buck and try to break his hold, his arms tighten around my body until I have no choice but to go completely still.
His heart is beating so hard, I can feel it almost exactly in time with mine.
“Did you catch something?” Vic appears in front of us. Like Linc, Vic is only wearing his boxers, the tattoos covering his torso barely visible in the dark of the forest. He smirks as I pant, chest heaving against Linc’s arms. “Mmm. What a pretty present you found for us.”
Linc slides one hand under the slip, shoving the lacy material of my thong aside to run the pad of his finger through my slit. “So wet,” he rasps, circling my clit and grinding his erection into my ass. “Fuck, she smells so good.”
Vic closes in, caging me between them, and stares down at my parted lips. “What do you want us to do to you, little doe? Do you want me to fuck you until you scream? Beat up that pretty pussy until you come all over my cock?”
Lips brushing over my ear, Linc growls again, a low, deep sound that makes my walls clamp. “Can you swallow me, bunny? Can you take my dick inside that gorgeous throat?” He teases my clit while his other hand skates up to stroke my throat, brushing his fingers over Vic’s collar.
“Yesss,” I moan as his teasing caresses light up my insides. “Please.”
“I like when you beg, bunny.” Linc’s finger leaves my clit, and he shoves my panties down my legs.
Vic lifts the sheer slip up, and Linc releases me long enough for Vic to take it off and for the two of them to strip out of their boxer briefs. My heart is still racing, but for an entirely different reason. Slick coats my thighs. I reach back and undo the clasp of the bra, freeing my breasts and letting the slinky material fall to the ground.
As if that’s what they were waiting for, they pounce, Lincoln clutching my throat and drawing my back against his body, his hardened length pressing against my ass as Vic closes in, tipping my chin and claiming my lips as he pushes two fingers through my heat and inside of me.
Vic devours my gasp, pumping his digits in and out of me while Linc trails his lips from the lobe of my ear down to his hand that collars the base of my neck. His teeth graze over the spot where I desperately want them to mark me, and I whimper.
Moaning into my mouth, Vic deepens the kiss. He lifts my leg, holding it against his hip and tilting my pelvis. The head of his cock replaces his fingers, and before I can take a breath, he thrusts inside of me.
He breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against mine and panting hard, like he’s just run a marathon. “I love how you clamp around me,” he tells me, setting a steady rhythm with his hips. His cock is enough of a distraction that I don’t notice when Linc removes the collar until it slips down my front, dropping right on top of where Vic’s body is joined with mine.
Vic doesn’t miss a beat; he simply grabs it and drops it onto the pile of clothes, fucking me deep and hard.
I want to ask why Linc took it off, but then teeth graze over my skin, and I understand. With Vic balls deep inside of me, the alpha at my back teases his lips over my throat and cups my breasts, pinching and tugging on my nipples, little touches of pain to offset the pleasure.
The head of Vic’s cock brushes over my G-spot. I moan and drop my head back against Linc’s shoulder, exposing my neck right as Vic sweeps his thumb over my clit. Electricity zaps through my body. The girth of his cock stretching me, demanding submission. The pace of his hips slamming against mine, controlling my pleasure.
A deep growl rattles over the base of my neck. Gooseflesh skitters down my arms, and Linc’s gentle, teasing kisses turn to demanding, rough bites, each one more threatening than the next. Vic works me toward an orgasm, thumb moving faster and faster, increasing in pressure in equal measure with Linc’s bites until the world around me grows fuzzy.
Sharp teeth sink into the skin at the base of my neck, and Vic thrusts deep, both making me cry out as an orgasm crashes over me. Vic relentlessly fucks me, turning one orgasm into two as Linc claims me.
“Yes,” I rasp, moving my hips in time with Vic’s. “Fuck, yes.”
“I’m not going to last much longer,” he warns Linc.
My alpha kisses the fresh mark, running his tongue over it and helping Vic guide me down toward the ground until I’m straddling his hips and Linc stands before me, cock dripping and throbbing as I take hold of it.
“Marking you was almost enough to make me come,” he confesses.
Knowing that fills me with pride, and I suck him deep into my mouth, rolling my hips, but Vic’s hands stop me.
“I need a minute, little doe. I want to come inside you while I mark you.” That doesn’t stop him from caressing my clit with the pad of his thumb, lazily circling it to pass the time.
Humming in approval, I gaze up at Linc. He smooths his palm over my cheek before slipping his hand to the back of my head to grip my hair.
“That’s it, bunny. You can take a little more, hmm?” He pushes his hips forward, sliding deeper inside of my mouth. His tip brushes against the back of my throat, and I breathe through my nose, fighting my gag reflex. “That’s my girl,” he praises. “Show me how good you can swallow me.”
It’s so easy to give him what he wants when he showers me with compliments. I bob my head over his length, flexing my throat every time his tip pushes farther into my mouth until I can swallow around him. His cock pulses and jerks in response.
Oh, I like that.
So, I do it again and again, bringing him to the brink and saving the best for last. When a tiny whimper tumbles out of his mouth, I take him all the way into my mouth, nearly choking on his length, but that contraction sends him over the edge. Lincoln explodes inside of me, hot cum shooting down my throat. I savor every drop, sucking and lapping at his length.
Vic pinches my clit, and I gasp around Linc, making him grunt.
“Fuck, bunny, that was amazing.”
“Give me my omega,” Vic demands.
As Linc’s cock slides out of my mouth, I barely have time to lick my lips clean before Vic grabs the back of my neck and tugs me toward him. I collapse against his body, not caring about the dirt beneath my knees. Not when he kisses me like it’s the last thing he’ll ever do.
Steadily, Vic begins to thrust, and I ride him, circling my hips and moving over his cock until he breaks the kiss and his lips find my throat. His mouth brushes right over where his collar usually sits, and when I rock my hips down his thick length, he hisses in approval against my skin.
“You’ve been mine since the day I met you,” he whispers against my skin before sealing my fate with his bite, marking me as Linc had. The claim is enough to make my walls clamp around his length. He moans against my throat as he comes inside of me, just as he intended.
Maybe how it was always meant to be.
By the time we make it back to the house, my body is shaking, crashing from the thrill of the chase harder than I did at After Dark. The guys lead me inside and into a bedroom with an en suite bathroom, where Kai is waiting with a steamy shower running. He’s only wearing his boxer briefs, the expanse of his strong chest on display and the mark I left on his neck clearly visible.
That’s my alpha.
“You did so good, little doe.” Vic leans down to kiss my shoulder. “I’ll give you your collar when we head home. Take care of our omega, Kai.”
The alpha nods, eyes set on the fresh bites on my neck. “Always.”
My heart trembles in my chest. I’m only missing his claim.
Linc wraps his arms around me. “We love you, bunny.” Placing his nose at the base of my neck, he breathes in my scent with a pleased purr rumbling in his chest.
Watching Kai wait patiently for his turn to claim me is agony. He’d never rush his pack mates, though. He’ll make sure they’re perfectly content before taking care of himself.
“Kai is going to take good care of you,” Linc murmurs.
“I know,” I whisper, breaking free of his hold and throwing myself at Kai.
With a warm chuckle, he catches me and presses his lips to mine, a slow, purposeful kiss. A promise that I won’t leave this room without his mark. His hands roam over my naked body. Simple caresses, but electricity follows the wake of his touch. I melt into him, and he smirks against my mouth, breaking the kiss to slide the shower door open.
“Let me clean you up, baby.” Kai pulls me into the spray of water.
I hiss at the sudden onslaught of heat, but my shoulder muscles unbunch. There are an assortment of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. None of my preferred products, but I can worry about my hair later. Right now, my focus is on the alpha in front of me.
Reaching for me, Kai places his palms on either side of my head and tips it back until the water washes over my curls. His lips crash into mine. A soft sigh slips out of me, but he steals the sound away, keeping it all for himself as the shower soaks my body.
Eventually, he pulls away to grab a loofah. “These were individually wrapped, so I know they’re clean.” Once he has it sufficiently foamy, he pulls me toward the back wall of the shower and washes my back while I rest my forehead on his shoulder. “Turn around for me,” he instructs, opening his arms to give me space.
My eyes lift to his, finding nothing but love, and I spin on wobbly legs, placing my back against his front. One arm bands around my waist.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
“I know.”
He hums in approval and slowly washes my front, dragging the soapy material over each breast, over my stomach, down farther, until every part of my body is clean. “Now, your hair,” he murmurs, squirting a quarter-sized amount of conditioner onto his palm. “I’m sorry they don’t have better options.” He scrubs my head, fingers slowly working the moisturizer through my strands.
“You know how I like to wash my hair?”
“I know a lot about you,” he says, rinsing the remainder of the conditioner from his hands while we wait for it to soak in.
I rest my head back against his shoulder. “You’re so wonderful.”
“Thanks, baby.” His palm coasts up my torso and to my neck. “You have no idea how badly I want to mark you right now, but that goes against my plans.”
“Fuck the plan. Mark me.”
He chuckles. “So demanding. Turn.” Guiding me back under the spray of water, he rinses the moisturizer from my hair and quickly does the shampoo next.
The fact that this alpha knows this simple thing that’s literally changed the way I work with my curly hair hits me hard in the heart. It would be so easy for him to rush through the shower, but he’s painstakingly taking his time, ensuring everything is done right because he wants to take care of me.
I let him do just that with a silly smile tugging at my lips. He turns off the water and wraps me in a towel before grabbing one for himself. Kai dries his body, scrubbing the towel around his hardened length.
“Kai,” I rasp. “I’m ready.”
He grins at me, dropping the towel into the wicker laundry basket and prowls toward me. “You want me to mark you?”
I nod. “Desperately.”
Grabbing my towel, he scrunches it around my hair one last time before tossing it aside and picking me up. My legs wrap around his middle as he carries me into the bedroom. Vic and Linc have given us privacy for this moment.
Kai sets me on the edge of the bed, leaning down to claim my mouth as his palm smooths up my thigh. I part my legs to give him better access. He groans into my mouth when he discovers how wet I am. Two fingers push inside me as he works to ensure I’m really ready.
Taking care of me again.
I break the kiss. “I want to be on top.”
“You can have whatever you want,” he tells me, kissing my cheek before slipping his fingers out of me and climbing onto the bed.
Turning, I climb onto my hands and knees and crawl up his body until I’m straddling his hips. I settle my center over his, rocking over his cock and leaning over until my mouth hovers right above his.
“In that case.” I reach between our bodies, palming his shaft and positioning him. “I want you.” My hips roll back, taking him all the way in, and his breath catches. “You’re my alpha, Kai, and I’m not leaving this room until you mark me.”
I rock up and down his length, grinding my clit against him.
His hands grip my hips, helping me move faster and faster until both of us are panting with need. Kai watches me fuck him like I’m some type of angel. A slow smirk works across my face as I take control, bringing us both to the edge, and right as my toes start to tingle, Kai’s hand is at the back of my neck, and he tugs me down, smashing my chest against his and tilting my head. Tracing his lips over the delicate skin at the base of my throat. His teeth tease over it, and he thrusts up, forcing me to take him deeper.
“Kai,” I moan. “Mark me, please.”
“Anything for my omega.” Then his teeth sink into my skin, a bite of pain that ricochets around the pleasure we’re creating. With a deep, rumbling purr, my alpha claims me, and as that mark brands across my skin, an orgasm crashes through my system, making me scream and writhe over his length.
Somehow, through it all, Kai’s hips piston up to meet mine until his cock pulses and jerks, spilling his seed inside of me as he rolls his tongue over his mark. My entire body trembles, exhausted from everything, but my heart is full.
Finally.
After years of hoping and wishing and considering promising my soul to the devil in exchange for my heart’s desires, I have a pack.
I’m a claimed omega.
Loved.
Cherished.
Marked.