Chapter 17
Alex
Amy’s texts roll in throughout the day: Hudson’s perfuming. Heat spikes increasing.
We tried to leave early, but it’s past seven by the time we escape the office.
But it’s not eleven. We’ve got our shit arranged – cases have been delegated, assistants have been briefed. We're officially free to take a week off for Hudson’s heat.
As if we needed the Maserati to get home faster, Mason puts the pedal to the floor anyway. Hudson hasn’t needed a new car yet; he’s barely left the house since moving in.
“I thought we had more time,” I mutter, half to myself.
“Preheat could still last a day or two,” Des says, but even he sounds uncertain.
I shift in the backseat, trying not to make my hard dick more obvious. Thankfully, they’re too wired to notice.
“Slow down,” Des warns as Mason weaves through traffic. “A ticket won’t help. Or a fiery ball of death.”
I huff. “It’s not an emergency. Amy’s with him. He’s okay.”
But saying it doesn’t stop the spike of worry that barrels through the bond.
It hits me hard: my first panic isn't about us dying – it’s that Hudson would suffer through his heat without us.
Huh.
We pass through the gates, and the guard lifts his hand in a wave. Mason parks like he’s crash-landing a jet, and we rush toward the house.
The second the door opens, I’m hit by a wall of scent so powerful my knees nearly buckle. Hudson’s pheromones coat the air like syrup. Sweet plum and tonka bean.
Goddamn intoxicating.
I grit my teeth as my knot throbs.
“Fuck,” Mason snarls.
Des’s pupils are already blown wide.
Rutting instinct slams into me like a freight train as we race down the hall. Mason reaches the omega quarters first – of course he does – and the scent gets thicker, dizzying.
Moans filter through the air.
I strip without thinking. Pants and boxers – gone. Mason and Des are doing the same. For once, I don’t give a shit about how good they look naked.
I need to get to him.
We hit the open nest door at the same time, stepping into a space that’s absolutely wrecked from hours of nesting and self-pleasuring.
Hudson’s at the center, writhing on the padded floor like a dream. A silicone knot is buried in his ass, and he’s jerking himself off with a desperation that makes my instincts snap.
Mason’s on him instantly, brushing Hudson’s hand away to replace it with his mouth. The omega’s hips jerk up like he’s hardwired to Mason’s tongue.
“Alpha,” Hudson whispers, locking eyes with me. His pupils are huge, swallowing his whiskey-brown irises.
I lunge.
Mason shifts back, removing the toy and lifting Hudson just enough for me to slide under him. The omega reaches for my cock and positions himself without hesitation.
His slick is everywhere and as sweet as his scent.
The moment he sinks onto my cock, I almost black out. He’s tight, hot, and so fucking wet I feel like I'm drowning. Every instinct I have screams mine.
I hold still for a breath. Then he starts to ride me.
It's nothing like being with my mates. It's heavier. Sharper. Biology and desire crashing into each other until there’s no room for thought.
“Knot,” he gasps, voice breaking. “Alpha. Knot. Please, bite.”
Fuck.
Hudson’s pleas rip something loose in my chest.
He drops against my chest, slick smearing between us. His hands tremble as he grips my shoulders, his body moving on autopilot. Grind, lift, drop.
My knot swells, stretching his opening until I see stars. I want to lose control. I want to throw him on his back and fuck him until neither of us can think straight.
But I have to remember. No biting.
He's lost to the heat, but I made a promise. No teeth. No mark.
Doesn’t stop the need. Doesn’t stop the fantasy of where I’d leave my mark…neck, shoulder.
Somewhere he’d feel it with every breath.
He rides me harder, chasing what his body needs. I grab his hips and thrust up shallowly, letting him take exactly what he wants.
I’m right there with him. Almost gone. Almost feral.
This isn’t love. Not yet. But god, I respect him. I admire him. I need to take care of him, more than merely through his heat.
And I can’t let myself fuck that up. Even if I’m one thrust away from losing my humanity in this nest.
Keep. It. Together.
Because I don’t just want to fuck him.
I want to claim him.