33. Luna #2
I can see in his eyes—he’s determined. So determined it’s like the only possible outcome that exists in his universe is one where I’m safe.
I don’t know whether to believe him or not.
My world is a blur, but as my pack and the security guards push past the main crowd, one thing cuts through the haze in my head: the startlingly familiar acrid scent of burning plastic.
I grip onto Madden’s arm.
Terror makes my hand tremble as I grip desperately at the expensive fabric of his suit jacket.
“I scented it—” I say, my voice not quite loud enough to carry over the chaos around us.
“What?” He asks, jerking his gaze down to meet mine.
“I scented him .”
The alpha who abused me.
The alpha who wanted to buy me.
The alpha who wanted to own me.
I emphasize the word him and that’s all Madden needs in order for things to click.
He starts barking orders at the security, his dominance swirling around us.
“Close down the ballroom,” Madden barks.
“What the hell is going on?” The Director snaps back in return. “Why the hell are we doing that? ”
“You’ve got a crazy, psycho omega trafficker somewhere in there,” Madden growls back.
“What the fuck?” The Director immediately pulls out his phone and starts rapidly texting.
“What did he look like, Moonlight?” Chase asks, his jaw ticking.
“Tall and—and with dark hair and eyes, around his late forties,” I say, trying to keep up with the chaos going around me. “He—he smells like burning plastic to me.”
“Got it,” The Director says, putting his phone to his ear. “You guys go. Keep Luna safe.”
“We will,” Madden says, as if he’s taking a vow.
The world is a blur, even when they carry me outside. The freezing cold night air makes goosebumps rise on my arms, but does nothing to cool the burning I feel under my skin. It just makes me start shivering.
We all pile into the car, with Kane in the driver’s seat and Chase, Madden, Archer and I in the back of the car.
I don’t know what happens, but I think Archer somehow gets the backseat lowered.
“Lay her down here,” he orders. “And get the car moving, Kane!”
Madden moves to set me down on what feels like a blanket. I have no clue where Archer found it, but I’m not complaining. Its softness feels so much better against my exposed skin than the bottom of the car would, or even the chiffon of my dress.
When Madden moves away from me, the loss of his warmth causes a wave of cramps to hit me. It’s like my body automatically knows that an alpha is leaving, and it really doesn’t like that.
“Please,” I whimper, clutching against the front of his dress shirt.
I don’t even really know what I’m begging for.
Sure, I know what I need to feel better.
I know all omegas need alphas during their heat, or whatever this is, since I’m pretty sure it’s not my full heat.
I don’t know whether I’m begging him to hold me, kiss me, or fuck me in the back of this car.
To be completely honest, the fear of my past aside, I think I’d be okay with all of the above.
All I can really picture is having them close, which means I don’t want them to leave me.
“Fuck,” Madden curses under his breath. I can see his pupils dilating as he stares down at me. See his nostrils flaring as he scents me. See the hard outline of him in his dress pants.
But he stays still. He doesn’t touch me.
It makes tears well in my eyes.
Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe they don’t want anything to do with me. Maybe they want an omega who’s not broken like I am.
Fear twists inside of me. What if they don’t want to help me?
I know what it’s like to need an alpha’s knot and be denied it. I’m all too familiar with the burning sort of pain that makes you want to tear your skin from your flesh and your flesh from your bones.
It wouldn’t just break my body if this pack denied me. It would break my soul, too.
“Fuck, Moonlight, don’t cry,” I hear Chase say from above me. “What’s wrong?”
He turns me so I’m cradled on his lap. I sink into his arms and ocean breeze scent.
I try to form coherent words, but his proximity makes my brain short-circuit. I try and communicate everything I’m thinking, all my jumbled, feverish thoughts, but all that comes out is two words.
“It—it hurts.”
“Shit, did I do something wrong?” Madden asks from behind me.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, but omegas are sensitive during their heat spikes,” Archer explains. “She probably just interpreted you setting her down as you leaving. ”
Madden’s jaw clenches, and he runs his hand through his hair with panic. “What—what’re we supposed to do?”
“I don’t think she can wait until we get back to our place.” I feel Chase shift underneath me. He presses a cool hand against my cheek, making me practically start purring and rubbing into his touch. “She’s burning up and she’s scared as hell.”
“Then we take the edge off in the car.” Archer’s tone is firm and definitive, as if that’s the simplest solution. “Get her dress off of her.”
When Chase moves from under me, trying to put space between us, I instinctively whirl around in his lap and clutch at him desperately.
I know it’s silly. I know what they’re trying to do. I heard Archer. And I want it to happen. I want to feel their touch on my body. But I don’t want to lose the contact I have with Chase right now.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Chase says softly, his tone soothing. “We’re just gonna take off your dress so we can help you better, that’s okay, right?”
I give him a quick and jerky nod.
“I’ve gotta let you go to do that.”
I shake my head and grip onto his shirt again.
Chase bites his lip before nodding to Madden behind me.
When Madden’s arms close around me, I relax enough to let Chase turn me and start unbuttoning my dress.
“I—I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I—I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Nothing’s wrong with you, Angel. I promise.”
I feel Chase’s cool fingertips against the bare skin of my back and shiver.
“Kiss her, Madden,” Archer orders from behind us.
His command makes my perfume explode into the car. There’s something about the dominant energy he’s exuding right now that makes the omega inside of me melt .
When Madden’s lips meet mine, the entire world feels like it fractures apart. It sends a lightning bolt straight down between my thighs. I can feel slick dripping from me and into my panties. If this were any other situation, I’d be ridiculously embarrassed, but I’m not.
I just want more.
Madden’s kiss is all-consuming. It’s all I can taste. All I can feel. I get lost in it and I think he feels the same.
A hand tugs at my hair, pulling me away from Madden’s lips and tilting my head.
“Fuck, your scent,” I hear Chase murmur against the crook of my neck.
A whine leaves the back of my throat at the loss of contact with Madden.
Chase has undone the buttons and zipper of my dress, making it pool at my waist and revealing my bare breasts to Madden’s hungry gaze.
He looks at me like I’m the most attractive person he’s ever seen in his entire life.
“Get her out of her dress. Completely,” Archer commands.
I glance to the side and see his eyes glued onto me, roaming all over my body and gauging all of my reactions.
As Chase and Madden work together to pull my dress from my body, leaving me in only the black lace panties I put on, I can’t help but feel a little exposed and self-conscious.
When I try to cover myself up with my hands, all of them growl from deep in their throats.
“Don’t you dare hide anything from us,” Archer growls. “You’re fucking stunning, Luna. The most beautiful omega all of us have ever fucking laid our eyes on.”
Chase gently grabs my wrists, pulling them away from my body. Madden moves forward, his hands on the outside of my thighs. My legs automatically fall open to make room for his wide frame .
“Fucking hell,” Madden whispers under his breath.
“I’m getting real fucking jealous up here,” I hear Kane grunt from the front seat.
It makes a small smile appear on my lips before my expression twists into a grimace with another wave of cramps.
“Please,” I whine. “I—I need?—”
I don’t think I can say it. What if they deny me?
Plus, how can I beg for something like that after all I’ve been through? That feels—that feels dirty. How could I want something like that when it was forced on me so many times? I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like unless I don’t want it.
“We know what you need,” Archer growls. “But do you trust us? We need to hear you say it.”
I do. I trust them more than I ever thought I could trust someone.
I meet Archer’s gaze and give him a firm nod.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then we’ll give it to you.”