Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Chloe
T he clinking of ceramic plates and silverware fills the kitchen as I help Holden clear the table after dinner, while Dominic’s soothing voice drifts in from the living room where he reads to Quinn by the crackling fire.
As I stack dishes in the sink, my thoughts turn to Nathaniel. The call with his father had put him on edge, adding to the tension that began with the arrival of the inspector. The resort project puts so much pressure on him. I wish I could help.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Holden sidles up beside me, filling my nose with his vanilla sweetness as he places the last of the glasses on the counter.
I sigh, shutting off the faucet. “I’m worried about Nathaniel. That conversation with his dad seemed to really get to him. Is that common?”
Holden’s expression turns troubled, and he rests a hip on the counter. “Nathaniel’s father is a hard man. Arrogant, demanding, never satisfied. He’s always pushed Nat to be the best and never show weakness. Unfortunately, it’s his father’s definition of best and not necessarily one that can be met by a mere mortal.”
“That’s awful.” My heart aches for the gruff Alpha. “No wonder he’s so guarded.”
“He’s learned to armor himself.” Holden reaches out to thread his fingers through mine, his touch sending tingles through me. “But he’s let you in more than most.”
“He warned me about the clause in the loan you took out. The one that could break up the pack if the resort doesn’t open on time.” I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “He’s worried about us bonding before things are settled.”
“I hate that stupid contract.” The vehemence in Holden’s voice takes me by surprise, coming from my gentle Alpha. “We never should have agreed to it.”
I lift his hand to rub my cheek over his knuckles. “Were there other options?”
“Yeah, if we’d taken on smaller jobs and spent years proving ourselves outside of Burton Corporation.” He blows out a long breath. “None of us wanted that, though, and Dominic had investors ready to go now. We let impatience put us in a bad spot, and Nathaniel’s dad took advantage of the situation.”
“What will you do if the…” I can’t quite bring myself to say pack dissolution . “What if the worst-case scenario happens?”
“Dom and I will buy a place in Mosswood to stay close to Blake and Nathaniel.” He lifts a shoulder. “We’re bondmates, so as far as the law is concerned, they can’t keep us apart. But they’d have to at least temporarily move back in with their familial packs.”
“Why make them move back at all if it’s only temporary?” I ask, confused on why Nathaniel’s father would force the issue like that.
Unhappiness tightens Holden’s features. “I don’t think Nathaniel’s father believes our bond is true. He thinks Nathaniel is just acting out, and once he’s back home, he’ll try to convince Nathaniel to mate with an Omega from one of the outher Burton packs to force him into staying.”
Ugly jealousy rises at the thought. “He can’t force something like that!”
“No, and Nathaniel will never give in.” He squeezes my hand in reassurance. “We’ve had our lawyer review the clause in the contract, and there’s nothing that requires Nathaniel and Blake to remain with their familial packs forever. Eventually, we’d be back together.”
But even a temporary separation is too much to have demanded, especially for a bonded pack like theirs. That Nathaniel’s father would even put such a thing in writing speaks to the cruelty of his nature.
My stomach clenches. “What would happen to Misty Pines?”
Holden’s gaze drops. “If we default on the stipulations of the loan, then we have to repay what we’ve already spent. We don’t have enough liquid income to cover it, so the island would have to be sold.”
And Nathaniel’s father would get his hands on the property he thought would be his when his wife died. It might be the writer in me, but it feels like a setup.
Is Nathaniel’s father cruel enough to orchestrate everything to make sure the resort project fails? Is he willing to do that just to gain what he wants, all while crushing his own son’s confidence and stealing his legacy?
Were my mother in his position, she would without a second’s thought. I just hope his father is a better person than my mother.
The need to go to Nathaniel and offer comfort rises within me. “Do you think he’s been down in the gym long enough?”
Holden smiles at me, a soft, sweet expression that crinkles the corners of his eyes and sets off the butterflies in my stomach. “You should go check. I’ll make some post-workout shakes to take with you, so you have an excuse to interrupt.”
Holden bustles around the kitchen, pulling ingredients and bringing out a blender.
When he places the bottles in my hands, the cool glass chills my skin.
I clutch them close to my chest and follow his directions to the gym. As I descend the stairs, the rhythmic thud of fists hitting pads reaches my ears, accompanied by the grunts and heavy breathing of two Alphas immersed in their workout.
My nose twitches at the heady aroma of sweat and pheromones that grows stronger with each step, the mixture of applewood and clove setting my heart racing.
I pause in the doorway, pulse thrumming as I take in the sight of Nathaniel and Blake circling each other on the mats, muscles rippling beneath sweat-sheened skin as Blake holds up pads and Nathaniel punches them.
Blake moves with a fluid grace, his long hair escaping its bun to frame his chiseled features, and Nathaniel appears equally tousled. Blond strands cling to his forehead as he jabs and weaves, his handsome features tight with concentration.
The two Alphas are so different, Nathaniel leanly muscled while Blake’s biceps and thighs bulge. But there’s no doubt that they’re both strong, more than capable of handling themselves in a fight.
Their pheromones fill the space, heavy enough to taste them on my tongue and saturate my skin. My cheeks flush, and I sway, the glasses in my hands clinking.
Two pairs of eyes snap to me, and the Alphas’ nostrils flare, taking in my scent.
My breath catches as I hold up the shakes, my hands trembling. “Thought you guys might need… Mmm…” A fresh wave of pheromones rushes over me, and I lick my lips, tasting cider and leather. “…post-workout…”
I stare at the green drinks I hold, my mind unable to find the word for them through the haze of desire sweeping through me.
Blake and Nathaniel approach, chests heaving. I admire the way their shirts cling to their firm bodies, muscles defined beneath the damp fabric.
“Hot,” I mumble, then flush, pressing the cool glasses to my burning cheeks. “I mean, you two must be hot. From the workout.”
The way their sweaty shirts cling to their bodies distracts me again, and I fixate on the tantalizing flex of their muscles. “Abs…”
Blake leans in to take one of the glasses, his woodsy scent washing over me as he inhales. “You smell so good, sweetheart.” The sensual rumble has me swaying closer, desperate to be enveloped in his heady pheromones. “Like a garden in summer.”
Nathaniel steps to my other side, his hand cupping around mine as he lifts the shake to his lips. His fingers, still warm from his workout, burn my skin, sending tingles racing up my arm.
Transfixed by the way his lips wrap around the straw, memories flood my mind of how those lips pressed to mine just this morning. Soft yet demanding, coaxing needy whimpers from my throat.
“I want to be that straw,” I whisper, the words slipping out unchecked.
A growl emanates from his chest as his hand tightens on mine, and the possessive sound shoots straight through me, desire pooling in my core.
Caught between the two Alphas, surrounded by their pheromones, I can barely breathe. Their heat, the way their gym shorts settle just so over their bulges… It sets my whole body ablaze with need, yearning to be touched, claimed, owned by them.
Blake finishes his shake and sets the glass aside, his mouth curving into a knowing smirk as he takes in my flushed cheeks and rapid breaths.
He grips the front of his sweat-dampened shirt, pulling the fabric away from his chest. “I think we should hit the showers.”
Lost in a haze of longing, I nod. Blake steps backward toward a door at the far end of the gym, and my feet move of their own accord to follow, helpless to resist the magnetic pull of his presence.
Only when I step off the gym mats onto tiles does reality come crashing back in.
Mortification floods through me as I realize what I’m doing. “Oh! You mean you two should shower.”
I jump backward, only to crash into Nathaniel, who stands at my back.
Heat suffuses my face, turning my cheeks the same vivid pink as my hair. “I don’t need to…shower…obviously…. I didn’t work out…”
The words die on my tongue as Blake crosses his arms and grasps the hem of his shirt, stripping the garment off in one fluid motion. I gape at the expanse of tanned skin and chiseled muscle revealed, my mouth going dry.
Dark ink wraps his biceps in intricate designs I ache to trace with my fingers or, better yet, my tongue. A line of silky hair vanishes into his waistband, teasing me to follow it to the thick length nestled beneath. I bite my lip, remembering the stretch of him, the way he filled me, how utterly wrecked I felt on his cock.
Lost in my fevered imaginings, I startle when Nathaniel rumbles behind me. “Are you sure you don’t need to shower, little Omega?”
I tip my head back to look up at him, my pulse racing. He stands so close that I feel the heat radiating off his body and smell the intoxicating blend of leather and clove and sweat rising from his skin.
“I… no…I showered this morning…” I blink, struggling to form coherent thoughts as every cell in my body screams for me to fall into his arms.
One corner of Nathaniel’s mouth quirks up in a half-smile that turns my knees to jelly. “Too bad.” He steps past me, his body brushing mine. “I guess we’ll have to go it alone.”
My lungs seize as he strides into the bathroom, the implication in his words unmistakable. Blake follows a moment later, a devilish gleam in his eye as he leaves the door ajar.
An invitation. A temptation.
Standing alone in the middle of the gym, my pulse pounds in my ears, the ache between my thighs almost unbearable. I press my shaking hands to my burning cheeks, trying to calm the riot of emotions storming through me.
The sound of running water reaches my ears, conjuring images of water sluicing over hard muscle, steam rising from heated skin, strong hands gliding over soap-slicked flesh…
A broken moan escapes my lips, the last threads of my resistance unraveling. Before I can second-guess myself, I move toward the bathroom, drawn by a primal need that drowns out all rational thought.
The door swings open on well-oiled hinges at the light press of my hand. My sneakers squeak on the glossy tiles, the pheromones of my Alphas mingling with the sharp scent of lemon cleaner as I step farther inside.
The single row of beige lockers covers one wall, a padded bench in the center separating the changing space from the sinks on the opposite side. The mirror that runs the length of the wall above the sinks reflects my pink hair and desire-flushed face.
The rhythmic patter of water comes from the back, where an archway must lead to the shower area. Steam curls through the air, fogging the mirrors and dampening my hair.
Discarded clothes litter the floor, creating a haphazard trail, and my heart flutters as I step over the abandoned garments. The sound of the spray grows louder as I approach, almost drowned out by the rush of blood pounding in my ears.
I pause at the threshold, sucking in a shaky breath as I peek around the corner.
And swoon at the sight that greets me.
Blake and Nathaniel stand beneath the spray of an open room shower, water sluicing over glistening muscles and acres of bare skin. Blake’s thick hair hangs in a damp curtain down his back as he tips his face up, rivulets tracing the hard lines of his body. Nathaniel stands beside him under his own showerhead, soaping his muscular chest, his biceps flexing as he works the lather over his pecs.
I catch my bottom lip between my teeth, aching to nip the curve of Blake’s hip, my fingers twitching with the urge to map the sharp V that leads to Nathaniel’s groin. Desire gathers between my thighs, my body readying itself for their possession.
Sensing my presence, they both turn, pinning me in place with heated stares. Raw hunger dilates their pupils, the blatant want in their expressions stealing the air from my lungs.
Blake catches my eyes, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “If you want to come in, you’ll need to lose the clothes.”
Beside him, Nathaniel watches me with hooded eyes, one hand smoothing suds across his chest. “Or you can just watch, if you’d rather.” His hand drifts downward. “Up to you.”
Blake hums in agreement as he wraps a hand around his hardening length. He strokes himself languidly. “Is that what you want, sweet girl? To watch us?”
A broken whimper escapes me, my thighs clenching as a rush of desire floods my core. My temperature rises, my skin too tight, my blood molten in my veins.
With shaking hands, I reach for the hem of my sweater, my breath coming in shallow pants as I strip it over my head. Blake and Nathaniel watch me with hungry appreciation as they stare at my pink lace bra, where my hard nipples pebble the thin material.
I’ve never been this bold, but the heat in their eyes makes me feel powerful, desirable. I shimmy out of my leggings and kick them aside, my hands trembling as I reach back to unclasp my bra.
In a daze, I let it fall to the floor, my panties following until I stand bare before them, my skin prickling with anticipation.
Blake crooks a finger at me in silent command, and my feet carry me into the shower to join them under the warm spray.