Chapter 16
Saint
The omega I had been dreaming of for months, since I had met her in the showers, was standing right in front of me.
Only, it was so much better than I’d ever imagined, because not only was she the omega I met in the showers, but she was also Maple.
The girl I had been talking to for ages, who knew me for me and, even better, liked me for me.
Plus, Mable was an omega I had a personal connection with and knew for a fact that it could lead to absolutely mind-blowing sex. My heart thumped behind my ribs, my nose catching that deliciously sweet scent rolling off her in waves. It made my skin hum, my instincts calling out for her.
It was a goddamn dream come true. I had no idea who my guardian angel was, but they deserved a stiff drink and a pat on the back.
Maybe a blow job.
If alcohol and shit were permitted in their group. The thought nearly made me laugh, and I cleared my throat, my eyes drifting to Mable’s stomach.
She was pregnant.
My cock twitched beneath my zipper, just from looking at her, pregnant with what could possibly be my child stirring something primal within me, even though she didn’t look pregnant yet, maybe just slightly bloated.
But shit, we were supposed to be discussing all this, and I needed to get my head in the game.
Focus, Saint.
After all, Mable had been rambling so much in the coffee shop that we hadn’t managed to get a clear image of what was going on, but I had ascertained enough to understand that she had slept with both me and Percy during her heat.
Clearly, she had good taste.
What was especially shocking was that Devin had taken to her immediately. When we’d seen the text, and Percy and I had decided to go, he had wanted to hold back, cautious and concerned.
It looked like all his doubts flew out the window the moment he saw Maple—Mable.
God, her name was perfect and suited her so well. That syrupy scent swirled around her even now, so damn strong. What was going on through that pretty little head of hers?
It had been one of my biggest regrets that I hadn’t asked her name when we had been in the shower. Granted, I had been somewhat distracted by the fact that she was in heat and suffering, but it still felt like a dick move.
The realization that she was also the girl that Percy had had sex with made me chuckle.
There was no jealousy. That was the great thing about being in a pack; we were all about sharing.
Actually, the thought of that, of watching Mable with my pack mates, did something to me—something that zinged through my blood like a drug.
And it seems all these assholes want a piece. Cute.
At first, Devin held back, scowling and pretending he wasn’t deathly curious about seeing Maple for the first time, but when the reality of the situation hit, I could see the switch flip.
Even if he was thinking some bizarre conspiracy theories about Maple, he couldn’t deny that she was standing in front of us, and she was pregnant. Probably by myself or Percy.
That meant that she was now a member of our pack, whether she liked it or not.
Well, that assumed the baby was mine or Percy’s, because there was a chance she’d slept with another alpha during her heat. But I really didn’t want to think about that, because the idea made me nauseated, and I had to force myself to relax my hands from where they’d clenched into fists.
Easy there, tiger. No one’s touching her. It’s all good, I reminded myself over and over.
Mable was just so perfect. She might not have realized it, but she was the best possible omega for us. I had zero doubts about her intentions, and that was very difficult to find, given our public status.
Her scent had begun to sour, almost smelling charred when Devin pulled her into his arms. There weren’t many alphas who could deny a panicked omega; it was ingrained deep in our biology to help them.
After a moment, she melted into his arms, the trembling subsiding somewhat as Devin tried his best to soothe her. The scent of char backed off some, and I watched intently, my eyes glued to the two of them.
Okay, maybe jealousy was occasionally a thing in packs—because right now I wanted to be the one holding her more than anything.
So, when Devin suggested going back to our place, I was thrilled.
We did have a lot to discuss, and standing outside a coffee shop didn’t exactly seem like the best location to do that.
Also, Mable was pregnant, so she probably needed to be sitting down and resting.
We had all been worried about her pushing herself too far.
There was also that tidbit about being able to get closer to her once we were home.
Yes, all that pushing herself crap was about to change. It didn’t matter whether the baby was ours or not. It was still Maple, our friend of several years. We were going to take care of her and make sure she had everything she needed.
I was resolute, even if Devin decided to be a grump about it. I couldn’t care. I could be a stubborn shit when I put my mind to something, as my pack mates liked to remind me regularly. And I was sticking to Mable. All of her, including the unborn child growing within her.
“I… uh…” She trailed off, looking between us. The panic in her eyes was like a punch to the gut. From what little I understood about Maple’s life, she lived quite a solitary existence, so being surrounded by so much testosterone all of a sudden probably wasn’t the easiest for her.
“We can go back into the coffee shop and talk, if you want to,” Jasper suggested.
Mable shook her head. I agreed with her—it was too public a place for our conversation, but also, going back to our penthouse would probably be scary for her.
I glanced at my pack mates. Jasper had a shit-eating grin on his face, and he was clearly elated with himself. Percy was looking concerned about how she was feeling, and Devin was trying to figure out what to do next and what was best for everyone.
Everything inside me told me to get Mable home, to take care of her, and then maybe…if she was up for it…
She looked between us before nodding. “I think—yeah, we all need to talk.” Her words were uncertain, her face pale. I didn’t like that; she needed to rest and be cared for, not worried.
Hopefully, after our little meeting, we could move forward and start looking after her instead of letting her get stressed and worried. Content and satisfied was a much better way for our sweet omega to be.
“Our place is a ten-minute walk from here. Can you handle that?” Devin asked.
Mable glowered at him, placing a hand on her hip. “I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”
Behind them, Jasper stifled a laugh, the look of glee on his face letting us know how happy he was. I could relate to that, my heart doing a pitter-patter in my chest as I stared at her, roaming my eyes over Mable’s exquisite form.
“I am well aware of that,” Devin said gently, guiding her down the street toward our home.
I was doing my best to hide my excitement over the fact that Mable was going to be in our home.
I wanted her scent to be everywhere, my instincts flaring at her mere proximity.
Part of me was considering convincing her to roll around in my sheets for two minutes, just so I could go to sleep surrounded by that sweet scent.
Sadly, that request would make me look like a crazy person, so it would have to wait. Plus, what kind of sleep was I actually going to get if all that sweetness was blanketing me? No, it was much more likely that I’d find Mable wherever she was and act on some of the fantasies filling my head.
“Wait, this is where you live?” Mable asked as we reached our building, her eyebrows up to her hairline. Devin swiped his card key to get into the main lobby.
“Yep,” Jasper said, throwing his arm around her shoulder, that shit-eating grin still plastered all over his face.
“This place is…nice,” she muttered. She didn’t exactly look thrilled with that idea. In fact, she looked slightly queasy, her steps faltering as we pressed inside. “I…I just live in the dorms.”
We already knew that, but I could understand her being a little frazzled at the thought of staying somewhere new and so different.
Devin was watching her out of the corner of his eye curiously. If she had any ill intentions towards us and only wanted us for our money, then she wouldn’t have been reacting like this to the idea of entering our swanky apartment building.
“Well, you could always move in with us,” Jasper said playfully, winking at Mable as she eyed him in shock.
Percy sighed, rolling his eyes. “Ignore him. He was dropped on his head a few times as a baby, and now he thinks asking someone to move in after meeting them for the first time is perfectly acceptable.”
“Hey!” Jasper jabbed a finger at Percy’s chest. “I was only dropped on my head once, for your information!”
A smile tugged at the corner of Mable’s lips. I was glad the idiocy of our pack was at least entertaining to her. Hopefully, it would help her to relax, bringing out more of that sweet scent sans char.
We all piled into the elevator, and a strangled sound left Mable’s throat when Devin pressed the button for the penthouse and scanned his key card once more.
Meeting her gaze, I found Mable’s brows flared high again, her mouth dropping open slightly. “Do you?”
“Yeah, we live in the penthouse,” I answered for Devin, shrugging like it was no big deal.
“Oh,” Mable muttered, her scent charring even more.
Well, that’s not what I wanted.
Scent didn’t lie. There was something about us having money that freaked her out. I couldn’t be sure what it was, but I was determined to figure it out, needing to ensure she felt comfortable in our home.
The elevator doors opened, showing off the sleek, ultra-modern penthouse. Mable’s eyes were so wide that I was honestly surprised they didn’t fall out of her skull. While the expression was adorable, I didn’t like the nervous energy that went along with it.
“It’s not much, but it’s home!” Jasper declared as he sauntered into the space, always the epitome of sunshine and mischief.
Mable was still on edge, her skin paling all the more.
I was aware of how the property looked. A five-bedroom penthouse in the middle of California did not come cheap, and Mable was living in a dorm room. Everything about this place screamed expensive, from the designer furniture to the decorations dotted around and the art hanging on the walls.
“Don’t judge our taste based on this place. It was the only apartment we could find near campus so that Percy could attend classes, and it came already decorated,” I said as we walked into the living space. Mable’s head was swiveling, taking it all in, a look of unease lingering on her face.
“I thought you were all students or recently graduated. This is…”
“Percy is the only student, but then again, Jasper takes the occasional university class when he’s bored.”
“How…” She trailed off, her eyes landing on the spectacular view.
“We’re professional athletes,” Percy said quietly. He was watching her intently, like she was going to bolt without a moment’s notice. I could sense it, too, that tense air around her, and my body thrummed with the need to calm her.
“Oh gosh… those guys back there?” She looked back at the elevator.
She must have meant the security at the entrance to the building. There were usually several guards in the lobby at all times. I was so used to them that I hadn’t given them a second thought. To Mable, though, it probably looked a bit bizarre and intense.
Dammit. This was not how I wanted this to go, and I had no idea how to fix it. My instincts demanded that I soothe the frazzled omega, to do anything to get rid of that charred scent, but I didn’t know what might work.
“Sit,” Devin ordered. “I think we need to take this from the start.”
Mable nodded, sinking onto the plush green velvet couch, her gaze distant. She rested her hands on her belly, her fingers dancing through each other as she fiddled nervously.
“Yeah, that’s…that’s a good idea. I think.”