30. Mila
Chapter thirty
Mila
I pinch my eyes tight shut, holding my breath as Barret carries me into Oliver's nest.
I brace myself for the moment I am hit by a wave of delicious honeycomb...
Oliver's heat started less than twenty-four hours ago, and already, the place smells of him.
However, that usually delicious sweet honey comes with a bitter tang now, and finally, I open my eyes.
The Omega lays curled up in a fetal position in the middle of a pile of pillows and blankets, and he's nothing but a hot, shivering mess.
I wriggle in Barret's arms, eager to be by his side.
It's as if my body is calling to him somehow, and there's no way I can ignore the yearning in my bones.
I need him.
"I'm okay now, Barret, let me down…"
I truly am. My shock is wearing off from the attack, and I can hardly remember those ass hats back at the hotel.
The only person I can see now is Oliver.
He's in pain.
Barret places me down gently on the floor of the nest, and I stagger when my feet bury into a soft mattress.
Gryphon lies beside Oliver, watching me warily as I step toward his Omega. A part of me thinks that this may have been a trap all along, and they only wanted to catch me out so they could ship me back to the Beta government as soon as possible.
But any shred of doubt soon washes away the moment Oliver opens those soft blue eyes. "Mila…"
He reaches out a hand, and now time seems to slow down as I take his fingers in mine, letting him yank me toward him.
"Oh, thank God, Mila, you're safe… thank fucking God…" He growls next. "You smell like burned car tire."
I do. I wish I'd had the chance to get a bath beforehand, but my main priority was Oliver and helping him through his heat.
I'm not even sure what my purpose in the nest will be. Will he just want me close while his Alphas knot him?
Will he want me to pleasure him too?
The blood rushes hot through my head, and I almost pass out at the thought of touching Oliver, of him touching me, and I don't think I am going to last…
Oliver rubs his nose with mine, kissing me gently on the lips, and my heart thumps hard in my chest.
"Did they hurt you?" he asks, his voice coarse, almost feral.
I close my eyes, nestling in closer to him. It's so good to be by his side again, feeling his warmth.
Already, his honey perfume smells sweater now that he is happy again.
"Are they dead?" he probes again.
Barret answers. "One of them is, anyway. The police will have got the other two by now."
Oliver's eyes flash, and is that satisfaction I spy inside his eyes?
It both terrifies and thrills me.
"That's okay. We will deal with them later… Come, Mila, it's time to give you a bath…"
What? A bath?
Gryphon stirs, raising up from the bed. "Oliver? What are you doing?"
The Omega barely hears his Alpha, only having eyes for me.
"You must have been so terrified, but don't worry, Mila… I will get that bastard's scent off you…"
Oh, no. No, no, no, no. I can't allow him to do that.
It's fine. I don't mind…
His needs come first.
"It's okay, Oliver. I can—"
He growls, gripping my cheeks with such gentle force, and I stare, spellbound, into his eyes.
They are as turbulent as the ocean during a storm.
"I will not have you stinking of that animal, Mila... His repulsive scent is making me sick. It only reminds me of my failure to keep you safe. You never should have been sent to that hotel in the first place…"
No one speaks as it's obvious who Oliver is throwing the blame at here.
It was Gryphon who booked the room for me after all. He was the one who sent me away, saying it was for the best.
I didn't want to be a bother, distracting Oliver from his needs.
But it didn't work in the end, anyway…
I still messed up his heat.
Oliver rises shakily to his feet, gripping my hand. He guides me up to my own feet, despite Gryphon's protests.
"Oliver… you can barely stand… sit back down…"
But Oliver's mind is set. Despite the fact he's doubled over, wincing in what I can only imagine is terrible pain, he still lifts me in his arms, carrying me out of the nest bridal style.
"Oliver…" Gryphon growls.
"Fuck off, Gryphon."
And that marks the end of that conversation.
Oliver is determined to give me a bath, even though he is in a tremendous amount of pain.
Lachlan and Barret fuss around us as he carries me down the hall, his breathing heavy and labored.
Sweat drips from his hair and into his eyes, but he's seeing this through.
He wants to ensure that I am bathed and comforted. He wants to remove that Alpha's burned tire scent from my skin so I can forget this awful night and put it behind me.
No one has ever taken care of me or put my needs first in my entire life, and I don't know how to take it.
A lump blocks my airway, and the tears drip from my eyes.
I have had an exhausting evening, after all. I almost got raped, but I tried my best to brush it aside because Oliver needed me.
He's in heat. Omegas can die if they don't get what they need, but he doesn't care about that.
He only cares about me.
Still. I won't have him endangering his life. I am not worth it.
He is worth ten of me…
"No, Gryphon is right… Oliver, we need to get back to the nest… you need your Alphas…"
"No. Fuck that gaslighting prick. He can't manipulate you anymore, Mila. You are not in the way or a hindrance to me or my pack, and I am going to ensure that all your needs are met from now on."
I have no idea what to say. I am stunned into silence.
Barret and Lachlan have no protests. They go along with Oliver's needs, but would they still care so much about me if it weren't for their Omega?
It's hard to say, but I think those two Alphas do care about me as much as Oliver does.
Maybe they have a little more autonomy here than I give them credit for.
They are helping me because they want to.
Oliver kicks the bathroom door open, settling me down on his lap as he sits on the lip of the tub. He reaches down, turning the taps, and now he waits until he gets the water to a comfortable temperature.
He doesn't look away from me the whole time. Sweat still drips down his face, and I wipe it away with my sleeve.
"Oliver, you are in pain…"
He shakes his head. "I've survived worse. I'm tougher than I look, Mila…"
Same here. People often take my looks for granted, too.
Like that Alpha at the hotel surely found out.
My heart hiccups when I remember the way he used his Alpha bark on me, and if Barret and Lachlan hadn't arrived… then he would have taken my virginity…
I shiver, and Oliver whispers me sweet nothings, promising me that he will always keep me safe and that no strange Alpha will ever get his hands on me again.
Finally, he fills the tub, gazing into my eyes as he grabs the hem of my shirt. "May I?"
I smile, albeit a little nervously. My face flushes. "Yes."
The Omega undresses me, and I lay still like a little doll as he takes off each item of clothing. The only thing I want to keep on is my bra and panties.
I don't want him seeing what's going on between my legs. I am pretty sure I have slick there…
My secret will get out, and then they will all know what I truly am.
Oliver lays me down gently in the tub, and he won't even let me climb in for myself.
He grabs his own loofah, rubbing it in circular motions up and down my arms and legs, replacing that Alpha's burned tyre with his honeycomb.
He wants me to smell like him, and that lump blocks my air passage again.
Oliver wants me for himself… and I don't know how to handle it.
So, I relax for once in my life, and just let him bathe me.
It's the least I can do for him.
It feels so good to be taken care of for once…
He never goes below my panties. He keeps all his focus on my arms and legs.
He no longer gasps for breath, and it appears bathing me has taken away some of the pain.
His eyes are laser-focused on the task, and they are completely black with lust.
Barret and Lachlan wait outside, giving me and Oliver some privacy.
Now it's like we are the only two people left in the world.
I want him to see more of me...
So, I start to unclasp my bra, reaching my hands around my back.
"Mila?"
I unclasp, wriggling my arms out of the straps.
He starts panting again.
"Mila… it's fine. You don't…"
He soon changes his tune when he finally gets a fill of my breasts. They bounce freely before me, and he doesn't take his eyes off them.
My nipples are hard and I'm sure my perfume floods the steamy air of the bathroom, spreading the scent of gingerbread.
Oliver gulps, moving his gaze back up to my eyes. Sweat gathers under his nose, and he's aroused.
That can't be good for his heat.
Yet he pushes his desire aside, reaching across to rub his honey-scented loofah over my breasts.
I close my eyes, sighing in deep satisfaction when he brushes my budded nipples, a soft sound escaping my lips.
It sounded like a moan.
Oliver freezes, and his breathing accelerates, growing heavier. One of his hands grips the lip of the tub, and his knuckles turn bone white.
My cheeks flush. "Sorry… I didn't mean to make that sound…"
He shakes his head. "D-don't be sorry… It was a good sound…"
Well, things just got very awkward.
Oliver looks at me through hooded eyes, and I'm pretty sure he is growling. A strange rumble vibrates from his chest, and can Omegas purr?
It's not as deep or profound as an Alpha's purr, but it's still having an effect on me.
This just won't do. He is too far away, and this tub is big enough for the two of us…
I lick my lips. "Will… will you join me?"
He drops the loofah into the water in shock. Then he stammers, running a hand through his brown curls. "I… suppose I could. I could do with a bath myself…"
Please… he smells intoxicating.
And I like the various scents of all three of his Alphas. Each of them lingers on his skin, creating a heady aroma, and one day…
I'm gonna taste it.
Oliver climbs into the tub behind me, albeit a little clumsily at first. He's still weak from his heat, but somehow, he finds the strength to look after me.
When he dips into the water behind me, he lets out a sigh.
His breath brushes the back of my soaked neck, and I shudder, closing my eyes.
He's so close now, and he's hard, digging into my tailbone, and thank goodness for the panties.
I don't think I could have lasted ten seconds…
I bite my lips. "Will you wash my hair?"
Oliver sighs shakily behind me, and I feel the air on the back of my neck. "Of course…"
The Omega grabs a shampoo bottle and massages my scalp, getting right behind my ears.
His fingers feel like heaven, and I can only imagine what they would feel like all over me…
When he's done massaging my head, he grabs a jug and washes the soap away. Then he grabs conditioner and spreads it through my long hair from root to tip, using a soft comb.
"You have beautiful hair, Mila. I have never seen so many shades of blonde… caramel, honey, ash…"
I smile. He's too sweet.
"Thank you. You have nice hair too. Are those curls natural?"
"Yeah, unfortunately… I looked like a hobbit as a kid."
A laugh bursts freely from my lungs, and I regret it immediately.
Damn. That was not an attractive laugh, but his comment just got to me.
Oliver chuckles along with me, and it appears he approves of my dorky laugh.
When he's finally done with the conditioner, he rinses it out, and now he lays us both back in the tub, wrapping his arms and legs around me.
That's how we stay.
I eventually fall asleep, my head rising and falling with his chest as I listen to the sound of his Omega purr.
Before I drift off, he whispers in my ear, "I will take care of you. Promise."