Chapter 40
Igasped as I woke. My body was tense and aching. Wiggling my legs only made me realize how tightly I was bundled in the blanket. It felt like a straitjacket. I writhed inside it until I was free, and shoved it off.
Sinclair must have put me on the bed.
I shuffled to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My internal clock was all messed up, making time feel like some far-off thing. I washed my face and looked in the mirror, something I’d been refusing to do.
Smudges decorated the bottom of my eyes, and how pale I was didn’t do me any favors. I grabbed one of the clean towels above the toilet, swiped it across my face, and placed it on the edge of the counter. Then I looked at what I had been refusing to—my claiming bites.
I focused on the deep red imprints of their teeth marks. Two sets spanned across my throat.
I touched them, pressing my fingertips into the red marks. My skin was a bit raised. I shivered and dropped my hand as I turned to leave the bathroom. Hunger cramped my stomach, and I shuffled down the hall. It was eerie being back here after being surrounded by routines and white, bland walls.
The soft murmur of conversation echoed down the hall, and I slowed, my stomach dropping to my toes.
A pain so visceral urged me to curl into a ball in the corner and never come out.
I exhaled slowly and inched closer to listen clearly.
It gave me a flashback to discovering they were taking suppressants, and my insides recoiled.
I couldn’t let the fear win. I pushed forward, shoving away the crowding doubt and worry.
“. . . smear their name. It has to be public enough that word spreads.”
“Yet, they won’t attend unless it’s a private event.”
“We make them think there’s an NDA.” I could hear Elias’ shrug in his laid-back tone.
“A setup. I like it,” Sinclair murmured. “As much as I hate these events, it would draw them in.”
“We need distractions and chaos,” Kyan started, his tone hesitant. “And we know Omegas bring that when around Alphas.”
“Another auction gala.” Elias’ hum reeked of approval. “They won’t be able to resist one of those.”
“We’ll have to play it up. Talk about an Omega we’re auctioning off for her heat.”
Every inch of my body turned to ice.
Auctioned Omegas . . . that was illegal as all hell. No wonder they always had access to fucking Omegas. Literally.
“Briar won’t like it.” Elias sighed.
“That was my thought, too,” Kyan sounded dejected. “She’ll have more reason to deny us.”
“I won’t risk it,” Elias said, tone brooking no argument.
“We don’t tell her?”
I scoffed, and whatever Kyan was beginning to say cut off. I took the leftover few steps into the kitchen, where they were all leaning at different angles.
Sinclair straightened like he’d been caught.
I leveled a glare at him. His smirk stayed the same, but it held a tension that wasn’t there before. I shook my head. His gaze dropped, and he tugged at the collar of his shirt.
“No need to stop talking on my account.” I plopped my ass on one of the kitchen chairs. They all shared a look.
Elias’ mouth was in a thin line. If I had any doubt of his anxiety, it disappeared with the thrum of emotion coming toward me. His feelings flashed so briefly, but sharply, his pheromones a thick coat on my tongue.
I had to rub my knees to soothe my nerves.
“Go rest—”
“I want to be a part of this conversation,” I cut Kyan off.
Instead of arguing, he nodded tightly.
“Well, we can throw a party without an auction.”
“I thought you weren’t going to tell me?” I met Sinclair’s gaze, holding steady, as his focus skittered to the side. “I think an auction is a great idea. Whatever way ensures those Bourne fuckers attend,” I said, since the awkward silence hadn’t left.
“Sweets,” Sinclair started, his voice extra syrupy. “I said not to tell you because . . .” He trailed off, mouth opening and closing.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Just stop,” Kyan muttered.
“Did you think I wouldn’t realize the level of indulgence you took part in? How many women you have fucked? You guys own a fucking strip joint.” I paused to swallow the thick lump of emotion in my throat. “It’s been clear, it’s more than I can conceptualize.”
I struggled to swallow again.
“Briar.” Kyan straightened.
“You’re right. I don’t want you anywhere near our past,” Sinclair announced.
“Please,” I huffed, giving a look. “Let’s not act like I wasn’t living on the top of your club.” I waved my hand. “Back to the matter at hand. You’re throwing an auction party. However you guys go about it, start doing that. What do you need me to do? I can go up for auction—or serve drinks.”
“No,” Elias growled. “You can’t be anywhere near that.”
“Keeping out of sight is best.” Of course Kyan was backing him up.
I crossed my arms and glared at them. Sinclair kept conveniently quiet.
“We can touch base—”
“You’re not about to ‘corporate-speak’ at me.” I pointed my finger at Kyan. “Would you rather I go with you. Or without you. Either way, I’ll find my way there.”
Their silence gave me the answer.
Kyan cleared his throat and shuffled a few steps toward me, rubbing his hair.
“There’s something else to talk about; We scheduled the soonest appointment we could with the Bond Specialist. Hopefully, they can tell us how to fix all of this—”
“Fix it?” I scoffed, straightening my spine until it hurt. “You think a Bond Specialist will fix it.” I stifled my smile, staying seated when all I wanted to do was jump to my feet and run as far away from them as humanly possible.
Silently, they all exchanged looks until Kyan rolled his shoulders and faced me.
“We—I—fucked up, Briar.” His shoulders moved jerkily with his inhale. “Can you forgive me?”
“Forgive?” I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “Was me fucking another Alpha not message enough?”
I genuinely couldn’t comprehend how they were ignoring that little fact. I may not have gone the entire way with Sergei, but I made him come on my hand. As far as they were concerned, I had fucked the guy. Yet, they hadn’t mentioned it once.
“You didn’t.” Kyan shook his head.
“I did,” I insisted. “I felt every inch of his thick cock. I touched him, and he rutted into me so good—”
“You’re punishing us with lies,” Elias bit out.
I threw my hands up. “Believe whatever you want, then.”
“If . . .” Kyan hovered closer. An arm’s length away.
While I’d been looking at Elias, he’d made his way toward me.
“If you did fuck him.” He cleared his throat, tripping over the words.
“Then it’s the least we deserve after . .
.” Huskiness laced his voice. He reached toward my face and stopped mid-way, hand clenching.
Instead, he braced himself on the seat of my chair and yanked it back, so the table wasn’t in the way.
I held onto the armrests at the jolting motion.
“Just. Please.” Kyan dropped to his knees and grabbed the legs of the chair, and tilted his head to meet my gaze.
“Please. I’m sorry.” He let out another gust.
I blamed Kyan the least . . . which still wasn’t saying much. His dark brown gaze turned glassy. Kyan inhaled sharply, expression so vulnerable I couldn’t help but waver.
I jolted upright, my chest heaving, as I looked down at his beseeching expression.
“Get up,” Elias ordered and gripped the back of his shirt.
“It was my fault.” He turned his gaze to mine, and he came at me with long, intimidating strides until he took up my vision.
“I fucked up. I didn’t treat you as you deserved.
And you are a treasure, Briar.” His voice deepened into a husky tone.
He reached for my hands, but just before touching me, he turned them into fists.
Pain rippled over his features, and he fell to his knees.
My wide eyed attention followed him to the ground.
The top of his head came level with my chest. He lifted his head to hold my gaze.
“Our Omega,” he whispered, and his jaw worked from side to side.
He lowered his gaze the slightest bit, and the gleam of liquid stole my breath. “Nothing matters but you.”
My lips thinned. The intensity of his emotions sliced through me like a well-placed arrow.
I opened my mouth and shook my head, struggling to push words free. Their feelings battered against me.
“I’ll never forgive you,” I blurted.
The liquid glazing his eyes formed a thick droplet and trailed from the corner. I lifted my own watering eyes to the other two. Both were stiff. “Any of you.”
Kyan lowered his head, and Sinclair looked away, offering me a view of his clenching jaw.
Elias’ hand glided down the front of my thighs, over the pajama pants. He reached for my hand and stopped mid-way.
“I am sorry,” he whispered.
Still, I hated facing their pain.
I stood and turned my back before I gave in to the sympathy trying to take over.
Stay strong.
I ran out of the kitchen like my ass was on fire. My breaths sawed out of my throat, burning on their way out.
Greymont Pack couldn’t be trusted.
Not even a little.
So why was my heart throbbing like this?
I slowed in the hall leading to my door.
“Briar.” Hard steps came even closer.
I jolted forward.
“Don’t fucking ignore me,” Sinclair rasped, even closer. He grabbed my arm as I reached the bedroom, and he tugged me so hard I smacked into his chest. My hand landed on the defined muscles, and I squeezed it into a fist. “You’re taking advantage of the fact they can’t touch you.”
“Well, no shit,” I drawled.
His eyes narrowed, and he crowded me until his body was against the front of mine. I gasped, stumbling back. His hand wrapped around my throat, the pressure bracketing my neck.
“You want to be fucked, sweets.” He raised an eyebrow and pushed his hips forward to drive his dick against my belly. My lust rose to meet his. Sinclair pushed me until my ass dropped on the edge of the bed, and he fell over me, my legs still around his hips, dangling off the bed.
I lifted my knees, changing the angle, so the hardness rubbed against my clit. I couldn’t have held back my gasp of pleasure if I tried.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re not avoiding us.” His orders battered at my senses, the dominance seeped in them, reaching into the primal part of my Omega instinct. My channel clamped, needing more.
“Fuck me, or get out of my room.”
Sinclair’s teeth flashed in the otherwise-dark room, and he reached down, tugging his sweats down until his cock bobbed free.
He pulled his hips higher to tug at my leggings.
His length was a magnet for my focus. The tip glinted with his piercing, and it made me think of the rub of it inside me. I shivered, a groan escaping.
“Bloody trousers,” he hissed and yanked, tearing them down the front. A cold wash of air wafted against my warm sex.
He didn’t hold back, thrusting until his pelvis was flush against mine, his knot seated deep inside. I cried out, my eyes shutting of their own volition. My pleasure was too heightened for me to think.
“You are gorgeous, my sweet Omega.” His cheek pressed into mine.
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” I panted. Before he could start talking again, I dug my fingernails into his shoulders and lifted my hips. “And fuck me harder.”
He snarled, and his thrusts jolted me against the bed, smacking the headboard against the wall with repeated thuds.
An orgasm wracked through my frame, and my channel clamped down on him.
Cries spilled from my lips, and my breath ran out until it was only whimpers. I kept twitching and writhing under his relentless pace.
“Squeeze me like that,” he whispered, gutturally. “Your cunt is perfection. Bloody heaven.” Reason invaded my mind with his mumbled words.
He slowed his pace, dragging his cock out on a slow glide. I moaned, the pleasure enhanced.
“Promise me you didn’t screw him,” he whispered roughly into my ear. The pleas reached into my chest.
No, I couldn’t weaken. As much pain as they were in, they’d put me through shit—knowingly.
“Your denial is cute.”
He snarled, and his pace picked up as he lifted my leg and curled it around the inside of his elbow, changing the angle of the thrusts.
I let my body take over and reveled in the pleasure only a Scent Match could give me.