Chapter Sixteen
We owed our success to Hutch’s help. He didn’t have to take out his gun. Everyone protected him. He kept his cool, speaking to the other omegas in a soft, steady tone, and they trusted him. As we loaded all the males into our vehicles, some of them patted my arm, and one of them told me they knew it wasn’t our fault.
Now, if we could only forgive ourselves. That would be a feat no one could accomplish. Maybe one day.
We got a huge dinner on our return, thanks to Gray’s quick thinking. He’d called up the local smokehouse as soon as we left and had them deliver every kind of meat they smoke. Enough for five hundred people, I thought. There wasn’t a scrap left by the time everyone finished eating, but every stomach was full.
In the scramble to get the males fed, Hutch ended up sitting next to Gray, while I was stuck at the end of the table with Aziz and King. Usually, I wouldn’t have minded feasting with my comrades but, tonight, I wanted my omega near.
I hoped he knew how fucking strong he was. If not, I would make sure to tell him every chance I got until the words seeped in and he believed it on his own. After everything he had been through, a weaker omega would’ve hidden himself away, either physically or mentally, and possibly checked out of this world completely. No soul could blame them. But my mate chose to deal with his pain by helping others.
A warrior in ways I never would be.
He laughed and talked to Gray and listened to the other omegas, giving everyone the same amount of eye contact and respect. Occasionally, he reached across the table to soothe someone. His way with others confounded me.
My dragon huffed and puffed about the distance between us. He insisted I walk down there, scoop up our mate, and carry him off to our room.
But my brain fought against it. While he’d proved himself today in so many ways, I still didn’t want him a part of this life while he still had choices. He could leave here, once he was healed, and take up a normal life. Work at a library. Go to college. Buy groceries and clean his house and read at night. Find a mate who wasn’t a contract killer even though leaving his fated would hurt him and me.
He winked at me. Gods, this man was making my task of letting him go nearly impossible. Even the simple flirty gesture had my knees weak and my cock hard as marble.
I starved for my omega.
While the others enjoyed ice cream, I passed on dessert, barely able to breathe through the grip held on my dragon. Any letup, and he would thrash and eventually barge out of me, determined to make Hutch ours.
He had overpowered me in the past, taking over our consciousness without permission, but this wasn’t going to be one of those times.
I didn’t even notice Hutch had risen from his seat when he whispered in my ear, “You want ice cream, or would you rather go to bed?” His warm breath tickled the rim of my ear.
Aziz chuckled as well as King, but neither of them said a word.
Fuckers. Just wait until they had their mates.
“Let’s go,” I ground out, standing after thinking of all kinds of goofy shit to try to tame my pulsing hard-on so I could walk out of here with a bit of dignity. Aziz would call me out on this tomorrow, but in that moment, I could care less. My omega had asked me to go to bed with him, and I would not refuse.
I longed to have my arms around him. My nose pressed against his neck where his scent was most concentrated. His soft body beneath me, writhing, begging for more.
Fuck. No.I had to resist. He’d said he wasn’t ready to mate, and I would help him keep his vow. Even if it fucking killed me.
“Today was good, right?” Hutch let my hand go once we were in our room. My sweet omega, craving reassurance.
That, I would willingly give him. “Today was a very good day, Hutch. I’m so proud of you. You were steady and caring with those omegas. They trusted you immediately and you were right—we could not have saved them all without you.”
As I finished my spiel, tears formed in his brown eyes. Shit. Had I said something wrong?
“What is it?” I stammered, wanting to retract whatever I’d said that made him cry. “I’m trying to compliment you, omega. Gods, you’re killing me.”
“I’ve never had anyone say they were proud of me before. If they did, I can’t recall it.”
I sighed. “Someone should have. Our entire team was so fucking proud of you today. You were amazing with them.”
A smile lit up his face. He swiped away the falling tears, but I desperately wanted to do that for him. I was barely holding myself together as it was. If I touched him, even the slightest brush, I was done for.
“Maverick?” he inquired, as though he’d lost my attention. Never. Not for a moment.
“Yes?” I breathed. My body vibrated with not only need for him but the sheer force containing my dragon.
“I’m about to do something that I said I wasn’t ready for.”
Gods above. My restraint slipped by the second. “Hutch?” I asked, making sure this was all real and not some fantasy. My omega was everything I’d dreamed of, but I was the nightmare he didn’t deserve.
“Maverick, I—” Hutch launched himself at me, wrapped his arms around my neck, and melded his mouth to mine.
My resolve shattered.