Raff’s Old Room
Raff’s Old Room
Cliff
Raff's old bedroom still has his trophies on the bookshelf.
The rest of the room has been scrubbed of his teenage years. The walls are a clean off-white now, the old band posters long gone. A king-size bed with a quilted comforter takes up most of the space. It’s pushed against the far wall beneath a window with lace curtains that are pure Odette.
A dresser sits near the door, dark wood, with a dish of potpourri and a framed photo of Raff's parents on their wedding day.
His omega father looks young in the picture.
Happy. He's got his arm around Odette. She’s a full four inches taller than him, and she's laughing at something outside the frame.
Raff steps in, then he leans against the dresser.
Down the hall, I can hear water running in the bathroom. Adam and Perrin are taking turns washing up. The pipes groan, and somewhere in the living room a clock ticks.
Odette’s feet move closer, then she sticks her head in the room and looks at both of us.
"Goodnight, boys," she says. “I put more clean towels in the washroom.” Her gaze flickers to the cut above my eye. “Don't bleed on my sheets.”
"Yes, ma'am," Raff says for the both of us.
She looks at me for a long moment, but I can't read her expression. Then she nods once and shuts the door behind her.
And it's only us.
Raff crosses his arms, looking at me with those dark gray eyes. He's not angry. I almost wish he was. Angry I could handle.
"So," he says with a half-smile. “It’s been an interesting day.”
I snort then sit on the edge of the bed. The mattress dips under my weight and the springs creak. My left arm is throbbing, the bullet graze pulsing in time with my heartbeat, and my knuckles feel like they've been filled with broken glass.
"Thank you," I finally say.
“What for?”
“For what you said in the kitchen about it not being my fault.” I flex my right hand and wince. “I know it's not that simple, but I still appreciate it.”
“I meant it,” he says simply.
“Yeah, well, there’s no denying that I fucked up today.
” The weight of the day settles over me, making the tension in my back triple.
I tilt my head one way, then the other, trying to pop my neck.
“I can’t believe I mated her without any thought for my pack.
I didn't think—I wasn’t—” I take a breath, trying to collect my thoughts, but all I can think about is our betas.
My sweet, wonderful mates.
“You know it’s gonna be okay, Cliff.” Raff glances toward the living room, then back at me. “So, are you two bonded? Can you feel her?”
"I don’t think so." I frown then close my eyes, reaching inward to try to feel the faintest hum of connection that every alpha mated to an omega is supposed to feel. But there's nothing. A quiet, empty space where a bond should be.
Maybe I didn’t do it right?
I mean, it’s not like I knew what I was doing. I don't have a mental bond with Perrin or Adam. But that’s also not very common between mated alphas and betas.
I think about the moment I bit her.
My teeth sinking into her neck. The taste of her blood and the heat of her skin. The way she arched beneath me when my knot locked inside her.
Every inch of my body sang in that moment.
The memory is sharp and vivid and it lasts less than a second before another image replaces it.
Adam.
I see his slight body kneeling on the ground in that tent, his hand wrapped around my cock, his honey-brown eyes wet and wide, and looking at me like he suddenly didn't recognize me.
“You okay?” Raff asks, cutting into my thoughts.
"Yeah." I clear my throat roughly. "I was thinking about Adam." I brush my fingertips over my raw knuckles. "He had to help me get my knot out of her," I admit, staring off into the middle of nothing. "He couldn't look at me the entire time."
Raff shifts, dropping his arms. "He'll be okay," he says softly. "He'll understand."
My shoulders sag, and I press my fingers against the wound cut across my bicep. Pain flares, and I focus hard on it, letting it ground me.
"I hope so," I say with a heavy sigh. "Because I feel awful, Raff.
My pull to her..." I shake my head. “It's intense.
Stronger than anything I've ever felt. And it makes me feel like shit.” I grit my teeth.
“I should be thinking about Adam and Perrin right now.
I should be focused on them, on making sure they know how much I love and adore them.
" My hand drops from the wound, and I stare at the floor. "But I can't get her out of my head."
Raff is quiet for a moment, the sound of the shower filling the silence. When he finally speaks, his voice is filled with deep understanding.
"You are an amazing pack alpha, Cliff." He looks right at me, making sure I feel his sincerity. “You stayed and fought so we could get away. You protected us. While it was all I could do not to fuck her right there in the van.” He looks so ashamed.
“What happened?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
Raff rubs the back of his neck, before whispering, “She was on my lap in the van, grinding against me, all that fresh slick soaking into my clothes.” He closes his eyes for a second, shaking his head like the memory itself is painful.
“And there were bullets hitting the roof, and Adam was swerving off the road, and I could hear Perrin hyperventilating in the front seat.
" He pauses and his jaw clenches. “And all I could think about was ripping her clothes off and burying myself ten inches deep.”
He lets that sit for a second.
"So no, Cliff.” His eyes flash as he looks back up at me. “I'm not going to stand here and judge you for wanting to be near her right now, cuz I feel the same fucking way.”
I exhale, long and slow, letting it empty out of my lungs until there's nothing left. It’s weird, but knowing that Raff feels it too, that this weird pull isn’t me being weak, makes me feel a little bit better.
"Thank you," I say quietly.
Raff dips his chin, his way of saying no problem.
But the relief only goes so far.
Because tomorrow morning, the sun is going to come up, and I’m going to have a mountain of shit to deal with…and I don’t mean dealing with my pack.
Anton knows Raff and this girl.
I’m sure he’ll show up at our shop or our house eventually. Angelica too. She’ll want to know why we caused a major scene. But that's tomorrow's problem. Tonight, I have a more immediate one.
Adam.
"I’m worried about Adam." I rub my jaw with my good hand. “We’re going to have to work extra hard so he doesn’t feel neglected or pushed aside.”
Raff nods, agreeing.
“Perrin might have a few things to say,” I continue, “but I get the feeling he’ll be okay with adding her to our pack.”
Raff’s brows pull together. "What makes you think that?"
I look at him, then whisper, “Because I walked in on Elowen sucking Perrin’s cock.”
Raff's mouth falls open.
For a solid two seconds he stares at me. Then something shifts behind his eyes. His lips press together like he's trying very hard not to smile, and he pushes off the dresser, crossing the room to sit beside me on the bed.
"Perrin?" He says our beta’s name like he needs to hear it again to believe it. "Our Perrin? The guy who agonized for three months before he even agreed to hold my hand?"
"That Perrin."
Raff runs a hand over his buzz cut, his dark gray eyes wide. "And she was—"
"On her knees. Choking on his cock. Before she even knew his name." I can’t help but smile, knowing how turned on this is making him.
Raff exhales slowly, almost a moan, as a flush creeps up the back of his neck. “I fucking hate that I missed that,” he growls softly and my cock grows.
“It was so goddamn sexy,” I whisper as I bring my hand to the back of his neck.
All I can think about is shoving the alpha onto his knees, and making him beg for the details while he sucks my cock. He'd love it. And the thought alone makes my dick throb against my zipper.
"Did he look like he was loving it?" Raff turns to me, his hand landing on my upper thigh. He squeezes hard as his gaze drops to my mouth. "Did he come?"
But before I can answer, the bathroom door down the hall creaks open, and we hear footsteps. Adam's lighter tread, and Perrin's heavier one. There’s a murmured exchange between the twins that I can't make out, then Perrin's footsteps move toward the living room and Adam's come toward us.
Raff straightens up and clears his throat. The flush on his neck doesn't go anywhere, but his face rearranges itself into something neutral.
"We’ll talk later," I whisper.
"Absolutely later," he says, struggling to contain his excitement.
Then the bedroom door opens, and Adam slips inside. The beta stands right inside the door for a moment, his hand still on the knob, looking at us like he's not sure he's welcome.
His dark blond hair is damp, the ends curling slightly against his neck, and he's wearing one of Raff's old high school T-shirts. The collar is stretched wide, hanging off one shoulder. He looks small in it. Young.
My alpha instincts roar to life, and I have to fight the urge to rip that fucking shirt off his perfect body and fuck him against the door.
My body is a fucking mess. My heart pounds from the fresh bond, territorial fury from the fight, and now this raw, primal urge to claim what's mine.
I force a breath through my nose, reminding myself that Odette is right down the hall, and I really don’t need her ripping into me right now for making too much noise.
“Um…bathroom’s free.” Adam’s eyes slip over me, then Raff, making it clear that we both need to wash up.
I don’t blame the beta. We’re both covered in blood, sweat, and dirt.
My body protests as I push myself up off the bed. My cock is rock hard, trapped uncomfortably in my jeans. I have to adjust myself as I stand.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Raff do the same.