Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
EZ
V: come to kitchen now
Me: just in a match
V: ur both gonna want to see this
I sighed and tapped Adrian on the shoulder.
“We’ve been summoned,” I announced, dragging him up and surrendering my game. Why the fuck was V being so mysterious?
Vander winked at me as I came out, which on its own, had Adrian and I exchanging concerned looks. He was also wearing the Check Meowt pants—willingly? God, I thought I’d hidden those so well.
“I made up with Kit,” Vander said to Jhin, spreading his arms and raising his brows. I could see from here his eyes were slightly red, and he had an easy smile tugging on his face I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Vander, are you h—” Jhin started with a frown but before he finished, Kit swung into the room, drawing our attention like a beacon.
“Oh, nice pants. I’ve got a pair just like that,” Kit said happily, nodding at Vander.
He was wearing Vander’s shirt, which swamped him. One freckled shoulder was bared half out, and his legs were uncovered. I couldn’t see from here, but it seemed the only other thing he was wearing was a pair of fluffy pink slippers.
The sight immediately made my cock lurch to attention.
“Aw! Everyone’s here!” he said, beaming at us and making my heart skip a beat. Maybe two. For a moment, he was singularly the only thought that existed in my brain. He was stunning, his hair messy and cheeks flushed, likely how he’d look after?—
My eyes darted back to Vander, who was casually grabbing some water glasses. Too casually.
Kit came over and slipped onto the comfy couch, patting my arm as he passed. I definitely smelled Vander all over him.
I think my mind was exploding so hard they might find bits of it on Mars.
They’d fucked?
And it had gone well ?
I grabbed Adrian’s arm for support. Kit took the glass Vander offered him with a shy smile in both hands, and Vander’s cheeks turned slightly pink.
Well shit, Vander had it bad. Probably partly the weed though. I could see Jhin’s nostrils flaring, and he opened his mouth, probably to start reaming out Vander. Or maybe he was jealous?
There was a click and an inhale, and my eyes dropped down to find Kit already snuggled in a blanket with a vape in his mouth, happily absorbed in his own world.
He didn’t seem to notice the sudden, electrical silence that had fallen over the room.
Jhin’s eyebrows had practically merged into his hairline, and his mouth had fallen open.
I could feel the giddy glee surfacing within me as I watched Jhin’s face go through all five stages of grief as he looked down at Kit. Although I wasn’t completely sure he made it to acceptance.
Vander gave a casual salute and plopped down onto the couch next to Kit, taking a drag before passing it back.
“Is that Vander’s?” asked Jhin, his voice a little weak. Kit opened one eye.
“Hmm? Oh no, s’mine. One of ‘em anyway. Want some?" He offered the vape to Jhin, who looked a little shell-shocked.
“You’re… not supposed to vape inside,” Jhin finally managed. Kit waved his hand dismissively.
“Emmy doesn’t care," he said, closing his eyes again and waggling the pen towards Jhin. Jhin muttered something about fire codes as I burst into laughter.
Adrian cleared his throat.
“Jhin, we still gotta move the rest of our stuff out of the spare room. Can you give me a hand?”
Jhin didn’t look away from Kit, giving a weak nod before Adrian led him away.
There was a stomping of feet up the stairs before Juniper came through the front door, and started peeling off her sodden shoes.
She was drenched, her dark hair plastered to her head, the cold making her cheeks and nose even more rosy. She slammed a tub of Greek yogurt down on the counter, then stripped off her hoodie. Her shirt underneath was soaked as well, her hardened nipples peeking from under the fabric, and gluing my eyes for a moment. I grinned. There was a lot of very sexy omega energy happening right now.
“Don’t you wear a bra?” I asked her, eyes flicking up to her face. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, glowering at me.
“Not unless I have to," she replied.
“Is there a reason you look like a drowned rat?” drawled Vander from the couch, and Kit burst into a fit of giggles.
Juniper’s face darkened.
“ Someone ate the last of my Greek yogurt,” she said, her eyes flicking to Kit. “But it’s been a long day. I’ve decided to address it later.”
“Don’t you own an umbrella, though?” Vander asked.
“Just as it happens, asshole, getting drenched in the rain is nature’s scent suppressant,” she snapped. “But of course you wouldn’t know that, because you don’t have to worry about getting kidnapped every time you set foot outside.”
“I think you look beautiful,” I piped up.
“Hey. Asshole #2. Your mate is right there,” Juniper said, and I glanced at Kit.
He’d leaned back so his head was on the armrest, upside down, gazing at Juniper with moony eyes.
“He’s right, Juni, you could be like, a rain goddess," he said, giving her a crooked smile. “That’s why I laughed, cuz it’s so ridiculous to think you’d ever look like a rat.”
Juniper’s face went pink, and she sniffed.
“Good to know you’re not a complete traitor," she said, putting the yogurt in the fridge. She then walked past us, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the tiles. “I’m going to have a shower.”
Leaving us with a strong mental image of her peeling those clothes off her tight body, she walked around the corner to the mini hallway that led to the bathroom. Kit was staring after her, flopping his arm upside down next to his head.
“A cruel, cruel goddess," he said.
I came over and sat on the love seat next to the couch. He gave me another one of his crooked grins. “That was cruel, right? I’m not crazy?” he continued.
“Yeah, a little.”
“God, it’s so nice to have roomies who get it. She does stuff like that all the time. ” Kit sighed. “Like, she’ll forget her towel in her room and just walk down the corridor, dripping all the way.”
He frowned at the wet footprints on the floor, and for a second, I wondered if we were talking about the same thing. Puddles of water?
He groaned, lifting his hand up as if painting something in the air.
“And she has this tattoo on her back that’s just so pretty. Flowers n’ shit.” He narrowed his reddened eyes, peering up at me. “Guess you’ve all seen it already, though. Heat n’ all.”
I shrugged, and he pouted. “Can’t believe I missed that one. It might have been, like, our one shot.”
He gave a happy hum, staring off at the wall as he continued to ponder the thought.
One shot? But before he’d kinda implied we wouldn’t have gone to her heat if he was there. Would he have? Could we have had him and Juniper last week?
I shifted in my seat, sporting a full hard-on at the thought and letting out a groan. Fuck, Kit was being the cruel one now.
Kit’s eyes found mine, and he rolled over and sat forward. His head cocked to the side, as if he were considering something, his beautiful smile painted onto his face. After a moment, he stood and took the two steps to the love seat, collapsing on my lap.
“Where’d the others go?" he asked, wiggling as he settled down. He was right on my dick. It was a Herculean effort on my body’s part to divert enough blood to my brain so I could answer his question.
“Um, Jhin took Adrian to move the rest of the stuff from the spare room.”
His hands rested on my chest, playing with the fabric as he nibbled his lip. I could feel hope rising within me. I mean, if he and Vander banged, that meant it was on the table, right? And also I knew something had happened with him and Jhin the other night.
My fingers slipped under the oversized shirt he was wearing. I was going for his waist but my hair stood on end as I realized he really wasn’t wearing anything at all underneath it. He looked up at me with his soft black eyes, and I forgot how to breathe for a second. Sugary almond heaven was everywhere, and the oversized shirt had completely slipped off his shoulder, showing off the delicate lines of his neck and slender collarbone.
Oh fuck. This was definitely happening. I really should be trying to pull the brakes here, but I was like a speeding train on oiled tracks.
He hadn’t given me a chance to tuck away my erection, and it was rubbing against his thigh through my jeans, sending shivers of pleasure up my spine. My breathing was already heavy.
He pulled back a bit to look down, and his eyes stayed fixed on it, mouth parting in a small, plump ‘O’ that caused my cock to jerk in my pants.
“Oh, shit, dude, can I?" he said, his wide eyes flicking up to mine, biting his lip.
I let out a shuddering breath, summoning the right words with extreme effort.
“You’re kinda high,” I managed.
He leaned in closer, hands coming to rest on my chest, his eyes shining with sincerity.
“But I’m a knotslut ," he said, as if that decided it.
My dick bucked again, and I gritted my teeth to suppress a moan, while Vander’s head shot forward from the couch, a choked cough coming from his throat.
“Aw. Come on. What if I just— touch it?” he said, biting his lip again. He didn’t wait for my answer, raking his fingernails along the underside of my jeans up the shaft. That was it. I’d tried the brakes, and they’d gone up in flames. Hot, sugary almond br?lée flames.
“We’re out in the open.” It was my last valiant effort at resisting. I should get, like, a medal for trying, you know. Maybe Jhin would give me one if I told him I protested twice .
“Juni takes forever in the shower," he said matter-of-factly, and unbuckled me, sliding down to the floor as he took out my length.
Turns out he was a dirty little liar, because he immediately sucked the tip into his mouth with a cute little moan.
JUNIPER
I’d left my towel in the nest room. Of course, I only noticed after I’d finished my shower, and now I was stuck in our tiny bathroom, just as cold and wet as before. The linen closet hadn’t been refilled after the raid,so I had very little options.
It was fucking freezing in here. I had sent a desperate SOS text to Kit, but that was ages ago, and he hadn’t responded. I didn’t have any of the guys’ numbers. I hugged myself and looked down at my blue fingers. I needed to get warm.
I could be fast. And it wasn’t like they hadn’t all seen me naked before, anyway. Maybe they’d all be busy, watching TV or high out of their minds, and I’d just slip past.
I took a breath, my temper flaring a bit. This was my apartment, damn it, and I wasn’t going to freeze my butt off in here just because the Argo pack had decided they were staying with us.
I opened the door and peered out. The small corridor was quiet, and I flicked off the light before stepping out of the bathroom. My teeth were chattering as I moved two steps down the hall and stopped just before the open archway to the kitchen. The nest room was on the other side, and I could see my towel on the vanity chair.
Okay, I’d peek my head around and if they were looking; I could tell one of them to grab it for me and wait for me to retreat to the bathroom.
Sounded like they were watching TV, though. Porn?
I poked my head around the corner, but the TV was off. Vander was on the couch, facing away from me and watching?—
Oh shit.
Ez was sitting on the love seat, his eyes hooded and legs spread, because between them knelt Kit. Ez’s fingers were tangled in Kit’s pink hair as his head bobbed up and down?—
Heat exploded in my core, my face flushing as Kit pulled off with a moan, his lips plump and red. He pushed Ez’s wet length back so he could lick straight up the shaft, his big eyes fixed fervently on his alpha’s face. Then he lowered his head and started sucking on the knot. Ez’s head fell back, an obscene sound of pleasure coming from between his gritted teeth, and if he looked right now he’d see me?—
I stumbled back into the dark corridor, right into a towering wall of alpha.
Jhin caught me as I nearly crashed to the ground, tugging me upright.
“Are you—” he started, but cut off as his eyes slid down my shivering body.
His look back up my face was a mix of lust and bewilderment, with an arched brow peppering in a hint of accusation.
“Forgot my towel,” I choked, wrapping my arms over my small breasts.
His expression softened and he looked away, shrugging off his cardigan and handing it to me. I snatched it and wrapped it around myself, fumbling with the buttons. I turned to flee, and hesitated, eyes darting to Jhin. Did they hear me crash into him?
Before I could think twice, I was pushing Jhin back into the spare room and slamming the door behind us.
Adrian was zipping up a suitcase on the bed, glancing up as we entered.
“Jhin? What’s going on?" he said, and then looked at me. “Oh, sorry Juniper, we’re just packing…” His voice trailed off as he saw my lack of proper clothing.
His telltale blush blossomed on his face as he looked quickly at the wall.
Jhin hadn’t gone much further into the room, and I elbowed him back some more. I squeezed my eyes and shook my head. Now the shock had faded slightly, the anger was creeping in.
The audacity.
How dare they monopolize the living room with— fucking cock sucking!
And how dare they make it look so fucking hot—now I was forever stuck with the mental image of Ez’s chiseled abs flexing as he bucked into Kit’s eager mouth. I was trying to forget them all, scrub them from my mind with bleach and they fucking do that ?
“What is wrong with your pack?” I demanded of Jhin. “Who decides to get sucked off in the middle of someone else’s living room?”
Adrian let out a gasp that he turned into a cough.
Jhin ran his fingers through his hair, his expression falling into something haunted. “I think… the scent match?—”
I snorted.
“They couldn’t take it literally anywhere else?”
Adrian was edging around me, and he opened the door, letting the sound back in.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I snarled.
“To see if they’re done?" he said, his face still bright red.
“Or, you know, stop them?” I added.
“Well—sounds like Ez is close, so?—”
“Just fucking go,” I snapped, and he was out the door in a flash.
I groaned and sank down on the spare bed.
It smelled like all of them in here, and also—sex?
I jumped up from the bed, eyeing where the sheets had a suspicious wet spot, wanting to scream. These were fucking new.
“Here.”
Jhin pulled out a fresh top sheet from Kit’s closet and laid it over the bed. I sank down on it again, burying my head in my hands. The bed creaked as Jhin sat down next to me.
I peered at him to see if he was eyeing the door like Adrian had, but he was looking at me in his cardigan with a sad, almost wistful expression.
“I am sorry about my brothers,” he sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. “They’re just?—”
“Really fucking horny,” I snorted, and spotted my dressing gown hanging on the closet door.
I stood and took it down from the wall, hesitating as I turned back to Jhin.
“Would you mind… looking away, please?” I asked quietly.
He nodded, turning, so he was facing the wall.
I watched him to make sure he didn’t peek, but there wasn’t even a twitch in my direction.
I shucked the cardigan off and wrapped the fluffy dressing gown around me. Hmm. I think this was actually one of Kit’s.
I looked back at Jhin, and he was still patiently facing the wall, but I could see a flush on the back of his neck.
A lump formed in my throat, and I angrily blinked it back.
“I’m done.” My voice was husky with unwanted emotion. He turned slowly, settling back to his position on the bed. The flush had crept to his cheeks, and I could hear my heartbeat in my throat as his eyes met mine.
Fuck, this was Adrian and his stupid keychain all over again. I couldn’t let it affect me like this.
“I think they’re done," he said, nodding to the door.
I huffed. I’d been craving that lemon Greek yogurt for hours now, and I wasn’t going to let them intimidate me from finally having it.
I stormed out into the kitchen.
“Sorry Juniper,” Ez whisper-shouted from the love seat. He sure didn’t look sorry. I flipped him the bird. Kit was snuggled on his chest, perhaps fast asleep.
“Let it be known, I did try to say no, but he didn’t?—”
“Don’t want to fucking hear it,” I snapped.
“Izzat my dressing gown?” Kit asked, lifting his messy head.
“Mine now,” I said.
“Okay,” he said happily. “Will you come hang out after you get dressed?”
“That depends,” I snapped. “Are you going to be fucking anyone else out here?”
“Oh shit, Juni, I will if you want me to,” he said, perking up. “Who?”
His eyes went to Adrian as Vander cackled. My mouth opened and closed, and I could feel the patches of heat on my cheeks spreading down my neck.
Kit was still looking at me expectantly, like I’d select someone and kick my feet up as they bent him over.
Arousal surged between my legs, and I was just wearing this dressing down. Thank fuck they were all by the couches?—
The floor creaked behind me, and I turned to see Jhin, staring at me, his mouth open slightly and his eyes glittering.
I grabbed my yogurt and fled to the spare room.
* * *
You asked for this . I told myself as I hugged my new shark pillow and sat alone on the spare bed.
My eyes prickled with tears.
I could hear them getting ready for the night, Ez and Vander bickering about something before it went quiet. I’d been delaying it, but I needed to put the yogurt tub back in the fridge or it’d go bad. I sighed and stood up, grabbing it and stomping outside. Vander was sitting on the couch next to Adrian. They were looking at Adrian’s phone, both sharing the set of earbuds that were connected to it. Adrian was bobbing his head slightly, and Vander was tapping a finger on his knee to a beat I couldn’t hear.
I opened the fridge and looked up as Jhin came out of the bathroom.
“Wait up!” Kit called, and stumbled out after him, falling into the wall with a bang. Jhin caught him, steadying him on his feet, as Vander and Adrian both looked up.
“Careful,” he said gently, and Kit looked up at him with a shy smile. For a moment, they just gazed at each other, and I felt an ugly, jealous pain rising in me as Kit slipped his hand into Jhin’s.
They walked toward the room, and Kit’s eyes found me. He wasn’t high anymore, and I saw his expression twitch into something that looked like regret.
“Um, hey Juni,” he chewed his lip. “You okay?”
My chest felt tight.
Okay?
Sleeping alone again after all these years?
“I’m fine, now,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face. “Have a good night with them. You deserve it.”
He hesitated, but Jhin was still going and Kit followed him into the room and closed the door.
The room was far too warm and stuffy, and I shoved the yogurt tub back in the fridge.
I needed some space. To be alone.
I rushed back to the spare room, closing the door far too hard.
I could already feel the tears starting to trail down my face, a painful lump in my throat. I climbed onto the bed and hugged my knees, the misery pouring over me as I tried to cry quietly.
I wanted my dad.
It had been almost six years, and the pain didn’t surface as often as it once had, but when it did it was still just as intense as it had been when he’d first been taken from me. He should be here with me, right now, and I just wanted him to pull me into a big hug as I told him all my problems. Then he’d stroke my hair and ask if I wanted him to fix it or just listen.
“Maybe you can see all this, Dad,” I whispered to the dark. “I want you to fix it, this time, okay? I can’t do it by myself. I don’t want to. I don’t want to lose him. Lose them.”
I’d been denying it the past few days, stuck in this little bubble of time where we could all exist together, but today had made it clear. There was no future with us both.
The door opened, light spilling into the room, and I held my breath, glaring up at whoever it was invading my space.
Vander looked down at me, his pale eyes flashing in the light.
“Fuck off,” I sniffed, but he didn’t, instead closing the door coming further inside.
Asshole.
He sat down beside me, making the bed creak.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snipped.
“Moping,” he said.
“What on earth do you have to mope about?”
“Same thing as you, I reckon,” he said, laying back and folding his hands behind his head.
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “You just realized that your best friend, who you’ve been in love with for years, is falling in love with someone else? And you can’t actually be mad about that because they’re better off this way anyway?”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” he said, with a hint of bitterness.
“You are such an asshole,” I said, glaring down at him, but he didn’t look mocking or angry. He looked just like I felt; lost. Miserable.
“You’re not fucking serious,” I said.
“Not gonna say it again,” he replied.
“Oh, please. You didn’t even say it the first time.”
“Don’t get all clever with me, cherry bomb.”
We sat in silence, and I gave him a side eye, considering what he’d said. There had been one person he’d kept looking at a lot during my heat.
“Jhin?”
He shrugged again.
“You know, when attending a heat with said best friend, you’re actually not supposed to keep staring at them. Speaking from experience.”
“Oh, fuck off. You were our first heat together,” he poked me, giving me a half-grin. “You know, you almost ruined it by being way too fucking hot. Years, I dreamed of that, and I thought you would be nothing more than another body. I was so pissed when you kept stealing my attention away.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, shoving him away.
“What the fuck is it with you omegas and compliments?” he said. “If I say something, it’s because I fucking mean it.”
I felt my cheeks go hot.
“Just save it, okay? There isn’t a future for us.”
He caught my eye, sitting up.
“Are you sure?” he asked. I hesitated.
“I have no idea how I could join and not be miserable.” I finally said.
“Ah. But I’ll tell you a secret,” he said, shifting closer. His pale eyes were boring into mine, and his scent was sweeping over me, making my heart pound.
“I think the key is finding love with more than just him,” he said, his hand moving to touch mine. I didn’t pull away. “Like, this week. Being a part of your heat. Or with Kit… when I scented him, it was the first time I didn’t think of Jhin. He’s like this… balm. He can’t get rid of how I feel, but he lets me forget. Lets me hope I can find something new.”
His hand curled around mine, making my heart skip a beat.
“Tell me you haven’t felt that with us. Even a little bit,” he said, shifting closer. I could see the flicker of his long eyelashes, the sharp lines of his face and the curve of his full lips.
“No,” I said, not meeting his eyes. He growled, and I tried to tug my hand away, but he held me tighter. Maybe I had caught glimpses of… something while I was with them. But not like he was describing.
After all, Kit was their scent match. He was everything they needed. How could it be the same?
“Bullshit,” he said, shifting forward from where he was sitting, close enough to me that I moved back. He didn’t stop, a glint in his eye. I glared at him and backed up, but he followed me until I bumped against the back of the bed. He crawled over me, trying to cage me in, and I hissed and tried to slide out from under him.
“Leave me alone, you fucking asshole,” I snapped as he grabbed me and pinned me down.
Fuck, he smelled so good, felt so good pressed down on top of me like this, his scent everywhere. I bucked, trying to slip free as he twisted around until he was behind me, his arms trapping me against his chest.
He rested his chin on my shoulder as he pulled me close, and I froze as I heard his purr start up. He was… cuddling me. A lump formed in my throat, and I blinked my eyes as he shifted me into a more comfortable position. All the stress that had been building in me was starting to dissolve as I felt his rumble against my back.
“Have I told you, you’re an unbearable ass?”
My voice shook as I said it, but my traitorous arms were winding through his, pulling him closer. I wanted him to need me.
“You might have mentioned it,” he replied.
I stayed in his arms, and my omega settled down happily, telling me we were safe.
“I’m staying here tonight,” he told me, tugging the blanket over us and resting his head on a pillow. I sniffed again, so fucking relieved that I wasn’t going to be alone.
“Whatever,” I muttered thickly. “If you snore, I’m kicking you.”
“Likewise,” he said, pulling me closer. He was silent for a moment, before he kissed the back of my head.
“Stay with me,” he whispered, and for a moment I wanted to say yes. But then he continued. “I’ll keep you safe, okay?”
Those words should have settled me—should have made my omega happier—safer.
Instead, they sent a whisper of dread down my spine. They paralyzed me—dragged me back to those last moments with dad.
“See you on the other side, Juni-bug… I’ve got you, okay?”
I’d felt safe then, too, right before everything shattered.
As Vander fell asleep beside me, I wrestled with nightmares.
And I knew this wasn’t anything special.
Just stupid broken omega instincts lying again. They’d never done anything good for me. They were the reason my dad was dead—how could I ever think I deserved a pack like this? That I’d be good for them?
No.
They were better off with Kit.