56. Quinn
Chapter 56
Quinn
C ountry music blares from a small stage at the center of the town square, and the big open space near the lake has been transformed with whizzing carnival rides. It’s Thursday night of the big Founder’s Week celebrations, and downtown Knotty Pines is alive with activity. It’s bigger than the farmer’s market, and every inch of the town has been covered in flags sporting the football team’s beaver mascot.
I’ve been to Pleasure Point up north, but the theme park vibe is nothing like this country festival. There are town-history-related games and pie-eating contests, and more than half the people are wearing gaudy beaver hats.
It’s quaint and quirky without taking itself all that seriously.
I was worried about moving to this small town after so long in the city, but I really like it. The people I’m working with are friendly, my pack is finally settling down, and I can see myself finding places I love to spend time at.
Rosie and I are sandwiched between the alphas as we walk the closed-off streets and head toward the carnival ticket booth. I’ve never done this before, and the others haven’t been since they were kids, so we talk excitedly about what to do while we wait to buy tokens.
Once inside, Dane takes the lead, outlining a schedule that hits everyone’s favorites while we scope out the options. But when we get to the obstacle course, all planning is off.
Dane and Nash turn at the same time, eyes lighting up as they point. “Strong Man!” They nod to one another as though this is the best idea they’ve ever had, racing toward the entrance.
“Meet back here in fifteen minutes?” Nash asks.
“Have fun with that,” Rosie calls, waving them off.
“Yeah, make us proud, alphas,” I add, grateful that she’s here so I don’t have to stand there while they play. They say fifteen minutes, but they mean an hour. I learned that lesson at the driving range once and only once.
She tugs on my hand, pulling me toward the rides. “Ferris wheel or the haunted house?”
“Haunted house, obviously,” I say, letting her drag me along.
The line is huddled around a makeshift porch, and I put my arms around Rosie as we wait. She fiddles with my bracelet, the one that matches hers, and I take the opportunity to tease her neck, making sure to hit Dane’s bond mark with my tongue.
She shivers in my arms, and from my vantage point, I can just see the way her nipples pucker against the tight fabric of the bodysuit she’s wearing. My hand makes its way into the front pocket of her jeans, my fingers brushing close to her mound.
Rosie turns to murmur, “Behave.”
“Or what?” I ask, nipping her lips.
Her scent doesn’t help her case. She’s all honeyed tea, spicy and sweet. But the opening of the doors saves her from my little game.
We find ourselves inside a smoke-filled entryway, the people in the paintings around the room watching us with creepy red eyes that seem to move with us. More people gather until the front door bangs closed. At the same time, a chilling evil laugh echoes around the room, and all the flickering lights go out.
Rosie jumps, slinging her arm around my neck and burying her head against my chest. I chuckle, squeezing her waist.
“We can go,” I say softly.
“No!” she says into my chest, still not looking. She loves creepy things, but she’s a softie who spooks easily.
A shrill creaking sound alerts us that another door has opened, and we wade through with the others. After the initial scare, Rosie peeks her head out, half shuffling with me as we move from a ghost dinner party through a gore-filled kitchen and then into a mock dungeon where a werewolf’s claws scrape my boot and I jump out of my skin.
Rosie screams with me, both of us running into one another. I manage to keep us upright without toppling over, but it turns into doubled-over laughter that won’t stop. We make our way through the final part of the house giggling like lunatics. When we spill out of the haunted house, we’re still cackling and our adrenaline is pumping.
Next is the Ferris wheel, and we catch our breath while waiting our turn. It takes a while, but the wait gives me a chance to rekindle my earlier teasing. On the next empty ride, I scoot in beside Rosie, and the worker gives us a thumbs-up as he locks us in.
Wrapping my arm around her, I ask her questions about the town as I point to things on our slow journey up.I make it difficult for her to focus, skirting my hand across the large ripped part of the thigh on her jeans as the other ghosts over her cleavage. Her scent rises again, the unfurling of her arousal light on the breeze but loud in our bonds.
“Our alphas have woken up to my game, Rosie. Let’s see how many times tonight someone can make you come before the alphas lose control.”
I tilt her face my way, and she seeks my mouth in answer. “You’re trouble, Quinn Kelly.”
“You like it,” I say between kisses, making my way between her legs.
My sweet beta likes to play innocent, but she’s wet and needy. I don’t have time to draw this out; already we’re reaching the second peak. My dick is hard, and my body is alive with the thrill of our secret game. I want to take her back to our alphas with both of us covered in the scent of her pleasure.
Slipping under the edge of her bodysuit, I tease her wet entrance, then use the slick to rub her clit. Rosie’s thighs widen, giving me more room, and it pushes the bars holding us into her thighs. The pressure makes her pussy flutter. I pinch her clit and suck on her tongue, marveling all over again at the wonder of feeling her submission in the bond when I tell her to come for me.
“That's perfect. Let go for me.”
Her breath feathers against my neck, sending a shiver through me. The heady weight of her trust makes me weak for her. I kiss her through her orgasm until I know our ride is closing in on the ground.
I clean up, loving the taste of her on my lips and the scent of her honey all around us. Her cheeks heat, but her eyes are happy and bright.
“Well, that’s a first,” Rosie says with a grin.
“Let’s make it a tradition,” I suggest as our ride lands on the platform.
Her cheeks flame before she pretends to look through her purse so she doesn’t meet the attendant's smirk.
“Yeah, okay, that was really hot,” she says once we’re out of earshot. Her bond emphasizes her enthusiasm; she’s a happy, shimmery wave of yes on repeat.
I pull her into my side while we walk to where we left our mates. They find us first, jogging toward us with overly serious faces.
“What the hell was that?” Nash says, sizing us up with a wicked grin. “Because I swear I just felt my Rosie-girl come.”
“You can’t start a game without rules, and we want in,” Dane adds, crossing his arms.
“Too bad, alphas, I think you already lost, but I’ll buy you gentlemen some funnel cake while I gloat and you smell my victory.”
Nash throws back his head in laughter. “We’ll see about that, but I never say no to funnel cake.”
“Poor baby,” Rosie says to Dane, rubbing against his chest like a little minx. She gives me a wink, seeing through my plan to work him up and get him so desperate he pounces.
He relents, his nostrils flaring. “Only if I get to have you both later,” he says, roping me toward him for a kiss.
“It’s literally so disturbing seeing him with her,” a shrill voice says before making a gagging sound.
A deeper voice laughs. “Dude could bring in anyone, and he has a fat-chick fetish.”
I whip around, not really surprised to see Marigold, with the alphas she brought to the hearing and a host of similarly dressed assholes holding court around her.
Dane growls. “You don’t speak about my mates or my pack. You will be civil to Rosie, or you’ll find?—”
He’s cut off by Nash, who lunges, punching the alpha next to Marigold and sending him sprawling into the pile of people behind him.
“Dude fucking hit me,” the alpha cries.
Marigold screams as she wraps her arms around her downed alpha. “Get your mutt. He’s a psycho.”
Dane grabs Nash, but he shrugs him off. “I’m cool.” He points at the pack of onlookers all fawning over Marigold’s alpha. “Know that if she doesn’t learn how the fuck to shut her mouth about Rosie, I’ll keep helping your pack learn that lesson until she gets it. That goes for all of you. If I hear one of you says a negative word about her, expect that you’ll answer to me.”
Rosie squeezes my hand, the anger in her bond a surging wildfire before she calms. “Give it up, Mari.” With her head held high, Rosie tugs on my hand. “Let’s go. They’re not spoiling our night.”
Our alphas hover around us, both of them smooth and cool as glass on the outside even as our bonds are a worked-up mess. We’re a united front.
“You may have won for now, but I won’t let anyone forget who you are, BB. You’re always a loser,” Marigold calls.
Nope. I can’t let it go.
I spin around and eye the group of rapt gawkers. “Babes, it’s giving ‘I peaked at prom senior year . ’ It’s embarrassing now. As is the orange of your self-tanner. Go more glow than bronzer with that skin tone. But let’s be clear, whatever you do, don’t come for her again. Every time you’ll find us instead, and I don’t think you can handle it.”
She screeches, about to pounce, but another of her henchmen holds her back. “Chill, babes. Nobody wants to get hit.”
I give a little wave before turning back to my pack.
Rosie snakes her arm around my middle, and I can feel the way she’s shaking. For a moment, I think my mean outburst is the problem, but then I realize it’s laughter. “What? You have to beat them at their game. There is no high road with her.”
Nash grunts in approval, and Dane pretends to shiver. “You scare me, babe.”
“Stay scared,” I harass him as we head toward the food tents.
Rosie leans in, kissing my cheek as I check over Nash’s hand while we wait in line for our order.
“Thank you,” she says quietly, sobering. I wondered at first if we should just go home, but her bond is full of determination.
Nash wraps her up in a hug from behind. “My sweet girl, there is no thanking us for that. That shit is gonna stop because it’s not okay?—"
“And I’m sorry you ever had to deal with her fucking toxic bullshit,” I add.
When our order is up, we cart it to the picnic tables. It takes most of our funnel cake and some cuddling on the bench before our moods bounce back, but then Rosie stands and holds out her hand.
“Let’s go dancing, but first, can someone win me another teddy bear for my collection?”
That’s like waving a red cape in front of my alphas. It gets everyone back on track and causes Rosie to end up with two new bears.
We make sure to form a solid wall around her all night, keeping watch to make sure no other shit goes down, but no one pays us attention besides a few random hellos.
Still, my omega instincts are on high alert, and I’m not proud to admit that I spend half the night tossing and turning, dreaming about her cousin’s downfall.