Chapter 44
“Stop!” I yell, but Rodrick takes Phoenix to the ground, and Hunter charges for Carter, who’s running his mouth about me again. Branson rubs his jaw and cheers them on.
My heart twists in on itself. I want recognition for this discovery, but not at the cost of my men getting hurt. How does this end? Branson won’t back down just because a few punches were thrown. This won’t solve anything. Think, Madi, think.
Before I can come up with a plan, there’s a growl from right behind me that has me spinning on my heels. Two of those aquatic cat monsters leap into the library, one after another, teeth bared.
They must have followed us, picking up our scent even in the water. They both ignore the fighting men and lunge toward me. I’m frozen, unable to do anything but scream. Hunter is too far away. Caspian is locked beneath Rod.
Branson blinks at me, then jumps between me and the monster. The aqua-cat sinks his teeth into Branson’s shoulder, and the alpha howls in pain. Shit. Shit. I don’t like Branson, but I don’t want to see him hurt. Why the hell did he do that?
My gaze quickly searches the room for something, anything I can use to help. There’re a few pots in a corner. I dash over to them. The biggest one is too heavy for me to pick up, so I grab a smaller one and hurl it at the monster’s head.
It spins on me, charging this way. Not knowing what else to do, I keep throwing pots.
The beast shakes off each hit and keeps coming. Just before it reaches me, a body slams into it. Hunter tackles it to the ground. Behind him, I catch sight of Caspian and Phoenix taking on the second cat with spears they found somewhere. Rod and Carter huddle around a bleeding Branson.
Hunter grabs the animal’s face, holding off its jaws as it snaps its teeth at him. My heart pounds in my ears. I need to do something. I can’t let it hurt my mate.
Where did they get those spears? I finally spot them on the other side of the room. I run, grab the closest one, and dash back to Hunter. The beast takes no notice of me as I sneak up behind it. I have to make this count.
It goes in for a bite of Hunter’s neck, and I see red. That neck is mine. He’s mine. I jam the spear right through the animal’s head with all the force I can muster.
It goes suddenly limp, blood dripping from the wound and onto Hunter’s face.
Phoenix whoops, and I turn to see the other cat running away with a gash in its side.
“That’s right,” Phoenix yells after it, as if it understands. “There’s a new apex predator in town.”
I look back at Hunter just as he rolls out from under the aqua-cat. It flops on the floor, motionless.
“Is it… dead?” I whisper, even though deep down, I know the answer. My body shakes uncontrollably as I stare at it.
“Yeah,” he replies softly. “It’s dead.”
I stare at the dead beast at my feet feeling a sharp twinge of sympathy for it. It was just hungry. It’s not its fault that it viewed us as food. I didn’t really mean to kill it, but when it came for my mate something just came over me. It all happened so fast.
I’ve never killed anything before. Well, unless you count spiders, but spiders are just… ick. I shudder thinking about the creepy crawlies. But the shivering doesn’t stop. It’s like my insides have turned into jello salad.
Hunter stands. He takes my shoulders and steers me away from the dead animal. “Come on, sweetheart. You don’t have to see that.”
I let him lead me away, but look back over my shoulder.
Caspian leans over the animal. He closes its eyes and says something in that weird rolling cadence that is his native tongue.
It feels almost like a ritual, and I decide to ask him about it later.
But the shaking is even more intense now, and I wonder if I’m going into shock.
Do people go into shock over something like that?
It’s not like I killed a human, but it was still a living, breathing thing. Rare and ancient.
I feel so cold. Is this what shock feels like? I wish I could look it up. My phone is in my dry bag, but there’s no way I’d get service down here.
Shock is supposed to wear off, though, right? Or do I need to do something to stop it, to reset my body and snap out of it?
I keep replaying the moment the sea-cat nightmare lunged for Hunter, the fear that took hold and made me see red.
At that moment, I knew, deep in my bones, I can’t live without him anymore. I love him, even if it’s too soon, even if I haven’t told him yet.
I don’t think I can live without any of my scent matches. I thought I was compatible with pack Prescott, but now that I’ve felt the intensity of a true scent match, nothing compares. Hunter and Phoenix are almost as important to me now as my bonded mate. I want all of them. Need all of them.
Is that selfish?
Hunter guides me to the back corner of the room.
He sits down and eases me onto his lap, holding me tightly while I shiver.
Caspian and Phoenix drag the dead cat toward the door.
Rod has taken off his shirt and is using it to wrap the wound on Branson’s shoulder.
Branson looks pale, but he’s okay. He and his packmates whisper quietly together. I still can’t believe he did that.
Quiet sobs shake my shoulders even though my eyes are dry.
“Shhh, it’s alright, baby.” Hunter smooths his hand over my head in calming strokes. “You were so brave. Such a good omega, taking care of her pack. I’m so proud of you.”
I blink, eyes burning. When was the last time someone said they were proud of me? Probably Fishybillionaire47, and that feels so long ago.
I turn my face into the crook of Hunter’s neck and cling to him, no longer holding back the tears.
“W-why didn’t…” I stumble over the question.
It’s not what I should be thinking about right now, but it’s what I need to know.
I almost lost him before I truly had him, all because he keeps holding me at arm’s length.
“Why wouldn’t you… I needed… Why didn’t you…
Do you not w-want…” The jumbled words come out in a watery whisper.
Hunter tilts my chin so I’m looking up at him. “I will.”
“You will what?” I narrow my eyes, my vulnerability stirring up anger and hurt. There’s no way he knows what I was trying to say.
He holds my gaze with the slightest hint of a smile. “You’re wondering why I didn’t sink my fat cock into your begging cunt, stuff you full of my cum, and knot you so tight you’ll never be rid of me, aren’t you?”
“Hunter Anderson!” I gasp through my drying tears, cheeks burning. “You, sir, have a very dirty mouth.”
He licks his lips, leans closer, then scrapes his teeth over my earlobe. “You have no idea.”
The shivers that wrack my body have nothing to do with the adrenaline crash now, and everything to do with him.
I don’t even care that Branson and his pack are just across the room.
I want to claim this man right here and now.
The need is all-consuming, driving away the chill and replacing it with heat.
“Once you graduate,” he says, “I’m going to show you exactly how filthy I can be. You won’t leave my bed for a week, not until you’ve soaked my mattress so thoroughly I’ll have to replace it. The things I’m going to do to you, omega,” he shakes his head and lets out a low whistle.
My body is so electrified by his words it takes a minute for my brain to catch up, but when it does, I pull back. Wait, once I graduate? There’s no way I heard that right. “You aren’t going to fuck me until I graduate? That’s almost two years from now!”
“It’ll fly by.” He doesn’t sound convinced.
My omega is outraged, a hot blush burning my cheeks with embarrassment and a touch of outrage.
If he can wait that long, he must not want me as badly as I want him.
Maybe he doesn’t really want me at all. Maybe he just thinks we should be together because we’re scent matches.
I try to scramble off his lap, but he tightens his grip.
“This isn’t a rejection,” he says, voice firm and commanding. “I want you more than anything. You have no idea how much I want you. I already know waiting that long to sink my teeth into you will be the hardest fucking thing I’ll ever have to do.”
“Then don’t do it. Bond me now.”
“Now?” He seems taken aback by that. “You only just found out we’re scent matches. I haven’t even taken you on a date yet.”
“Hunter, I’ve known you for years, and wanted you for that long, too.
I don’t need dates and flowers and all that crap.
I just need a man who will respect me. Who will take care of me without smothering or controlling me.
You’ve already proven yourself to be that man.
And…” I shrug, unable to articulate it quite right.
I always hesitated whenever Branson and his pack suggested bonding, even when I thought things were going well with us, even when I thought I loved them.
There was always this kernel of doubt. I don’t feel any hesitation or doubt right now, here with Hunter. “Bite me, Hunter. Please.”
His wide eyes study mine. “But… the university… your doctorate.” He shakes his head, a sad pinch to his lips.
“We can’t risk it. You’re a brilliant archeologist, Madi.
It’s because of you, and your determination, that we found all of this.
I won’t have people discrediting your work because you slept with your professor. ”
“We could keep it a secret.” I change positions, straddling his lap, so I can look right at him.
The shivering has stopped, replaced by a familiar heat that spreads from my core up and throughout my body.
This is our opportunity. I know it on some kind of instinctual level.
And something about fucking my professor in secret is actually turning me all the way on.
I’m wet, and I know it won’t be long until I’m dripping slick down my thighs.
My scent is already a heavy curtain around us.
Hunter groans and takes hold of my hips, stopping me from grinding against him the way I want to.
“It’s risky,” he says.
“You’re worth the risk.” I drift my fingers over his cheek and along the sharp line of his jaw.
He’s so handsome, my alpha. “No one needs to know.” I rock against him, hating the fabric between us.
It feels itchy and tight. “And I’m not just asking you to fuck me.
I’m asking you to bond me, Hunter.” Heat suffuses my body as I press against him and feel how hard he is for me. “Please, alpha.”
“Fuck.” He lets go of my hips to tug his hair with both hands. “Fuck, baby. I can’t say no to you.” He kisses me, cupping my face with both hands, taking full control. “The next time you’re in heat—”
“No, now,” I whine, shaking again as a cramp hits my lower abdomen. Another heat spike is coming on fast. I can feel it just under my skin.
If we don’t do this now, he’ll back out. He’s too practical, too controlled. I don’t mean to pressure him, but some bone-deep instinct can’t let this go. He’s mine. I need him to be fully mine.
He pulls back, scrutinizing me with a steady gaze. “Are you having another heat spike already?”
I can’t find the words to answer, mouth dry, body on fire. I roll against his hard length and moan. Feels so good. Need it inside me.
He looks over his shoulder like he’s searching for something or someone, but all I want is him.
“You, alpha, please.”
“Fuck it,” he grunts. “Fuck. It.” His voice is stern, almost like he’s angry, but his eyes are pure hunger. “We’re doing this.”
He stands in one smooth motion, still holding me. I catch a glimpse of the alphas who make me recoil, all huddled together, none of them looking this way. I don’t see my other mates, and for a second, the pain of not having them with me makes me writhe.
“I’ve got you, omega,” my steady alpha whispers. “And I’m never letting you go.”