Chapter 7
Chapter seven
Camelia
The rest of the school day passed in a bit of a daze, and when Camelia met James again at the end of their classes, she couldn't stop herself from blushing a little at the sight of his handsome face.
He smirked at her and took her hand, and the warmth of his palm against hers was enough to make Camelia tingle from the top of her head to her toes all over again.
The impromptu fuck in the empty conference room seemed to have done the trick, as far as leaving enough of an impression that any other Alphas steered clear.
Nobody else bothered her, and despite the delicious humiliation that Camelia felt every time she sat down and the wet fabric of her leggings pressed against her, she couldn't help the flicker of gratitude that lit inside her for the rest of the day.
She hadn't had to explain to James why the encounter with Max had bothered her so much. He hadn't pressed to understand more than she was willing to give. He had just understood, and given her exactly what she needed in the moment.
It was an odd sensation, feeling so cared for by someone who wasn't family.
James stopped and got the three of them burgers from a greasy local joint on the way home, and Camelia slowly ate the salty fries as they pulled up in front of the condo.
Evan was already home, and she felt a sudden inexplicable sense of foreboding in her stomach as she got out of the car and helped James bring everything in.
Evan was sitting on the couch, a beer in one hand, clad in soft black pants and a t-shirt. He smiled as the two of them walked through the door, putting down his drink and standing to cross the room. "Hey. Welcome home."
He wrapped a hand around the back of Camelia's neck and pulled her towards him for a deep, thorough kiss before she could respond, and her stomach swooped out from underneath her.
She couldn't stop the tiny moan that she let out at the attention, though her full hands stopped her from stepping closer and curling her hands into his shirt the way she wanted to.
She felt a little dazed when he finally released her, her lips feeling a little swollen and tingling as she blinked at him.
He smirked a little, then lifted his gaze to James behind her.
Camelia watched him reach out and wrap his hand around the side of James' neck without saying anything, their gazes intense as they looked at each other.
"Hey," James said softly. His expression smoothed out a little, losing some of the pucker of tension that constantly lingered between his eyebrows, and Evan nodded.
"Let's eat, yeah?"
Camelia didn't know what show Evan had on when she sat down, but it didn't matter.
The second that she took her seat, Evan sat beside her again and the length of his thigh pressed against hers, burning through her clothes as he set out the food that she and James had brought home.
She couldn't help the way her pussy tingled at the contact, and when James sat down on her other side, she resigned herself to an evening of being tense and horny.
Not that it was emotionally tense. Evan turned the volume on the TV down so that they could chat, and Camelia found herself settling a little further into his side after she finished her burger.
She rested her head against his shoulder, and the soft chuckle that he let out as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder made her stomach do a little flip.
Especially when she reached out and linked hers and James' hand together, closing their trio completely.
It was...nice. More than nice. So much more than she thought it would be, going into this entire arrangement.
So much more than she wanted to admit to herself.
James' thumb stroked the back of his hand as he settled further into the couch, and Camelia noticed when Evan gently reached over and grabbed the back of his shirt to pull James closer.
James' cheeks pinked a little at the gesture, but he moved closer regardless.
His and Evan's shoulders practically touched, and their presence on either side of Camelia was impossible to ignore.
Warm. Masculine. Hers.
"Camelia." Evan's voice was soft when he spoke sometime later, and Camelia barely had the energy to hum her acknowledgement. James hadn't released her hand since she had linked them, and the comfort that she felt between the two men had lulled her into a state of near-comatose contentment.
It was almost enough to distract her from the low, constant throbbing between her legs.
"Camelia. Baby. Sit up. We need to talk to you.
" Evan's voice was still soft and soothing, but when he gently nudged Camelia to sit up properly and James scooted a little to give her more room, the apprehension that she had been feeling when they had come up to the house doused her again, turning her cold.
She blinked, shaking the mental cobwebs off before turning to face Evan fully. The TV show they had been watching continued in the background as she met his blue gaze, and James' warmth against her back gave her some measure of comfort as she swallowed, willing her voice not to shake. "What about?"
His eyes searched her face for a moment, though there was no judgment in his eyes. "James texted me about what happened today."
Camelia's stomach flipped, but James' lips pressed against her ear before she could do more than take in a small breath. "About Max," he murmured. "The way that he accosted you."
Evan's hand cupped Camelia's chin, pulling her attention back to him. His thumb stroked gently along her jawline, his eyes hardening a little as he looked at her. "He had no right."
Camelia trembled a little, biting the inside of her cheek at the intensity of Evan's voice. "I...I wasn't trying..."
"We know, sweetheart," James murmured, cutting her off before she could apologize.
"We're not upset with you, baby," Evan said. Camelia turned her gaze back to him, and his expression softened a little as he dragged his thumb along her lower lip. "We just need to talk about how we're going to operate moving forward."
Sparks buzzed under Camelia's skin at his touch, and she swallowed, ignoring the arousal that throbbed between her legs. "What do you mean? I thought...Isn't the plan to just, kind of, lay low? To not draw any attention to myself, I mean. Just until the school year is over."
James' hand landed on the top of her thigh, stroking gently as he chuckled, his voice a little strained. "I think that ship has sailed, sweetheart. You draw attention without even trying."
Evan's grip on her chin tightened, and Camelia couldn't look away as his blue eyes darkened a little.
She couldn't tell if it was from anger or arousal, but the heat that laced his voice when he spoke did away with any doubts.
"You're a fucking flame for any Alpha who has a sense of smell, baby.
It's not acceptable or an excuse, but...
" He paused, swallowing hard before speaking again, his voice a little thick. "You're impossible to resist."
The memory of how Evan had lost every ounce of control when he had scented her that morning made Camelia's cheeks burn hot, and she couldn't stop her thighs from spreading a little when James' hand slid further up her leg. "I...I can't stop..."
"And you're going to be having a hard time soon too, aren't you?" Evan interrupted, furrowing his brow a little. "How long before your next heat? A week, maybe two?"
James interjected before Camelia could answer, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.
"How long before your pussy consumes every thought you have, sweetheart?
" His voice was rough, and Camelia couldn't stop herself from whimpering at the sound of it.
Her pussy clenched, proving him right, but she pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to respond.
A spark of dark amusement lit in Evan's eyes, but the rest of his expression remained deadly serious.
"The closer you get to your heat, the more attention you're going to draw, baby.
We promised to protect you. We need a better plan than hoping that every Alpha on campus is suddenly going to ignore their instincts and not try to pounce on you while you're vulnerable. "
Camelia narrowed her eyes, a hint of irritation making her snap, "You think that I can't defend myself against some asshole who can't take no for an answer?"
James released her leg, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing his face against her neck.
Even the puff of breath against her skin was erotic, despite the heaviness of the conversation, and Camelia gritted her teeth against another whimper.
"We're worried that you wouldn't be able to say no at all, Camelia," he said softly. "That you wouldn't be capable of it."
Any protest that Camelia might have come up with died in her throat at his words, soft and jabbing directly at the unhealed wound that she had spent months steadfastly ignoring.
Evan's expression was firm but sympathetic, and his grip on her face softened as his other hand joined the first. The thought of what had happened that day, the way that she had frozen in the face of another Alpha with the right voice and scent and words. ..
Evan closed his eyes, as if he knew the turmoil that wracked her entire being, and he let out a low growl as he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.
His thumbs stroked her cheeks tenderly, and Camelia's stomach twisted at the tension that radiated off his body.
When he spoke, his voice rasped, tight. "The idea of someone else.
..some asshole putting their hands on you. .."
James pressed his lips to the side of Camelia's neck, his arm tightening around her waist. "You're ours, sweetheart," he growled.