Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
~Thane~
Something about her scent bothers me as I leave my mates with her. I want to go back in there with them; to wrap my body around hers with my mates, even though I hate her. There is just something about the little Omega that calls to me. I can't go back in there.
If I did, there would be no escaping the feelings she's causing. Feelings I tried to deny before running as fast as I could. It has been years since I set foot in that Den. Yet seeing her heat-ravaged body… it kills me to leave her there.
The way my blood burned as her hands moved over my chest, ripping at my clothes, trying to pull them from my body so she could reach my skin. Her fingers had scrabbled at my shoulders, gripping me tight like I am a drug that she desperately needs.
I try to forget how her tongue felt, licking up the side of my neck before moving lower to the hard ridges of my chest and abdomen. The thick scent of her arousal bloomed in the air, making my mouth water. To taste her. To tease her. To ease the burning haze the Omega feels.
It had been too much for me, testing my control more than I liked. I want to take Zara in our Den. I want to bind her hands so I can pull the pleasure from her until she cries out for me; begging me for more of what I alone can give her.
The way her body had felt in my lap, the heat of her pussy seeping through the fabric of my pants, nearly sent me insane. Her slick heat coating my erection... Fuck…
I want to unzip my slacks to slip into that heat. To bury myself deep into her pussy and feel her body clamp down around my cock.
Her skin had been so soft beneath my palms. So soft and so markable, her ass would have looked perfect with my handprint staining her flesh red, with my fingerprints littering her body, showing the world that she is mine—that she is ours and no one else's.
I want to fuck her, want her to claim me. But not like this. I want her to be there with me, not lost in this haze. Therefore, I had to leave and get out of here before I give myself over to instinct. Because I know I don't really want this. It is her heat making me feel this way. I despise Omegas.
Snatching my keys, I head to my car. I need a distraction, and work seems like the best place for it. Away from her, and from my mates, who I know are fighting the same baser instincts I am. If I lose control, I know they will too.
Driving to work, I white-knuckle the steering wheel and roll the window down.
The fresh air helps, relieving the assault her scent had left on me.
Yet the longer I drive, the less sense things make.
The urge to keep and claim her makes no sense.
She isn't ours. Harlow is, and she is not our Harlow.
Harlow was our light in the darkest tunnel, and she betrayed us.
And for that reason, taking another Omega will never be safe.
My hatred for them burns hotter than any bond ever could.
Harlow is dead, of that we are certain, yet why do I feel the urge to claim Zara? Why does her scent feel so familiar, yet not?
We hardly know anything about Zara, yet seeing my mates struggle the way they did makes me certain of one thing: I have been denying both them and myself.
Alphas need Omegas. I thought our little pack could survive without one, but now I wonder if maybe claiming another Omega wouldn't be the downfall I expect. Yet, I’m not sure if I can trust another Omega after Harlow.
So, I find myself at a crossroads. Can I keep denying my mates something they clearly need? I hate Omegas, yet I crave Zara. My mind is at war with the urge to claim her for my pack and my hatred for her kind.
The parking garage is dark as I pull in. I sit in the car for a bit, unable to pull myself out from behind the steering wheel and head inside. It isn't until the security guard taps on my back window that I realize I am still sitting in my car.
"Sorry, Marco," I tell him, shaking my thoughts away.
"Are you alright, boss?" he asks, and I sigh.
"Yeah. You may head out, if you want. I’ll be here anyway," I tell him, and he gives me a strange look. He glances in the back of my car before looking around the garage for my mates or their cars.
"Are you sure you’re alright?" he asks again. I usually have at least one or two of my mates with me. They are extensions of myself; I hate being away from them, and they feel the same.
"Go home," I tell him while opening my door and heading for the elevator. I get to my floor and spend a good few hours tidying up the place before sitting behind my desk. It’s only then that I notice Zara's file sitting there.
I pick it up, flick through pages that hold little to no information, until I find her address.
I dial the landlord's number, but no one answers.
Drumming my fingers on the desk, I sigh before growling.
That little Omega is still playing on my damn mind.
With a growl, I rise from behind my desk, snatching the first page of her file and grabbing my keys. I catch the elevator to the garage before hopping in my car and punching the address into my GPS.