Chapter 22 #2
“My job is to keep you safe. I tried to get us out of it, but I lost the key.” He winced.
I…
What?
Oh.
I frowned. Oh. Oh dear.
Wait, I couldn’t. I—But my thoughts cut off at his next words. “I've told Dominic if we do it, he has to give us protection until the appeal—”
“Protection?”
He nodded, but my brain was working a million miles a minute.
“You told me he's one of the most powerful packs?”
Everything else vanished from my mind. I thought of Karma and Phantom, of Vandle—of everything this whole pack had done to keep me safe.
Now I could help keep them safe?
“Will... the others be there?”
“If you want them there.”
I nodded, my chest heaving. “I want... I want you. All of you.”
“It's okay, deep breaths.” He tugged me toward him, and I shifted from my seat onto his lap in an instant.
“You… aren’t doing it just for the deal, though, right?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You do want me?” My voice was a wisp.
His eyes widened. “Crescent. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about jumping you since the first time I met you.”
“Oh. Well you’ve all been very… respectful.”
“You said you were a virgin.”
I frowned. “But you bit me.” It was hard not to get the wobble out of my voice.
His brows creased, and his lips parted but it didn’t look like he knew what to say.
I wasn’t as afraid as I think he expected me to be. He didn’t know how many heats I’d suffered alone. How much I’d dreamed of a pack.
And now, finally, I would be claimed by one of them, and got to protect the others, all at the same time?
The watching alphas were a bit scary to think about, but Sin would be there—he’d done it before.
“I uh… just need you to tell me what to do.” I could do this.
Something strangely warm was blooming in my chest…
Nerves aside, I’d never had so much… power. I squeezed my pants pocket tightly.
This… was my choice.
I could protect them?
And it would mean being with Sin?
“Will they be upset if it’s obvious I’m new?” Not that I should care what anyone else thought, but I didn’t want to make a fool of him.
He looked unsure for a moment, as if he didn't know if he should say what he wanted to say.
“What?” I prodded.
“It's... what they like—when I take charge. I'm known for that.”
“Like with… others?”
He nodded.
I took a breath. Okay. That was good because my nerves were getting the better of me. But he would know what to do.
I trusted him.
“But they weren't my mate, and it's not the same—”
“I just need help when I'm out there.” What would be expected? I was just... me. I didn't know how I was supposed to go about any of this.
“I know.” He stroked my hair. “But that's fine—they want to see me in control.”
Oh thank goodness.
“I'm going to go slow, alright? But if you want, you can close your eyes, and I’ll do everything.”
“They'd be okay with that?”
“I'm very sure that's what they're going to want.”
I cocked my head. Alright, then.
He chewed on his lip for a moment, nose scrunched up like he was working through the words in his head first. “Is there anything in particular you don't want to do?”
My mind raced through everything I knew about sex, but it came up so blank of options it was embarrassing.
There was one thing, though.
I wanted to protect my pack so badly—I wanted to do this for them.
But…
“They...” I swallowed. “They put me in here because I got caught with an alpha at the Convent. He told me to uh… Well. I just. We did stuff when I was… on my knees…” I trailed off, anxious, unsure how to explain it, and afraid he’d change his mind about wanting me.
“But it was wrong. And I got in so much trouble…”
“That's all?” He sounded stunned. “That’s why you're here?”
“It was...” I swallowed. “It was my fault. But I just... I don't want to do that in front of other people—”
“We don't have to.”
There was a burst of relief in my chest. “Thank you. I know I'm an omega, I'm supposed to want it—”
“You aren't supposed to want anything—”
“But I do want to... with you. I want to do everything.”
“We don’t have to do that today.”
I nodded, suddenly less nervous. “Can you explain... what's going to happen?” I asked.
That would make this all easier.
I was an omega. I knew I’d been bad at it for so long, but Sin, Phantom, Vandle, and Karma—they made me feel like I might not be so broken after all.
And now I got a chance to protect them?
“I'm going to go out there with you, and you can close your eyes the whole time if you want. I'll take care of you, and I'll tell you everything I need you to do.”
“You promise I’m not going to ruin this if I don’t know what I'm doing?”
He gave me an involuntary half smile. “I swear it.”
I frowned. “Are you lying?”
“Uh... no. Actually, they're going to be a lot more into it.”
I wrinkled my nose, not sure how I felt about that. It sounded stupid, though. I thought omegas were expected to be really good at sex. But Sin knew these Anarchy alphas way better than the Convent did.
“Okay… Let’s protect the others.” I whispered.
I could do it.
“I've got you, beautiful. That room, it's going to be yours and mine, not theirs, alright?”
That sounded... good.
“Promise?” I asked.
He looked at me, the faintest smile on his face as he fully took in my determination. “Promise.”