Chapter 24 – Wilder
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wilder
My day started so perfectly, only for it to go to shit in meetings, but it’s looking up again.
Callum and Grim fill me in on their concerns that the men from last night might be part of an organization or have friends who are looking for them.
There’s also the added complication of one of Lacey’s friends possibly being a target.
That’s only compounded by the fact the woman has a young son.
In general, I try not to concern myself with the problems of others, but I’m not completely heartless.
It will cost me very little to ensure she has someone keeping watch over her, and if all goes to plan, it will only endear Lacey to me even further.
I’ll do it either way because it’s the right call ethically, but I’m not above casually mentioning it to my sweet stepsister in hopes it allows her to see another side of me.
All of that is easily manageable with a few called-in favors. If that doesn’t do the trick, I’ll call in the mercenary company for a little backup. There’s a reason I keep them on retainer, despite the exorbitant cost.
The headache of one of the founding families’ daughter’s attempting to get out of her marriage contract at the eleventh hour is quite another.
I’ve yet to resolve that nightmare, but the ugly truth is that Vanessa may just have to suck it up and honor the agreement her father put in place twenty years ago.
I can mediate all day, and it still doesn’t change a thing if neither party is willing to give. That issue can’t be resolved today, meaning it’ll have to hold until we get a response from her intended husbands.
I have more important fish to fry.
The top of the list is canceling my final appointment of the day, and that’s only a priority because I won’t be able to manage that and keep Lacey comfortable if she has a heat spike.
Grim and Callum head to my office to say goodbye to Lacey, and I attempt to contact my afternoon appointment to reschedule. If they show up, they’ll be sorely disappointed that I’m not available.
Next, I call in a couple of guys to assist Callum and Grim, who finally meander out after saying their goodbyes. They briefly touch base to find out where to meet the team and give me a basic outline of their plans before they head out.
With a variety of vehicles leaving the compound, if someone was watching Callum and Lacey as they came in, they’ll have no idea which car to follow as they all exit. Which will give Lacey and me the opportunity to leave undetected.
I even call Raymond to let him know to be available at a moment’s notice. Callum asked me to have Raymond move Lacey’s packages from the back seat of my car when he arrives, and I relay that message.
I’ve been away from Lacey for longer than I would like, and I make my way to my office. My nerves are frazzled, but we have a plan in place. If someone is waiting for my vehicle to leave, they’ll be shocked when it doesn’t.
Lacey lies stretched out on the leather couch in my office when I make it in.
She’s still in her jacket and dress, but I’m fairly sure she left the house in leggings this morning.
Perhaps she was running too hot at the time, or Callum didn’t want to interrupt his easy access in case she needed more sex.
Stepping into the attached bathroom, I pull open the small armoire. It houses extra suits and emergency clothing, but I also keep a blanket folded at the bottom with a pillow just in case I’m ever too tired to drive home.
I’ve never actually used it, and yet, I’m grateful to have it on hand. Making my way back into my office, I kneel on the edge of the couch cushion and prepare to cover the little omega.
Her eyes pop open, and she grabs my arm. “You could lie with me.”
A lazy smile crosses my face. “You want me snuggled up with you, little sister?” I chuckle, tossing the pillow above her head onto the arm of the couch. “I’d be happy to.”
It’s a whole process of kicking out of my dress shoes, removing my coat, belt, and holster.
I’m still not finished as I loosen my tie, unbutton and roll up my sleeves, and pop the top two buttons on my dress shirt, but I’m much more comfortable once it’s all done.
If we weren’t in my office, I’d get down to my boxer briefs.
The location isn’t ideal, so I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.
“Scoot toward the edge or flip toward the inside of the couch and slide in,” I murmur, pulling the blanket back.
She chooses to move closer to the edge, which will give us both a view of the room.
I’d much prefer to be between her and the door.
Though, I hate the thought of having my back to it, so this will have to work.
It’s a plush couch, but it’s still a tight fit as I settle behind her. I pull the pillow down, and Lacey rests her head on it while I keep mine up with a palm. Bringing the blanket over us both, I note she stripped out of her coat while I was preoccupied with my attire.
“Are you too hot for the blanket?” I ask, brushing hair away from her cheek. “You may be a bit warm just from touch, but I know omegas prefer to snuggle and burrow.”
“How long until we can go home and nest?” she asks groggily. “I just want to be somewhere safe and comfortable.”
“I understand, and I promise I will get you out of here as soon as I can,” I murmur, my nostrils flaring with the change in her scent.
My teeth grind together, and I fight the urge to say something shitty.
It would be my pride talking. Though it seems doubly unfair since I’ve wanted her the longest. The omega builds their pack, or that’s the way it’s supposed to go.
“Mmm, congratulations on your newest bond.”
“Thanks.” Lacey grabs my hand, guiding it under the blanket and resting it over her stomach. “Rub my tummy. It hurts.”
I smile, shaking my head.
Grim or Callum would do best in this situation, but I’m who’s here. Caring for her is no burden. I suppose I’m just not used to needing to access a softer side of myself.
“One tummy rub coming up,” I murmur, leaning over her to kiss her temple. At the same time, I slide my hand under her dress and focus on her stomach. “So, tell me as much as you can about your friend and her son. I need to look into having someone check in on them.”
Lacey mumbles herself to sleep. I watch her face, continuing to rub her stomach, but within a few minutes, her half-coherent self grabs my hand and redirects it to her pussy.
I chuckle.
Damn, I can’t wait for the day we know each other well enough that I can playfully pick on her about this kind of thing.
Darling, you’re so bossy, you even made me your sex toy in your sleep.
Perhaps that would make her self-conscious, but once she’s settled into her place with us, I believe she’ll be open to more playful banter.
I don’t let myself focus on the fact she’s soaked in Callum’s cum.
The idea of sharing is one thing. Alphas are prepped for this our entire lives. Though, clearly, the masses leave out certain details…such as how comfortable one must become with their best friends’ bodily fluids.
I suck up my discomfort and brush the side of my thumb over her clit as I stuff two fingers inside her.
She thrusts her hips back and bosses me around, even though she’s sleepy and out of it. It helps me understand why there are such strict laws about consent once an omega goes into heat.
I don’t think she’s fully awake or asleep, more like in that fuzzy dream state when inhibitions are low, and it’s easier to focus on what feels good.
“You do know who’s about to make you come,” I say against the shell of her ear. “Right, little sister?”
“Wilder, are you always this annoying when you should be burying your cock inside me?”
That makes me snort.
“All in due time, beautiful. For now, I need you to come all over my hand,” I coo, stretching my fingers.
It’s damn tempting, though, as her ass grinds perfectly against my length.
She’s already ruined one suit today. Why not go for two?
The word ruined is subjective as fuck in this circumstance.
She covered the first in the scent of her pussy, which made it impossible to wear out of the house, but it certainly wasn’t ruined in the typical sense.
“I saw how jealous you got when you spotted Ness. It made me rock hard, but you should know by now, Lacey. There’s only one omega I’m interested in. ”
“More of the fucking, less of the talking,” she groans, her pussy tightening around my fingers.
If I had a free hand, and her ass wasn’t plastered to my dick, I’d give her a solid swat. Instead, I prove exactly how down bad I am for her by giving her just what she asks for.
I make her come twice, and she finally falls asleep deeply enough that I decide to give her the opportunity to rest. It takes everything in me to force myself off the couch and into the bathroom to wash my hands, but I have work to do as I wait for the green light that we can leave.
Especially if Lacey will be going into full-blown heat over the next couple of days.
I text Grim and Callum to remind them to update me when they feel it’s safe to leave. Otherwise, I mention we’ll be leaving with Raymond in an hour.
I try to type as quietly as possible as I craft an email on my laptop, but every keystroke seems to annoy the sleeping omega, so I switch to my phone.
It’s a delicate process of needing to convince the O’Connor brothers that they’ll be happier without Vanessa purposely making their life hell while not writing anything that could come back to bite me in the ass if the Chapmans ever come across said email.
Honestly, I think the entire business of arranged marriage contracts is archaic. It’s probably about time we leave that concept in the past, but I’m just the broker.
I send the email and put my phone down, only to jolt when Lacey appears next to my chair.
She lost her dress at some point, but she has the blanket wrapped around her from behind. “You left me.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you could use some sleep.” I twist my chair to the side to prepare to push myself up, but Lacey has other plans. She somehow maneuvers her legs through the arm holes. I’m baffled how she fits, but it allows her to push up on her tiptoes to bring our faces closer together.
“I’m naked and crampy, and I think I’m running a fever.” Her soft hand lands on my chin, tilting it down. “You’re going to fuck me now. Right, Wilder?” If her fingers are any indication of how hot she is all over, then that makes this an emergency.
Now isn’t the time to be altruistic or to stick to some made-up plan in my head about how our relationship will progress.
“I think it’s more of you fucking me, at least in this position.
” I bring a hand to cradle the back of her head and push my lips to hers.
I finally understand what Callum and Grim meant about her scent.
The taste of sweet pears fills my mouth as our tongues dance.
It’s not just faint hints of it, either.
There’s still that base layer of something stormy, but when she’s hyper-aroused, apparently I’m able to pick out the tones they described more easily.
Lacey pulls her hands between us and works on getting my pants unbuttoned and unzipped. Even the way the backs of her hands brush my lower stomach threatens to make me squirm. If I had access to an omega thermometer, I’d pop it into her mouth instead of my tongue.
She succeeds at getting my zipper down, and I push up on my feet as she shoves my pants and boxer briefs down in one go.
“Damn, the arms of your chair are trying to rip off the tops of my thighs,” she grumbles, wrapping her hand around my half-hard cock.
I’m about to offer to move to the couch, but she shoves her mouth to mine, and I’m not sure I could lift us both out of the chair without pinching her legs.
Lacey’s pheromones burst in the air, and every inhale makes my head foggier. I’ve waited forever for this moment. I wish I could take my time, but life doesn’t always play out according to plan. She runs her fingers over my crown, and a low growl rattles out of my chest.
Lacey sobs, and her head falls to the side as she offers me her throat.
It’s tempting to add my bite just below Grim’s, but unlike my packmates, I’d like to woo her a little before sinking my teeth in. I have the advantage of knowing she won’t be able to get away, so that gives me a sense of security about waiting.
“You don’t need to offer me your throat.” I groan as she pulls my tip through her drenched pussy. “I want you to be my equal in all things.” Using my hand on the back of her head, I guide her neck to my mouth and flick my tongue out, teasing over Grim’s bondmark.
Lacey trembles and gives no warning as she sinks down my length.