18. Lucy
CHAPTER 18
Lucy
Did I want to test his theory? Did I want to solve the mystery and find out why I was suddenly choking an alpha with my pheromones?
Somehow Liam made it easy to forget about the fact that I was wearing nothing but one of his shirts. In his house . The pain of being abandoned by the only alpha I’d ever trusted other than my mother felt far away when he looked at me like this, gently holding my hand to his neck.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of his pheromones on the air, but the faint scent of citrus still clung to him and his eyes were full of all the deepest reds I’ve ever seen, plus a few more.
Liam really was beautiful – physically perfect in every way.
His personality though…it was abrasive and commanding. He didn’t give a shit about rules or propriety. Why should he when he was one of the strongest legacy alphas ever born? Or at least, that’s what they all said on the internet.
If I took off this adhesive, he could release those legacy pheromones and I’d see for myself what they could or couldn’t do. Who better than the only known omega in the world who’d never once felt compelled to submit to an alpha’s pheromones to see how strong they really were ?
I was in a position to get a truly unique perspective, and normally, I’d jump at the chance to test something like this out, but I was already far too entranced by him even without his pheromones present. What would he do if they had me falling to my knees before him?
Would he laugh and call me pathetic?
“Do you think I’d make you do anything you don’t want to do?” Liam asked, his hand still over mine to hold it against his neck. “I’ll keep it platonic, and you can make your own choices, okay?”
Sure, that sounded great and all, but what if he was lying?
I hesitated, my gaze fixed on the shiny material that hid his true nature.
My nail slid under the adhesive and I watched as if it were someone else’s hand. What the fuck did I think I was doing? This was a terrible idea, but I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to.
Right then and there, I knew that even if he was lying and I ended up choking at his feet, I had to know. The curiosity and the need to understand was all-consuming.
Because there was a chance he was right about what I was.
Once the impossible has been eliminated, whatever remained, however improbable, had to be the truth.
I had to know why Frankie would give up so easily – why she would collapse in my presence. Was it really me? It was difficult to tell when I couldn’t sense a change in my own pheromones.
Was that normal?
Pulling the thin adhesive away from his skin as fast as I could was pretty anticlimactic. Liam didn’t react at all even though it had to sting. I didn’t immediately smell his pheromones either.
“Now the other side,” he instructed, taking my free hand and placing it over his neck. “I’ve already taken suppressants so they won’t be as intense as they normally are. ”
That explained why he was standing here so calmly when Frankie had such a hard time with my pheromones.
I peeled the adhesive off slower this time, annoyed that he’d taken suppressants. “How are we going to solve the mystery if your potency isn’t the same as it normally is? It gives us an inaccurate baseline.”
Liam smirked. “Are you saying you want the full strength of my pheromones without testing them first? Seems a bit reckless, Ms. Parker.”
I glared at him, annoyed he could be so petty when he wanted to be. “Fine, but if I don’t react, then we have to do this again when your suppressants have worn off.”
His smirk widened and I blinked, entranced by the sharpness of his canines. Every line on his face was as sharp as those teeth and suddenly, all I could think about was what it would feel like if he sank those teeth into my neck.
Would he tear out my throat? Would he enjoy the taste of my blood on his tongue? Maybe he wouldn’t, but there was a chance he would, now that he finally looked like the dangerous predator he was.
Cassius always appeared dangerous, even when he was wearing his office attire, and I was pretty sure that was because he relied on the fact that he went unnoticed most of the time.
But Liam? He was always in the spotlight and he’d found a way to soften his harshness – the glint in his eyes that wasn’t usually there took my breath away, and I realized he and Cassius looked identical.
Not physically exactly. It was difficult to explain.
Cassius was roughly the same size as Liam. They both had huge shoulders and muscular backs that tapered into a waist that looked slimmer than I felt like it should considering the way his shirt hugged every muscle.
Their shirts were tailored and they shared clothes but it wasn’t that either.
Cassius also had these psychotic blue eyes that always mesmerized me. They promised all kinds of things – things normal people would never quite understand or notice. Cassius Valentine was hungry all the time, but he shoved it down and ignored it like it didn’t exist.
That burning hunger shone so brightly because his eyes were blue, not red, and so people dismissed him. He was quiet with no scent and no trace of pheromones lingering on him. Ever. Until he’d squashed those policemen like bugs.
Even from outside, I’d smelled it and the way my body had reacted shook me to my core. I’d wanted to choke on him – not his pheromones, but his cock.
Liam, on the other hand, had this white-blond hair that made him look angelic despite his dark brows. Long, dark eyelashes and warm red eyes softened his look. He usually kept his deep voice gentle as well and his suits were smart – screaming wealth and efficiency.
But right now, his hair was falling in his eyes just like Cassius’s did and the garnet was gleaming with the same predatory hunger until it was consuming him. Even the line of his jaw seemed sharper somehow and his skin may be soft, but every muscle was tensed like he was doing his best not to slam me to the floor and take a bite out of me.
I wanted him to though. I wanted him to sink those teeth into my thigh and rip until we were both covered in blood. His teeth in my throat as he fucked me to pieces…
There was definitely something wrong with me and it wasn’t Liam’s fault.
“We can do this as many times as you want,” Liam murmured as he settled both of his hands on the sides of my neck just like he had the night before. “Today I took the suppressants for me. Not you. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t do anything I’d regret before I got used to your pheromones.”
He made himself sound like such a gentleman, but the fact that I was here in his house wearing nothing but his shirt said otherwise .
Why I didn’t want to get dressed before doing this though was a different problem entirely.
“And your scent is very tempting,” Liam admitted. “Taking them was the only choice in this situation. If I happen to be wrong about what you are, they may be the only reason you don’t lose your mind when I release my own pheromones.”
I tossed the scent blockers in the small trash can near the door and arched an eyebrow up at him. “Is it necessary for you to be touching me during this little experiment?”
“No, it’s not, but your pheromones are heavy enough to alter my scent. I’m hoping this will keep that from happening.” His smirk turned into a grin as his grip on my neck tightened. “Are you ready for me to begin?”
I nodded, feeling dazed as I tried to wrap my brain around the simple admission that his pheromones were altered by mine. That meant…
A hint of sweet oranges tickled my nose before the vanilla and sandalwood registered. The smell was pleasant, but not overpowering. I didn’t feel compelled to do anything, but some of the burning in my wrist eased.
The scent was a bit too soft to get a real sense of what he could do and I took a step closer to see if that would help.
Closing my eyes, I breathed in his pheromones. It was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I wanted to get this experiment over with already. I wanted to prove him wrong and move on with my life.
When he saw I was just like everyone else, he’d lose interest in me and I’d be able to get on with the case without him constantly trying to interfere.
If he stopped looking at me, maybe I’d finally be able to convince myself I didn’t want him to – that if he kept his distance, it wouldn’t bother me. That’s definitely what I wanted. Not whatever this sick fascination was.
But my legs felt shaky when his pheromones didn’t try to dominate me. He wasn’t angry or trying to protect either. It was actually soothing to be surrounded by whatever his intention was and it lulled me into a false sense of security.
Liam pulled me closer and it never once occurred to me to resist. It actually felt natural and I slid my hands off his neck to wrap my arms around his waist. It was physically impossible not to press my body against his so I could feel more of that soothing warmth.
Closing my eyes was dangerous and stupid, but Liam’s pheromones got heavier and heavier until I felt like I’d been covered by a weighted blanket. My eyes opened when I realized what he was doing but I still couldn’t force myself to release him.
This legacy alpha wanted to make me feel safe and he wanted other alphas to stay the fuck away from me. His pheromones were too potent for anything else and the way they clung to my hair and skin promised that any alpha would think twice before trying to get within a five-foot radius of me, even if they thought I was nothing more than a beta.
This was such a bad fucking idea, because now I wanted to press my face to his chest. Curling up in his arms was the only thing I could think about and pulling him into bed for a nap was my highest priority.
What the fuck was I supposed to do about this?
It was physically painful to force my arms to drop to my sides and that agony kept me from putting any distance between us despite bitching myself out every second I stood there with my tits pressed against his chest.
He had to feel how hard my nipples were – maybe the metal barbells going through each one too. If nothing else, he had to feel the soft flesh and tempting him any more than I already was didn’t seem like a good idea when I couldn’t figure out how to rein in my pheromones.
I looked up to see him staring down at me with an intensity that was honestly a little bit terrifying .
“Can you take more?” he asked, sliding his thumbs along my jaw.
Liam blinked slowly. Most would say he looked sleepy but to me, he looked dangerously patient. It wouldn’t take much to push him to want to do more than mark me with his scent.
“I don’t feel anything other than cozy,” I admitted, hating to give him even that much information, but he would need to know before he’d agree to put out more in this enclosed room. “I also feel like I could take a nap.”
Suddenly, all I could smell were oranges and the weight of pheromones increased, but I didn’t want to fall to my knees or beg. I just wanted to get closer to his warmth and fall asleep in his arms.
It was my turn to blink slowly, and the way he smiled down at me was almost gentle. “You’re doing so well, Lucy.”
His praise was fucking me up. Every reason I was using to keep my hands off him faded away, but I managed to pull one of his hands off my neck and lace my fingers through his instead of jumping into his arms.
“Even just this would be difficult for most everyone to withstand,” Liam admitted. “It doesn’t matter that I’m just giving you a safe space. Alphas, betas, and omegas have all overdosed on my pheromones when they’re this potent in such a small space with very little air flow. Do you feel like you’re getting a headache or feeling any nausea?”
I didn’t feel a single negative symptom and I was trying not to freak out about that.
“No headaches or nausea.” I stared down at my hand in his, wondering why he was allowing this. I was just some random omega working for him after all. “There’s nothing really. I just feel sleepy.”
The weight of his pheromones increased then and my legs gave out as my eyes fluttered. Liam caught me before I hit the floor and lifted me up until I was cradled against his chest just like I’d been fantasizing about .
“If you’re so sleepy, you should try to nap.” He carried me across the room to the bed like a knight in shining armor. “Your work isn’t going anywhere.”
Why couldn’t I tell him to put me down? Or at the very least, cuss him out for touching me like this without asking, but I was seconds away from passing out and my instincts were in control, not me.
I grabbed his hand after he tucked me in, forcing my eyelids to stay open for just a little bit longer. “Don’t go.”
He didn’t smirk like I expected him to. “The pheromones aren’t going anywhere, Lucy. You can sleep here with them for a bit without having to worry.”
“Stay.” This was so fucking embarrassing, but I had no control over what I was doing or saying. My mind was mush – like I was super high on the best weed.
“I can stay if that’s what you want.” He pulled his phone out from his pocket and went to sit in the chair by the bed, but I couldn’t let go of him.
Liam looked at me in surprise and I scooted toward the middle of the bed to give him room before lifting up the blanket he’d just tucked me under.
His eyebrow lifted in shock, but it was also a question. “Are you sure?”
I almost bit my tongue off trying to keep from saying the one word I’d promised myself I wouldn’t say to him, but it was no use. My stupid omega brain was convinced this alpha was going to be mine and he would do whatever I asked if I just gave him what he wanted.
“Please,” I whispered, hating myself for the thrill that went through me when I saw his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare.
“Please what, Lucy? I’m not having you wake up in my arms just to have you hit me with a sexual harassment lawsuit.”
As if I would ever do that when I was supposed to be his pretend girlfriend, but I understood what he really wanted.
Liam Valor needed to hear exactly what I wanted just like every other alpha. He wanted to hear that I wanted his comfort and protection, not someone else’s, even if it was just for a few hours. He wanted my permission and my admission that he was what I needed.
“Liam, would you please take a nap with me? I don’t want to sleep alone.” When I woke up and my head was clear of his pheromones, I was going to die of embarrassment, but right now I didn’t give a single fuck.
Frankie had left me here with an unfamiliar alpha after I’d nearly choked her to death by accident. I was feeling vulnerable and abandoned. My omega instincts couldn’t focus on anything else other than the comfort I needed to ease some of that pain from an alpha who was strong enough to protect me from every other alpha out there.
Even Cassius.
It surprised me when he didn’t smile or gloat about my request. Liam just kicked off his shoes and then yanked his shirt over his head.
I outright stared at his chest. It was too fucking delicious not to.
Even without his pheromones fucking up my head, I would have stared.
His nipples were darker than I’d expected, but they were still somewhere in the pink spectrum instead of brown. His pecs were big and looked almost soft, but they tensed when he set a hand on the mattress.
Every muscle in his abdomen and obliques flexed as he slid under the blankets, settling on his back. I didn’t have to move at all. He turned and slid his arm under my neck and pulled me into his side so I could use his chest as a pillow.
All I wanted to do was run my fingers over his stomach up to his nipples and pinch them to see how he would react. My teeth started to ache and I realized I wanted to bite him hard enough to find out what his blood tasted like .
Would it be soft and sweet with just a hint of citrus and vanilla? Or would it be heavy and thick like his cock?
Why the fuck was I thinking about his cock like that when I had no idea what it even looked like? Sure, he was an alpha so his stupid dick was probably massive, but here I was imagining the weight of it like he’d settled the damn thing on my tongue.
I wondered what his cum tasted like.
For the first time in my life, I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that legacy alphas had two knots. I couldn’t stop wondering what that might feel like.
“Go to sleep, Lucy.” Liam’s voice was a bit deeper than usual and there was a growl to it that hadn’t been there before. “And don’t worry, I won’t let you bite me in your sleep.”
My eyes closed as I tried to pretend like I’d never heard that. It would only make me insane when I wondered over and over again how he’d picked up on that thought.
Thankfully, his skin was warm, but not too hot. Throwing my arm around his middle felt right and I was going to fall asleep any second now despite how much I’d slept the night before.
I couldn’t deny I was exhausted. Staying on the right path was harder than I’d anticipated.
All those years ago I’d walked into a scene out of a nightmare and instead of falling apart, I’d stared at that growing pool of blood…
Wondering what it would taste like.