Chapter 9 Ryder
Ryder
Iwas restless and not even dragging Hunter into the shower and fucking him against the tiled wall as soon as we got home had done anything to improve my damn mood.
Not that I didn’t enjoy it. I always enjoyed it. Sinking knot-deep into his ass while steam fogged the glass and his hands clawed at my shoulders was easily in my top five favorite activities. I was a very big fan of his ass. And the Alpha attached to it.
A lot of people in the league had opinions about us.
About two NHL Alphas being together. About what that meant in the locker room.
About whether it affected our performance.
About whether we were a distraction. They could all go fuck themselves.
We played hard, we played clean, and if anyone wanted to be a homophobic asshole about it, they could take it up with my fist. Preferably somewhere private, because I enjoyed breaking noses, but I hated paperwork.
The problem was, the bliss of fucking Hunter only lasted about ten minutes before the restlessness crept back in.
My Alpha wasn’t thrilled about being separated from his Omega so soon after meeting her.
If I were being honest, neither was I. The scent match had hit like a body check I hadn’t seen coming.
But there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it until she was ready.
Which was how I found myself driving straight off Rainbow Road for the third time while Hunter laughed like I’d just performed a stand-up routine instead of humiliating myself in a children’s game.
“You good?” he asked, way too amused.
“I miscalculated.”
“You drove directly into space.”
“I did not.”
“You were thinking about her.”
I didn’t answer, which apparently was answer enough, because he made that low, pleased sound he did when he knew he’d hit the mark.
I didn’t answer, which apparently confirmed everything, because he made that low, pleased sound he did when he knew he’d nailed it.
The bright, obnoxious music of Rainbow Road did nothing to drown out the constant replay running through my head — Scotty’s scent perfuming when Hunter had his fingers buried in her sweet cunt, the way she’d melted for half a second before dragging herself back to reality, the look on her face when Coach announced the engagement like he hadn’t just dropped a grenade in the middle of the room.
After pulling her out of that wrecked car and realizing the tiny Omega with red hair and gorgeous green eyes smelled like cherries and fate and all mine, I’d seen the cracks in her facade.
My girl had been through it. You didn’t look so defeated unless life had knocked you around a little too hard.
I had a feeling she wasn’t just home for a visit.
She was escaping something. Or someone. And we had to take our time with her.
No pushing. No cornering. She was skittish, but she wasn’t weak, and eventually she’d realize we weren’t going to hurt her. We wanted to cherish her.
“Jesus,” Hunter muttered, drifting neatly around another corner while I clipped the edge again. “You’re playing like shit. Get your head in the game.”
“My head is in the game.” No, it wasn’t.
“You’re in last place.”
“That’s temporary.”
It was not, in fact, temporary, because I launched myself off the track again like a complete idiot.
I tightened my grip on the controller, jaw clenched.
The problem wasn’t the game. The problem was that Scotty’s scent had gotten under my skin, and my Alpha had clocked it, filed it away, and refused to shut up about it ever since. Being away from her felt wrong.
Hunter bumped my kart with a red shell and sent me spinning.
“Jesus,” I muttered, dropping the controller into my lap. “You’re cheating.”
“I’m better,” he corrected smoothly. “And you’re thinking about her so loudly it’s throwing off my focus.”
That made me look at him.
“My Alpha’s irritated,” I admitted, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Not pissed. Just… restless.”
Hunter’s mouth curved faintly. “Because we didn’t finish what we started?”
I leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling for a second. “Because she walked away when she clearly belongs with us, and I had to stand there and let her.”
“I don’t think we had much of a choice, Ry,” he said, resting his hand on my thigh.
“Fuck, I know.” I didn’t bother hiding the frustration.
This was Hunter. My Hunter. He knew everything about me, and I knew he felt the same pull toward Scotty.
He just hid his behind jokes and optimism and the occasional motivational speech that made me want to roll my eyes.
“She fits, Hunt. I haven’t felt this way about anyone since I met you.
And it scares the shit out of me that she might fight it. ”
“Babe,” he sighed, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
“She wants us. I promise. She just thinks she can’t have us.
We’ll be patient. Biology will do its thing, and we’ll just make sure we’re there.
Always close if she needs anything. She’ll give in to the scent match eventually.
You did, and you’re the most stubborn idiot I know. ”
I scoffed, but he wasn’t wrong. I was stubborn as fuck. Still, I asked, “How can you be so sure?”
“Am I ever wrong?” he said with that shit-eating grin, and I grabbed a couch cushion and smacked him in the face.
Before he could retaliate, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him into my lap. “Be a good boy and kiss me,” I murmured against his lips, and he did.
Hunter kissed like he did everything else — all in.
No hesitation. His tongue slid against mine, his hands gripping my hips and pulling me flush against him like he wanted to erase the distance between skin and bone.
I let him take the lead for a few seconds before shifting, backing him into the couch and pressing him down without breaking the kiss.
He made a low sound that shot straight through me, and I slid my hands into his hair, tightening slightly as I nipped at his neck.
“Fuck, babe,” I growled, rolling my hips forward so he could feel exactly how turned on I was. “You feel so good underneath me. Do you want your Alpha to fuck you?”
“Yes,” he practically whimpered, his eyes darkening as his hands slid under my shirt, warm palms dragging over my back.
I leaned down again, slower this time, kissing him deeper, more deliberate.
Hunter ran hot and bright, but I liked control.
I liked knowing I could take my time and make him unravel.
“Get on your knees for me,” I said quietly, brushing my thumb over his bottom lip. “Show me how much you want my cock, Hunt.”
I lifted off him, and he scrambled up and dropped to the floor in front of me without hesitation. I was just about to push my shorts down when his phone lit up on the coffee table with a text from an unknown number.
Hunter froze, then reached for it with a grin already forming. He glanced at the screen and started laughing, smug as hell. “It’s Scotty. She wants to know if we’re awake. See? I told you, Babe.”
I raised my brows. “That was… fast?” I phrased it as a question because, honestly, I was kinda surprised we were hearing from her at all.
He started typing something that looked far too enthusiastic, so I leaned over and took the phone from him before he could scare her off.
Ryder: Awake. You couldn’t sleep, Sweetheart?
Hunter watched me with that bright, feral smile tugging at his mouth. “You think we’re the reason she couldn’t sleep?”
“I fucking hope so.”