46. Joker
Chapter forty-six
I used to hate baths. I’m too restless to sit and steep in my own personal broth for them. But with Delilah, I’m finding a brand new appreciation.
I’ve added relaxing salts and oils to the water, lit the candles, turned down the lights, and created the perfect cocoon of warmth and comfort inside the soaking tub.
And when I settle Delilah backwards against my chest in the water, the skin-on-skin contact between us drains the tension from her fragile body, one heartbeat at a time.
I’m careful to keep the incision out of the water, though every time I look at it, my stomach churns with boiling, acidic rage. The person who hurt Delilah was already a dead man walking before I found out about the tracker, but now…
Now death won’t be good enough for the sick bastard.
I gently run my fingers through Delilah’s ponytail, purring for her constantly.
Her scent isn’t nearly as strong as it was a while ago, but I almost miss it.
It’s been so muted and ashy for so long, and even though it was under duress, breathing in her true, untainted scent was like taking the first hit of a new drug.
I’ll be chasing that high for the rest of my life.
“J-Joker?” Delilah stutters, so low I almost miss it.
“I’m right here, beautiful,” I reply, leaning forward to nuzzle my temple against hers.
“I…I’m remembering so much. Too much,” she whimpers, and my heart shatters.
“Talk to me, luv. I’m here to listen,” I say, pulling her even closer.
I swallow hard as she lets out a choked sob, shaking her head.
“I don’t want to be in my head. Not right now. There’s too much…too much…”
Delilah trails off, and I let out a silent breath. I know what she’s asking, and I can’t deny the deeply twisted part of my soul that wants nothing more than to give her that. But I don’t think I can. At least not alone.
“I want to help you so much, but I need you to say what you want out loud. I’m not going to do anything you don’t consent to,” I answer, voice dropping almost a full octave.
“I need someone to get me out of my head. I don’t want to think, or remember. Please,” she begs, twisting slightly to look up at me in the low light.
“And if I need to pull in one of the alphas?” I ask, my mind already turning.
Delilah nods, ponytail bouncing. “I trust you. Trust them. Please.”
That’s all the permission I need. Careful of her incision, I wrap my hand around her jaw and throat, pulling her head to mine and slanting my lips over hers.
Our first kiss was tame, testing the waters.
But right now, she doesn’t need my softness.
I move her lips with mine, forcing them to part with my tongue so I can taste her before she has a chance to object.
Not that she tries to resist. She melts into my grip, yielding control so beautifully.
I gather her more securely in my arms without breaking our kiss, all while tugging on my bond to Bones, asking for his presence without words. The answering tug is questioning, asking why, and I only send my desire in response.
“Let’s get you back to the nest,” I mutter between heated kisses.
Delilah nods, and we rise together from the tub. I help her out, wrapping her in a fluffy towel before scooping her up in my arms and carrying her back out to the bed. Within moments, Bones is there in the doorway, half inside the room.
“What’s going on? May I come in?” he asks, low and husky.
I turn to see him, his amber eyes darting between me and Delilah, hunger blazing in the depths like a wildfire.
I send him a pulse of desire mixed with concern, glancing down at Delilah before nodding to beckon him inside.
He slips through the door, closing it behind him before crossing to where I’m standing, still holding Delilah.
“What’s going on, little one?” he mutters, smoothing Delilah’s hair back as he forces her to look up at him.
Delilah jumps slightly at the touch, but doesn’t pull away, looking up at my alpha with the same sort of broken longing that she gave me in the tub.
“My head…it’s too full,” she mutters, barely loud enough for the sound to reach my ears.
“And you want us to help you empty it?” Bones continues, surprisingly gentle.
Delilah nods, flushing bright pink across her nose and cheeks. Bones chuckles, and one corner of his mouth twitches up with the ghost of a smile.
“I won’t touch you while you’re like this, little one. You aren’t ready for my brand of attention just yet, and certainly not when you’re in this head space,” Bones says, petting her hair a little.
I almost object when Delilah’s face crumbles, tears appearing in her eyes. But Bones looks at me, our bond humming with excitement and raw need, and it stops the words dead in my throat.
“What I will do, however, is sit here and watch. And you two will obey every command I give you. How does that sound, omegas?” Bones continues.
I nod eagerly, my cock twitching to life, and I have to adjust Delilah in my arms to hide it. But Delilah squirms, her thighs pressing together in my hold.
“Yes, Alpha. I’d…I want that,” Delilah says, sounding more like herself already.
“Good omegas. Now, get into the nest while I pull up a chair.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I walk up the short set of stairs, settling Delilah in the center of the nest, tugging her towel away and leaving both of us bare.
Her nipples harden before my eyes, either from exposure or desire, it doesn’t matter to me.
My hands twitch at my sides, desperate to touch her, to worship every inch of her.
She’s looking so much better than she did only a month ago as she’s finally started to put weight back on.
Her ribs aren’t visible anymore, and there’s the beginning of curves from her waist to her hips.
But she’ll always be my little wisp.
“Look at how beautiful both of you are, sitting there, waiting for me. And you’re going to be good omegas, aren’t you? You’re going to listen and do exactly as I say?”
I melt as Bones speaks, his voice taking on a slight sub-audible hum, his alpha nature calling out to me, and Delilah, too, judging by the way her face drops, all tension sliding away.
“Yes, Alpha,” she whispers, not turning to look at him.
I nod and swallow. My cock already aches, and we haven’t even begun.
“Words, Teddy,” Bones snaps.
Fuck, he’s so hot when he talks like that.
“Yes, Alpha,” I answer.
“Good. Now, let’s play.”