Chapter 29
Cass
I wake with Imogen in my arms, Iggy's leg over mine, trapping her between us. Iggy's completely out. He'll likely sleep through the morning, which is a good thing. I don't mind sharing my bed with my pack mate while his bedroom is being downsized to make space for the nest, but it's definitely nicer with our mate between us.
She's stirring but still asleep, so I slip out of bed, pull on some clothes, and head to the kitchen. I cook up a couple of omelets, one for her, Red, and one for me, and by the time the coffee's done brewing, she ambles tiredly into the kitchen, stretching her arms overhead. Seeing her in the morning, so relaxed, looking at home here with us, it's what I want to see every single morning for the rest of my life.
"Morning, sunshine." I kiss her temple and wrap her in a hug. "How'd you sleep?"
Imogen moans, "So good," leaning her weight into mine, and I resist the urge to stroke her pussy, letting my stiff cock lift her up. She might not mind, but I saw those clamps; she probably needs a break, even if I've been hard since I walked in at the end of the action last night.
"You're all mine today," I bite her ear, then turn away to finish plating.
"I'm so excited. What are we doing?" She asks, using a fork and knife to carefully cut into her breakfast.
"I thought we could just chill around here for a bit. I have a little work to do for the club later, and I wondered… I mean, I don't know if you'd be into it, and you're definitely not obligated. But with you joining our pack, I thought maybe, uh…" I scratch the back of my neck while Imogen gives me an amused smirk.
"What is it, Cass? You know you can ask me anything," she asks lightly, face open and smiling.
Damn, the girl is so sweet, she's a walking toothache. "Well… we wanted to know—"
"We've been wanting to ask if you want any involvement with the club. You know you can dance anytime you want, but if you wanted to be involved in other ways, too, you can. But you don't have to work." Red grabs his plate after interrupting my embarrassing display of insecurity, but I'm grateful he just spit it out.
"Oh! Oh my, well, what would it entail?"
"Well, whatever you wanted. I usually work the admin side of the club. I just had a few things to do today, and if you wanted, I thought you could come in, see what we do. We all take turns bartending. Waiting tables, shit like that. But again, you don't have to work. We're not asking you to or implying you should. It's not something we'd ever ask of you—"
"Because I'm an omega?"
"Well, no… we employ a lot of omegas."
"Ophelia served tables, right?"
Red snorts, "Barely."
"Yes," I answer her, "she did."
"And you think I shouldn't work because I'm too well-bred? From the High Hills, an OFA omega?"
"Uh… well… no… not exactly. We just don't want you to feel—"
"Obligated. Yes, I understand. Thank you for explaining." I'll say one thing for Imogen, she's very good with subtle inflection and verbal smackdowns. Red's laughing at me, and Imogen just smirks like I'm an idiot. Hopefully, she's into idiots.
"I'm not implying you can't work. Or aren't capable."
"So saying it's not something you'd ever ask of me isn't because I'm an omega or because I'm an OFA omega."
"We don't want you to feel obligated because you're ours, and you don't need to work. We make plenty and can take care of you. You want to be a kept woman?" I ask honestly.
"Maybe," she smiles, cocking her head.
"Done."
"And if I want to learn more about your club, your business?"
"Then come to the club with me today and learn a little more behind the scenes."
She thinks about it for all of two seconds. "Okay. I'd like that. I think I'd like to learn bartending, too. That seems fun, and Zach's always swamped."
Red smiles into his breakfast, and we finish eating, talking more about the club's needs. Imogen wants to take Red up on his offer to use the club in the mornings when it's closed to work on the pole but decides to dance only when Roxy's short-staffed. My alpha and I appreciate her mercy, but I'd never give her grief if she wanted to dance full time. I'd just have to learn to adapt, like Roxy's alphas did.
I clean up, then Imogen and I head into the club. It's early in the day, the doors just opened, so it's quiet. Everyone's happy to see her, and since we haven't been very careful keeping our connection quiet, they're all congratulating us on the scent-match. Imogen's sweet as ever, and after spending an hour with me, learning more about the business, she asks more questions about our community outreach.
That's Red's forte, so she sends him a text requesting a meeting to learn more about how he helps local start-ups and established businesses and what other ways we can expand Queenie's to help more people, not just omegas.
I fucking love how involved she already is.
After spending an hour behind the bar trying to help the servers since it's quiet and Zach's night off, she comes to find me and declares she wants to take a bartending course. I remind her again she doesn't have to do it, and we get into our first argument, wherein she declares none of the three of us will ever ask her again if she's sure she wants to work or be involved, and I promise I'll trust her to tell us when she wants to take a break.
"Obviously, when I'm pregnant, I'll need to take time off," she says casually, holding her hand over her mouth after eating a bite of pasta while we eat lunch in the office. I almost choke on my burger.
My reaction disappoints her, but she misunderstands. "Sorry, no, that's good, you're thinking ahead. Sorry, I didn't mean to… I just wasn't expecting you to say that."
Imogen puts down her fork, her face long and a little worried. "Do you… do you all want children? I suppose I should have asked."
"Yeah, Im, we do. I swear you just surprised me. But yes, we want kids. We're almost thirty… we're not that old, but we're not getting any younger. You want kids, obviously?"
She smiles softly, abandoning her lunch, setting it on the coffee table. "I've always wanted kids. A big happy family. It's all I've ever wanted, actually," she says sadly.
"A big happy family sounds amazing."
"Do you know if Red and Iggy also want kids?"
I nod, "Yeah, we've talked about it before. Conceptually anyway. Let's talk about it tonight with them. Don't worry, Im. You'll have everything you've ever wanted. So will we."
She picks up her lunch again, then says wryly, "You never wanted an omega."
I wince, "Ah, I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"
She shrugs, "It's okay. It was all three of you. In the end, I'm the one with the baggage. Speaking of which, I can't wait until that stupid party is over."
"Yeah. I've been trying not to think about it. Melanie got us ID tags and snagged some uniforms from the catering company she works for, the one you hired for the party. I'll be glad when it's over. Speaking of, do you need to go back home tonight?"
She sighs, "I do. Just a couple of days left. Hopefully."
"After the party, no matter how it turns out, it's over, Imogen. You promised."
If she's surprised by my sudden ferocity, she doesn't act it. "I know. And I do. Promise. I'm ready to get on with our lives."
On that note, we finish lunch, then I can finally take her on a date. Before we leave the office, I pull her onto my lap, digging an envelope out of my pocket, handing it over.
She eyes me suspiciously but takes the gift.
"This is my courting present for you. I'm so fucking happy you're with us, Imogen. I've never met anyone like you. You're so kind and sweet, gentle and thoughtful, but a little wild inside, like you can't wait to start living and experiencing life. I can't wait to do all kinds of fun cool shit with you."
Imogen wraps me in a hug, squeezing me tight. "I feel the same way, Cass." She threads her fingers through my hair, which I left down, and I almost fucking purr when she scratches the back of my head.
With a peck on my cheek, she turns to her present eagerly.
"Don't get too excited. It's nothing fancy." It really isn't. I didn't know what to buy her. She already has so many things.
She pulls the contents of the envelope out and looks at it, confused.
"It's umm… cooking classes. For two. I thought you and I could go together, like a date night. I think it's, like, once a week for a month. But there's another thing here." I pull another piece of paper out of the envelope. "This is from the three of us, but the guys didn't mind me giving it to you. It's a cabin, I mean, it's no fancy resort, but it's really nice. Up in the mountains, near a waterfall. There's some hiking and shit nearby. Anyway, we thought we could go up there for a few days once everything was settled. It's not fancy or anything—"
I try to remind her we don't carry the kind of wealth she's used to but she cuts me off with an abrupt kiss, which turns punishing. Suddenly she's in my lap, legs squeezing my hips.
I'm still hard from last night.
"I love this. So much. So, so, so much. Hey! Maybe we could take bartending classes together, too? Oh, well, nevermind, that's silly, you already know how to—"
"I'd love to."
"I love this idea, Cass. No one's ever done something like this for me before. That you were so thoughtful, thinking of something I'd enjoy or want, not just…" she sniffs and looks away. "It's just really amazing and shows how much you think of me as a person. And I love it."
And I love you, I want to say, but don't. The timing doesn't feel right, but goddamn do I feel it. More and more every day.
She bites her red lips, brows furrowing. "It's hard to tell sometimes what's in my nature as an omega and what I was raised to expect from the OFA, and I really hope I don't make you feel things have to be a certain way based on how I was raised. I'm trying to separate the two, so I wasn't expecting anything, but your courting gifts… My omega is really happy, Cass. I'm really sorry if you felt pressured to…"
I squeeze her hand. "Stop. We did this because we wanted to. You're not as much of an OFA omega as you think you are, Imogen. You gotta stop being so hard on yourself."
She sighs, "I know. It's really hard. You spend your whole life being taught things are a certain way…"
"You know, Phe's alphas never gave her a courting gift."
She gasps, scandalized. "They didn't?" I can't help but laugh. Shaking my head, I say, "No. I mean, they did eventually. Their excuse was their courtship was kinda backwards. Phe likes to bring it up to get more presents from them, so they've made it up to her in spades. My point is, Constantine was like, the OFA's fucking poster boys for how a pack should act. And even they didn't do things conventionally. It's okay if you feel shit out as you go. We won't judge you if you misstep because there are no rules. This is not an OFA courtship. It's you and us. Imogen and Dante."
She smiles sadly, but softens against my chest so I can hold her and breathe her in. I don't know how long the OFA will have a grip on her emotions. They fucking traumatized her, and I'm not sure she's really fully aware of the fact.
Eventually, we put her gifts away, but before heading on our actual date, I snag Imogen by the waist, pressing her against the door on our way out. "Do me a favor, yeah? Put these on before we go?"
Imogen's eyes widen, but she nods, snatching the panties out of my hand. She disappears for a few minutes, then returns with a blush staining her cheeks. We head to my truck, and the sun is finally setting enough to head to the drive-in.
We're early, but that means I have the chance to find the perfect spot. Thankfully my truck has tinted windows, unlike Red's busted old truck, so I find a parking spot with a good view of the screen but with some privacy. Apparently, Imogen's never been to a drive-in movie theater before, but that surprises me none because there are a lot of things she hasn't tried, being so sheltered by her parents and the OFA her whole life.
We head into the concession to get snacks, and when she attempts to say she's fine with just water, I press the button in my pocket. Imogen gasps, hand slapping the wall, wide-eyed, frantically looking at all the people in the little stand, like they know our secret.
I grin, then turn it off. "You were saying?"
"Umm." She swallows. "I don't need anything, really. I'm—"
I press it again, and her mouth drops open, and a little moan escapes her. Her cheeks burn, and she bites her lip, so I increase the speed. "Oh god," she cries, but then remembers we're in public. Some people give her strange looks, but I keep smirking.
"Okay, yes, snacks, that sounds good," Imogen relents. I turn the vibrating underwear off. We pick out popcorn, and each time she argues that it's too much, I turn on the vibrator.
I know what she's doing. Some days, weeks even, she eats whatever she wants. Other times, especially when she spends time around her mother, she worries and overthinks.
She's so healthy. She's beautiful. She's put on some weight since we met, and she's gorgeous. All the ways, thin, thick, it doesn't fucking matter, but I see her confidence on stage, walking around in her feathers, naked, sexy, and powerful. She knows how beautiful she is, just as she is, but her mother's voice is in her head, telling her she's not good enough.
She relents, and we buy fruity candy instead of chocolate because she doesn't like when things are too rich. And she insists on just water and makes a nervous comment about having had pasta for lunch, but I don't turn on the vibrator. I want to respect her journey and not make her feel obligated or guilty about what she does and doesn't eat. And I don't want to be another asshole trying to control her choices. I just want her to be happy.
We walk back to the truck, and Imogen seems lighter, marveling at everything around us. While the movie starts, we play twenty questions, coming up with other things she hasn't tried before and wants to.
She's never gone camping, or slept under the stars. She's never been on a roller coaster. She's never gone canoeing or hiking or swam in a waterfall. I'm almost thirty, and I feel like a fucking kid, excited to try everything with her and watch her face light up like it does tonight.
The movie starts, a double feature, the first an action rom-com, the second, a sci-fi fantasy. Imogen talks more during the first movie than I've ever witnessed. She asks a million questions, and I'm floored, finding it fucking hilarious that she's such a bad movie watcher.
"Who's that guy? Wait, I thought he was a bad guy? Why is he kissing her?" I can't help but laugh every time, and it's a trait I'm sure a lot of people would find annoying, but I don't give a fuck about the movie, I just love that she's finding her comfort zone with me, her omega energy totally relaxed. She's quieter during the second movie, and I suppose that's because it actually interests her.
Every half hour, I turn on the vibrator, and she moans, sitting in the seat beside me, grinding her hips against it, searching for more. I bring her to the edge of orgasm before turning it off.
At first, she'd beg me to turn it back on, to touch her. But after nearly two hours of it, she starts to enjoy those moments of pleasure, just to feel the sensations. She knows I'll take care of her, and while I turn off the vibrator after each unsatisfied burst, her omega seems content to be teased.
The tension between the two love interests builds through the entire first act. I haven't turned the vibrator on in almost forty minutes, and Imogen watches the movie with rapt attention. When the alpha male, trapped on the spaceship with a beta woman, can't take the tension anymore, he searches the spaceship and finds her sitting quietly reading a book. He tears it out of her hands, and Imogen gasps.
When the alpha on screen grabs the woman by the wrists, wrenching her out of her seat, I turn the vibe on low.
Imogen sighs in pleasure.
"Keep watching the movie," I instruct. Hesitantly, she looks back to the screen. The two characters passion reaches a head, and they start ripping clothes off, with a montage of lusty need.
A beta can't take a knot, at least, not usually, unless they practice and are determined. This beta on-screen swears she can, and they make it work, with lots of grunting, clawing, and crying out in pain and pleasure.
I bump the vibe higher, and Imogen reaches out, red fingertips clutching the dashboard.
Grabbing her by the waist, I pull her into my lap but tell her to keep watching the movie, then turn the vibrator up higher.
Unbuttoning her pants, I shimmy the material down her hips, and she helps, determined to finally come. My needy omega, her lovely cherry scent blooms, filling the truck. I drag my teeth across the back of her neck. I can't wait to bite her, make her mine.
My alpha growls beneath my chest in agreement. I spread Imogen's legs so her knees are draped over mine, and she keeps watching the couple on screen in the throes of sex.
Slipping my fingers beneath her panties, I find her pussy drenched. I hit the button again, increasing the speed. Slipping two fingers inside her, I let go of the remote, then push two fingers with my other hand into her ass. In this position, I can't thrust, but I can wiggle my finger and tease, and her ass squeezes around my fingers in response. When I begin pumping two fingers in her pussy, she rocks in my lap.
I use the heel of my palm to press the vibrator harder against her clit, while filling both her holes and her orgasm shoots off, and she grunts and whispers incoherently, "Ungh, uhh, oh fuck, oh fuck" while her fingers firmly grip the dashboard.
When she comes down, I expect her to lay hazily in my lap, but she surprises me when she lifts up, sticking her ass in my face while she undoes my jeans and pulls my cock out.
Pulling her underwear to the side, she sinks down, and while she tries to set the pace, I've no patience left. I've been hard since last night, so I grip her hips like handlebars and fuck her at a punishing pace. Skin slaps, and I'm sure my truck is rocking, but I can't give a single fuck.
She's bent at the waist, her hand keeping her forehead from thumping against the dashboard with each thrust, and when she squeezes my cock, I feel her come again, shaking in my lap. I don't give her time to come down. Pulling her hips off me, using her slick, I press my cock into her ass, and it's so fucking tight.
I turn the vibrating underwear back on, then fuck her ass, watching her beautiful body swallow my cock. She screams, and no one outside the truck would have any trouble guessing what we're doing.
Her hand comes to her pussy, and I can feel her press the underwear, likely trying to get the most friction from the vibrator to set it just right, and then we come together. Her ass squeezes my dick so hard it's a fucking vice grip, and I shake while she milks every drop of come out of me.
We shudder and collapse, the truck's windows fully fogged, the cab hot and sweaty. I turn off the vibrator then tear the underwear off her so she can rest. I grab a few napkins out of the dash and clean her up.
Imogen giggles, cuddling into my side while we finish the movie after getting dressed.
We grab more takeout for the guys on the way home. The night was perfect.