24. Hannah
Hannah
" F ine, princess," Noah snaps, his usually endearing nickname sounding wrong on his lips this time. "I left the bed where my perfect, sweet omega was cuddled up next to me, because I woke up with my teeth on her throat, and I was this close to biting her."
Blood freezes in my veins at his words.
Noah…almost…bit me?
Why does that…turn me on?
Because you idiot, you've had twenty-three different packs reject you. Of course you'd be happy if your true scent matched alpha bit you, even without your consent, you horny bitch.
I ignore that little sensation that lights up in my lower belly. I'm still pissed that he put himself in danger. This place is shady as hell. What would happen if he got beaten so badly he couldn't drive home? What if someone pulled a knife or something?
"I would have rather you bit me in my sleep than come here and put yourself in danger!" I hiss, jabbing a finger in his hard, sweaty chest.
He arches a brow at me, crossing his arms. "Oh really? You would have rather I pinned a one-sided bond on you without your consent than have me get a black eye?"
It wouldn't have been one-sided, I realize. At least not for long. I would have bitten him back and sealed the bond.
Gladly.
Willingly.
I would have woken up with his teeth in my neck, his dick hard against my ass, and I would have rolled him onto his back, sank down onto him and bitten him back—
My perfume floods the area at my thoughts.
Obviously, the idea that my mate would want me so badly he wouldn't be able to hold himself back is a huge turn on for me.
That's what happens when you get rejected so many times.
There's no way I can tell them that though.
That I'm so desperate for love, that yes, I will take whatever they give me. "I—It's not that—"
Noah's pupils blow, his nostrils flaring slightly, and I feel Austin's arms wrap around my waist behind me, a sure and comforting embrace. But it's his words that make me feel like crawling into a hole. "Oh, darlin', you would have bonded him back, wouldn't you?"
My cheeks heat in embarrassment as I rip myself out of Austin's grip, whirling on both of them.
"Yes, okay? I know you don't realize this, but I haven't exactly had the best luck finding a pack.
I didn't become an almost thirty-year-old unbonded omega by not trying .
" That's it, my dirty little secret is out there.
Austin's eyes widen in surprise, but Noah doesn't look shocked in the slightest. "So, obviously, I have some issues when it comes to being wanted.
Especially with Charlie, because he already had me, and he threw me away, and now we're scent-matched, and I know he only wants me because I smell like sexy peaches to him or whatever, and I don't want my alphas to only want me because of the scent match.
" My breathing comes out in little pants, having used all my oxygen in one breath.
"Darlin," Austin reaches for me, and I'm glad I didn't undo our progress when I ripped away from him just now, "I really don't think things happened in the way you've been led to believe with Charlie.
It's possible there's two versions of events floating around, and you only have half the picture.
" I doubt that. I saw the texts. "He wants you too, I can see it.
Not just because of your scent, either. He'd have to be crazy to hold himself back from you. "
"Austin." I can't help but roll my eyes and cross my arms. "Up until an hour ago, you were holding yourself back from me."
Noah smirks, all ire gone from his face. "Like he said, crazy."
Austin takes a step towards me, and my heart starts beating faster in my chest. "Can I prove to you I've gotten over my temporary bout of insanity?"
Wordlessly, I nod, as he reaches for my arms, bending over and pulling my mouth to his.
The little brush of our lips in the car was just a taste of this alpha in front of me.
His lips move over mine in a gentle, yet self-assured manner, leaving me no doubt in what he feels for me.
I blink as he pulls back, pushing a shoulder-length piece of hair behind my ear.
"Point taken." I swallow roughly, suppressing a shiver. Noah smirks again, looking between the two of us like he's glad we finally got our shit together. "I'm still mad at you." I tell him, frowning. "I hate that you put yourself in danger like that."
"I'm sorry, princess," he does sound genuinely remorseful as I let him gather me in his arms, "this was irresponsible, and I never should have left you alone in my bed."
I scowl. "That's not—"
He silences me with a breath-stealing kiss, that possessive hand collaring my throat. "I know," he tilts his forehead against mine, closing his eyes, "I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry. Next time something like this happens, I'll…"
"Talk to me?" I offer.
"Yeah." He swallows, then presses one last kiss to my lips before letting go and throwing an arm over my shoulder. "I just have to grab my gym bag and payment for the fight. Then we can get out of here."
Noah took a ride share to the warehouse, so the three of us ride back in Austin's truck, the center console flipped up and me and in the middle. The warmth of their bodies on their side of me settles my omega, and before I know it, I'm falling asleep on Noah's shoulder.
I'm woken up when the car parks, and Austin carries me into the house. But weirdly…there's a light on in the entryway.
Enzo is awake.
We're sat in the living room, lined up on the couch while Enzo paces in front of us. Suddenly I'm transported back to when I was fifteen and came home past curfew, waiting with dread to see what my punishment will be.
Austin was able to tell him the gist of everything before he dragged us all in here, and now we wait. What for, I'm not exactly sure.
"So, not only did both of you leave without telling your packmates where you were going, but you also put our omega in danger by taking her to an illegal underground fighting ring ?
" He spits the last words, and I've never seen Enzo this upset.
Hell, I'd never seen him even a little upset, but now he's pissed and I can't help but feel like we jumped into the deep end of the pool without any floaties.
Austin's shoulders slump. "I know, I—"
"I made him take me," I tell Enzo quickly. "It's not his fault. I threatened to just follow him in my car if he didn't let me come with him."
"You…" he pauses his pacing, pinching the bridge of his nose, " preciosa , it is your alphas' job to protect you. That is when Austin should have come to me, and I would have handled you. "
" Handled me?" I ask, half out of genuine curiosity, half out of horniness. Apparently angry Enzo really does something for me. "By spanking me or something?"
"If I had to," his eyes are hard, "you being in danger is something that I will not tolerate, Hannah."
Fuck. Is it hot in here?
"I had to leave," Noah grits out, his hands clenching. "I almost bonded her. My demons—"
"We are a pack ." Enzo's eyes are full of fire. "It is high time we start acting like it. If the demons start to descend upon you, you come to me , and I will set you straight." His fist pounds on his chest once, and not for the first time, I see the predator that Enzo is. Apex.
"Not to mention, those fighting rings…they're notorious for being omega-trafficking hotspots.
" His eyes don't soften in the slightest as he looks at the three of us.
"The shit I've seen would give you nightmares.
They recently took down almost all the other illegal rings in the area, but there was proof they were dealing in omegas.
And our omega was marched right into the wolves' den.
Austin, if you had taken your eyes off her for even a second—"
"This wasn't one of those rings." Noah meets Enzo's eyes, shocking the hell out of me.
"Your brother and I are the ones who fed the information to the feds to shut those other rings down.
This one helps omegas. Sets them up with new identities if they need to start a new life.
I would never step foot in any of those other places. "
Enzo is quiet for a moment, regarding my other alpha with intense eyes. "Understood. But…if we had known that, if you had told us that you sometimes go fight, your omega wouldn't have been worried out of her mind enough to wake up Austin and demand he take her there."
"Yes, sir." Noah says quietly, looking down.
Enzo sighs, walking in front of Noah and crouching down.
"I know it's been just you and Austin for a long time, pup.
But you aren't alone anymore. You don't have to handle these things yourself for a second longer.
We're here to help shoulder your burdens.
" Then, Austin and I watch in awe as Enzo leans forward and wraps Noah in his arms.
Noah is stiff at first, his arms hovering.
Is he going to push him off? Curse him out?
But my question is answered when only a second later, his shell crumbles.
Noah lets out a shuddering gasp as his hands fist the back of Enzo's shirt.
They stay like for a moment, Enzo, the rock against which the waves break, ever enduring as Noah puts himself back together on his shoulder.
I feel a hand on my knee, and look up to see Austin giving me a sad smile.
I don't know a whole bunch about Noah's childhood or what he endured before he came to live with Austin's family, but I hope that we can all be a family together, just like this.
There for each other in our weakest moments, and our strongest victories.
It's easy to see how Enzo fell into the role of head alpha since they joined up.
What other alpha would have the courage to let you know your mistakes, but also be a shoulder to lean on?
It feels like it's been forever, but somehow also only a few seconds when Noah finally lets Enzo go.
Enzo stands, holding out a hand for Noah, and he takes it, letting him pull him up.
"We're all still learning what it means to be pack," Enzo says, looking into Noah's eyes and then glancing down at Austin and me.
"We should all get to bed. Reinita , I think your alpha needs you tonight. "
Noah takes my hand and leads me back up the stairs, where we leave Austin and Enzo to their hushed whispers. This time, I pull off my pants, and he hands me a t-shirt to change into. We crawl into bed together under the covers, and I find myself falling asleep, dreams of my pack filling my head.