Chapter 23 Norah
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Norah
I’m sitting on the floor, legs tucked a little under me, still dizzy from the closeness on the couch.
Jude’s hands in my hair feel like fire along my scalp, the massage, the careful braiding—it’s intimate in a way I don’t entirely understand. Every tug, every press of his fingers against my skin has my heart hammering and my stomach twisting with want.
Ryker’s across from me, leaning on the edge of the coffee table, his eyes dark, watching everything. I can feel the way he’s looking, the way his gaze slides over me and Jude. My body reacts before my brain can catch up.
Once Jude finishes the last twist of my hair, he leans forward, lips brushing the back of my neck. The teeth graze my skin lightly, and I can’t help the moan that slips past me.
It’s automatic, primal. I’m aware of it immediately, mortified and aroused at the same time.
Ryker’s hand tightens around the beer bottle he’s holding. His jaw is rigid, his tongue sliding across his teeth. I feel the tension radiating off him, the raw need in the room like a tangible thing pressing against my chest.
I feel small, exposed, an Omega in the middle of two Alphas. And yet… my body is keyed, every nerve ending tuned to them both.
“What are you thinking?” Jude murmurs behind me. His warm breath brushes the side of my neck. I try to speak, but my voice cracks.
“Nothing,” I whisper, my voice trembling.
Ryker laughs low, slow, dangerous. “Your scent just thickened, Norah,” he says, voice teasing, knowing, claiming.
“I… I’m not lying,” I say, daring to look at him.
“Why can’t you talk about it?” Jude murmurs softly against my ear, tugging gently at a strand of hair.
Fuck. My body hums, wanting, needing.
I’m aware of the heat pooling between my legs, the slickness, the ache, the way my chest feels hollow and tight all at once. My heart is a drum in my ears, every beat synchronized with the pull of desire in my body.
Ryker leans forward, sets his beer down, and moves closer to where I’m seated. My stomach twists into knots as his presence presses in, magnetic and dangerous. He sits on the coffee table, knees brushing mine, and I can feel every motion, every calculated inch.
“Are you nervous?” Ryker’s voice rumbles low.
I shake my head, but my limbs betray me. My fingers twitch, my pulse racing.
Jude surprises me, tugging my head gently backward. My hair strains against my scalp, and a sharp sting sends a shiver down my spine. The spot between my thighs reacts without permission.
“Are you nervous, Norah?” he asks, breath hot against my ear.
“Yes,” I admit, my voice trembling. My whole body is alert to them, every movement magnified, every touch amplified.
He leans down then, lips pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. It’s gentle, grounding, but the heat in my stomach only intensifies.
And then Ryker’s mouth is on mine, claiming me. My thoughts scatter into pieces; the logical, reasonable part of me evaporates. I melt into him, lips parting, tasting, feeling him.
My hands hover, unsure where to go, as every instinct screams, urges me forward. My body is alive, keyed up, and impossible to ignore.
When he pulls back, I’m left gasping. The scent of him, the feel of him, the heat of his body inches from mine—it’s addictive, overwhelming.
Jude’s hands are back, warm against my waist, sliding over the curve beneath my sweater. His touch is slower, softer, teasing in a way that makes my knees weak.
My body shivers, reacting without conscious thought, every nerve on fire. He presses closer, letting me feel him behind me, grounding me while Ryker claims space in front.
“You’re… an Omega,” I whisper to myself, almost a mantra, almost a confession. I feel the weight of the designation now, the pull it has on them, the effect it has on me. I’m prey, yes, but I’m also wanted. More than I’ve ever felt.
Ryker leans in again, and I can feel his lips grazing mine, teasing, testing, daring. I tilt my head, letting him deepen the kiss. My hands finally find their way to him, tangling in his hair.
I taste him fully, all the dark, masculine scent, the sharpness, the pine, the warmth of him. My body shivers, and I feel the pull of desire thrumming through me, unrelenting.
When he pulls back slightly, just enough to let me breathe, Jude’s lips are already on my neck again, teeth grazing the soft skin just below my ear.
My head falls back, offering more, wanting more, feeling the impossible tension building between them.
My moans are involuntary, uncontrolled, and every sound draws both of them in tighter.
“Fuck,” Ryker mutters under his breath, and my pulse jumps at the rawness in his voice.
He slides his hand down my arm and rests it just above my elbow, anchoring me in place while Jude’s hands roam over my sides, brushing the small of my back. The dual attention makes me dizzy, my chest heaving, my heart racing faster than I can count.
Jude leans in from behind, lips pressing to my temple, teeth nipping softly. I tilt my head, giving him more access, my spine arching involuntarily against his chest.
The heat in my body coils tighter with every touch, every brush of skin against skin.
Ryker’s hand moves in a deliberate, teasing motion along my thigh, the proximity making my breath hitch. I want to pull away, and yet I can’t. My body is alive in a way it hasn’t been for months.
“You’re dangerous.” Ryker’s voice is rough, and his eyes darken as he leans closer.
“I… I can’t…” I stammer, though my body betrays me. I’m pressed between them, trembling, wanting more than I can admit.
Jude presses his hand further along my side, brushing my ribs, and leans in for another kiss at my temple. My body shudders, muscles tightening and releasing in reflex.
Every nerve is alight, every sense hyperaware.
Ryker’s lips brush mine again, this time teasing. My hands move instinctively, tangling in his hair, feeling the fire beneath his skin.
My body is caught in a trap of desire, unable to disentangle, and yet I don’t want to.
“You’re so fucking hot,” he whispers in my ear.
His words make a pulse jump through me. My body reacts, every muscle, every nerve, responding instinctively.
Ryker slides forward again, capturing my lips fully, and I give myself over, letting him taste, let him claim, while Jude’s hands roam.
I’m an Omega, yes, but here, right now, I’m theirs. Both of them, simultaneously, and my body responds without shame, without hesitation.
When Ryker pulls back, groaning low and heavy, I’m still catching my breath, chest rising and falling rapidly. Jude presses his lips to my shoulder, teeth grazing, sending another shiver down my spine.
I can’t think past the sensation, past the closeness, past the overwhelming need thrumming in my body. I let myself surrender completely, body and mind.
Warm hands press against me, cupping and massaging my breasts through my sweater. I don’t know whose they are, but the sensation has my body betraying me instantly.
I whimper, breath hitching, the wet heat between my thighs making me dizzy. Jude’s lips find mine again, and I can’t help the small sigh that escapes.
His voice is low against my lips. “You need to be quiet.”
“Okay,” I breathe, but my body protests, every nerve alive, every inch of me craving more.
Ryker’s fingers curl under the hem of my sweater, tugging it up just enough for his lips to ghost over my stomach, teasing the soft skin above my belly button.
A hot pulse flares in my chest, spreading low and heavy through my body. My hands dig into his shoulders, nails catching on his skin as I shiver, a small gasp slipping out before I can stop it.
Ryker’s lips trail upward from my stomach, teasing closer to the edge of my bra. His hand cups the curve of my breast again, thumb circling over the nipple through the sweater.
My hips shift automatically, pressing into him, and I feel him stiffen against my side.
“You’re making me so hard,” Ryker groans low, just above a whisper. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
Jude’s hands tighten on my waist, sliding over my sides, fingers grazing the thin fabric of my jeans, and I shiver violently.
“Yeah,” he murmurs against my lips, tongue tracing over mine for a moment before he pulls back just enough to whisper, “you have no idea what you’re doing to us.”
My body betrays me completely—thighs pressing together, stomach twisting with heat, chest heaving. Every brush of their hands and lips sends shockwaves through me.
The friction of my jeans against my lower body makes the coil of need between my legs almost unbearable. My hands clutch their arms, digging nails into skin, pulling them closer.
“I… I can’t… not… want…” I gasp, my voice trembling, the words barely forming. Every nerve is alive, begging for contact, craving more, needing more.
I’m lifted, pressed against the sofa cushions, my legs folding beneath me as Jude slides closer on the other side.
Their hands trail over me in different ways—one palm brushing over my side, thumb circling the tender skin just beneath my ribs, the other fingers threading through the waistband of my jeans, barely touching.
My back arches without thought, chest rising and falling as their mouths claim my jaw, my neck, tracing the curve to my collarbone. Each lick, each kiss, sends sparks from my spine to the tips of my fingers.
Heat pools between my thighs, tight and insistent. My hands wander despite myself, clutching their arms, trying to anchor them to me, feeling the sinew under skin, the warmth of their bodies.
They mirror me, pressing closer, their fingers gliding over my hips, tracing lines that make my knees press together instinctively. One of them brushes against my panties over my jeans.
“You’re driving me crazy,” Ryker groans. “I can’t… not like this.”
Jude leans in, lips brushing the hollow of my neck, his hand gliding over my ribs, teasing the skin above the edge of my jeans.
I whimper, a soft, needy sound that betrays exactly how badly I want more. My stomach twists, and my chest lifts with shuddering breaths, a heady, almost dizzying mix of want and anticipation.
Jude leans back slightly, fingers sliding through my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear. “We need to give you space… not push you past where you’ve decided to go.”
I nod, but the acknowledgment is shaky. My body hums with residual need, every brush of their skin over mine leaving trails of fire.
Their lips linger near mine before finally pulling back—a kiss along my temple, a soft press to my cheek. The subtle contact leaves me trembling, legs weak, pulse still racing.
I breathe in the scent of them, feel the residual warmth of their hands against my bare skin, and know the ache they’ve stirred isn’t fading any time soon.
When they finally guide me to my car, Ryker’s hand brushes mine, sending heat up my arm. Jude stays close, smirking just enough to make me bite my lip.
My body still thrums with the memory of their touch, lingering hunger stretching every nerve, leaving me dizzy, flushed, and euphoric all at once.
I slide into the driver’s seat, my heart racing, hands shaking slightly on the wheel.
“Good night, guys!” I can barely recognize my own voice.
“Night, baby,” Ryker says. Then he leans in to press his lips to mine. He pulls away and winks at me.
“Good night, Norah,” Jude says, taking his place. His kiss is a little rougher. He pulls back just enough to whisper against my lips, “Be safe… and tell us when you get home.”
Ryker presses a last feather-light kiss to my jaw, near the hollow of my neck, and then they step back, letting me catch my breath. My chest rises and falls unevenly, hair messy from their fingers, lips tingling.
I start my car, the quiet hum making me feel almost normal—but the fire in my veins hasn’t dulled. The euphoria buzzes through me as I drive, making my fingers tingle and my chest ache as I process the heat and tension of what just happened.
When I pull into my driveway, my body’s still tight with need. My pulse is wild, my skin flushed as I climb out and start unloading my bag. I barely notice the slight sway in my legs, the tremor in my hands.
Then I see him. Dorian. Sitting on the steps to my door, looking ragged, but there’s something about the way he’s watching me that makes my stomach twist. Every nerve in my body clenches.
“Where were you?” he asks, voice flat.