Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
FINNEGAN
I grab the last two bags from inside the room before doing a quick walk-through to make sure Jordan didn’t miss anything in his haste.
The beta is currently downstairs speaking with the front desk to let them know we’re leaving before he joins Wells and Alora in the car.
I haven’t really stopped long enough to think about what Alora going into heat might mean for me. I don’t want to be presumptuous by assuming they want me to take part in her heat, and if they don’t, that’s fine. I won’t do anything that everyone isn’t comfortable with.
That’s not why I got everything set up for her heat. It’s because I care about her, and I want to make sure she’s comfortable.
Getting her back to her nest at home isn’t possible, but getting one of the top heat suites booked for her is something I was able to do.
Same with driving the three of them to the heat center—although based on how hard her scent hit me when Jordan opened the hotel door, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep it together for the forty-five-minute drive.
Alpha up, Finnegan. You’ll do what you have to do to make sure that omega is safe and cared for.
I square my shoulders and roll my head to crack my neck before striding out the door.
What I’m feeling and thinking isn’t important, and I just need to keep reminding myself of that.
The only thing that matters right now is Alora, and I’ll do whatever I have to for her.
Even if it’s walking away and leaving the three of them to her heat.
The elevator doors slide open before I get a chance to press the button, revealing Jordan on the other side.
He shoots me a grin. “I was just coming up to help you.”
“No need,” I assure him as he steps back, allowing me to enter the elevator. “I walked through the hotel room, but it looks like you got everything when you were packing. I left the keycard on the table, and these are the last two bags.”
“You might not need help,” he says as he leans forward to press the button for the ground floor. “But I’m not just going to let you carry both bags when I have perfectly functioning arms.”
I want to argue with him—because I really don’t need the help—but the look in his eyes tells me it’s not an argument I’ll win. I pass him the smaller of the bags as I lean against the elevator wall.
“Are you going to be okay driving?” Jordan glances at me as we arrive in the lobby and step off.
I shrug. My immediate response is that, of course I will be, but I don’t know how accurate that is. “I think so. If I’m not, we’ll pull over and we can switch.”
He nods. “That sounds like a good idea. Just don’t push yourself too far. Even I think Alora smells divine during her heat, so I can only imagine what it does to alphas.”
“I’d love to tell you I’ll be perfectly fine, and if it were another omega, I might be. With Alora? I just don’t know how I’m going to react.” I chuckle as I push open the door and hold it for Jordan. “But I’m going to do my best to be okay, so I can get us all there in one piece.”
“And if you can’t, then you have me for backup. It would be better if you’re able to handle it though, since you probably know where the hell you’re going, and I don’t. Plus, your roads are not as well-lit as back in the States.”
Luckily, the trunk is still open, so we drop the bags into it before slamming it shut. My eyes immediately go to the backseat, where Alora is straddling Wells. I can’t quite tell if they’re fucking, but it sure as hell looks like it.
“That’s going to be distracting.”
Jordan snorts. “You think? Are you sure you don’t want me to just drive?”
I take a deep breath and shake my head. “No, I need to do this for her.”
Without waiting for a response, I move to the driver’s side door and swing it open. Alora’s fall leaves scent hit me smack in the face, and I take a half step backward before jumping into the car and slamming the door.
My cock is hard and throbbing behind the zipper of my pants, and I really don’t know if I’m going to be able to drive us to the heat center.
I don’t want anyone else besides her pack smelling how damn good she smells right now.
Because her scent is so heavy in the air, I’m able to pick out notes I couldn’t before. There’s a hint of cinnamon, apple, and pecan .
This is why it reminds me so much of fall—because of these more subtle notes.
Damn, I’d forgotten how good omegas smell when they’re close to their heats—not that any of them have ever smelled as good as Alora does right now.
My eyes find the rearview mirror, and now that I’m inside the car, it’s easy to tell that they are fucking.
Fuck. What I wouldn’t give to be Wells right now.
I take another deep breath, intending to clear my head, but all it does is suck more of Alora’s scent into my lungs.
Well, that was a mistake.
“Are you good?” Jordan asks quietly as he climbs into the passenger seat. “I can drive if you need me to.”
“No, I’m good. I just need to remember that taking deep breaths isn’t the way to go currently.” I chuckle, knocking the car into gear and pulling away from the hotel.
Glenmore doesn’t have much traffic on a regular day since most of its residents prefer to walk when they can, but with it being late evening, there are no other cars on the road.
It’s been so long since I’ve been anywhere near the heat center that I don’t know if there will be any traffic when we reach it, but considering I’m skilled at driving in LA traffic now, I think I’ll be fine. Plus, the chances of that area growing that much over the last five years seem low.
There just aren’t enough children being born to make up for those dying, so it feels like my country is slowly dying.
But it’s not just Scotland. This is happening all around the world.
“Yes!” Alora screams, and my hands squeeze the steering wheel hard enough it squeaks under my hold. “I’m coming. I love you, Wells.”
She moans and pants, the sound of skin slapping against skin growing louder as the alpha chases his release. With a grunt, he comes, and the car goes silent.
“Maybe we should turn on some music.” Jordan leans over and flicks on the radio before glancing into the backseat. “She’s out for now, but who knows how long that’ll last.”
I nod because that’s a damn good idea. I need as few distractions as possible since I already have the biggest distraction of all in the backseat. Once we’re out of town, I crack my window to let some fresh air into the car.
It doesn’t eliminate her scent—and I don’t want it to—but it makes it a little less distracting.
My cock is still hard, but it no longer feels like it’s going to drill straight through my pants. It’s a win I’m going to take.
Now, I just need to make it through the next forty-five minutes without crashing my car.
I must have been driving faster than I thought because we make it to the heat center in thirty minutes instead of the usual forty-five.
That Wells and Alora are fucking in the backseat again might have something to do with it as well.
I jump out of the car, slamming the door shut as quickly as possible before rushing inside with Jordan right on my heels.
There’s a woman behind the desk Her head snaps up when we step inside, and she gives us a soft smile. “Alpha Abernathy?”
“That’s me.”
She nods, glancing at Jordan. “And you must be part of the Harris pack.”
“Jordan, beta.” He seems almost as frazzled as I am. I glance in his direction and see he’s just as hard as I am .
I guess he wasn’t overexaggerating about how much her heat affects him.
Not that anyone with a dick wouldn’t get hard at the scent of an omega in heat—whether they’re interested in the omega or not. His body language tells me he needs to bury himself in Alora just as much as I’d love to.
“My name is Beth,” the woman—whose scent I can’t catch even a hint of in order to guess her designation—says as she steps out from behind the desk, holding a clipboard. “How coherent is the omega? Alora Harris, correct?”
“Yes, that’s her.” Jordan nods, glancing at me with wide eyes. “I don’t know how coherent she is.”
“She’s being knotted by her alpha as we speak.
She’s still teetering on the edge of going into full heat.
She should be coherent enough to sign the necessary paperwork as soon as his knot goes down,” I assure her.
I know they won’t turn us away if she isn’t coherent enough, but that involves way more paperwork.
The centers are here to help omegas through their heat as they desire, but sometimes they arrive too far into their heat.
They can’t sign legally binding paperwork while in the heat haze, so it ends up falling on the people who bring the omega to the center.
If it turns out the person who brought the omega forced them to do something they wouldn’t have done otherwise, the center will have that person arrested immediately.
“That’s good. We much prefer if we can speak to the omega before they slip in too deep. I have all the paperwork ready, but I will need to speak with Alora before we continue. I need her to tell me who she wants in her suite with her, then I can have each of you sign the paperwork.”
Jordan nods. “I’ll go let Wells and Alora know.”
Then he’s gone, leaving me alone with Beth as she considers me. “According to the information you provided, it will just be the omega and her two pack mates.”
“I…uhh…I didnae want to presume,” I say, a blush creeping up my neck as I duck my head. “Mine and Alora’s courtship is new. I’m unsure if she’ll want me there.”
“And if she does?”
I frown. “Then I’ll be there for it.”
Beth laughs quietly. “Don’t get offended. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t being coerced into something you didnae want either. We just like to make sure all the bases are covered.”
“Aye, I guess that makes sense.” I shoot her a tight smile. “Thank you, lass.”
This time, she throws her head back as she laughs. “Lass? I’m probably old enough to be your ma.”
For a moment, I forget how to breathe as pain rips through me and tears fill my eyes.
“Alpha Abernathy, are you okay?”
I clear my throat and blink away the tears as the door opens once more. “Aye. My ma passed not that long ago, and it’s…”
“Hard, aye.” Beth reaches over to squeeze my hand. “I understand.”
A growl splits through the room just before Alora rushes over and rips Beth’s hand from mine. “Mine.”
Beth’s eyes widen as she scoots her chair back, hands up in surrender. “Of course, Omega Harris. I’m very sorry. I never should’ve touched your alpha.”
“Alora, she was just comforting me,” I assure my omega, who spins around to face me. “She wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Alora bares her teeth. “No one touches what’s mine. You. Are. Mine. No. Touch. ”
Beth clears her throat as I watch Alora with wide eyes. “You’re right, Omega Harris. No one touches your alphas or your beta. There’s some paperwork I need you to fill out before we get you set up in your suite. Are you with us enough to do that?”
She blinks her eyes, the heat haze slowly seeping out of her eyes. She chews on her bottom lip and wrinkles her nose as she turns back to Beth. “I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no reason to apologize, Omega Harris. I should’ve known better than to touch him—especially knowing just how close you are to your heat.”
“Call me, Alora, please.” She offers Beth a soft smile. “What do you need from me?”
“Alpha Abernathy gave me the basics, but I want to clarify some things with you. It says here you have a bonded alpha and beta who will help you with your heat—Wells and Jordan. Is that correct?”
Alora nods.
Beth glances back down at the paperwork before her.
“Good. We have the suite all set up for you. There is a nest, plus two bedrooms. There’s also a kitchenette and a living room, but we’ll deliver food to you each day.
If there are any specific drinks or snacks you’d like, you can list them on this sheet of paper.
If we have the items on hand, we’ll bring them up to you tonight.
Otherwise, we’ll have them delivered to you tomorrow. ”
“No one will enter the suite, will they?”
“Not if you don’t want them to, Ome—Alora. That was going to be my next question. We can have the food brought directly into the suite, or we can leave it outside the door.”
“Outside the door,” I growl, not liking the idea of strangers in the suite with my omega when she’s in heat .
Realizing I have no say in the matter, I duck my head, but Wells is quick to agree. “We don’t want anyone in the room.”
Beth nods. “Good. There are a few other things we need to go over, then we can have your pack fill out their paperwork.”
“Wait.” Alora frowns, glancing between me and Beth. “What about Finn?”
“What about me, lass?”
“She said I have Wells and Jordan to help me through my heat. Are you not going…” She trails off as tears fill her eyes, and I’m not here for it.
I pull her onto my lap, resting my chin on the top of her head. “Please don’t cry, omega. I cannae stand seeing you cry. I didnae want to presume that you and your pack would want me there.”
Wells barks out a laugh. “Presume away, Finn. I hate to tell you, but she’s already decided she wants you. You’re stuck with us now.”
“That’s not something I will complain about,” I assure him as Alora pulls back so she can meet my eyes. “Is this what you want?”
She scoffs. “Clearly. Why the hell else would you be here?”
“Because you needed someone to take you to the clinic?” I place my finger over her lips when she opens her mouth, somehow knowing she’s about to ream my ass. “I’m an eejit, Alora. That’s all there is to it.”
Her face softens. “Wells is right. I want you to be part of our pack. I want you to bite me during my heat—make me yours.”
Although my cock had started to soften, it immediately stands at attention once more. “Alora, are you sure? This isn’t something you should rush into. Plus, Wells and Jordan might not be okay with it. ”
“Nah, man, you’re one of us.” Jordan slaps his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
My eyes find Wells, where he’s smirking at me from across the table. “As I said, Alora has claimed you as hers.”
Beth clears her throat, drawing our attention back to her. “Alora, if this is what you want, I’ll need you to sign an additional affidavit stating that you’re of sound mind and body and requesting an alpha’s bite.”
“Done. Whatever I need to sign, I will.”
“Good. I put one in the paperwork just in case. Now, let’s go over where I need each of you to sign.” Beth continues speaking, but I’m no longer paying attention.
How can I when I have the omega of my dreams in my arms?
The omega who said she wants me to bite her during her heat and make her mine.
How is any alpha supposed to think about anything but rutting said omega and marking her? I certainly can’t and just sign wherever Jordan tells me to.
Then we’re off to the heat suite, and I’m practically vibrating.
Soon, Alora will be mine.