Chapter 12
Where the hell did she come from?
I feel like I've been grabbed by the balls and am being dragged along at warp speed.
Part of me is absolutely terrified, and knows I'm being utterly foolhardy and ridiculous.
That same part of me is also on the verge of panic about how close we all got to having sex with someone without having a conversation about testing status or contraception, and what impact such an ethical near-miss would have on our careers. But the other part…
How the hell did she do this to me, to us, in less than one night?
She's laughing as she eases herself off James' knot. James, who is usually so uncomfortable around omegas. He's been willing to act as an emergency knot in a pinch when we're working, but otherwise he's always preferred to support Seb and Zeke and me while we take the lead with our clients.
My beta, my Clarke, my first business partner and my oldest friend, who's usually caught up in his business planning and professionalism, is nuzzling against her neck, still sex drunk, without a care in the world.
The normal background hum of stress in our bond has been replaced by something gentler.
The cool, clean feeling washes through our bond as he rubs his cheek against her, despite his fatigue.
I grab a soft flannel and hold it between James and Dellie as she eases herself off his knot.
James blushes and Seb chuckles at the popping sound it makes.
I grab my undershirt and pull it over her head, helping her with the armholes, and stroke her face gently.
She smiles softly at me, and clamps the flannel between her thighs as she waddles to the bathroom.
I grab another clean flannel, and start wiping James down.
The door snicks closed behind her. We let out a collective sigh.
"Fuuuuuck." Seb exhales quietly, his face plastered in a grin as he leans back into the headboard.
There's a soft groan from James. "She's just… I can't… that scent…" His voice is a low murmur. He shakes his head a few times, blinking rapidly. I bite back a chuckle.
Clarke flushes pink, a smile edging over his lips. I can feel his mixture of exhaustion and excitement through the bond. "Do you think… could she be… you know…" He whispers.
Zeke shrugs.
Sitting back on my heels, I sigh quietly. "I… I'm not sure yet," I whisper. "Maybe. If we're extremely lucky." I turf the flannel into the washing basket in the corner of the room.
James sighs, and runs his hands through his hair, scrubbing against his scalp with his nails.
"We all need a drink," he hisses, standing.
"I'll go grab some. And for the record, even if she isn't…
Fuck. I have a pretty strong suspicion that I might be hers.
" He grabs his discarded boxers from the foot of the bed, and stalks out of the room.
"Seb?" Clarke whispers.
Seb shrugs. "Dunno," he murmurs quietly. "Never met an omega like her before. Can't imagine being with anyone else apart from her and you lot, and I haven't even… y'know. How fucked up is that?" He closes his eyes and sinks back into the headboard.
… but who supports you? Her question keeps running through my head. It's pulling me towards her with a little tug every time.
Seb opens his eyes and turns his head sharply towards me, worry tugging at the corner of his mouth. "D'you think she'll react okay? With the whole…" he gestures at us. "Y'know. Job situation…?"
There's a pulse of tension in the air. "Well, you never know, but she seemed fine with things when you said we tested regularly? And she seemed very pragmatic about birth control, so…"
I really, really hope I'm right.
The soft yawn Clarke swallows makes my heart throb. "Mmm. 'S'not right not to say something…" He yawns again.
"Mmmm. In the morning. We can fill her in after we've all had a good sleep, 'kay?"
Shit. I'm going to have to think that one through really carefully.
The toilet flushes. The whisper of the running sink fills the room. All of our gazes are drawn to the bathroom door like a magnet.
"Jesus, you idiots, move! She's gonna get all self-conscious if you're all staring at her when she comes out of the bathroom," hisses Seb. "Not you, Zeke, don't you dare move yet," he adds, as Zeke braces himself to turn away. "Just be cool," he adds, frowning at me.
I throw myself onto James' spot, then realise I'm posing like an '80s heartthrob. Fuck. I need to act natural. How the hell do I act natural?
I sigh, and check in with myself. My alpha is restless in my chest. This is not like him.
He's normally quiet and sated after we've been with an omega, whether for business or for pleasure.
But he's scrabbling in my gut, climbing the metaphorical walls inside me, panicking because she's out of his sight.
I pull myself off the bed, just as the water shuts off. I go to the bathroom door, but it opens before I could knock. She startles and lets out a small squeak.
Stepping backwards, I take her in. Her hair is a bird's nest. She's wearing my shirt—it's so big on her that it falls halfway down her thighs.
I can't remember ever seeing anyone look so beautiful.
Fuck. Seeing her in my clothes makes something small and private inside me glow with satisfaction. "Sorry! Sorry, little star. My alpha was just a bit, um…"
"His alpha was being a bit alpha-y," Seb interjects. I can feel him roll his eyes from behind me.
"Oh! Yeah. I get it. I think my omega had a bit of a moment, too," she says, shrugging.
"Well, your omega can have a moment, or even two, once she's hydrated," mutters James, as he carries copious different colored Powerade bottles into the room. "Unnatural red, oddly fluorescent blue, neon green, bizarre purple, or disturbing yellow?" he asks her.
She chuckles. "Green, please."
He drops the bottles in the middle of the bed, grabs one of the green ones, cracks off the lid, removes the seal, replaces the lid, and passes it to her.
Oh, James. My heart melts a little bit. For us, he always does that in the kitchen.
I wonder if she would have accepted an open drink from one of us?
"Thanks," she says, smiling.
He raises an eyebrow at her and folds his arms. "Go on."
She looks confused.
"James' alpha gets very, uh, concerned about our wellbeing. Indulge him. He won't back down until he sees you've taken care of yourself."
She shrugs, and sips from the bottle. James visibly relaxes. He stalks over to the bed and taps Zeke's hip. "Scoot down." He helps Zeke shuffle to the bottom of the bed. "You fuckers—uh, sorry, Dellie—um, you all better get hydrated."
I wrap an arm loosely around her waist, and pause, waiting for her reaction.
I feel my alpha release a little tension as she leans ever so slightly into me.
My mouth relaxes. Clarke has hazily passed a bottle to Seb, and has selected one for himself.
He's leaning against the bedhead with feigned nonchalance, grinning like a kid on Christmas, but his eyes are drooping.
My poor beta. He's spent, but I can feel through our bond how much more he wants, and how determined he is to hold it back. I can also feel exhaustion creeping in through the edges of the bond.
My beta needs his pack alpha. And we all need… her.
Careful…
With a gentle nudge, I guide her over to Seb, and lower her onto the bed next to him. "Little star, I think Seb's alpha needs a cuddle. Would you be okay to give him one?" I hold my breath internally.
She smiles. "Sure," she says, and grabs my hand, tugging me down until my ear is level with her mouth. "Um, I think Ralph might need some help. He's a bit out of it." Her voice is quiet, tinged with concern. She shuffles back and leans against Seb's shoulder. He grins at James, smugly.
James pretends not to notice as he fusses over Zeke.
My face can't hide the shock. I did my master's thesis on ways to avoid triggering beta rejection during aftercare.
I still haven't found a way that's totally reliable.
I've never met an omega who would allow a beta that she (or he) didn't have a bond with to monopolize one of their alphas after sex.
Let alone send one of their unbonded alphas away to look after a beta.
My hands cup her face and my mouth falls into a smile. "Yes, Omega, whatever you think is best."
I reach over to Clarke, who's grinning up at me, delight flaring in our bond. I play with the soft brown curls next to his ear.
"You need some help cleaning up, love?" I murmur. He nods, a tiny yawn slipping out. I clamber over Seb and Dellie, and scoop my beta up. He shivers as I lay a gentle kiss on my silvery bond mark on his neck.
"Come on, then." I shuffle us off the bed and carry him into the bathroom.