21. Lyra
Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so soundly or felt as rested when I reached out to turn off my alarm. Or at least I think my alarm went off, but when I heard Eli grumble as he pulled me back against his body, I realized I must still be dreaming. His stubbled cheek against the back of my shoulder felt so real as he nuzzled kisses along my skin. When his hands slipped under my shirt and splayed wide across my stomach, I moaned and rubbed my ass against the hardened cock he was grinding into me.
“Petal, if you keep doing that, then you’re not going to have a spa day with Fawn,” Eli warned, nipping my ear.
This would be the moment I realized Eli was in my bed, meaning he’d spent the night. Frozen at that revelation, I didn’t know what to do. Had I asked him to stay? Did he take it upon himself not to leave me? What did this mean going forward?
Eli pulled back, causing the bed to dip as he kneeled, then rolled me onto my back so he could see my face. I silently watched him as he planted a hand on either side of my head, his eyes roving over my expression. “Lyra, are you surprised that I’m here?”
Biting my lip, I nodded. “A little, but I’m not upset, just caught off guard,” I explained.
“You were pretty out of it last night, but I never thought you wouldn’t remember,” Eli muttered more to himself. “Petal, you asked me to stay with you. When we got to your apartment, you didn’t want me to leave, so I came up. I’d planned to stay till you fell asleep, but any time I tried to get you to let me go, you refused.”
“Oh God.” I groaned, covering my face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to guilt you into staying like that.”
Eli gently tugged my hands away so he could kiss me and steal what little breath I had left. “Oh, my sweet petal, the last thing I wanted to do was leave you. It takes everything in me to send you home at the end of the day. With Fawn, it’s a little easier knowing he has his other Alphas, but you, my strong, courageous beauty, have spent too many nights alone. The only reason I even tried to go home was because I never want to push you further than you’re ready for. You were so tired and could barely keep your eyes open, but I refuse to ever give you even a speck of doubt that I will respect your boundaries.”
I don’t think Eli has a clue how fucking sexy he was whenever he talked like this. Goddamn, was it a turn-on to listen to him explain just how far he’d go to ensure I would feel safe with him. People always talk about how Alphas are born protectors and leaders, but I don’t think they understand the lengths a true Alpha would go to make it happen.
“Thank you, Eli,” I whispered and brushed his hair out of his face. “It’s been a long time since someone cared about me as you do. I’m glad you stayed, and I got to wake up in your arms like the most perfect dream I could think of.”
He moved so his forearms now held his weight, and he could slide his fingers into my hair as our lips met. I’d always enjoyed sex—I was an Omega, and it was part of the package. However, it wasn’t until I met my scent-matched Alphas that I craved to be held and kissed. It’s probably because they were the only ones who could make me feel like I was the only person in the world they thought of at that moment. I wasn’t worried if I matched up to other partners they might have had because our connection was so much deeper than that.
Our morning make-out session was interrupted by the intercom chiming to let me know someone was buzzing my apartment. Shoving Eli to the side, I looked at the clock and realized it was twenty after ten. “Shit, it’s probably Fawn, and I haven’t even gotten out of bed.”
Scrambling, I tossed back the covers and leaped out of bed. The intercom chimed again, causing my brain to panic. Do I answer it first, then get ready, or simply throw on clothes and run down?
“Petal, you get yourself pulled together, and I’ll deal with Fawn,” Eli instructed, coming up behind me and giving a gentle shove toward the bathroom.
“You’re sure?” I asked, looking over my shoulder only for my brain to come to a screeching halt.
There Eli stood in my bedroom looking sleep-rumpled and only wearing boxers. I knew from hugging him and being cuddled against his body that he was fit, but holy fuck was that man ripped. It was like he’d had the best-kept secret hidden under his clothes. Yes, he’d been shirtless the whole time, but I’d focused more on his face and what he’d been saying. Now, I got a mouth-watering look at the whole picture.
Did I really have to go to the spa today? I’m pretty sure I could talk Fawn into a different plan for how to spend the day together that involved a certain sexy Alpha.
“Lyra,” Eli said loudly, waving a hand in front of my face. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Ah… yup, yeah, I’m good.” I fumbled, nodding like an idiot. “Great, yup, I’m doing great.”
He frowned and took the two steps needed to close the distance between us. “Why don’t I believe you?” Lifting a hand, he pressed the back of it to my forehead. “You’re really red and kind of warm. Are you getting sick?”
“No, just hot and bothered,” I admitted, then slapped a hand over my mouth, realizing I’d actually said what I was thinking aloud.
Eli’s confusion vanished, and he started to smirk. “Really? In that case, maybe I need to put on more clothes unless you’ve decided to change your plans for the day?”
I started to say something to answer him, but the words refused to come out of my mouth. Eli used a finger to lift my jaw off the floor before dropping a ghost of a kiss on my lips. With his hands on my shoulders, he guided me into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving me alone.
Oh, that was so not fair. How could he walk away that easily?
Irritated, I grabbed my toothbrush and started getting ready. Taking my fellow Omega’s word for the level of effort I needed to be ready, I simply tossed my hair up in a bun after running a brush through it. A few minutes later, I heard Fawn’s voice telling me he wasn’t still standing in the lobby waiting for me to answer. I pulled out a matching set of light gray joggers and a loose-fitting T-shirt from my dresser, which I pulled over a bralette. If we were going for comfort, then fuck the underwire. Finally, I slipped on a pair of soft, white cloth sneakers that would be easy to kick off once we reached the spa.
When I exited my bedroom, I found Fawn seated on my counter, limbs wrapped around Eli like an anaconda as they made out. Eli had been mistaken in his choice of wearing more clothes because he looked just as sexy wearing only his black slacks as he did in boxers. Who wouldn’t want seven minutes in heaven with that man? Playing it cool, I headed into the kitchen, pulled out my water pitcher, filled a glass, and leaned against the opposite counter.
They broke their kiss, and Fawn tilted his head back to see me. “Now I understand why you didn’t answer the first three times. Lucky for me, the doorman took pity on me and helped me with the elevator.”
“Sorry about that,” I said, wincing. There was nothing more I hated than to be an inconvenience to someone.
“Don’t you fucking dare be sorry,” Fawn scoffed. “Girl, if I’d been in your position, the same thing would have happened. Honestly, I probably would have only made an effort to leave the door unlocked so you could walk right in and join the fun.”
Eli nuzzled Fawn’s neck and nipped, causing the Omega to gasp before stepping back. “I’m sorry to crush your fantasy, Fawn, but I wouldn’t allow you to do that, just like I didn’t let things get too far between Lyra and myself. I fully understand things between us are new and exciting, Fawn. It’s hard for me too. However, if you make plans with someone, especially another pack member, then they deserve their time to be respected.”
Fawn pouted a little, but we knew what Eli said was the call. The top two problems packs ran into were poor communication and not respecting the other pack members. Occasionally, an Alpha would struggle to share their Omega with the other pack members and would monopolize their time. Most cases turned out to be fights between Alphas and a Beta, but it could happen with anyone. I’d even heard of one pack where the only time an Alpha would let the others be with the Omega was during a heat.
“I hear you, Lie-lie,” Fawn said with a sigh, letting his head hang. “You’re right. It’s hard right now because all my instincts keep telling me we have to bond, that you’re the only one missing, and I need to fix it.”
Eli cupped Fawn’s chin, raising his head so their eyes locked. “I have every intention of bonding with you, Fawn. My actions might not show that, but it’s because I want to make sure everyone is comfortable with all these changes before taking a major step that can’t be undone.”
Fawn smiled as brightly as the sun at Eli’s intentions. “Hearing you say that helps more than you know.”
“Good,” Eli stated and kissed Fawn once more before sliding him off the counter. “Go enjoy your day together, and if you need anything, I’m a call or text away. I’m officially on courting leave starting Monday, so today I’m tying up some loose ends that can’t wait until I’m back,” he explained, his attention now focused on me. “This means you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll be pulling me away from anything important. Understood?”
“Yes,” I answered, knowing he was really saying it for my benefit.
The fact he could know me well enough to assume I would consider his schedule before asking for help was a little unsettling. Was it so wrong of me not to want to inconvenience a man as busy as he was? I didn’t bother asking since I knew he’d disagree with that logic.
Eli quickly got dressed and walked down with us to the waiting car. We each got a parting kiss before sliding into our seats, and it felt so natural. I internally groaned as I watched Eli speaking to the driver with an expression that would make any man quake in his boots. Once the driver returned to the car, he took a moment to take a few deep breaths before pulling out into traffic.
“What do you think Lie-lie said to him?” Fawn whispered, looping his arm through mine.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s something along the lines of if anything happened to us, he’ll be wishing for death,” I commented.
Fawn’s hazel eyes grew wide. “Are you being serious right now?”
“The one thing everyone I’ve ever met who knows Eli has warned me is he’s not a man to be trifled with. He’s fair and loyal to those who deserve it, but if you go after his family or anyone else he feels protective over they’d lose. A man in the building implied he thought I was a hooker, and Eli was fully prepared to evict him from his apartment the next day.”
Fawn let out a low whistle, clearly impressed with this information. “I figured what happened at the meeting with the Scent Matchers was a rare occurrence due to the situation.” He paused, taking a second to fan himself. “God, that just makes me want to show him how sexy I think Alphas are when they get all growly.”
I laughed, playfully shoving Fawn, which only had him smiling wider but turned to me with a sudden serious expression. “Do you think he’s into spanking?”
“Ah… do you mean him spanking you or vice versa?” I questioned.
Fawn rolled his eyes. “Of course, I mean me as if that man would ever let someone spank him for any reason. I keep having this dream about him bending me over his knee for a spanking and telling me I’ve been a bad boy. He’d make me beg for forgiveness and call him daddy as he turned my ass red.” He shivered as if talking about it made it real for him.
My mind traveled back to the morning I was sprawled out on the counter and how he’d easily taken control of the situation. “I think he’s a man who can’t help but be in charge. Yet he would give you the shirt off his back without question if you needed it. So I say tell him about your dream and see if it’s something he’d be into.”
Fawn slipped his hand along my jaw, turning me toward him so our foreheads touched. “Smart, beautiful, and caring are all the things that make up a true angel,” he whispered. “It’s no wonder there wasn’t another woman who could draw my attention when you were out there waiting for us to find you.”
My breath caught in surprise at the sincerity in his words. Gone was the trepidation of our first kiss as Fawn no longer doubted his feelings for me. I melted at his touch, gripping the soft material of his pastel color-blocked sweatshirt. My skin felt like it was on fire, and I needed to get my clothes off, but I resisted breaking our kiss.
“I’m sorry,” I panted, holding him at arm’s length. “I feel like my heat is gonna start tomorrow instead of in two weeks.”
“That explains why you feel so warm, and I have the oddest urge to breed a baby into you,” Fawn shared.
I leaned against the window, which was cool to the touch, and sighed. “Do you think it’s safe for us to go to the spa if I’m like this?”
“That’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with,” Fawn countered, handing me a water bottle he pulled from his backpack. “I will say the Oasis is for Omegas only, and the staff consists of Betas or other Omegas. There won’t be any Alphas to worry about, and the Betas have been trained to handle a situation like this. You’re definitely not in full heat, and from your scent, I think your pre-heat hormone spike is still a few days off.”
“Let’s go, but if things get worse, I might vote to turn movie night into movie day,” I decided, then guzzled down the water.
“Deal, and I’ll try my hardest to keep my lips and hands to myself,” Fawn said, giving me a playful wink, making sure I knew he wasn’t bothered by the possible changes to his plan.
It didn’t take us long to get to the spa, and the driver brought us right to the door. He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to me. “If you need anything or are ready to leave, just text me. I’ll be parked across the street if, for some reason, I don’t answer.”
Looking at the card, I saw his name written on it. “Thank you, Wade.”
He nodded and waited for us to enter the spa before getting back in the car.
Eli certainly knew how to make an impression on a person.
I followed Fawn as we passed through a second set of doors and was instantly immersed in a world of soft lighting. When Omegas built their nests, some chose to make it their bedroom, and others chose to have a separate space they created for optimal peace and serenity. With my previous pack, there wasn’t enough space to have a bedroom and nest, so I combined them. It didn’t bother me since I’d been on my own for so long and never had the chance to know anything different. The key factors for a nest were whether it gave off the feelings of safety, comfort, and tranquility. This whole spa took those three qualities and used them as their guide in all things.
“Fawn, it’s so lovely to see you,” a woman greeted us from the front desk and offered her hand to me. “You must be Lyra, his scent-matched Omega. I’m Alma, and it’s such a pleasure to have you join us here at Oasis.”
Everything about this woman was soft and warm like a hug. Alma’s uniform was a light pink and looked so silky, adding to the luxe feel of the atmosphere. “Thank you. I’m excited to experience your spa. I’ve only ever had a mani-pedi, so I’m a novice with all this.”
“Not to worry at all. I’ll be with you throughout the day and happy to answer any questions you might have,” Alma assured me. “Please follow me, and I’ll show you to the serenity room where you can get changed into your robe. It’s up to you and your comfort level if you want to leave your underwear on, but we ask you to remove all other clothing.”
We followed Alma into a room that looked like it had been pulled out of Aladdin. The walls were covered in rich golden silks, giving it a cozy feel. Ornate lanterns hung from the ceiling in a brushed bronze color, emitting low light that you could still easily see. Two ruby-colored lounge chairs curved to fit the body were in the middle of the room, with white silk robes laid out on them along with matching slippers.
“Woow,” I said in awe. “This is incredible.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Fawn whispered as he passed, heading for one of the chairs.