22. Fawn
Our day at Oasis started with manicures and pedicures since that’s what Lyra was comfortable with. After that, we lounged in the private thermal lounge, where an aromatherapy steam room and four different types of dry saunas were located. My favorite was the clay sauna, a room filled with small marble-size balls of dry clay that were heated by the floor. You had to walk across wooden walkways and then immerse yourself in the warm clay, allowing it to draw all kinds of toxins out of your body. Once we’d had our fill of the thermal room, we were taken to a treatment room for a facial, body scrub, and massage to top it off.
“Laura and I will leave you now,” Alma whispered. “Take your time getting up. There is no rush. This room is yours to use as long as you need. There is a shower stocked with everything you might require so you can both wash up. When you’re ready, I’ll take you back to your tranquility room, where we’ll have a light lunch prepared for you.”
The snick of the door closing confirmed we were now alone, and I sat up, feeling all slick from the oil they’d massaged into my skin. Lyra was stretched out, face down, with only her ass covered by the sheet. Her even breathing told me she’d probably fallen asleep, which I was rather thrilled about. No way would that have happened if she hadn’t been relaxed and comfortable—everything I wanted her to experience today.
Standing, I walked over to the side, where I could see her face, just to be sure. The look of pure serenity I found had me smiling and reaching out to brush hair out of her face. Her eyes fluttered open at the touch, and she smiled sleepily at seeing me.
“Hi there,” she greeted. “Did I fall asleep?”
“For a little bit, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I do it all the time,” I reassured her. “Do you want to nap for a little while longer?”
Lyra frowned and shook her head as she pushed up, exposing her breasts. Of course, this wasn’t the first time I’d seen them today since we’d been naked pretty much the whole time. Yet something about seeing her skin glistening from the oil in the low light made her even more enticing. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and let my fingers stroke from her collarbone to her nipple. Lyra’s eyes fluttered at my touch, then she hissed as I teased her hardening nipple.
“Fawn,” she gasped, taking my hand as she sat up and planted it squarely on her breast. “Please, touch me.”
Not needing any further encouragement, I used my other hand to part her legs so I could stand between them. “How do you want me to touch you?” I asked, not feeling super confident since she was the first woman I’d ever interacted with intimately.
“I don’t care as long as I can feel your skin on mine,” Lyra answered, running her hands over my chest. “It’s so strange… with the others, I want to submit and allow them to rule over my body. However, I crave closeness with you, almost as if my skin is begging for any ounce of contact I can get from you to drink up something only you can provide for me.”
I started at her neck, gripping it with both hands just under the jaw. I slowly let them glide over her skin, letting my lips follow behind, kissing what I’d just touched. Her head fell back, offering me the ultimate surrender, something that was reserved only for Alphas. It was an Omega’s instinctual way of enticing their Alpha into marking and bonding with the Omega—a connection that would bind the two together for the rest of their lives. Seeing her offer this to me was surprising, but it flipped a switch somewhere in my brain that had a possessive need surging through me.
With my hands kneading her breasts, my mouth latched onto her neck, and I bit down just enough to hold her. Then I started to suck sharply, letting the taste of her skin flood my mouth, causing me to groan at how incredible it was. Soon, my body was plastered against hers, my hips jerked, thrusting my cock against her stomach. Lyra’s breathing quickened, and I could feel her breath on my shoulder as her head dropped to rest there.
“Fawn,” she whined. “I need you.”
Hearing her desperation, I broke my hold on her neck and pulled back so I could see her face. “What do you need, angel?” I wanted to be damn sure I knew what she was asking.
Yet when I looked into her cobalt-colored gaze, they were clouded with need and had that look of being in a heat haze. Before an Omega officially went into heat, there was an influx of hormones, and sometimes those hormones could cause the Omega to become high. This was a dangerous time for an Omega who wasn’t bonded or had a pack to trust. In this state, an Omega’s ability to think clearly was nonexistent, and nothing they said could be considered true consent. Just as an Alpha in rut could be a danger to an Omega they weren’t matched with since they didn’t have the protective instinct to override the rut, an Omega in heat haze would let anyone fuck them, lost to their baser needs.
Lyra said her heat was still two weeks away, so why were things progressing so fast?
“Come on, angel, I’m gonna get you cleaned up and head back to your apartment,” I instructed, then pulled her off the table and wrapped her arm over my shoulders. “You said if things got worse, you didn’t want to be here. So I’m making the executive choice to cut the spa day short.”
Thankfully, the shower was an open concept so I didn’t need to struggle with a door. There were two plastic stools for us to sit on and wash ourselves, which is where I planted Lyra. I grabbed the handheld showerhead and tested the water, turning it just shy of an arctic blast. I hoped the cold water might shock her out of the haze long enough to get her home.
“Bear with me, angel. I’m doing this for your own good,” I warned, then turned the spray of water at her feet. When that didn’t get a reaction, I moved up her body using soap and a washcloth to clean as I went.
It wasn’t until the water hit her stomach that I got a reaction that wasn’t her trying to grab my dick. With a loud gasp, Lyra almost fell backward off the stool. I tossed aside the showerhead and caught her before anything happened.
“Oh my God, that’s fucking cold,” Lyra shrieked.
“Yeah, sorry about that, but I wasn’t sure what else to do,” I explained, getting her securely back on the stool. “One sec… let me turn the water warmer so I can finish washing you.”
She blinked at me, utterly confused by what was happening, but didn’t argue as I got back to work. “Did something happen? The last thing I remember is you asking if I wanted to take a nap. How did we end up in the shower?”
“Well, angel, you slipped into a heat haze,” I shared. “Tilt your head back so I can get your hair wet, please.”
“I’m not in heat,” Lyra argued.
“Yeah, I feel like you’re gonna need to stop saying that,” I pointed out, squirting shampoo into my hand. “I’ve heard from other Omegas that finding their scent matches sent them straight into heat no matter where they were in the cycle. Plus, you’ve been stretching the limits and fighting off withdrawal, so it’s possible this is backlash for that as well.”
She reached up and grasped my hand, pausing my movements. “Thank you for taking care of me, but I can finish washing up.”
“Am I making you uncomfortable by doing this?” I asked, cocking a brow.
Lyra bit her lip, releasing my hand, then answered hesitantly. “N-no…”
“That’s good,” I said with a smile. “Are you enjoying that I’m taking care of you?”
She nodded, her expression betraying her confusion.
“Then why are you asking me to stop?” I challenged. “If you’re worried about being an inconvenience or that I don’t want to do this for you, I’ll tell you straight-up you’re an idiot.”
Her wince told me I’d hit right on the money. “I’m worried if I ask for too much, then you’ll resent me. You’re an Omega, too, and I never want you to feel like I’m stealing anything away when you were there first.”
The fact I’d never once considered her fear a possibility had me trusting that reaction to give me the correct response. I resumed rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, not wanting it to accidentally drip into her eyes.
“Angel, I think what you’re struggling with is having been with men who aren’t your scent matches. You thought you guys had a genuine, hard-fought love, and then it was all over in a second. The way you talk about them leads me to believe building your relationship took a lot of effort, and you didn’t always trust their commitment,” I reasoned. “It might sound cliché and a little overdramatic, but things with them would never give you what you needed because they weren’t us. As one of your scent matches and a bonded Omega, I can tell you firsthand the feelings you have for your pack don’t wane over time. In fact, it’s the total opposite. I love each and every one of my Alphas more as our bond grows stronger. You’ll have to trust me on this, but the fear and trepidation you have right now vanishes the second a bond is formed.”
Lyra hummed in response to my words, but something in her expression told me she heard what I’d said. Whether she’ll be able to accept the truth, only time would tell, but the fact she was talking about our future life together showed me we’d already made progress.
Finished with Lyra’s hair, I got to work on my shower but didn’t wash my hair since I’d forgotten to bring my pink-colored shampoo, which kept my hair from fading. With how light I kept it, most normal shampoos would strip half the color out in a single wash. Also, with my hair so short, I didn’t have to deal with all the oils and such from my body getting in my hair. We returned to the tranquility room where we started the day and agreed to eat lunch before heading back to Lyra’s apartment.
“Wow, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” I laughed after wolfing down the salad.
Lyra nodded, hiding her mouth after she’d stuffed it full of the chia seed pudding they’d given us. “Everything here is so fresh and delicious,” she commented. “I need to find out what that dressing was on the salad.”
“Oh, it’s ginger miso and super simple to make at home,” I shared. “I begged them to tell me what it was when they threatened to change it out for a new dressing last year.”
“How long have you been coming here?” she asked, having finished and reclined back in her lounge chair.
I tapped my chin as I thought back. “Let’s see, I was given a day here by one of my regulars before I met the guys and when I was still working at the club. So the first time was roughly four years ago, but I became a member in the last two years, and I’ve been coming once or twice a month ever since.”
“It’s not hard to see why. This place is everything an Omega could dream of. Maybe I’ll join so I can keep coming with you, and we can make it our time together,” she said with a sweet smile.
“I love that idea, angel.” Leaning over, I kissed her lightly on the lips. “Shall we begin part two of our day together? Not trying to rush you, but I don’t want to risk something happening between us and you getting lost in that haze again.”
She gave me a quick kiss back, then got up and walked over to her neatly folded stack of clothes. “Better to be safe than risk slipping into a full-blown heat in a rather public place.”
“I’ll text Wade and let him know we’re ready to head back,” I offered since I already had my sweats on.
As badly as I wanted to take my time exploring Lyra’s body, I needed it to be in a place where we wouldn’t be interrupted and felt comfortable. With the message sent to Wade, I flipped to the notes app on my phone, looking over what I’d written after doing a little research. Why the hell was the fact Lyra was the first woman I’d be having sex with make me so nervous? If there was one thing I knew, it was sex. The only thing was all my tricks and skills were honed in on the male species. Most men were pretty straightforward and fell into three categories—those who wanted to be in charge, those who felt the need to take care of you, and those who wanted to protect or save you from the life you were living. Women were a whole new world to dive into, and the last thing I wanted was to fail Lyra.
Too many people had disappointed her or given up when she struggled to let them into her life. What would she think of me if I couldn’t perform as well as with the guys? It’s not like she wouldn’t see us all together, especially if her heat was right around the corner. My phone buzzed, and Wade sent a message back, letting me know he was out front.
“Our ride’s here whenever you’re ready, angel,” I shared, tucking away my phone.
Lyra was dressed and had finished throwing her hair up in a messy bun still damp since she decided to let it air dry. “Perfect timing. Do we need to pick up anything along the way? I don’t have a whole lot of snacks and things back at the apartment.”
“Nah, I have a whole box of popcorn for us to make and planned to order pizza if you’re okay with that,” I said, looping my arm through hers, feeling the need to be close. “Is there anything you want to stop and get?”
“Nope, pizza sounds perfect, and you have the popcorn,” Lyra answered.
We waved goodbye to Alma as we passed the front desk, and she smiled and waved back. The Oasis truly made an effort to hire top-notch people. So much so they’d convinced my angel to come back and possibly make this a regular thing. None of the others in our pack were much for the spa life, but none of that mattered now I had Lyra.
Wade was out front with the car door open, waiting for us. Lyra didn’t seem to find this odd, but something felt off. There was a slight look of worry on Wade’s face which had me looking around as Lyra got in. A flash caught my eye from across the street, drawing my attention to a man holding a camera and appearing to be taking pictures of us.
“Mr. Fawn, I need you to get in the car,” Wade instructed.
“Is he the only one?” I asked, turning my gaze on him.
“No, there are more, but they haven’t realized I’m here to pick you up. Which is why I need you to get in the car,” Wade said again, this time more insistent.
Not wanting to spoil the lovely day we’d been having, I got in and didn’t say a word to Lyra about the reporter. She smiled and snuggled against me, threading her fingers through mine before resting her head on my shoulder.
“I don’t think I realized how much I needed a day to pamper myself.” Lyra sighed. “Since I left my previous pack, I’ve been so focused on moving forward and ignoring everything else, afraid if I stopped, I’d fall to pieces.”
Nuzzling my cheek against her hair, I breathed in her soft lily scent mixed with the rich notes of Earl Grey. The combination made me want to curl up with a blanket and read a book while sipping piping hot tea. It was a scent that would soothe your soul and offer comfort like nothing had before.
“Well, if you ever do end up falling to pieces, now you’ll have a pack to be there to help you put yourself back together,” I added, kissing the top of her head when she hummed her agreement. “Hey, I just wanted to check with you… my plan for movies to watch had been raunchy romances like Magic Mike and 365 Days. After what happened at the spa, I wasn’t sure if that was still a good plan.”
Lyra didn’t answer right away but chose to sit up and face me. “Let me ask you something first.” I nodded for her to continue when she paused, curious as to what this question was. “If things between us get hot and heavy again, do you want to go all the way? I know we haven’t known each other long, and I don’t want to assume?—”
I slapped a hand over her mouth, cutting off her next words. The action had been a little more aggressive than I’d meant it to be. “Sorry,” I mumbled, shifting my hand to cup her cheek. “I didn’t mean to get that overzealous, but I couldn’t let you continue down that road of thinking I didn’t let things go any further because of where we were, not because I didn’t want you. Lyra, the second I think about getting you naked so I can learn every part of your body, my dick is so fucking hard. You’ve unlocked feelings in me that I’ve never felt with another person. I can’t wait to take this next step and build a deeper connection with you. However, I feel like it’s only fair to warn you that once we cross this line, I won’t ever be able to go back, and I don’t think you will either.”
“All right, then I say let’s watch whatever the hell we want and throw caution to the wind,” Lyra decided, grinning at me.
Instantly, my mind went back to the moment after our massage, bodies pressed together, and how fucking amazing she felt. I slowly reached out and brushed my fingers over the hickey I’d left on her neck, and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction welled up in me. Was this how my Alphas felt when they saw their marks on me? If so, it made sense why they liked to lavish so much attention on that spot, driving me crazy. Both Tanner and Zachary loved to get me to orgasm, only using my bonding mark as stimulation. The bastards got me every time, but holy hell, they were some of the best climaxes I could remember.
“Could it be that you have a wild streak in you, angel?” I teased, nuzzling a kiss to her lips. “I think we might need to explore this a little more, just to be sure.”
That had Lyra laughing, a sound I was quickly growing to love and didn’t hear nearly enough. When we arrived at her apartment, Wade got out, and I watched him scan the area. I understood his caution, but how would the media know Lyra and I had gone to the spa? It had been planned fairly last minute, and the staff would never divulge that kind of information to the media. Things appeared to be fine, but I didn’t let Lyra linger out front, playfully dragging her into the building.
“Welcome back, Miss Lyra,” the doorman greeted with a wave.
“Hi, Lewis,” Lyra said, waving back, then paused. “Lewis, how do I add people to a list so they can come up to my apartment anytime?”
“Give me a moment, and I’ll grab that sheet for you. All you need to do is fill it out and hand it back to me,” Lewis explained as he headed for the small desk near the front doors and pulled a form out of a file. “Here we are.”
“Thanks, and I really appreciate you helping Fawn this morning,” she shared and gave the man another wave as we headed for the elevators.
Once we were alone and heading up to her floor, I asked the question that had been burning on the tip of my tongue. “Are you not planning to move in with us?” I blurted.
Lyra looked up from the form and blinked at me. “Oh…”
“Oh? Did you really think you’d continue to live here after courting leave was over?” I questioned.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” she admitted. “I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact things are happening so fast. It took months before I moved in with my previous pack. How could we possibly be ready to combine our lives in a fraction of the time?”
I was dumbfounded by her answer. “Lyra, you won’t have a choice. If you’re truly teetering on the edge of a heat, and your Alphas help you through it, there’s no going back. The withdrawal alone could kill you if you tried to continue living separately. Haven’t you ever wondered why most Omegas bond so quickly after meeting their Alphas?”
The doors opened, and we silently headed down the hall to her apartment. How we’d all missed the fact that, in Lyra’s mind, she wasn’t moving in was beyond me. Then again, I don’t know any Omegas who had actively been avoiding finding her scent matches. Could it be the progress I believed we’d been making wasn’t as much as I’d thought?
She unlocked the door and let us in, only for us to stop in our tracks at the two beautiful bouquets of flowers sitting on the counter. One was made up of light pink lilies, white roses, eucalyptus, and lamb’s ear, pulling together a combination of beauty, grace, and elegance. The other bouquet was full of giant puffy pink peonies, purple hydrangeas, and baby’s breath, creating a flower explosion that made you smile.
Bouncing over to the peonies, I plucked out the card and nearly melted at the note.
To Fawn,
My Omega, who brings my heart so much joy and sunshine to my life.
I hope these make you smile.
— Eli
I looked up to see Lyra fighting back tears as she read her card, then folded and pressed it to her chest as she leaned in to smell the flowers. Seeing her reaction, my worries about her not moving in with us at the end of courting leave vanished. There was no fucking way any of us would let that happen, not when she’d been a massive piece of the puzzle we’d been missing to complete our family. It was all clear to me now that, like myself, our sweet angel didn’t have a clue what unconditional love looked like. Luckily for her, this discovery would change her life forever in the best way possible. I know it was for me, and I couldn’t wait to give that gift to someone as deserving as Lyra.