Chapter 20
20
DEVYN
It starts with little texts from Ben.
It’s been a week and a half since I temporarily moved to Tammy’s house, and it’s the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing Ben.
But I keep his gifts close, and Wilson sleeps next to me every night.
“You’re smiling at your phone,” Skylar observes while I’m on my break at the café. “Is this little fight over?”
I make a face at her. “It wasn’t a fight,” I insist. “I was scared.”
Her expression softens. “I know, kiddo,” she says. “But I think it’s time you saw each other again. He misses you like crazy.”
My stomach flips. “Did you see him?”
She nods. “Dev, he looks like shit. He looks like he’s dying , and I can’t even imagine how your Alphas feel.”
Guilt and shame make my breath catch.
The last thing I want to do is hurt them, but I’m still embarrassed by what happened.
“You look awful, too,” Skylar insists, and my mouth falls open.
“I do not .”
She shakes her head. “Let me rephrase. You look like you feel awful. You have a fresh mating bond and you’re not around your mates. You look…incomplete.”
I can’t stop the pout that I give her.
“Oh, stop it. You’re still pretty. Quit being a brat, and go find your boyfriends,” she says. “After your shift is done, you should visit Ben.”
I start to panic, but then I read through our texts again.
I miss you. Can’t wait for you to come home—I’ve been trying to make cookies without you, and it’s not working.
He attached a photo of brown sludge on a baking sheet.
Ben has stayed strong the entire time I’ve been away, never trying to make me feel guilty and just giving me the space I asked for.
I haven’t been strong enough to read Ace or Connor’s texts yet.
When I think of them, I’m overwhelmed with emotion.
My inner Omega screams in despair, horrified that she hasn’t been around her mates in so long.
Who knows what would happen if I read those texts?
“I’m not a brat,” I murmur. “I’m just…frightened.”
“Of what?” Skylar takes the seat next to me and wipes flour off her apron. “What could you possibly be scared of, Dev? This is what you’ve wanted.”
“But I wanted it differently. I had everything planned out with Ben, and I wanted it to be special.”
“A mating bite is always special,” she says gently.
“But my first one was in a parking lot, and it wasn’t with Ben.”
Skylar snorts. “So what? How did it feel in the moment?”
I pause. “Incredible. Intense. Perfect,” I admit.
“What about with Ben? How did that go?”
I shift in my seat. “He just…did it, and I liked it, because I’ve been waiting for his bite for forever. Then Connor did it after I begged him to.” I look at Skylar, expecting to see judgment on her face. “Don’t you think that’s weird? Don’t you think I should have made it more special?”
Skylar shakes her head. “Dev, it’s your life and your experiences. I’m going to ask you again. Did. You. Enjoy. It?”
I hesitate and bite my lip. “I liked it a lot,” I admit. “But other people?—”
“Fuck other people!” she exclaims, and I jump, startled. “You’re not other people, Dev. You’re not some vanilla, boring person—you’re the wildest little terror I’ve ever met. The Devyn I love is sweet, feisty, and one of a kind. She eats coffee grounds like a weirdo and screams at random moments. Why should your experience be like other Omegas? Of course, your story would be unique, just like you are.”
I absorb my best friend’s words, knowing she’s right. “Nuh-uh,” I say finally.
Skylar sighs. “Yes. I know you want a family, Dev. I think you forget that family is what you make it, and that families can be messy. Maybe forming your pack was messy, but that’s still your family.”
I stay silent and chew my lip.
“You know you have me, April, and Tammy too, right? We’ll always be family.”
I nod, and tears fill my eyes.
“Damn it, Dev,” Skylar warns. “No crying at work. It’s going to be fine, I promise.”
“I miss them,” I croak as a tear falls down my cheek. “I miss them so much, Skylar. It hurts without them. I…I really care for them.”
Skylar nods. “I know. You’ll be okay. And honestly? I think they’re perfect for you. You were the happiest I’d seen you since you found them. So, it’s time to get them back.”
I wipe away a tear. “I think so. I’m tired of hurting.”
“It doesn’t have to hurt anymore. You have three men that love you deeply. Stop being ridiculous and go to them.”
I look at her and frown. “You really think Connor and Ace love me?”
Skylar returns my frown. “Why do you still think they don’t?”
I blink. “I don’t know.”
“Exactly. Now stop being ridiculous.”
“I’ll try.”
“No. Pinkie promise me.” She holds out her finger. “No more making yourself miserable. You’re the sweetest one of the group, and it sucks to see you unhappy.”
I stare at her outstretched finger.
“Devyn. Pinkie promise. Now .”
So, I hold out my finger and make a promise to my best friend.
* * *
I get through the end of my shift, feeling marginally better after my talk with Skylar.
I’m ready to face my pack, no matter what the outcome.
I’m still scared, of course—but I’m tired of making myself sick when I don’t need to.
My inner Omega has been ignored for too long, and it’s time I made it up to her.
I untie my apron and say goodbye to Skylar, who gives me a quick wave and then returns to taking care of customers.
Tammy is supposed to give me a ride to her place today.
I’m stepping out the back door of the café when I hear a voice call my name.
“Devyn?”
Ben’s voice, clear and real, fills my ears.
I turn to him, my heart racing.
Ben’s here.
It hasn’t even been two weeks since I last saw him, but it seems like it’s been lifetimes. He’s still handsome, but his hair is mussed, and there are dark circles under his eyes—he looks like he’s been run ragged.
His skin is paler than usual, and dark stubble colors his jawline.
But he smiles when he sees me, and I drop my purse and fling myself into his arms.
I let out a sob, and he catches me as I collapse in his hold, crying.
He’s here .
My inner Omega sighs in relief and inhales his clean, subtle scent.
“Ben,” I choke out, stifling my sobs in his chest.
Our mating bond thrums around us, the unsettled feeling in my body slowly fading away.
My mate is here!
“Hey, Dev,” he says, his voice strained. “I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m sorry.”
I can’t reply. I’m too busy weeping in his hold, every pent-up emotion from the last week spilling out of me.
He came back for me.
I just continue to sob out his name, and he grips me tightly, stroking my hair.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers. “I’ve got you, baby. I’m here.”
Relief floods through me while I weep, peace seeping into my veins.
He’s not only part of my pack, but one of my best friends.
Even though it’s my own fault, I still cry like I wasn’t the one that placed the distance between us.
When I pull away to look up at him, his eyes are red-rimmed with tears.
“Hey, babe,” he chokes out, giving me a soft smile. “Did you want a ride back to Tammy’s?”
I nod enthusiastically. “But she’s supposed to pick me up,” I sniffle.
“Nah. I asked her if I could, instead.”
I laugh and hug him again, and he squeezes me tightly. “I couldn’t wait anymore, Dev. I tried, but it’s just too much without you. Also, I had to see if you were okay.”
“I’m not,” I murmur.
“I’m not either,” Ben admits. “But I think we can get there again.” He releases me and steps back to frown at me. “You haven’t been eating enough, have you?”
I shake my head, and he grimaces.
“What about sleeping on the floor?”
My face flames. “I’ve been trying not to. Tammy’s been making sure I end up in bed.”
He nods. “Good. Just…fuck, I missed you so much. It was like I was dying without you. We were all dying with you. I’ve never felt like this before,” he admits.
Guilt fills my chest at the thought of Ace and Connor, and Ben frowns.
“It’s okay,” he says softly. “They understand.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think they should. Neither should you.”
His expression turns pained. “You did what you had to do,” he says. “You’re owed a lot of apologies.”
My eyes widen. “What? It’s me who should apologize!”
But he shakes his head. “It’s not, babe. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
I don’t believe him, and he knows it. He leans forward and presses his lips to my forehead, and I sigh.
“Let’s go get your stuff from Tammy’s,” he says, “and we’ll go home and talk from there.”
I nod and take his hand.
* * *
Tammy wraps Ben and me in a hug, and after I clean up April’s room, we head back to our apartment.
I don’t even realize how much I miss it until I step back in. The candles, the photos of my friends, and even the subtle scents of myself and Ben that linger throughout the area send warmth through my heart.
The kitchen looks incredible. I had seen the wreck after Ben and Ace had gotten in their fight; but there are brand-new cabinets and a pristine, clean oven door.
“Ace and I took care of that,” Ben mentions, watching me as I enter the kitchen. “That should have never happened.”
“You were fighting about me,” I say softly, running my fingers over my espresso machine.
“We shouldn’t have been,” he says. “It’s not an excuse just because it was about you, Dev.”
I swallow. “I know,” I say.
The violence terrifies me.
“I haven’t told them about your past,” Ben says, and I don’t need him to clarify who them is. “But they may understand better if you choose to explain it to them.”
I nod, then begin to brew a cup of decaf coffee, using Connor and Ace’s brand. Ben watches me, his eyes soft.
The dark circles are already fading from his eyes, and color is returning to his face.
“I can feel you, you know,” Ben continues softly. “I sense you now. Even when we were apart, I felt you, like there was an itch inside me I couldn’t reach. Now that you’re here with me, it’s gone. I can fully breathe again.”
I smile. “Really?”
He described exactly how it felt to be away from him.
“I had no idea it would be like this,” he continues. “I mean, I knew what a mating bite entailed. But having it with you…” His voice trails off and he swallows. “I love you even more, and I didn’t know that was possible.” He moves closer until he’s inches from me. “I’m honored to be yours.”
His pupils are blown, and he looks at me with a hunger I recognize from the last time we were in bed.
I’m honored to be his, too.
I’ve always been honored.
“Ben,” I whisper, reaching out to caress the stubble of his cheek. “Kiss me.”
His wild hair and scruff give him a rugged look that I’ve never seen on him before, but it’s extremely attractive.
He leans in and kisses me, and my legs almost give out.
Ben tastes delicious. He’s minty and slightly sweet, and my core throbs as we kiss.
I missed just being touched by him.
He backs me against the counter, then grabs me by my waist and lifts me up so I sit on the edge of it, his tongue tangling with mine the entire time.
I’m the one that breaks away from the kiss to gasp for air, but his mouth continues to move across my cheek and jaw.
“Missed you,” he groans. “Dev, fuck?—”
He licks at my mating gland, teasing the spot where he marked me, and I let out a long moan.
“Yes,” he whispers against my skin. “Let me hear you, sweetheart. I’ve missed those sounds.”
“It feels so good,” I pant, grasping at his shoulders and wrapping my legs around his waist. At this height, my crotch presses directly against the bulge in his jeans, and I grind myself against him.
“I can smell you,” he gasps. “Dev, I can smell how wet you are. I didn’t think I could…”
“It’s the mating bond,” I say, laughing in delight. “Everything is heightened now.”
“Never going to be able to leave the house if it’s like this,” he breathes. “Fuck, is it always like this?”
He looks pained as he asks me, his chest heaving and his lips swollen from kissing.
I shake my head. “I don’t know,” I reply truthfully. “What will you do if it is?”
He lets out a groan and bends to tug at my leggings. “This,” he breathes. “Every day. Help me get these off, sweetheart.”
He pulls my panties and leggings off, letting them fall onto the floor, and lets out a pleased hum when he gazes at my core.
“So pretty,” he whispers. “Lean back for me. I can’t wait anymore.”
Ben’s wrecked in a way I’ve never seen him. He stares at my pussy as if he’s in a trance, and I scoot my ass back and place my feet on the counter in front of me, my legs bent to give him a better view.
“So good,” he breathes, placing his hands on my stomach. “So sweet.”
I gasp. “Ben?—”
But then he’s lifting my legs so they’re on his shoulders, pulling me back to the edge of the counter, and shoving his tongue inside me.
I scream. I’m sure our neighbors hear it, but I don’t care as Ben eats me out, fucking me with his tongue over and over. I’m not even sure if he’s doing it for my benefit—he lets out pleased hums and mmms while he tries to lick every inch of me that he can. He makes obscene noises with his tongue and lips, drinking everything that leaks from my pussy.
But then a finger slides into me, and his mouth goes to my clit, sucking hard.
I explode.
I grip Ben’s hair and push my cunt against his face, riding out my pleasure.
I don’t know how long I come for, only that Ben inserts another finger and my throat is sore from screaming.
When he finally pulls away, my legs are wobbly, and I’m babbling helplessly. His face is a mess, lips wet from my slick, but he scoops me into his arms and kisses me.
“Please never go away that long again,” he whispers in between kisses. “Please, Dev. I’ll beg if I have to.”
The idea of Ben begging makes something in my stomach flip.
“Show me how much you missed me,” I say cheekily, my inner Omega purring in delight.
Ben smirks, and then he’s taking the steps down our apartment hallway and into our bedroom.
I gasp when I see the bed.
April’s room was lovely to stay in—it was comfortable, warm, and cozy.
But it’s nothing compared to my bedroom.
Ben transformed it while I was gone, and it looks amazing!
There are new dark purple sheets with lilac and cream accent pillows, and a body pillow so long it stretches the length of the bed. The weighted pink blanket he gifted me for our anniversary sits spread on top of the comforter along with a knitted periwinkle throw.
“Ben,” I gasp. “Oh, my god.”
Besides the scent of Ben, there’s also a hint of lavender, mixed with the bitterness of coffee.
“We practiced sharing a bed,” he admits to me. “If that’s what you want in the future, I thought it would be a good idea for us to be comfortable with each other.”
“You had slumber parties?” I ask, my eyes wide.
The idea of the three of them in bed together with their scents mingling makes my inner Omega more aroused than she already is.
He chuckles. “They weren’t exactly… fun . It was to get our scent there for you.”
“You did all that for me?”
“We had a week to bond without you, and we leaned on each other for support.” He tosses me onto the bed, and he stands at the foot of it, unzipping his pants. “I’d do anything for you, Dev. And so would Ace and Connor.”
At the mentions of their names, I spread my legs, showing off my pussy for him.
He grins and crawls on top of me. “That made you wetter thinking about them, didn’t it?”
He kisses me, and I whimper in his mouth. He reaches between us to gather my wetness between his fingers, then strokes my clit in slow circles.
“You like the idea of having us at the same time, don’t you?” he murmurs, pushing two fingers inside me. “Three cocks at once. You’d have to be stretched out, Dev.”
I’m a mess as Ben fingers me, using his thumb to rub my clit at the same time.
I’m leaking slick onto the blankets, and wet sounds fill the room as his fingers slide in and out of me.
“More,” I gasp. “Ben?—”
He presses a third in as he pants against my mouth. I moan, savoring his clean linen scent.
“One more before I’m inside you,” he whispers. “One more, baby. I’ve waited so long for this.”
I arch my back and cry out, pleasure rolling over me in waves. I soak Ben’s hand with my wetness, and only after I’ve sighed in relief does he remove his fingers.
Then he brings them to his mouth, sucking them clean.
“You’re so sweet,” he breathes. “Like candy.”
Then he kisses me and cradles my face in his hands, his cock pressing at my entrance.
“I’m not going to last long. I need to come in you,” he murmurs.
I raise my hips, desperate to feel his length filling me up and making me whole.
“Come in me, Ben,” I whisper.
With a low groan, he pushes into me, his cock stretching me deliciously. When he finally bottoms out, he presses his forehead against mine and exhales.
“You feel so good,” he pants, and I can only open my mouth in shock.
Sex with Ben is different now.
It’s always been great—but with the mating bond, he’s even deeper inside me.
He’s inside my soul.
“Please,” I whimper.
Ben doesn’t take his time. He slams into me, picking up speed at a rapid pace, the bed shaking with his movements.
I love it. I lift my hips, meeting his thrusts and gasping out as his cock slams into me, claiming me.
It’s even better than when he bit me.
I’m making love to my best friend, to my soulmate.
It’s only going to be better when Ace and Connor are with us, my inner Omega supplies.
A wave of pleasure starts in my core and pulses throughout my body, and I shudder in pleasure while Ben huffs out a deep, guttural moan.
He pumps me full of his cum, slamming his hips into me. My cunt squeezes him, gripping his cock like a glove, desperate to collect everything he has to give me.
“Give me every drop,” I whisper.
“Fuck,” he chokes out. “I’ve never come this hard, fuck !”
With one more quick thrust, he flips us over so I’m on top of him. He starts to catch his breath and lets out a satisfied sigh of relief.
“Is it always going to be like this?” he gasps, moving a lock of hair from my face. “Because…holy shit, Dev.”
I can’t help it. I giggle and bury my face in his chest, savoring his scent.
“I missed that sound,” he says, his voice hoarse. “And I’m so, so sorry.”
I look at him curiously and scratch at the scuff on his face. “For what?”
“You didn’t ask for the bite, and I just did it.”
I stare at him. “Wait. I thought you didn’t want to?”
“Dev, I’ve wanted to do it since our first night together,” he confesses, and I freeze at his words. “Do you know how hard it was to not bite you since we’ve been together? I always thought it was best for you to wait, and so I never did it. But it shouldn’t have been my choice. I shouldn’t have pressured you like that.”
My head spins. “You didn’t feel forced to bite me? You don’t regret it?”
That was a small fear I had this whole time. It wasn’t planned, and maybe Ben was somehow…mad at me?
Ben pulls out of me, rolls out from underneath me, and sits up. He looks down at me with a shocked expression. “Babe. I would never, ever regret being tied to you. I am honored and will always be honored to belong to you. The only thing I regret was making you feel like you had to second-guess your desires.”
Tears spill from my eyes. “You’re not mad?” I ask in a small, scared voice.
“Oh, baby,” Ben sighs, wiping away a tear. “Of course not. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I could swear his eyes turn watery, too.
“I love you, Dev. Nothing will change that, ever. Not only do I love you, but I’m in love with you. That will never stop, either.”
I pull him to me, and we kiss until we’re both breathless, and he’s smiling against my lips.
“We’re family,” he whispers. “Remember?”
I swallow and nod.
Family.
“The rest of your pack would like to see you too,” he adds, kissing my forehead.
My heart beats rapidly in my chest.
“I miss them,” I admit. “As much as I’ve missed you, and my chest still aches.”
“We have something planned for you tomorrow,” he says, and my eyes widen. “A surprise, if you trust us.”
“A surprise for me ?” I squeak.
I adore surprises, and Ben knows this.
“Yup. You have tomorrow off. Skylar and April made sure of it.”
“Wait. They know about the surprise too?”
My friends didn’t tell me?!
Ben chuckles. “ Yes. So, I’m assuming you want to meet them, then?”
“Of course I do, now that there’s a surprise involved,” I say cheekily.
My inner Omega squeals in excitement. Not only will I see my mates, but they have something special planned.
Now that I’ve opened up to Ben again, I’m confident I can reunite with my pack.
“I’m proud of you,” Ben says suddenly, and I frown.
“For what? For running away and hiding from you?”
“No. For going after what you wanted, and keeping your distance when you needed space. For communicating with us, even though it was hard.”
I flick him on his chin. “Stop being so perfect,” I hiss.
“Oh, it sucked,” Ben says. “Don’t get me wrong. I was miserable, and the other guys still are. But it was better than you feeling forced to be around us. You did what you needed to do.”
The guilt that I carried for the last few days disappears.
I had so much shame from everything that happened, but at least with Ben, it’s unwarranted.
He lies back down and pulls me to his chest, spooning me.
“I can finally sleep now that you’re here,” he adds. “I can finally breathe again.”
Exhausted and breathless, we drift off together in a matter of moments.
And soon, I’ll be reunited with my other packmates.