Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Harlow
Thane calls to check in on us before boarding the plane. Bree was a dead-end, but he was able to confirm everything Leo said. So they are now on their way to collect Leo’s daughter. I learn her name is Emily.
Thane also tells me about his photo being taken at the strip club and to ignore the media.
We already saw a report on the news, minutes after the photo was taken, trying to portray Thane poorly and stating there are problems at home with his Omega.
My eyes rolled so hard while watching the news anchor.
Anything to make headlines and grab attention.
Thane says he should be home early tomorrow morning.
It makes me nervous, him being away, but we need information, and Curtis Black is the only person we can get it from.
Thane says he will call us when he lands, and I once again I curse myself for not marking him before he left.
If I had, I could use the mind-link to talk to him.
I just finish eating when Leon crawls into bed beside me.
He rests his head on my now squishy belly.
I run my fingers through his hair and can feel his hunger through the bond.
Scarlett stirs, waking up to eat. I’ve been expressing milk because they want to feed her too, which is nice, because it gives me a chance to rest. Scarlett seems to only sleep for two-hour intervals.
“Do you want her, or should I go up and make her a bottle?” Rhen asks, plucking her out of her little bed.
I hold my hands out for her, and Leon lifts his head so that I can feed her.
My boobs start aching from just the sound of her cries.
Her mouth opens like a fish, searching for my nipple, while I try to wrestle the damn thing out from my bra.
“Hang on. I gotta get the boob out.” I chuckle at her face headbutting my breast impatiently. Rhen unclips my bra strap to help me. I’ve given up on wearing anything besides this sports bra because I’m constantly having to flop a breast out.
There’s instant relief the moment she latches on.
I never thought breastfeeding would be so damn hard, and painful!
Her cries are an alarm for my titties to go haywire and start a tsunami of milk.
I groan, feeling the other boob leak into the breast pad.
I feel like a cow, and she has only been here for a few hours.
“Lucky baby,” Raidon chuckles.
“Feel free to drain the other one,” I reply.
“Don’t tempt him. He likes the taste,” Rhen laughs before he shudders. I give Raidon a questioning look. He looks away guiltily.
“I may have tried some upstairs,” he shrugs. “I was curious.”
“Curious is taking a sip. You drank the entire bag,” Rhen scolds him, and Raidon slaps his chest.
I shake my head at them as I feel Leon swipe my hair over my shoulder.
I turn my head to look at him. His eyes are bright crimson, pupils dilated, and his fangs protrude from his lips, yet he makes no move to bite me.
His eyes move to the pulse on my neck, and his hunger is almost rabid.
I know the only reason he is currently frozen in place is because I have Scarlett in my arms.
“Leon!” Raidon snaps at him, making him jump and pull his gaze away from my neck. Leon mutters an apology, his embarrassment smashing into me through the bond. I glare at Raidon, who is glaring at him.
“Leave him. I can feel him, and he wasn’t going to bite me,” I scold Raidon. Glancing down, Scarlett is already falling back asleep. Her lips still suckle, but her gulps slow to a more comfortable pace. Great, now I am a pacifier.
I sigh and try to unlatch her, only for her to munch down harder, making my eyes water at the pain. Deciding to wait for her to completely fall asleep, I leave her be, turning my attention to Leon.
“Once she is done with the cafeteria, you can line up,” I chuckle, reaching for him.
His cheeks tinge darker, and I glare at Raidon for upsetting him.
He’s been fine, but they have been on edge with him since Scarlett was born.
It is starting to grate on my nerves. I know it is mostly because Thane isn’t here.
The moment she falls asleep, Rhen takes her from me.
I expect Leon to pounce, but he just stares vacantly at the TV Rhen brought down earlier.
Tucking everything away, I crawl over to him.
He purrs, reaching for me and tugging me into his lap.
He buries his face in my neck, and I feel the sharp points of his teeth sink into me, just as Raidon’s phone starts ringing.
I gasp at the brief pain, and Leon’s grip on me tightens as he tugs me flush against his chest, his tongue lapping at my neck.
“Hey, what’s up?” Raidon says, answering the call. Silence follows, except for the muted voice coming from the other end.
“What? When? How bad is it?” Raidon asks. I turn my head to look at him. Raidon gets up, and Leon’s teeth tug on my neck, making me hiss.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there. What channel?” Raidon asks. He picks up the remote, flicks to another news station, and I gasp. Leon pulls his teeth from my neck before running his tongue over his bite mark.
“Fuck!” Rhen growls, getting up, but Raidon stops him.
“No, stay. I’ll take Leon with me,” Raidon says, causing Leon to lift his head to watch the TV, his lips smeared with my blood.
A fire has broken out at their office, and a good chunk of the building is ablaze. Leon kisses my cheek, before gently shoving me off his lap.
“Yeah, we’re on our way,” Raidon says, hanging up.
“What happened?” I ask.
“They aren’t sure. They’re trying to extinguish it first,” Raidon says, nodding to Leon. Leon hastily gets up and climbs out of the Den. Raidon’s phone starts ringing again. He sighs. “That’s Thane,” he tells me, leaning down and brushing his lips against mine.
“Keep in touch,” Rhen tells him. Raidon nods before leaving with Leon.
“Thank god for insurance,” Rhen says, looking down at Scarlett sleeping, as I chew my lip.