Chapter 24
24
Hazel
I wasn’t sure how many orgasms it took to kill an omega, but I knew eleven was the number it took for this omega to black out.
Comforting Rhett had turned into cuddling which turned into more. And then Jude showed up, followed by Kellan and then Crew. Together, they’d transformed me into a writhing, trembling, moaning mess, and I was never going to be able to look at my father’s office the same way again.
I was thankful the carpet had been replaced with hardwoods. Definitely made cleanup easier.
Not that I would know firsthand because I’d been unconscious.
Waking up, I realized I’d been carried to my nest. I didn’t even need to open my eyes to know Kellan was wrapped around my back and my head was resting on Jude’s shoulder. Their scents, fresh laundry and bright lemon, smelled like home. Buried deeper were the darker scents of Rhett’s woodsmoke and Crew’s leather.
This was my home. This was my pack. I’d get to wake up every day surrounded by their smells and their love.
Tears pricked my eyes as I sniffled.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Jude’s sleep-roughened voice rolled over me. “Kell, wake up. Something’s wrong.”
Before I could correct him, Kellan was already purring and demanding, “What do you need, sugar?”
I choked on a watery laugh. “Happy tears, guys. I’m fine, just overwhelmed by how amazing my life turned out.”
Kellan peppered kisses across my shoulder. “Hate it when you cry.” His voice was a low, raspy rumble that made my insides flip deliciously.
Jude wiped away a tear that rolled down my cheek and shattered on his sculpted chest. “I was worried we’d gone too far. Pushed too hard.”
I shook my head. “Definitely not.” I turned my face up to Jude’s kiss, feeling his contentment thrum through our bond.
Taking a second, I sifted through each of the bonds, reveling in being able to feel all of my mates. Each bond felt like an individual strand that had been woven together. I could feel them as a whole or individually. At least, until I got to Crew’s bond.
It was… silent.
Gasping, I shot up. Panic clawed at my chest.
“Whoa.” Kellan was right up beside me, his hair a mess. “What’s wrong, sugar?”
Jude pressed against my other side, making his support known.
“Crew. I can’t feel him.” I gulped down a breath. “Is he okay? Why?—”
Jude sighed a little. “Crew does that sometimes. He shuts off his end of the bond.”
“Why?” I demanded, not comforted by that little factoid.
Kellan pushed my hair over my shoulder. “He’s the leader and sometimes he shuts himself off to process stuff before bringing it to the pack.”
“But he always tells us about it,” Jude added. “Packs don’t function well with secrets, and Crew would never risk any of our bonds.”
A soft whimper left me. “I don’t like it.”
Kellan’s lips curved into a smirk. “Then go tell him.”
I started to crawl out of my nest to do just that when I felt a hand slap my ass. Looking back, Kellan was grinning, utterly unrepentant.
“Anytime you wave that ass in my face, expect my hand on it,” he teased with a wink as Jude cracked up.
Rolling my eyes, I didn’t bother hiding my smile as I gave my butt an extra wiggle on the way out of the mountain of pillows and blankets.
Not caring that I was naked, and covered in a good amount of dried bodily fluids, I padded down the hall to my bedroom to yank on some new clothes. Once I was dressed and had my hair thrown up in a messy bun, I went in search of Crew.
I found my oddly silent alpha on the back deck, finishing up a phone call.
He turned and looked as I pushed the glass door open, the corners of his mouth lifting when he spotted me.
At least, until he saw the determined look on my face.
Then he looked concerned. But he didn’t get up as I crossed the deck to him and dropped into his lap.
“What’s wrong?” His tone held a low rumble of a growl as he pulled me against his chest.
“That’s my line,” I replied, arching a brow.
He frowned. “I don’t get it.”
I pressed a hand to my chest. “I’m new to this whole pack bonds thing, but I’m pretty sure feeling shut out by your alpha is grounds for an omega spiral of doom.”
He winced. “Sorry, little one. I had to deal with a few things, and I knew you were asleep. I didn’t want my emotions to wake you.”
“Kellan and Jude said that sometimes you go radio silent,” I admitted, “but I didn’t realize that’s what it was. I just knew I couldn’t feel you, and it felt like I was missing a limb.”
He dropped his forehead to my shoulder. “I didn’t think about it like that.”
“Would you like it if I shut you out?” I added, not sure I could back up that challenge because I was still learning about how pack bonds worked. Honestly, until a few minutes earlier, I didn’t even know someone could block their pack connection.
“Frustrated,” he admitted. “Worried.”
I framed his face with my hands. “Talk to me, Crew.”
He leaned into my touch, the stubble on his jaw scratching over my palm. “I was talking with Oakley earlier. Martin is missing.”
My stomach sank so hard, so fast, I got dizzy. “What?”
Crew’s eyes flashed with worry as he started to purr for me while pulling my head down to his chest where the vibrations were the strongest. My bones and muscles relaxed, his purr the omega equivalent of xanax as it soothed the spike of worry.
“They found evidence that connected him with the APA and Donovan Ellis,” he went on, his soft tone just barely audible over the rumbling in his chest. “There’s a warrant out for his arrest, but no one is sure where he is.”
I took slow, steadying breaths. “Okay.”
“Oakley and his pack are looking for him and his son. We’re hopeful Carter might give us some more insight into what his father was really into.” Crew’s hand stroked my back, the gesture helping me to relax even more.
Petting and purring—an alpha’s guide to calming their omega.
I snorted as I mentally titled Crew’s memoir, but damn, the man was good.
“They’re also going to speak with your uncle.”
And there it was.
I jerked upright and gaped at him. “Uncle Henry? Way to bury the lead, Crew.”
The abrupt way his purr stopped was like a motor cutting off. Eyeing me closely, he gave zero indication what he was thinking. He was as readable as a block of ice.
“I want to talk to him,” I blurted out.
Crew’s muscles tensed like he expected an attacker to fall from the sky. “No.”
“Excuse me?” I tried to scramble off his lap, but he held me anchored in place. “Let go.”
“No,” he repeated, his gaze hardening.
I pushed at his chest as annoyance rocked through me. “Dammit, Crew?—”
He wrapped one massive hand around the nape of my neck, holding me still. “Stop squirming, little omega.” The low pitch of his tone let me know he was just this side of an alpha bark.
I glared at him as I stopped struggling. Behind me, I heard the door open to the deck.
“What’s going on?” Rhett asked, appearing deceptively calm as he strode over and leaned his ass against the railing across from us. Jude and Kellan came out, flanking either side of him.
“Hazel and I were just discussing a few things,” Crew responded evenly.
I huffed and muttered, “Discussing, my ass.”
Crew’s brows lifted. “I’ll discuss your ass anytime you like, sweetheart.”
“Something definitely has our omega upset,” Rhett added.
“Sorry,” I grumbled, realizing that while Crew had essentially shut off his pack link, I’d been broadcasting my frustration and worry loud and clear for the rest of the pack. I’d basically sent up a needy omega bat signal to them.
“Don’t apologize,” Kellan told me, shaking his head. “What’s going on, Crew?”
“Martin is missing,” Crew informed them. “Oak’s team is going after him and Carter to find answers. They’re also planning to speak with Henry, and when Hazel requested she speak to her uncle?—”
The round of “No’s” that garnered would’ve been comical if I wasn’t feeling so shut out.
“Exactly,” Crew murmured. His navy gaze settled on me. “You don’t need to see your uncle.”
“Isn’t that my call?” I challenged. “I have a lot of questions about my time at APA, and my uncle might be one of the only people who can answer some of them.”
“Or he could lie his ass off and manipulate you,” Jude reasoned. “He’s a bad guy, baby. Can you really blame us for wanting you as far away from him as possible?”
“I’m not a fragile little doll that needs to be wrapped in cotton,” I snapped before turning my attention back to Crew. “And I’m not a fan of you not letting me go when I need space.”
His mouth flattened. “I’m not a fan of my omega storming off when she’s pissed about something instead of talking it out like adults.”
My eyes rounded. “I’m sorry, but I think I missed the talking part of the conversation. I said I wanted to see my uncle and you flat out said no.” I met each of their gazes. “You all said no.”
Rhett cleared his throat, looking a little chastised. “Forgive us for not wanting to put you through any unnecessary stress, love. And seeing your uncle would absolutely stress you out.”
“Not to mention we’d have to go back to Montana,” Jude added softly. “Do you really want to go back?”
I shivered. “No. But I also don’t like you guys thinking you can just tell me what to do. Is this an alpha thing? Do you just expect me to obey because I’m an omega? Just stay in my nest and spread my legs for you when you need to get your knot off?”
Shit, that sounded petty and petulant even to me, but it was like my emotions had been hijacked by a raging case of PMS on steroids.
Did omegas get PMS? Or was it PHS—pre-heat syndrome?
Kellan reared back. “Of fucking course not.”
Crew’s hold on me loosened. “Do you really think that’s what we want?” He sounded so hurt, it broke my heart.
Jude and Rhett looked like I’d slapped them, and, to be fair, I wasn’t entirely sure where that outburst had come from.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I whispered, covering my face with my hands. “I don’t know why I said that. I know you guys aren’t like that… I really have no reason why I just went off like that.”
Crew was silent for a heavy moment. “Baby, you’re absolutely allowed to have your own opinions and life. None of us want to control you.” He looked stricken. “If you really want to speak with your uncle, we can try to make plans to make it happen.”
I shook my head, practically trembling now. It was like I’d been consumed by a rush of adrenaline and fury, and now it was gone, leaving me hollow and confused. “I don’t know what I want.”
Rhett crossed the deck and knelt in front of us. “You’re flushed, dove.”
“I got pretty upset,” I whispered.
He shook his head while pressing the inside of his wrist to my forehead. “You’re warm.”
“Heat spike?” Jude mused, coming closer.
I stared at my lap. “What the hell is wrong with me?” As soon as I started feeling halfway normal, my brain or my body was hijacked by uncontrollable emotions.
“Nothing,” Kellan snarled, grabbing my hand and crouching down. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“No? So being a raging bitch is a normal omega thing?” I scoffed.
Crew’s hand tightened around the back of my neck. “Don’t talk about yourself like that unless you want your ass to hurt when you sit for the foreseeable future.”
I swallowed and felt the heat roll through me. A dull throb settled between my legs as my scent thickened.
Great.
And now I was horny.
Freaking omega genetics.
Rhett stood, putting the bulge inside his pants at eye level.
My mouth watered as slick pooled in my panties. My clothes felt unbearably tight, and the fabric chafed my sensitive skin. I had the irrational urge to rip the clothes off and set them on fire.
I jolted as Crew’s phone rang, the shrill noise scraping my eardrums. I almost toppled off his lap trying to escape the noise, but my pack kept me from landing in a graceless heap on the deck.
“Easy, sugar,” Kellan warned, his dark eyes full of concern.
“It’s my dad,” Crew said, looking at his phone. He answered it with a clipped, “Yeah?”
The base of my skull ached as I felt my heart beat like a drumbeat. Even my eyes hurt. The sun was too bright, and I screwed my lids shut as I tipped into sensory overload.
It wasn’t until Crew said, “We’ll be right there,” that I realized something was going on.
I cracked an eye open to find my pack looking like they were at a total loss. Somehow their confusion made mine even worse, and a needy whine ripped free.
“Hazel, look at me,” Crew demanded, his sharp tone forcing me to do as he wanted.
For the first time, I was grateful for an alpha’s bark. It cut through all the static in my head and gave me an anchor in the storm.
“My dad needs us to get you back to the lab.”
“What’s wrong?” Rhett demanded.
Crew’s gaze cut to our pack. “Dr. Abernathy received the results of some of Hazel’s blood work. They need to see her.”
“Now?” Kellan straightened.
Crew’s expression was grim as he confirmed, “Now. Let’s go.”