Chapter 32 #2
Declan is still on the floor. Knox is crouching. Rhys has turned from his station, removing his headphones, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene.
“I’m itchy and you’re too polite.” My voice shakes despite the strength I put in it. “I hate it.”
Declan blinks, looking stunned. “We’re…polite?”
“You’re giving me time.” I scratch at my neck again, the itch flaring hot, making me want to peel my own skin off. “I want you to stop. Stop treating me like we’re roommates.”
The air in the room changes pressure. It gets heavier. Thicker.
Rhys stands up slowly. He sees me on the floor. He sees Eli, still unzipped, chest heaving, hair messed up.
Knox moves. He crawls toward me, and crowds me against the leg of a table.
“We aren’t roommates,” Knox growls.
“Then prove it.”
Eli pushes his chair back. He stands up, fixing his pants but not bothering to button them.
He rounds the desk, and now I’m trapped.
Knox in front of me, Declan on my right, Eli towering over me, and Rhys has moved to block the door.
The room is saturated with the sudden spike of alpha scents, all sharp, all filled with adrenaline and arousal.
Eli looks down at me. One defiant omega huddled on the rug, surrounded by giants.
“What is happening?” Rhys asks, his voice low and dangerous.
“She says we’re too polite,” Knox says, not looking away from me.
“She’s clawing at her neck again,” Declan adds, his voice tight. “She’s tearing her own skin apart.”
Eli’s eyes narrow. He drops to his knees, joining us on the floor. The impact vibrates through the rug. He crawls closer until he’s right in my face, reaching out to grip my chin. He tilts my head to the side, inspecting the angry, raw lines where my nails have dug in.
“You’re bleeding,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing the spot. A jolt of electricity zings down my spine at the contact. “Fuck. We shouldn’t have waited so long.”
“We thought we were giving you time,” Rhys says, stepping closer, his voice rough with regret. “We didn’t want to rush the bond.”
“I don’t want time,” I say, my voice trembling, tears pricking my eyes. “I want to know I’m not going anywhere. I want to know you’re keeping me.”
I trail off, the request stuck in my throat. It’s huge. It’s forever.
“Say it,” Rhys demands, his eyes burning. “Tell us what you want, Mia.”
I swallow hard. “I want you to mark me,” I whisper. “I want you to bite me.”
A collective growl vibrates through the room, a low, animal sound that seems to come from all of them at once.
“Not just one,” I add quickly, looking between them, desperate for them to understand. “All of you. I want all of you.”
Knox lets out a broken sound. “Fuck. Yes.”
Eli grips my chin tighter. “You know what that means? It’s permanent. It scars. You will never be able to hide who you belong to.”
“Good,” I say, leaning into his hand. “I want the scars. I want everyone to know.”
Eli’s control snaps.
“Done. Knox,” he barks. “First.”
Knox lunges. There is no finesse. He grabs me, hauling me against his chest as he rips the collar of his sweatshirt down, the fabric tearing with a sharp rip that is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Mine,” Knox snarls, looming over me.
He buries his face in the crook of my neck, right over the itch, and inhales. Then he opens his mouth.
Pain blooms as his teeth sink in and I scream, my whole body shuddering with relief. There’s a sudden, overwhelming rush of heat. It floods my chest, mixing with my own until I’m filled with pure, raw Knox.
He drinks, just a little, then licks the wound, sealing it with his saliva.
When he pulls back, he looks ruined. Beautiful.
“You’re finally mine,” he chokes out.
“Next,” Rhys growls, shoving Knox aside.
He’s rougher. He grabs my hair, his pupils swallowing the iris as he yanks my head to the side to expose the other side of my neck. “You wanted this, sweetheart?” he whispers against my skin. “You got it.”
He bites down. Hard.
The world goes white.
I sob, clutching his shirt, as his claim burns itself into my nervous system. His darkness bleeds into me, his fierce protection, his absolute need to keep me safe. It settles in my bones like a heavy blanketed hug.
Two down.
I’m floating. I’m bleeding. I’m perfect.
Rhys pulls back, breathing hard, blood on his lip. He looks at the mark he made, dark and angry against my skin, and smiles.
Declan reaches for me, but Eli shakes his head.
“Not here,” Eli says, his voice cutting through the haze. He looks around the office, at the wires, the screens, the chaos of the work they were doing. “Me and you Dek, upstairs. In the nest.”
Through hazy eyes, I can see Declan vibrating with impatience. His gaze is locked on the pulse fluttering in my throat, his throat moving.
“Get her upstairs.” His voice pitches a low, dangerous warning. “Before I take her right here on the floor.”
Eli nods as he reaches down and scoops me up in his arms, ignoring the blood on my neck that smears onto his crisp white shirt. I wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in the scent of oats and blood and promise. Finally.