Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
KAYLA
A n hour later, I’m still in the library. My fingers fumble against the pages of the Corvette manual, the musky scent of ink and oil fighting a losing battle against the relentless tide of sleep pulling me under. My eyelids droop, shutting out the overhead light.
The world blurs, then fades, and I drift off, telling myself I’ll close my eyes for a minute.
Dane’s face materializes from a swirling haze—his intense stare that sees right through me. Lips that hint at velvet. His hands are rough and calloused as he cups my cheek. I instinctively lean into his touch, a jolt shooting down my spine as the coarse stubble grazes my skin.
“Kayla,” he murmurs, sending delicious shivers down my spine. Slowly, he dips his head, and his lips meet mine. It starts softly, a tentative sensation full of a tenderness that feels so foreign in my fucked-up world. I kiss him back, fierce and demanding, my fingers tangling in his hair, drawing him closer, desperate to feel every inch of him pressed against me.
Now, Liam’s piercing green eyes hold me captive. There’s no tenderness in their depths, only a raw possessiveness that mirrors the wildfire igniting in my gut. He yanks me toward him, his mouth slamming into mine. This kiss is a brutal collision, a battle for dominance I don’t necessarily want to win. Not entirely.
A guttural moan escapes my lips, a sound of dark desires. His hand digs into the small of my back, pressing me into him with a possessive urgency. I feel every hard line of his body. I crave more—more heat, more pressure, more Liam. My hands instinctively roam across his solid chest. Our kiss consumes me, leaving me breathless and wanting more.
Then Ryker steps up. Smoke and leather, his scent, fills the air. Without warning, he rips me from Liam’s grasp, his touch possessive, bordering on painful. It’s a primal claim.
“Kayla,” he growls, the word a possessive rumble that has my pussy tightening in anticipation.
He pins me against the wall, his kiss a wildfire scorching through me. It isn’t gentle, it’s all-consuming, and I’m powerless against the desire. My body dissolves into a mess of heat, touch, and a primal hunger gnawing at my insides.
Just as I teeter on the edge, drowning in the desires they awakened, I gasp awake. My breath hitches, ragged and uneven, the dream clinging to me like cobwebs. Confusion wars with a strange sense of arousal as I sit up, my heart hammering against my ribs.
A chuckle, undeniably real in the quiet library, sends a flush crawling up my neck. Across the room, Liam leans against a bookshelf, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
“Wh-What are you doing here?” I stammer, wiping away the traitorous drool at the corner of my mouth.
“Watching over you,” he says casually, but there’s a glint in his eyes that suggests he knows exactly what my dream was about.
“Watching me sleep is creepy, you know,” I mutter while I tug at the hem of my shirt, suddenly self-conscious.
“Creepy? Maybe,” he admits with a shrug, but the amusement in his tone is unmistakable. “But you seemed... content. Didn’t want to disturb that. Besides, you look super cute in your sleep.”
“Right,” I say, pushing to my feet and steadying myself. I can still feel the ghostly press of lips against mine and the solid wall at my back, making my pussy throb from the memory.
I brush an escaped strand of my dark blonde hair off my forehead, trying to collect my scattered thoughts. “Wow, guess I was way more zonked than I realized.”
Liam lets out a low chuckle, the teasing edge impossible to miss. “Must’ve been one hell of a dream from the noises you were making.”
“Uh, I, uh....” My whole face heats.
He throws his head back and lets out a rich, throaty laugh that sends the most delicious shiver skating down my spine. It’s so infuriatingly attractive—the kind of laugh that could melt entire glaciers into puddles and me right along with them if I’m not careful.
Striding toward me with slow, deliberate movements, he stops close enough that I catch a wafting whiff of his warm, masculine scent, sending my senses into an insane, dizzying tizzy.
“Were you dreaming about me?” Liam asks, one eyebrow raised
I clamp my mouth shut in a tight line. No way am I discussing my dream with him, especially when he’s looking at me like he can see right through my clothes and into my deepest fantasies.
“Fine, fine,” he says with a playful shrug, though his eyes still hold that same intense glint. “Keep your secrets, Kayla. But hey, if you ever want to talk... or do anything else, you know where to find me.”
The way he says “anything else” so nonchalantly on the surface, his voice dropping into a husky rumble, sends a jolt straight through me. A reckless, needy part of me wants to jump right in, but past experiences have taught me the hard way that letting people get too close only leads to more heartbreak down the line. I’m so not lining up for another helping of those kind of brutal emotional scars. Thanks.
“Right. Uh, glad you were... keeping an eye on me and stuff,” I manage to say, trying and failing miserably to sound casual about the whole thing. The confused mess of desire and fear churning in my gut is making it seriously hard to form any kind of straight sentences right now.
“Anytime, Kayla,” he replies, that half-smile still in place. “I came here to ask if you wanted to play the video game with me again, but it’s late, and you’re obviously exhausted.”
“No, I’m fine.” I stifle a yawn, and he shakes his head.
“Raincheck on the game then,” Liam says, his voice a low rumble that seems to vibrate through the room. “You should get some sleep.”
I push up from the couch, my limbs heavy with the remnants of sleep and the aftereffects of my dream. The library is dimly lit, shadows stretching, and I blush at realizing his eyes are hooded.
“Come on, let’s get you tucked in.” His voice has an unexpectedly gentle tone that catches me off guard. It’s laced with a surprising tenderness I definitely wasn’t anticipating, and it makes my heart do a full-on stutter-step in my chest.
We walk side-by-side down the hallway in silence, the plush carpeting muffling our footsteps to a soft shush. A million different thoughts are ricocheting through my head in rapid fire, all tangled up with the lingering heat still thrumming through my veins from that vivid dream where we kissed.
Part of me is tempted to word-vomit everything, to spill all the raunchy, vivid details of the batshit crazy dream I just had. However, the other, more sensible part is utterly mortified that I even dreamed about him—about any of these Alpha hotties—in such an X-rated way.
Too soon, we reach my bedroom door, and I find myself wishing he wouldn’t take off so quickly. I clear my throat awkwardly.
“Thanks for... you know, not waking me up earlier.”
“Hey, no problem,” Liam responds. His piercing gaze is drilling straight into me in a way that makes it impossible for me to look away.
“You know,” Liam’s voice is serious now, “you’ve got nothing to be afraid of. We’re here for you. Nexus won’t lay a finger on you.”
“But how can you be so sure?” I swallow hard, fear knotting my throat. “If they find out I’m here, they’ll arrest you, Dane, and Ryker. They’ll... they’ll take me away.” And force me onto some Alpha who might want to fuck me.
Liam’s jaw tightens, the muscle ticking. He pushes off from the doorframe and steps closer, his presence overwhelming.
“You’re our Omega,” he says firmly. “Nobody else’s. You got that?”
His words send a thrill through me, paired with a shadow of fear I can’t quite shake. It’s too much, all this intensity, this claim over me.
“Kayla,” His nostrils flare, and his gaze drops to my lips for a brief second. “You smell amazing. Like... like something wild and sweet.”
I feel heat bloom across my cheeks, and I’m torn between wanting to step closer and run to the safety of my room. The scent of him—sandalwood and sea breeze—fills the space around us, grounding yet dizzying.
Abruptly, I stumble back, the proximity setting off alarm bells in my head. My heart hammers against my ribs, and I nearly trip over my own feet. Liam’s eyes flash with something unreadable, then, just as quickly, my body slams on the brakes.
Ugh, Omegas are supposed to be submissive, not skittish. Then, our conversation when we were playing the video game in his room flashes in my mind, and my face flushes. I clench my fists to keep the tears from burning the backs of my eyes.
“Good night, Kayla.” He bows his head.
I watch him turn to leave, feeling a tangle of emotions. Oh no, did I insult his pride? Hurt him? Omegas are warned from birth not to bruise the egos of Alphas. It’s like kicking a bear—it won’t end well.
Stepdouche proved time and again how true that is.
But Liam isn’t roaring in frustration or exerting dominance. He isn’t storming off with clenched fists. There’s no anger in his retreat, only a quiet resignation that leaves me reeling.
“Wait, Liam.” My hand shoots out like it has a mind of its own, grazing his elbow. A jolt runs through me, and a tingling sensation startles me… just like in the library with Dane.
What’s happening to me? Is this… Panic claws at my throat.
Liam halts, and before I can pull away, his fingers wrap around mine. They’re warm, strong, and alarmingly gentle. My breath catches, hitching in my chest as if it’s trapped there, refusing to escape.
His gaze pins me down, searching. I fear he might read my thoughts and see the chaos inside me. I half expect him to pull me in close, to demand answers, but he doesn’t. He just stands there, holding my hand between his strong, calloused palms, giving me the choice to either run or stay without pressure.
When I finally hiccup out a shaky breath but make no move to flee, Liam lifts my knuckles to his lips with heartbreakingly tender reverence. The whisper of his warm mouth against my skin is like a spark igniting fireworks, every nerve ending alight and hyperaware as he brushes lush kisses across my knuckles. It’s such an unexpectedly intimate gesture, leaving an unspoken promise shivering in the air between us.
“Good night, Kayla,” he whispers against my hand, his breath a ghost of warmth tickling my flesh. “We’ll continue our game… our quest through the diamond mountains after breakfast tomorrow.”
I want to pull back because this feels like it’s too much, too soon, but there’s something about how he says my name, like it’s a secret desire that pins me to the spot.
He releases my hand with a gentle squeeze. The absence of his touch leaves my skin tingling, aching for something I can’t quite put words to, a gnawing inner emptiness only his proximity seems to fill.
He whistles a carefree tune as he ambles down the hallway. My gaze tracks after him helplessly, eyes wide and disbelieving. He’s just... gone. Leaving me clutching the door frame for support, a hollow feeling settling in my gut.
A gust of cool air sweeps in through the open door, brushing across my overheated skin and bringing with it the crisp scents of rain and earth... and the faintest lingering hint of Liam’s woodsy cologne that makes my knees feel all wobbly.
“Damn it,” I mutter, free hand resting against my thumping heart as I try to process... well, everything. What on earth am I getting myself tangled up in here?
I can’t resist brushing my fingertips across my tingling lips. The phantom warmth of his kiss from my dream lingers. Goosebumps prickle my skin, and a strange warmth ignites low in my belly, and I wonder if it’s from the dream or something else.
Ryker
I ’ve been trying to stay away from Kayla after Nexus’ surprise visit, but fuck if I don’t find myself heading up the stairs toward her bedroom.
It’s like she has me wrapped around her little finger. This raw need gnaws at me, fierce and possessive, screaming that she belongs to me. Not a chance in hell I’m sharing. Not with Nexus or any other Alpha who thinks they can show up and claim what’s mine. Dane and Liam are the only exceptions—twisted fate tied us all up in this mess.
Rounding the corner, I find Liam strolling away from her room. Smug bastard’s whistling some damn tune, a cocky swagger in his step. Jealousy flares in my chest, hot and fast. I shove it down.
“Everything alright with Kayla?” My voice comes out rough.
“Easy, Casanova.” He smirks. “Just checking on our girl.”
Our girl . Something inside me clicks into place that he’s known all along the truth of her being ours, even though I fought so hard to resist in the beginning. I nod in response.
“Then you won’t mind if I see for myself.”
“Ryker.” Liam’s voice cuts through my damn train of thought. “We gotta talk.”
Pissed as hell at the interruption, but Liam’s tone sounds serious. So we head back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Spit it out,” I grunt. Opening the fridge, I grab two beers and hand him one. The hiss of the cap is the only sound for a moment.
Liam opens his beer, then takes a swig, eyes narrowed on me.
“What’s the plan? Nexus ain’t gonna give up on Kayla easily. We gonna finish this bounty hunt or what?” he says, like he knows exactly what I’m going to say, the smug bastard.
Kayla’s face flashes in my mind—fear, defiance, the way she makes my blood run hot. The idea of her being with anyone but us feels like a fucking sucker punch to my gut.
“Shit,” I sigh, the word heavy. “She’s ours. Our goddamn Omega.” Saying it feels like a confession, sacred and terrifying. Never thought I’d be tied down, not really. But here it is, the truth laid bare between us.
“Damn right she is.” Liam’s agreement is gruff. He casually leans back against the counter. He’s known all along, which pisses me off even more.
“Didn’t believe in this mate-bond crap.” A humorless laugh escapes me, my head shaking in disbelief. Part of me wants to fight it, rebel against the whole damn idea of being chained down, but another, deeper part knows it’s a losing battle.
“Better get used to it, brother.” Liam clinks his bottle against mine in a silent toast. “You, me, Dane… we’re in this mess together now.”
Half of me wants to rage and break something just to feel in control. Instead, I take another swig of beer, the cold doing nothing to cool the fire Kayla’s lit inside me.
“Speaking of messes,” Liam starts, his tone turning serious, “there’s another problem. A big one.”
I stiffen, my grip tightening around the beer bottle. “Shit. What?”
“Something I found out a few nights back,” he says. There’s a hesitation in his voice that doesn’t sit right with me. “Talked it over with Dane.”
“What the fuck?” I growl. Trust between Alphas is everything, and secrets are like knives in my back.
He raises his hands in a placating gesture, but his eyes are sharp as if ready for a fight.
“You were hell-bent on cashing in that bounty. Didn’t seem like the right time to throw more fuel into the fire.”
“Fine. Spill.” My words are clipped. I don’t have the patience for games, not with this gnawing sense of possession eating at my insides.
“Ah, fuck it,” he mutters, then takes a deep breath. “I got her to open up about her past. Why she’s so skittish sometimes... It’s not pretty.”
I set my beer down, my hands curling into fists.
Liam’s gaze meets mine, steady and unblinking. “She didn’t give me details but didn’t need to. I can read between the lines. Her stepdad tried to take advantage of her, but she fought him.”
“Fuck! What’s his name?” I’ll gut him for even thinking about touching her.
“We’ve got to think about Kayla.”
“I want to tear him apart with my bare hands,” I snarl, feeling the beast within me gnashing against its chains.
“Listen to me,” Liam states, his tone low and firm. “Acting on this rage will only scare her more. She needs stability, Alphas she can trust. Not more violence.”
“She’ll never be safe, knowing that scum is out there breathing.”
“Ryker, we need to be strategic.” Liam’s eyes are hard, but I see the worry there, too. “We protect her first. We can deal with her stepfather later.”
“Later? When? After he tries to find her to finish whatever the hell he tried to start?” Each word is a growl, my instincts screaming for action.
“We make damn sure he doesn’t get that chance. We keep her close, earn her trust. Show her we can protect her.”
The fury simmers under my skin like hot coals, the idea of waiting to exact vengeance grating against everything I am. But Liam’s right. Kayla’s safety comes first. My need for retribution has to wait.
“Fine,” I grind out, the word barely squeezing past the tension locked in my jaw. “But the moment?—”
“I know,” Liam cuts in, understanding flashing in his eyes. “The moment it’s time, we’ll back you. Every step of the way. He won’t know what hit him.”
“Fucking right.” I can’t stop the burning need in me to protect what’s mine.
“Ryker, there’s something else,” Liam says, his voice dropping an octave, a clear sign he’s about to spill some serious shit.
I narrow my eyes at him. “What?”
“Kayla’s perfuming is growing stronger,” he starts, and I can already feel the tension ratchet up a notch inside me. “Tonight, I found her in the library, asleep.”
“And?” I’m on edge, every muscle coiled tight like a spring.
Liam runs a hand through his blond hair. “She was having a dream... a sex one. The moans, the way she moved… Fuck, Ryker, her scent was intoxicating. It took everything in me not to claim her right then and there.”
A primal possessiveness roars through me. I want to brand her, to etch a claim on that creamy skin, to be the only one who gets to coax those breathless sounds from her lips.
“Did you fucking touch her?” My voice comes out a low growl laced with barely contained aggression.
“No.” He holds my gaze steadily. “But it’s getting harder to resist. And not just for me. All of us. Her stepfather is a threat, sure, but right now, we’re the ones closing in on her, whether she’s ready or not.”
“Shit.” The image of Kayla writhing in her sleep is branded into my mind. “We gotta keep it together. For her.”
“Exactly.” Liam drinks his beer. “We’ve got to tread carefully, or we’ll end up pushing her away. Especially after what she’s gone through.”
The silence stretches between us, filled with the unspoken understanding of our predicament. I’m caught in the eye of a storm, pulled between the need to protect, to possess, and to pacify.
“Anything happens to her...” My voice trails off as the promise hangs heavy in the air.
“We won’t let it,” Liam confirms.
I nod, trying to tamp down the turmoil churning inside me, but as I head back toward the hallway, my thoughts are a snarled mess. Kayla’s in danger from her past and probably sees us as threats, too. We just have to prove to her we aren’t like her asshole stepdad. That she can trust us. Let her lead.
“Fuck.” There’s no turning back now. Kayla is ours.
And I’m hers, and hell help anyone who tries to hurt what’s mine.