Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
LIAM
E yes feeling like they’re stuffed with sand, I watch Kayla’s sleeping, her chest rising and falling with each soft breath. The scent of vanilla and jasmine clings to the air, a reminder of the wildfire she ignites within us. I’ve never been so exhausted even after an all-night marathon gaming session.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, rubbing a hand down my face, the stubble scratching against my palm. She’s been riding us hard, her heat relentless. Every time we think it’s fading, she pulls us back in, an endless cycle of craving and release. But hell if I’d let another Alpha step in; she’s ours—mine.
Kayla’s peaceful in sleep, her blonde hair a curtain around her face. Beautiful inside and out. And that she’s grown to trust us enough to share her heat, leaves me wanting to never let her down.
If I thought I could handle plunging into her depths once more without keeling over, I’d be between those silken thighs in a heartbeat, consequences be damned.
Dane and Ryker are out cold, bodies splayed across her nest like casualties of war—which isn’t far from the truth. They’ve succumbed to exhaustion, but not me. I’m willing myself to stay awake. Every fiber strung tight, coiled and ready to spring into action the second her eyes flutter open.
Despite my exhaustion, the need to claim her again simmers under my skin.
As though sensing I’m watching her, she stirs. My lips curl into a lazy smile as her dark blue eyes blink open, innocence clashing with the hunger we’ve stoked.
“What time is it?” she rasps.
“No fucking clue,” I say, handing her a bottle of water. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” She takes a big gulp, her cheeks pink. “Not as hot or desperate as before.”
“Good.” Relief floods through me. “Cause I swear you were trying to put us all in the hospital.”
Her blush deepens and I reach out, clasping her hand. A thrill ripples through me when she doesn’t shrink away, but rather squeezes back.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Stop. This is what Alphas desire to do…take care of our Omega…of you.” I shake my head, thumb tracing circles on her palm. “Are you hungry? Got some leftover pizza.”
“Maybe later.” She drinks more water, her gaze drifting to Dane and Ryker. “Have we heard back from Charlie? On the registration?”
“Fuck if I know.” My neck tenses at the thought. Of the nightmare of Nexus taking her from us. “We’ve been a bit too busy for text or phone calls.”
“Sorry.” Her apology is a whisper, unnecessary and yet so very Kayla.
“Hey, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be, no one else we’d rather be with. You’re our Omega, Kayla. Nexus and their paperwork can go to hell.”
She looks up at me, and there’s something like wonder in her eyes—a contrast to the defiance I’m used to seeing. Tugging on her hand, I pull her into my embrace. “Whatever happens, Kayla, I will fight for you, for us.”
A knot of doubt binds my guts, though. The paperwork for Kayla’s registration is a tangled fucking mess. If it were as simple as hiring some hotshot lawyer to handle the red tape, every Alpha with a bad intention would’ve snatched up an Omega by now. But the bastards at Nexus, they know how to play their game—twisting the rules into a labyrinth no sane man can navigate without their guiding, controlling hand.
Some Alphas get through ‘cause they’ve got the cash and the clout. Not us. We played our cards close, but we lied to Nexus officials. That’s a gamble that could cost us everything—cost us Kayla. And even with a goddamn lawyer, there are loopholes only Nexus knows how to exploit. I’ve seen those Nexus fucks intimidate and bribe their way to get what they want, crushing anyone who pisses them off under their heel.
Fuck. I don’t need to unload this heavy shit on Kayla—not when she’s still recovering, nestled against me like she belongs here.
“Get some rest, Kayla,” I say, rubbing her back. “We’ll check with Dane and Ryker about Charlie later.”
She nods, her body relaxing further into mine. Her trust is a fragile thing—a treasure in this fucked-up world. I’ll protect it with everything I am.
I just hope, for once, fate is on our side. I want to be that guy, roaring from the rooftops that Kayla is ours. To flaunt her in the sun, see her dressed up at a Cosplay, her eyes sparkling with mischief and joy. I want the ocean breeze to tangle in her hair as she laughs, and to taste the sugar on her lips atop a Ferris wheel while the world fades away.
For that, I’d wage war against Nexus and all its might. Because she’s not just an Omega; she’s Kayla—our fated mate, our defiant dream in a world that’s tried to break her.
Kayla’s breathing is even and soft. My chest tightens with a fierce protectiveness—she’s ours.
My mind races—strategizing, planning for every conceivable threat—just like when I’m playing a video game. But this time, I’m playing for our future.
No matter what Nexus throws at us, we’ll face it together.
I kiss her forehead and I hold onto the one truth—Kayla, our Omega, our everything.
Dane
J agged sunlight slices through the drapes, prying my eyes open. Groaning, I shift in the tangled blankets, my neck stiff from sleeping on a pile of pillows that smell like Kayla—vanilla and jasmine, the scent of last night’s sex marathon still thick in the air.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself, roughly wiping sleep from my eyes. The distant rumble of morning traffic tells me it’s not as early as it feels.
It’s been days since her heat began, and our window to secure her safety with every sunrise narrows.
I reach for my phone on the makeshift nightstand—a stack of leather-bound books about wars I’ve seen firsthand. The screen flashes a low battery warning at me, casting a pale blue light across my face.
“Come on,” I urge it, frantically thumbing my way to the messages. There’s one from Charlie, time-stamped from hours ago. I blink, making sure I’m reading his words right.
All clear. Registration complete.
“Fuck yes!” I whoop.
“Jesus, Dane,” comes a groggy , disgruntled groan from somewhere beneath a mound of pillows. I don’t need to see Ryker’s face to know he’s scowling.
“Sorry, man,” I chuckle, even as the weight lifts off my chest, making it easier to breathe. “But you’ll want to hear this.”
“I swear if this is a new damn recipe,” Liam warns, “I’ll roast you in the oven myself.”
But Kayla, with her sex-tousled hair, gives me a sleepy yet dazzling smile.
“Got some good news...you’re ours, Kayla. Officially. Charlie got the registration to go through.”
Her mouth hangs open, then she shakes her head like she can’t believe it. “Are you sure?”
“Yup. Went through a few hours ago.” Though a Nexus official still needed to sign off on it for certification, it meant that we no longer had to keep her hidden.
Liam pulls Kayla up with him, then hugs her, twirling her around. Her laughter fills the library. “You’re ours, Kayla, Just like I told you from the beginning. From when I first saw you, I knew you were our Omega.”
When he puts her down, he presses a passionate kiss to her lips, then Ryker steps in, claiming her mouth with his own. Not wanting to be left out, I tug her away from Ryker by her elbow and capture her luscious lips in a long, deep kiss. Inhaling her heavenly scent, I savor her taste.
All of me aches to lay her down and make slow, sweet love to her. But I know she’s got to be starving and weak from so little sleep and only eating what we could make her.
Reluctantly, I tear myself away from her tempting lips. “Hey, how about we go celebrate? There’s this fantastic brunch place downtown I know.”
“Awesome.” She beams. “Cause I am really hungry and tired. But can we have a coffee here first? I need the caffeine.”
“It’s settled then.” I lightly squeeze her hand, marveling at how perfectly it fits in mine. “Coffee then a shower and we’re out.”
“You know, I haven’t we haven’t had sex in the shower yet.” Liam lifts an eyebrow suggestively.
“I need coffee pronto before I pass out again.” Kayla snatches up a pair of underwear and shimmies into them, covering that gorgeous pussy I ache to worship. “I need that coffee pronto before I collapse.” She flashes us a playful wink. “Then maybe a quick round before we head out. God, I can’t wait to get out of here. I mean, I love this place, it feels like home.”
Ryker pulls on his jeans, going commando. “No worries, we understand.”
After dressing, we hurriedly head downstairs to the kitchen. I brew us all a steaming cup of rich, aromatic coffee, the heady scent filling the room, but not quite masking Kayla’s alluring scent.
“Wait until you taste the quiche?—”
A thunderous pounding on the side door that connects to the kitchen cuts off my words, sending a jolt of dread through me.
“Who the hell...” Ryker strides to the door, his body tense and ready for a fight.
Before he even opens the door a knot of apprehension forms in my throat, like the ones I used to get during war when the enemy would ambush us or lob a live grenade into our camp.
As Ryker yanks open the door, two men shove him back hard, barging into the kitchen.
“There she is, the missing Omega!” It’s the weasel-faced asshole from the other day at the parking lot and one of the three that came to the mansion searching for Kayla.
I instantly step in front of her, positioning myself as a shield between her and the potential threat. Liam is beside me in a heartbeat, his body tensed and ready.
“Get her,” the weasel-faced leader shouts. “And arrest these three assholes.”
“Fucking pricks!” Ryker raises his fists, eyes blazing with fury. “She’s ours. Registered.”
“Bullshit. You’ve had her here this whole time, haven’t you? That’s why you three stopped looking for the Omegas.” His lip pulls up into a snarl. “Whatever you think you have, it’s null and void.”
“Fuck you,” I snap back, my protective instincts flaring.
The three men circle us, but I welcome the challenge. Easy odds. I could take two of them, three if I had to.
“Guys, I don’t want you hurt because of me,” Kayla whispers, her voice trembling slightly.
“Then come with us, Omega,” the weasel-faced leader says, and I want to punch that smug look off his face.
“Never gonna happen.” Ryker’s shoulders hunch, his hands curled into fists.
The weasel takes a step closer to me, invading my personal space.
“Back the hell off,” I growl, my voice low and threatening.
From the side, one of the Nexus goons lunges at me, but I sidestep him, my fist connecting with his jaw in a satisfying crunch.
“Kayla, stay behind us,” Liam’s order is sharp as he parries another attacker, his movements precise and lethal.
“Touch her, and you’re dead.” Ryker disables the third man with a swift, powerful kick to the knee.
The guy lets out a whining scream, falling on the kitchen floor, and cradling his knee to his chest.
But suddenly, sirens sound in the distance, growing louder by the second. And in my gut, I know they’re here for Kayla.
“Get her out of here,” I yell. “I’ll take these three.”
“You think you got the balls to—” I karate chop the guy in the throat, then spin-kick their leader square in the chest, knocking him on his ass.
“Go!” I elbow the third guy in the nose when he takes a wide swing at me.
“I-I can’t leave you.” The pain in her words guts me.
“Get…her…out of here,” I say as I throat punch the weasel, then slam my fist into another’s solar plexus.
“We have to go, Kayla,” Ryker says, and I know he and Liam are trying to coax her away, even without having to look at them.
Police cars skid to a stop in our driveway, and cops spill out, flooding the kitchen, guns raised.
“Police!”
“Shit,” I curse, after landing one more punch. I hold my hands up in surrender.
Then a swarm of Nexus vans arrives, and men and women in suits pour in like they’re at some kind of business convention.
Nexus must be here because they know Kayla’s registration went through without their approval. They’re gonna try and invalidate it and take her from us.
Hell no. The thought of them ripping Kayla away and giving her to some other Alpha? Fuck that. The idea of another man touching her, claiming her, has me wanting to tear their limbs off.
They’ll have to kill me before I let them take her.