Chapter 10
Addison
My body is deliciously sore, every inch of it feels like jelly.
A smile slips across my lips as I stretch. I feel like I’ve had the best sleep of my life.
Blinking my eyes open, I stare up at the ceiling, the smile falling off my face. Tilting my head back, I look at the empty wall. Where is the anime poster of You and I Are Polar Opposites that I have pinned above my bed?
The sound of a deep snore makes my body tense up.
What the fuck is that?
Inhaling a few deep breaths, two scents hit me at once: cardamom honey and cinnamon sandalwood. The smells make my thighs clench shut.
Everything comes flooding back to me at once. I slap my hand across my mouth, stifling a gasp.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Please tell me it was all a dream and I didn’t really just spend the last god knows how many days going through my heat with two guys that I just met. Pleaseeeee.
Slowly, my head turns to the side, and I swallow down a whine when I see a very sexy Alpha sleeping next to me. I turn my head the other way and see another.
Yup. They’re real. That really did just happen.
My eyes go comically wide. Oh fuck. Oh shit.
As carefully as I can, I peel myself out of bed, trying not to wake the Alphas up. When my feet hit the ground, I run for the bathroom.
“Oh shit,” I whisper, eyes locked on the two fresh bite marks on my neck.
I’m bonded. I’m motherfucking bonded.
I start to pace the bathroom, fanning myself as my body breaks into nervous sweats.
“Breathe, Addie, just breathe. Now is not the time for a mental breakdown.”
Oh god. I’m mated. These guys are my Alphas. Not just any Alphas, my scent matches.
Part of me is thrilled, because hello? Scent matches! The other part of me is losing it.
What about Waffles, Grim, and Death? Do I just abandon the feelings I have for them?
Because let me tell you, it doesn’t work like that. I can’t just erase all our years away.
“They’re not real, Addie. The Alphas in the next room are.” Okay, so they are real, just more or less an online fantasy.
Still, I have no idea who those guys in the next room are, other than their names. Carson and Reid. And the fact that they have killer bodies and are amazing in bed.
My thighs clench again, remembering how they felt buried inside me.
I stare down at my traitorous pussy. “Really, bitch? We just got railed every which way to Sunday, and you want more? God, you really are greedy.”
I should wake the guys up, talk about this, get to know them, and see what this means.
As I said, I should, but is that what I’m going to do? Nope. I’m freaking the fuck out, and I feel like the walls are closing in on me. I can’t breathe.
Rushing back into the room, I search frantically for my dress. I find it on the floor near the desk. Grabbing it, I slip it on and begin scanning the floor for my shoes when I remember I didn't wear any. Okay, now where is my phone? I need my phone.
I spot it on the desk and snatch it up, as well as my purse that’s lying next to it.
I’m about to dart for the door when I pause. I can’t just leave, right? What if they wake up and worry, or think I’m rejecting them? I’m not. I don’t think I could.
I just need time to think before I go crazy.
Instead, I grab the pen and notepad sitting on top of the desk, and write out a quick note.
Hey. Sorry, I just left without a word. The time we had was amazing, thank you for helping me with my heat.
As you can guess, I’m freaking out. I don’t regret what we did, I just need time to process everything.
I don’t have your phone numbers, but I’m leaving you mine.
Give me a few days before you text. I promise we can talk about this soon. Just... sorry.
I’m nearly in tears as I slip out of the hotel room, leaving my scent matches behind.
By the time I get to the lobby, there’s a gnawing pain in my chest.
I want to go back, to never leave them, and that scares the shit out of me. I just met them, I don’t know their last names, where they live, or anything about them. I shouldn’t feel this consumed by my feelings for them. This whole scent match thing is too much for me to deal with right now.
I go to order an Uber and groan when I see the insane number of notifications.
Most are for messages from my mother. I ignore them all and order an Uber. After that, I text Cae, so she knows I’m fine. I tell her I went into heat during an event and rode it out alone in a hotel.
I hate lying to her. I want to tell her everything, but I don’t know how I feel about all of this yet.
The app says my driver is two minutes away, so I sit on a bench by the front door and wait.
People walk by, casting me glances. I want to crawl into a hole and hide right now. I’ve got to look like a hot mess. I’m pretty sure I’m covered in dry cum, my hair is a mess, and my makeup is running. Although I’m not totally sure, since I didn’t get a good look at anything but the bite marks.
My hand reaches up, covering the tender skin. “Why me?” I groan, hanging my head.
The Uber arrives, and I’m quick to get in.
The whole two-hour ride home, all I can think about is Carson and Reid. By the time we’re pulling up to my house, I’m in tears, a mess. I want to go back, to wake them up, to talk to them. I miss their smell, their warmth.
What if I never see them again? What if they hate me for leaving and they never text me?
You’re so stupid, Addie. So damn stupid.
Tears spill down my cheeks as I walk into the house.
I managed to listen to a few of my mother’s voicemails in the car. She left for her work trip, but she made it very clear that she’s furious with me. She also informed me that the asshole Alphas she tried to force on me have rescinded their request to court me.
Thank fuck. That saves me the trouble of turning them down.
Apparently, she plans to find me another pack when she gets back, and if I fuck it up, I’m gone.
Well, fuck you, mother, because that’s not happening. I’m not sure what's going to happen with Carson, Reid, and me, but I sure as hell know that other packs are not going to want me if I’m already mated.
That's good though. It’s what I wanted, right?
At the very least, I would have liked to get to know them properly, but I fucked that up by running like a coward.
With heavy shoulders, I trudge toward the stairs, intending to go to my room, shower, then bury myself in my blankets and pillows to wallow in peace. I really need to make myself a nest. If I clean out my closet, it should work.
“You’re back.”
My head snaps to the side, finding Damien standing a few feet away. By the look on his face and the way his nostrils flare, he sees what’s on my neck and can smell the evidence of what I’ve done.
As if this day can’t get any worse, my stepbrother just caught me doing the ultimate walk of shame. Fuck my life.
––––––––
Damien
I can feel my social battery starting to drain. The only reason I’m here is because my father asked me to be. I’d much rather be at home gaming, working out, or practicing.
I’ve been here for two hours and have talked to over a dozen people. If you asked what any of the conversations were about, I couldn’t tell you.
My mind has been elsewhere all night, more specifically on a pink-haired stepsister in that killer black dress.
When I saw her before the event, I was seconds from pulling her into the nearest room, pinning her to the wall, and fucking her against it until she was screaming my name and creaming on my cock.
Like an idiot, I let her go with those Alphas. Seeing that Clifford motherfucker with his hands all over her, holding her to him like he fucking owned her, had me nearly committing murder.
As much as it pissed me off to see, it also reminded me to smarten the fuck up.
I’m not sure how this is going to work since she’s my stepsister and I’m playing in the KP, but I’m planning to tell her everything when we get home tonight.
I’m telling her that I’m in love with her, and have been for years.
That she’s my scent match, and I’m one of the three guys she’s been playing with online.
As soon as she smells my scent, I know she won’t be able to resist our bond. Maybe that's a little manipulative, but I can’t risk losing her. She needs to know before those assholes try to mark her and make her their Omega.
Fuck that. She’s mine. My woman. My Omega. My fucking mate.
“Hey, I’m gonna go find Addie,” I tell my dad.
He looks away from the guy he’s been talking to and nods.
I search the room, but her pink hair isn’t anywhere to be seen. When I think about it, I realize I haven’t seen her in a while.
I look around the main lobby and freeze when I see Cilfford, Benedict, and Elton near the back door. They’re with an Omega, but it’s not Addie. It’s some redhead who’s laughing way too loud and smiling at these guys like they’re prized Alphas.
They’re here with another Omega. An Omega they think they’re courting, yet they're flirting with another woman?
What fucking pieces of shit. If I weren’t so happy about the fact that they don’t actually seem interested in Addie, I’d kick their asses.
So if they’re here, where the hell is Addie?
I check the back garden, but don’t find her there, so I head back into the main room and scan it, looking for her pink hair. Again, not there.
I’m about to check the ladies' room when a woman with black hair steps out. “Nina.” I cock my head to the side. “What are you doing here?”
“Damien.” She smiles. “I’m here because my family made me tag along.
What are you doing here?” Nina is a teammate’s little sister, and I know her well enough.
I know she has a big crush on Dean, something the dumbass hasn’t realized yet.
Neither has Nina’s brother, and I think that's for the best, or I think he’d kill Dean.
“Pretty much the same reason,” I chuckle. “You wouldn’t have happened to see a woman, pink hair, about your height, would you?”
“Do you mean Addie? Yeah, I saw her leave. Maybe, five minutes ago.”