31
Zephyr
I stared into the empty cupboards, a growl of frustration rumbling in my chest.
Why the hell was there no bloody booze in this godforsaken house? Two days in this hellhole, and I was on the edge of losing it.
I paced the kitchen like a caged animal, desperately searching for anything to numb the senses that were being tortured by the tantalizing scent wafting down from upstairs.
Her scent.
The one that made my blood boil and my skin prickle.
I was slowly losing my grip, the sweet, mouthwatering aroma of Phoenix making me ache in ways I couldn’t ignore.
And those noises—every whimper, every moan, every scream that echoed through the walls—it was all too much.
I felt like I was suffocating, and the storm outside wasn’t doing anything to help.
I slammed another cupboard shut, my patience fraying.
I would have done anything to escape the madness.
I even considered braving the storm just to get away from the relentless assault on my senses.
The thought of heading out there seemed like a viable option compared to this torture.
I was so lost in my own frustration that I barely noticed Kage coming in, drenched in sweat.
His face was set in a grim expression as he caught sight of me.
“What?”
I snapped, not in the mood for more complications.
He rubbed a hand over his face, clearly exhausted. “She’s asking for you, man.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My body went rigid, every instinct screaming at me to go to her. My Alpha wanted to run up those stairs and claim her, to take away her pain. But my mind—my damned mind—held me back. I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t.
“No,”
I growled through gritted teeth. “I’m not going up there.”
Kage’s expression softened, but his resolve was unwavering. “Zeph, she’s in pain. She needs you.”
“She doesn’t need me,”
I snapped, anger and bitterness lacing my voice. “She’s got you and Parker. She doesn’t need anything from me.”
Kage stepped closer. “It’s not about us. She asked for you.”
My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles white with the effort to stay put. The internal battle was brutal. Part of me wanted to go to her, to make things right, but the other part of me was still raw from her betrayal.
“She’s been lying to me this whole time,”
I said. “I’m not doing it.”
Kage’s face hardened. “I get it, alright? You’re pissed. But this isn’t about you. It’s about her. She’s hurting, Zeph. If you’re not going up there… at least let her have something of yours.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your scent,”
Kage said, nodding toward my shirt. “She needs your scent in the nest. It’ll help her. Just… give me your shirt.”
I wanted to argue, to fight against it. I hated the idea of giving him something of mine to take to her, but the thought of her suffering was even worse. My Alpha roared in protest at the idea of leaving her in pain, and I felt torn.
With a frustrated growl, I yanked off my shirt and shoved it into Kage’s hands. “Fine. Take it. But don’t expect me to go up there.”
Kage nodded, not pushing any further. “Thanks.”
As he headed up the stairs with my shirt, I sank into a chair and buried my face in my hands. The pressure in my chest was unbearable. I was a bundle of raw nerves, caught between rage and confusion. The image of Phoenix, broken and hurting, played over and over in my mind, tearing at me.
I slammed my fist down onto the table, the pain in my hand a distraction from the emotional agony. Why couldn’t I just let it go? Why did she still have this power over me?
God help me, but I wanted to go to her. I still wanted her, despite everything.
It was killing me to stay away.
◆◆◆
I had been stuck here for five days. The storm had ended two days ago, and I could have left, but every time I opened the front door, something invisible kept me from stepping outside. The tension in the house was suffocating, and I was barely keeping myself together.
I’d been preparing food and leaving it for one of my packmates to grab and take up to Phoenix, but deep down, I knew they could have done that without me. I didn’t need to be here. I didn’t need to be part of this mess. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave.
Sitting on the couch with the TV blaring, I tried to lose myself in the distraction of a late-night show. The noise should have been enough, but nothing could drown out the constant reminders of her. Every now and then, a scent would drift through the air, making me grit my teeth in frustration.
I was lost in thought when the sweet, heady scent of vanilla and honey became overpowering, too close, too strong. My heart leaped into my throat as I looked up to see Phoenix standing at the bottom of the stairs. She looked fragile, her eyes red-rimmed and her face pale.
My first instinct was to tell her to go away. “Phoenix,”
I started, my voice harsher than I intended, “what are you doing here? Go back upstairs.”
But she didn’t stop. She walked toward me with an unsteady gait, each step filled with the weight of her pain and my hesitation. There was a tension between us that was almost physical. I could see the hurt in her eyes, feel it radiating from her. It was like a dagger to my chest, twisting and turning.
My inner turmoil was fierce, a battle between my instincts as an Alpha and the feelings of betrayal that clouded my mind. I wanted to stay angry, to push her away, but my Alpha’s need for her was far stronger than my will to resist.
“Bloody hell, Princess,”
I muttered under my breath as she reached me, her eyes meeting mine with a pleading look. Before I could fully process what was happening, she wrapped her legs around me and nuzzled into my neck, her body trembling against mine. The softness of her touch, the warmth of her body, and the scent of her mixed with my own made it impossible for me to maintain any distance.
I was trapped between the need to push her away and the undeniable pull that made my heart ache. The soft sounds she made, her desperate attempt to find comfort in my scent, were enough to crack my resolve. With a sigh of defeat, I scooped her up, feeling the weight of her trust and vulnerability in my arms.
“Alright,”
I said, more to myself than to her. “Come on.”
I carried her up the stairs, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I entered the room where Parker and Kage were passed out and set Phoenix down gently in the nest, careful not to wake them.
She clung to me, and I could feel the deep, raw need in her.
“Zeph,”
she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please…”
I didn’t need her to beg. In one swift motion, I was on the mattress, my large frame hovering over hers. My hands were gentle as I traced the curve of her body.
“You’re so beautiful like this, Princess.”
My eyes never left hers as my hand slid between her legs, my fingers brushing against the sensitive flesh there. She gasped, her body jerking at the contact. “So ready for me already.”
Her breath hitched as my fingers teased her, dipping ever so slightly into her slick folds. She whimpered. “More, Zeph… I need more.”
I smirked. “Patience, Omega. I’m not done yet.”
My fingers pressed deeper, sliding inside her with ease. I stretched her out and she moaned, her head falling back against the pillows. My fingers moved in slow, deliberate strokes.
“That’s it,”
I coaxed, my voice a low rumble.
She was panting now, her body writhing beneath me. I was relentless, my fingers curling just right, hitting that spot inside her that I knew she would love.
“Zephyr!”
she cried out, her voice breaking as the pleasure built. Her fingers clawed at her nest, and her body trembled as she grew close, so close…
I stopped moving.
Her eyes flew open, and she stared at me, confusion and desperation written all over her face. “Why… why did you stop?”
I leaned down, my lips brushing against her ear. “Because I want to taste you.”
Before she could protest, I was sliding down her body, my hands firm on her thighs as I spread them wider. And then my tongue was on her, licking a slow, deliberate stripe up her slit. Fuck. She tasted even better than I imagined.
“Fuck!”
she screamed.
I didn’t respond, my focus entirely on her dripping pussy. My tongue was relentless, teasing and tasting every inch of her. I alternated between soft, gentle licks and firm, deliberate strokes, each one driving her closer to the edge. I could tell she was nearing her orgasm when she mewled.
“Zeph, I’m gonna—”
But I didn’t let her finish. My tongue flicked over her clit, and the sensation sent her over the edge. She came with a cry, her body shaking with the force of it. Her hips bucked against my mouth, and I held her steady, my tongue working her through the waves of pleasure.
When she finally came down, her body limp and trembling, I crawled back up her body, my lips claiming hers in a deep, possessive kiss.
“I’m going to fuck you now, Princess,”
I growled against her lips, my voice filled with a primal possessiveness.
“Yes,”
she whispered back, her voice barely audible.
I positioned myself between her legs, my hard length pressing against her entrance. I was thick, and the sheer size of my cock would be a snug fit, but she was made for this. For me.
“You’re ready for me,”
I said, my voice dark with desire.
She nodded, her beautiful gray eyes locked on mine. “Please, Zeph… take me.”
With one swift thrust, I was inside her, filling her completely. She cried out, her body stretching to accommodate me. I gave her a moment to adjust to my size and then started to move.
My hips thrust against hers with a rhythm that was hard and slow. Fuck. She fit me like a glove.
“You’re so fucking perfect for me,”
I groaned, my voice strained with effort.
My hips slammed against hers, the sound of skin against skin filling the room. My thrusts became harder, faster. “Come for me, Omega. Let me feel you clench around my cock.”
With a cry, she came, her body trembling with the force of it. Her walls clenched around me, and it took all my willpower to keep from falling into a rut. I wanted to breed her. Keep her. Make her mine.
My eyes locked onto hers. “Zeph,”
she breathed. “Knot me. Please.”
I guided her hips back against me, and she gasped when I pressed my hard length deeper inside her. My knot was thickening, growing impossibly larger with every thrust.
“Oh God,”
she moaned, her nails digging into my shoulders as I drove myself deeper. Her body stretched to accommodate me, the sensation both overwhelming and utterly perfect. “Zeph, it’s… it’s so much…”
“You can take it,”
I growled, my voice rough with need. My hands tightened on her hips, pulling her closer, forcing her to take even more of me. “You’re made for me, Phoenix. Take all of me.”
She whimpered as my knot pressed against her, stretching her further and further. It was consuming, claiming her in a way that left no room for anything else. And then, with one final, brutal thrust, I was fully inside her, my knot locking us together.
The intensity of it was too much. She arched against me, her walls clenching around me as another wave of pleasure crashed over her. I groaned, my body shuddering as I spilled myself deep inside her, filling her completely.
We stayed like that until my knot went down, our bodies entwined, our breaths mingling. Then I pulled out, collapsing beside her on the mattress. She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine.
I didn’t know what she was searching for, but whatever it was, I wasn’t sure I was ready to give it to her.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure I had it to give.
My eyes dropped to her lips, then to the delicate curve of her neck, and finally settled on the faint sheen of sweat on her skin.
Her scent—that intoxicating, addictive pull—was still there but muted now, less sharp, less demanding.
Her heat had broken.
“Zephyr,”
she said softly, her voice pulling me back to the present. Her hand moved, hesitant but determined, brushing against my arm. That simple touch burned like fire.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Your heat broke,”
I said, my voice low and rough. I didn’t give her a chance to respond before I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. It wasn’t the kiss I wanted it to be. It wasn’t deep or searching, just a quick, fleeting connection. A lie wrapped up in a moment.
“I’ll get you some water,”
I said quickly. My movements were abrupt as I stood from the nest, and I became acutely aware of my packmates’ gazes, now awake and fixed on me, as I made my way to the door.
I didn’t look back as I left the room.
The second the door shut behind me, I leaned against the wall, pressing the heels of my palms into my eyes. My head was spinning, my heart racing like I’d just run a marathon.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I wanted her. That much wasn’t up for debate. But I couldn’t face her—not like this. Not when I didn’t even know what I was feeling, let alone how to explain it to her.
I made my way to the kitchen downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I held it in my hands, my grip tightening. But I couldn’t bring myself to go back.