Chapter 24
Dorian
I palmed the healed mating mark on my neck as I surveyed our surroundings. As much as I hated Atlas, I had to hand it to him. In the ten hours it’d taken us to make the trip here, he’d somehow managed to get the shed Opal had designed as a nest dropped off right on top of the hill.
I had connections, but this kind of thing took a serious amount of money to make happen.
Bitterness turned my mouth sour and I spit on the muddied plains under our feet.
The whole area held its collective breath, waiting for spring to finally warm over and the new growth to put leaves back on the trees.
Wyoming wasn’t my first choice for a territory, but it was the only one with enough land and low enough population density for the government to allow a new pack to move in.
If it wasn’t for our neighbors…
“It’s too small,” Atlas grumbled as he carried Opal bridal-style up the hill. Penelope had given Opal some sort of sedative and us a strong warning, neither of which had fully worn off.
“My nest,” Opal whispered, semi-lucid. The scent of her heat warmed the frigid morning air.
I shivered under the weight of it as I touched her forehead. “Her nest is perfect,” I said, smiling at my girl as she smiled up at me.
“I meant for the three of us.” Atlas kept walking, forcing me to take longer steps to stay beside Opal. “I should move her things to a bigger space.”
Take her from him.
I held tight to my beast and ignored the urge to fight over Opal like she was a toy. Bigger space. Of course that’s what he’d want. His territory stretched for hundreds of acres. They had a small town. A large ranch house. Too much damn space if you asked me.
And all we wanted was the abandoned valley on BLM land where I’d legally staked my claim.
I touched my neck again.
Or now it was legal.
Opal marked me. I had a Luna. A mate. Technically, I needed to return the mark and make it official, but the proof was all the humans needed to verify I was a legitimate Alpha with a legitimate claim and pack to provide for.
I glanced over at the tree line in the distance and then the snow-covered mountains to our right. Atlas had parked Opal’s nest directly between our territories. On what I’d assumed was neutral border ground.
Leave it to him to do it by the book.
“Atlas,” Opal said, sounding more like herself. “I need you.”
My wolf started growling and I dug my shoes into the cold earth, wondering what the fuck I was really doing here. If he didn’t put her down…
“Where’s Dorian?” Opal whined softly. “I need him too.”
“He’s right behind us, princess.” Atlas looked over his shoulder. When his eyes met mine, I nodded.
“I’m here,” I said, opening the door to the shed as Atlas set Opal on her feet. “Tell us what you need.”
“Oh, my nest.” She clapped her hands together and slipped away from us. Without the cold breeze diluting her heat pheromones, the smell quickly filled the room.
“Take off your shoes,” Atlas growled as Opal flitted this way and that, righting blankets and fluffing pillows, and adjusting little things.
“I’m not an idiot,” I growled back as I lined my shoes by the door, irritated that he felt the need to scold me.
I hadn’t grown up in a barn.
Like him.
“There’s a crack in it,” Opal whimpered as she ran her hand over the wood beam.
“What’s the X for?” Atlas whispered.
I chuckled. Mr. Know-It-All was about to be in for the time of his life if he didn’t know what a St. Andrew’s cross was.
“As long as the straps aren’t damaged, we should be fine,” I told Opal, still waiting at the threshold for her to invite us in.
She smiled at me and then skipped back to the platform bed on the floor that took up the left side of the room.
“Straps?” Atlas’s brow furrowed as realization sank in.
“Remember,” I said. “This is all for her.”
“Whatever she needs,” he echoed, but even I could hear the worry in his tone.
So much for being the dominant Alpha.
“Guys.” Opal’s bright voice drew both of our attention.
My jaw dropped and my wolf howled to see her standing there naked before us.
Her loose black hair hung softly over her shoulders, curving around her pert tits.
Her dusty pink nipples were pebbled and waiting for my teeth to clamp over them.
A swatch of dark black curls that matched her raven hair was the only other color on her pale skin.
Opal’s hands were clasped behind her back, putting every inch of her hourglass figure on display, and those long lashes blinked as she smiled shyly. “Aren’t you going to come in?”
“Is that what you want?” Atlas swallowed hard beside me.
I smirked. “She wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t.”
Opal beamed another smile my way as I stalked slowly into her nest. Her pulse quickened, fluttering hard at the junction of her neck, and I brushed my fingers over it as I reached up to cup her face, ignoring Atlas’s growl from behind me.
I’d had enough of his rules to last a lifetime.
In here, there was only one person I’d answer to.
“Tell me, pretty Omega. What do you need?”
“You,” she breathed out the word as she leaned forward, brushing her breasts against my chest and licking her lips in anticipation as the scent of warming sugar filled the air.
As much as I wanted to give in and taste those lips again, I did, in fact, need some rules. “Safeword?”
Her eyes slid past me to Atlas and I tried not to be jealous of that smile. “Lollipop.”
“And who is in charge this heat?” I asked, drawing her attention back to me.
“I… Um…” She lowered her eyes.
That’s what I thought. I touched her chin and raised her face back up. “I need you to say it, love.”
“You,” she said again. “Both of you. I trust you.”
Don’t you dare screw this up.
“You’re still in charge.” I captured her hand and raised it to my lips, kissing it like I would royalty as I promised her, “But we’ll take care of you.”
Opal nodded eagerly like she very much enjoyed that idea as her wolf flashed in her eyes. Her body vibrated with anticipation when I stepped back, moving slowly so as not to startle her.
Leisurely, I took my fill of looking her over, walking in a circle to admire the beautiful view. She was art and I couldn’t wait to desecrate her. To ruin her for anyone else. To show her what it meant to be mine.
“Be a good girl and get on your knees,” I said softly as I brushed her hair back over her shoulder.
Opal dropped so fast that my dick jumped with her, straining hard against my slacks and begging to be set free.
“Dorian…” Atlas warned.
I’d almost forgotten he was there. He hadn’t moved from the threshold and was still gripping the doorway like it was a safety rope.
His loss.
At least the breeze was still coming in, helping me keep my head clear as Opal’s heat continued to warm the nest.
“How are we going to do this?” I teased to see her reaction. “Can my mate take two Alphas’ cocks?”
Her pupils were so blown they made her eyes look black as she turned her beautiful face up to me. “I can try.”
“Good girl,” I praised.
“Dorian, no.” Atlas growled.
I tsked, looking to Opal. “It seems your other mate has a hard limit.”
Opal pouted, but she didn’t press the issue. She was too busy trying to control her breathing as I made another loop around, noticing every little position of her body. How straight her back was as she balanced on her knees. How gently her hands rested there on her lap.
“If I touched between your thighs, would I find it already slick for me?” I asked.
“Yes.” Opal moaned as she answered, trying her hardest to remain perfectly still.
So responsive. So eager. Such a perfect fucking mate.
I cupped her cheek as I stared into those pretty eyes, wondering how much longer we had until her beast took full control. “What game should we play first?”