CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - BIRDIE
I catch Hog and Colt exchanging a startled glance, but I’m too deep in the haze to care.
Yes, I probably sound like an unhinged omega right now, but that’s the beauty of a heat.
You can say pretty much any wild or irrational thing, and your alphas will give you a pass.
Or at least that’s what it says in Omega Allure.
My confidence dips a little as I stop in front of Axel.
He’s just so damn dominant, even when he’s tied to a chair.
I have to assume the guys let him out at some stage for a comfort break, but it doesn’t look like it worked.
His skin is covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and his lips are red raw, like he’s been gnawing on them for hours.
But it’s the shadows in his eyes that make me pause.
He doesn’t just look conflicted, he looks devastated, and that doesn’t sit right with me.
I won’t deny that some deep, dark part of me has liked watching him squirm.
He’s exactly what I grew up to fear, a big dominant alpha who can’t – or won’t – control his most violent impulses.
But unlike the feral alphas I saw at the compound, Axel is still himself.
He might want to fuck me into the bed, like Hog claimed, but I don’t think he wants to hurt me in the process.
Of course, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I have learned the hard way that a moment of weakness is often repaid with days – even weeks – of suffering.
But my instincts are battering against my restraint.
Axel smells like a cool mist against my raging skin, and I can’t resist crawling onto his lap.
He’s scorching hot, of course, his rut sending tremors through his body as I balance on his hard thighs.
When I press a hand to his chest, his head snaps towards me, earning a growl of warning from Hog.
“I was just going to kiss her,” he growls back, his eyes narrowed in frustration.
“I’ll kiss you,” I tell him, giving his cheek a little slap. “When I’m good and ready.”
The outrage in his eyes would be funny except that his hips suddenly jerk, a torrent of cum exploding against the front of his boardshorts. I knew it was coming – I could literally smell it in the air - but couldn’t he have waited until he was in my mouth?
I scowl my displeasure, and instead of looking apologetic, a slow smile pulls at his lips. The asshole is proud for cheating me out of his cum.
I should peel myself off his lap and stalk away - just to spite him - but my heat chooses that moment to raise her horny head. I stare down at his drenched shorts, my head reeling at the scent of powerful, irresistible alpha cum.
Hog shifts on the bed like he’s coming to rescue me, but Axel glares him back. The cockiness has slid off his face and he’s staring at me with cautious eyes. “You sinking, sweet girl?”
I nod, digging my fingers into his thighs like I’m actually in danger of sliding off his lap. “It burns,” I moan, because no matter how much cum has been pumped into me, every cramp still feels like a red-hot poker jabbing in my core.
His eyes are black moons as he stares back at me. “You need soothing, Omega. If I can offer it, it’s yours.”
Unlike the cum dripping down his thighs.
But I ignore that snarky thought and leaning forward, gently rubbing my face against his cheek.
His beard isn’t soft like Hog’s and his stubble rasps over my skin.
I hiss, but instead of retreating to the comfort of his mouth, I do the same to his other cheek.
He’s frozen beneath me, but even without any encouragement, I can’t seem to stop rubbing up against him like an anxious cat.
It should feel awkward, but it settles a sharp ache in my stomach, like a splinter that’s been festering under my skin.
It’s only when I start rubbing my face against his chin that I force myself to pull back. “What…?”
“You’re scent marking him,” Colt says helpfully from the nest. “Just not without the claws.”
“I am?” I look up at Axel’s face. It’s shuttered now, a careful mask to hide whatever is churning behind his eyes. “Why?”
“Because he’s pack alpha…” Colt replies, but Axel cuts him off with a vicious growl.
More secrets? I slap a hand over Axel’s mouth and turn to stare at Colt. “Explain, pretty boy.”
Colt’s eyes widen, but he deliberately doesn’t look at Axel again.
“Well, it’s how we ask to be part of his pack.
We offer our scent and if he thinks it’s worthy, we’re in.
It’s kind of just a formality these days, so Hog and I made our request over some beer and corn chips.
” He nods in my direction. “But this is a much better way to go.”
I flush as I realize I’ve been giving them quite the view as I crawl all over their pack alpha.
But Hog doesn’t seem to mind, rolling off the bed to come stand at my side.
His hand strokes down my back, playing over the scent marks he carved into my skin.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re already part of our pack, Omega.
But if you want to ask his opinion, go ahead. ”
I turn to look at Axel. “Okay. What do you think about…?”
“Yes,” he blurts, while I’m still trying to frame the question. “You can have me. The pack. It’s yours. However you want us.” He looks down at himself, still straining against the ropes. “Just give me… twenty-four hours. By then, I should be able to show up as your pack alpha, not this…”
The revulsion in his voice makes my heart pinch. Yes, he’s a horny, unhinged version of himself right now, but he’s still Axel Lawson. He’s still the most squared away, gung-ho guy I’ve ever met.
I glance at Hog. “Can you get my knife?” I pause to think. “It’s probably in my jeans on Axel’s bathroom floor.”
A growl rises around me, but it’s Axel, not Hog. “You don’t want to be letting me go, Omega.”
I narrow my eyes at him. Still a bossy ass, even when I’m trying to cut him some slack. “I don’t think you’re calling the shots right now, Pack Alpha.” His nostrils flare and I soften my tone. “Look, I know what it’s like to relive your trauma. I’m not doing that to you anymore.”
He goes still. “You want me to leave?”
“Not at all.” I hold his gaze, letting him read the sincerity in my face. “I want you in my nest, exactly where you’re meant to be.”
He grinds his teeth, but hope is flaring in his blown-out eyes. “Fuck, I want that, too. But if I get you on my knot, I’ll only want to claim you more.”
My stomach flip-flops at the heat in his words, but I hold his gaze as Hog returns with my knife. “I trust you, Axel. And you know I don’t say that lightly.”
Colt comes over to lean on the back of the chair. “Yeah, but that might just be the happy hormones from all the knots you’ve taken.” When his pack alpha grunts, he shrugs. “Just saying.”
But I shake my head. “No, I trust a man who lets me tie him up, even when it’s the last thing he wants.
” I place a careful hand on Axel’s cheek.
It’s as feverish as I feel, but he presses against my palm.
“The night I left the cabin, you could’ve stopped me with a word, but you didn’t.
And I’m guessing you could have broken those restraints as easily as you can break these ones. ”
He lifts a shoulder, but the next moment there’s a popping sound and his left hand comes free without the help of my knife.
Or a lot of effort, for that matter. “I’d never command you to stay,” he says softly, his hand gently cupping my hip.
“I want it, with every bit of authority in me, but it’s always gonna be your choice, Letty. ”
I shake my head. “No, it’s Birdie. That’s who I am to you, right?” He gives a slow nod, and I slide off his lap. I hold out a hand. “Will you join me in my nest, Pack Alpha?”
He still hesitates, and I arch a brow at the hovering Hog. “You can sense him through your pack bond, right? Is he going to hurt me?”
Hog stares at Axel, then grunts. “That’s not what's on his mind.”
“Then I’ll take my chances.”
Hog taps my knife against his thigh. “I’ll stop him, if it comes to that.”
But our pack alpha gets to his feet, his dominance rolling before him like an unfurling wave. “And I’ll let you.”
The debate comes to a conclusion as another wave of heat rolls over me, and I grab Axel’s arm.
His nostrils flare, but there’s only determination in his eyes as he scoops me up and carries me over to the nest. Colt is already there, waiting with open arms. I collapse against him and he pulls me close, licking into my mouth.
His chocolate scent is like a balm to my raw nerves, and I realize I’ve pushed myself too far, for too long.
While I was haggling with Axel, my heat has been building inside me like an angry wave.
“I think this one is going to hurt,” I tell Colt, unable to hide the fear in my eyes.
“Not if we have any say in it,” he replies, turning me to face the other alphas.
They’re both crawling towards me, their pheromones rising in a heady mist. Hog’s gaze is soft, reassuring, while Axel looks like he’s crawling towards a buffet.
But I can still see Axel under his rut. It’s been simmering for so long, it has to erupt at some point, but that’s exactly what I need.
I wait for Axel to reach me, but impatience is buzzing under my skin.
His dominance licks over me, turning every nerve electric.
It’s not that he’s more attractive to me than the other guys, but it’s impossible to ignore who he is.
While the Lawson Pack is a group of equals, Axel is their leader.
I want his acceptance, but I also want him to want me.
Which doesn’t seem to be a problem as he crawls over me, pressing me down on the bed. Hog gives the softest of growls, but Axel starts to nuzzle my face, his cheek scent marking mine. I’m pretty sure we’re both already thoroughly covered, but I have to say, I like the attention.