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My eyes widen in panic, but I manage to hold my position for a little longer. My fingernails are digging into the bark behind me, and I know I’ll be yelled at about ruining them. Oh well. I know I joked about dying, but I don’t think I’m ready to go yet.

“Will you catch me if I fall?” I ask lightly before my fingernails slide off the bark. Screaming as I do just that, I close my eyes as I listen to everyone gasp and cry out.

Strong arms catch me close to their chest, and I can hear the panicked thunder of a heartbeat.

“Look at me,” Cooper growls. Tears run down my face as I do as he says, and his gaze softens. “I will always be here to catch you when you fall, is that understood?”

Nodding as I cry, I briefly feel his lips brush my forehead. “She can wear whatever she wants, if that was what sent her up the tree, Vivi,” Cooper tells Mom, turning to face her. Tears stain her face as she nods, running over to check my body.

“Are you okay?” Mom whispers. “God, you’re going to make me gray before my time, Nina.”

“I’m fine,” I sob. “I moved too fast and fell.”

“My heart is about to beat out of my chest,” she confesses. “Wear whatever you want, Coop is right. It’s not worth all of this fuss. God, you always have been dramatic.”

Mom takes the sting out of her words by brushing my wild, blonde curls out of my face. It’s naturally almost platinum because of how much time I spend outside, and my skin is a touch too tan to be acceptable to her.

“I’m going to bring her inside,” Cooper grunts. Striding past his son, I watch him stare curiously at us both. There’s a bit of jealousy there too, and I wonder why. My future step-dad seems to be a decent father figure to Ethan. I’m not here to steal him away.

“I’m sorry,” I rasp, my body still shaking from terror. “I didn’t mean to ruin anything. I just hate all of this.”

“Parties? Engagements? You’ll need to be a little more specific, Nina,” he murmurs as he walks into the house.

“Parties, Mom’s friends, and all of the preparations to make me someone I’m not,” I confess.

Cooper slowly sets me down before leaning, so he’s not towering over me. He’s over six-feet-tall, so he has to come a long way down.

“You should never change yourself for anything,” he murmurs. “I’m happy to stick around for a long while, and I’ll always remind you of that. Now go have a second to take a breath. I won’t tell anyone you might spoil your supper if you grab something sweet from the kitchen too. Nina, you were really fucking high up and scared the shit out of me.”

Cooper winces at his curse, but I just giggle. No one ever thinks twice about using those words around me, I just make sure I don’t repeat them.

Walking away, I grab a brownie on the way upstairs, and only the reminder that my future step-father will be at the party keeps me from hiding away for the entire thing. Everyone else may suck, but I can get through it if he’s there watching out for me.

One

Cooper

Nine years later

I’m grading papers in my office, and my neck is stiff. Rocking it from side to side, I try to release some of the tension that’s currently riding me from being in the same position for hours. Groaning, I toss my glasses on the desk as I lean back to stretch out my neck.

“Long day?” Brooke asks. She’s one of my assistants for my undergraduate history classes, but the fact that the beta sucks cock like a Hoover is the real reason she’s still around. She is typically late to the classes she helps me teach, and half the time she doesn’t appropriately answer emails.

I’m not proud of it, but she’s discreet and has a magical cunt. It’s always wet and ready. I don’t have time to fuck around with omegas. My life is complicated enough.

“Beyond long,” I sigh. “Midterms are going to kill me. Close the door and lock it. I have some tension I need to work out by fuckingyour throat.”

Brooke gives me a slow, sultry smile as she pushes the door shut behind her. The snick of the lock makes my cock jump, it knows how this will go down, already thick and ready.

“My throat is always at your service, Master,” she murmurs as she pulls off her dress and bra. Sinking to her knees between my thighs, I hold onto the armrest as she quickly undoes my belt and pants to pull out my dick.

I’ll never get tired at how her eyes light up and her mouth salivates as she stares at it.

Brooke’s small hands wrap around my cock as she pumps it twice before her tongue swirls around the tip.

“Get it nice and wet, little slut,” I growl as her pretty brown eyes roll. I have no problems with abusing my seat of power when it comes to certain people. Brooke offered to be my slave when she entered the masters program. She wanted to be able to focus on her studies so she wouldn’t have to date, even though she’s a terrible teacher’s aide. Most guys her age can’t give her what I can.

Sucking hard on the crown of my cock, she lets her spit run down it as she starts to work it down her throat. Brooke isn’t a quitter, and I grunt as I feel myself slide down the warm, tight space.