Page 15

Chapter fifteen

Ryann

I’m on my knees when Raider gets a phone call, and the immediate shout kills the mood faster than an ice bath could.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

I glance at Callan’s cock and lean in, flicking my tongue out and tasting him. Callan curses and grips the bench behind him, his head falling back.

I stare up at him with longing and regret.

Raider races into the kitchen and blinks several times in rapid succession.

“They know we’re a pack!”

He says it in such a funeral voice that I immediately get concerned. What is he talking about?

“Who knows what?” I ask and flick a longing look at Callan’s dick. Ah, well, guess it’s not to be. Wren stands up and holds out his hand.

“Everyone,” Raider hisses. “Fucking everyone knows!”

I bite my lip, put my hand in Wren’s, and stand up. Callan pulls his clothes back on. Should I be offended that Raider didn’t even notice what we were attempting to do or flattered?

It’s a good thing, though, because I keep losing my damn head around these alphas. I’m one of these people that really struggles to have meaningless sex. Once my vagina is involved, it puts pressure on my heart to make some magical connection that isn’t there. My vagina is a traitor. And all those who have come before, I’ve made sure they were passing through and not lingering. With one exception who happened to be a huge mistake .

I trot out of the kitchen and find Kit sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Behind me, I can hear the other three start a loud discussion.

“Oh, fuck,” he whispers over and over.

I frown a little. “I don’t understand what’s going on. What is this?”

“People are going to find out. They are going to look at him and look at me and-”

I slap the back of his head.

“Hey!”

I do it again.

Kit jumps away from me. “What are you doing?” His scowl is fierce and doesn’t even remotely resemble the Kit from seconds ago.

“What are you doing?” I snarl at him. “You don’t have to be all macho to be an alpha. All you need to do is be one. What are your instincts telling you?”

Kit hesitates. “They’re mine.”

“So?”

“I should get-”

I lift my hand again and wave it threateningly.

“Claim them?” Kit asks with a scowl at my hand.

I roll my eyes. “Seriously, Kit. You fought off Bailey. Use some of that divine alpha aggression you have inside you and claim your pack.”

He blinks at me. “But-”

“They want you. It’s been years. Are you afraid they’re going to leave you?”

“No.”

“So claim them before someone else does.”

“What?”

“Someone else might come along while you’re sitting on your thumb, and they might take them. You should announce it. Make them yours. Claim them publicly. Be all grr and stuff.”

Kit looks at me sideways and turns on the couch, folding one leg up under him. “I know what you’re trying to get me to do. You’re trying to goad me into doing something stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. It’s something you should have done years ago.”

“No, I couldn’t possibly-”

“What? Do something that would protect your alphas from the unwanted touches of other people?”

“Ryann!” Kit growls.

I lean back on the couch and smirk at him. “Welcome to the world of my logic.”

“What logic?” he asks and sticks his tongue out at me.

“Don’t stick your tongue out at me unless you’re going to use it.”

Kit freezes, and that strange transformation takes over him. “You shouldn’t tempt me when I have to go out.” He slides across the couch, sitting beside me. I cross my leg, but he grabs that thigh and drags me to him so I’m halfway on him, my body twisted to face his.

“Any fucking time you want, lay down, spread your legs, and I’ll put my time and tongue to good use.”

I lean in close, my lips a fraction away from his. “That’s a very generous offer. What if I want to do other things?”

“We can negotiate, but I want to taste your pussy and see if it tastes as good as it smells.”

I shudder. He can smell me? That is both disturbing and incredibly hot.

Stop! The warning screeches and then fades to silence, leaving me with this throbbing excitement and an alpha that smells divine.

“And then what?”

“Drink your orgasms.”

I blink at him. “What?”

“I’m going to drink all your orgasms. They’re going to be mine. I worked hard, and I’ll be thirsty, and you’re going to get as wet as an omega for me, aren’t you, Ryann?”

I struggle really hard to get my brain working enough to actually answer him. “Yes, I am already.” It’s supposed to come out sarcastic, but it comes out breathy.

Kit has me lying on my back on the couch before I can even speak. I struggle, but he puts his weight on me, and I stop. He settles between my thighs and then slowly moves his hand down and feels the outside of my pants.

The loose cotton gives to him easily as he pushes his hand up between my legs, cupping my mound.

“Not wet enough yet,” Kit murmurs. “Do you need to watch Wren sticking his hot, hard cock in Callan’s ass and fucking it until my alpha weeps? Will that get you to where you’re dripping for me?”

I suck in a shuddering breath. The image is one I’m not going to be able to get rid of. Nor do I even want to.

“Or maybe you would prefer if I tied Raider to the bed and sat you on his face so he can make you come until you pass out?”

“Kit?”

He leans down, his lips ghosting across my skin. “You play dangerous games, you get hungry alphas,” Kit purrs and rubs the side of his face against my boob, pushing it up and then lifting just to watch it flop back and jiggle. “I can’t wait to play with these.”

“Kit!” I repeat, still in a little bit of shock .

He slides his hand down, grips me again, and smiles while he waggles those perfect eyebrows. “There we are, soaked right through. If you stay here with us, I’ll keep you this wet for the rest of your life. Either dripping and ready for a cock or dripping cum from all the cock we’ve given you. But either way, wet, sloppy, and very, very happy.”

He leans down, his fingers stroking me even as his lips press to mine. I moan into his mouth, but he keeps the kiss light, and then he’s up and walking away.

I sit up and put a hand to my hair. Dazed and tingling all over.

What the fuck just happened?

Oh, I goaded the alpha out of Kit.

Fucking hell, that was hot.

I look at Wren, Raider, and Callan, who are standing there watching with various degrees of hunger.

“You saw and heard that, right?”

“Yeah,” Callan murmurs.

“Yep. Little sexy Inmate likes to play with fire,” Wren purrs.

Raider just nods and walks in. He offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet.

“Come on, you’re coming with us. Go get into one of your disguises.”

They make the guys do a press conference. It’s called damage control. Two of this season’s hottest hockey players just went from single to packed up, and it would appear that they’ve been lying to the public for years.

After the reaming from Blaze, the public relations manager, they were put in suits and dragged out in front of dozens of cameras to politely confirm their status.

Kit looks pale, but whenever he looks at me, I give him a reassuring smile. He trembles a little, but the person I’m the most worried about is Raider.

I sweep my blond hair behind me and pull my cap down. This wig is itchy but high quality, I can feel it even as I long to rip it from my scalp. I’m standing against the wall, watching the dozens of reporters taking photos and shout out questions that are growing increasingly more offensive.

Raider’s answers get shorter and sharper until Wren puts a hand on his arm and steps in front of him.

“The next question that comes out offensive is the last one we will be bothered hearing. We are Pack Mogel, not Raines. ”

I blink in surprise. I would have thought they’d be Pack Raines, but I love that they have taken Kit’s name. It suits them.

“The reasons that we have for not explaining and revealing our relationship are, quite frankly, none of your business. We owe you the best we can be and do on the ice, but we don’t owe you anything off it.” Wren speaks with calm authority, and the alphas shift closer together, probably without even realising.

I can see the coaches groaning from here, and then I look up and see my uncle staring at me. He frowns and rubs at his chin. I wait to see what he’s going to do.

Will he recognize me or not?

His eyes widen, and I know I’ve been made.

Crap, this is not how I wanted to do this.

I hear a soft gasp that grows louder and spreads across the gathered crowd. I turn, standing on my tiptoes, trying to see what’s going on. A stunning blond man walks in like he owns the place. He’s tall and tanned, and he has the same eyes as Raider. Ironically, he’s wearing an open shirt with palm trees on it.

“Brother, we have to talk,” Kelly says.

Raider inhales and exhales and nods his head. “All right, let’s get this over with.”

I look between the two of them and wonder what to do.

Kelly’s aura is potent, so potent.

But Raider looks just as strong.

With the pack disappearing to deal with this, the press have lost interest. I wander through the throng, making sure I avoid my uncle, who appears to be searching for me. As soon as I get the chance, I discreetly leave the room, only to be caught by Wren, who pulls me to the side. He looms over me.

“Where do you think you are going?”

Kelly paces the packs’ lounge room and throws his hands in the air. The conversation has been going round and round for an hour. Kelly hasn’t been able to break through Raider’s wall of hurt.

“What do you want from me, Raider?”

“You left, you keep leaving, save us both the trouble, and do it again.”

“Fucking hell, Raider!” Kelly shouts. And I can tell he’s close to giving up, only sheer stubbornness is keeping him here .

“Just go!”

“Not until we talk this out. I didn’t leave you. I left because I had to. Do you think it was easy? Do you think giving up everything I love and care about was easy? I can’t even believe I have to have this argument with you. Do you think I wanted to go? Seriously? Me? I love our family and home!”

“So why did you?”

“Because I had to!” Kelly roars, finally losing his shit.

I stare at them. The two of them are so damn similar, but I can see that Kelly is struggling. There is something desperate about his attempts to reach Raider. But he’s getting nowhere. Raider is too deeply entrenched in his pain.

“I can’t stay. I have to go!” Kelly says and swipes his blond locks off his face.

“Oh, here we go!” Raider scoffs. “Leaving again.”

“Raider,” I call out, “stop.”

Kelly turns my way, and I study his face. Whatever has caused him to go to the other end of the world is bad enough that he is breaking apart.

Raider is watching me with a look that is a mix of hurt, betrayal, and surprise.

“Is someone watching you?” I ask Kelly carefully while keeping an eye on Raider, who jolts violently.

Kelly doesn’t say anything, but his expression gives him away.

“Who?” Raider shouts, storming to Kelly and grabbing him by the shirt. “Who is watching you?”

Kelly doesn’t answer. He steps back, his face shuttering, but I can see the wary hesitation in his eyes. He turns back to me, but, this time, his mask is back on.

“Look, Raider, I didn’t leave you because I wanted to. I can’t come home yet. There are things I need to do first, and it’s taking me longer than I expected to get it done. I hope I can return one day. I’m trying, I’m trying to come home.”

Raider slumps. “Everyone leaves.”

Kelly turns, and, to my surprise, he leans down and hugs Raider. I see his lips move. A message between brothers.

I shake my head, hurting for my alpha.

Wait, my alpha?

“Forgive Bethany, Raider. She was your best friend. She did what she thought was best, and her life was harder because of it.”

Raider flops onto the couch, his face an expression of misery, while Kelly walks out of the house. I turn and chase after him.

“Kelly? Do you remember me?”

He pauses, squinting. “I helped you out. There was someone following you, and you had nowhere to go. The photographer, right? ”

He pauses, looking back at me, his eyes assess me in a moment, and, because I need to be honest, I pull the wig off my head.

His eyes dance over my auburn hair.

“You belong with them,” he says.

“I can’t stay.”

His eyes sharpen on me. “Same reasons?”

I dip my head.

He holds out his phone. “Give me your number.”

“I don’t have a phone. Can’t risk it.”

Kelly shakes his head and puts his phone in my hands. “You ever need help. Call me. I’ll text you my new number. But you can reach me if you call Ezy or Gael.”

“Ezy or Gael.”

“The monsters of the world are many. Sometimes we can help each other out. Sometimes.”

I stare up at him; he gets blurry, and I have to swipe the tears from my eyes.

“Thank you.”

“Just stay safe. You can fix things if you’re alive. And,” he hesitates. “Please look after my brother. He’s not as strong as he makes out. He’s always been the heart of our family.”

I close my eyes and nod a silent promise.

He leaves with as much dignity as he arrived with. I watch him go. The street feels empty and cold after he’s gone, so I hurry back inside. The pack is waiting.

I go into the kitchen to buy myself a couple of moments and inhale. The scent of rotten potatoes hits me like a slap in the face.

I let out a muffled shriek and jerk backwards, my eyes wide as I spin, searching every corner of the kitchen and then the dining room.

“What’s wrong?” Wren asks, growling.

I want to tell him, but what if I do, and they don’t believe me? What if they think I’m crazy?

I shake my head and force a smile. “I saw a spider.”

Wren chuckles and puts an arm around me. We go back into the lounge room, but I sit stiffly, and, as soon as I can, I do a discreet search of the house.

Nothing else is out of place, and that smell, that disgusting, rotten scent, disappears like it was never there.