Page 28

VIOLET

I tucked my wavy hair behind my ear and scooted closer to the edge of the bench in a far secluded corner of the bar. We’d returned to the same bar, and I hadn’t thought it possible, but it was busier than last time.

Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on the edge of the table. Maggie sipped a drink, and the alcohol reached my nose. She was lucky the bar was owned by a werewolf; she could get away with being a year shy of the legal age to drink.

I felt itchy and I had the urge to return to my bed. Getting under my mates and cuddling up with their large bodies . . . I shook my head.

The goal of this outing was to have fun, not to think about my true mates and be miserable.

Stiffening my spine, I swept my attention over the males eyeing me. There were quite a few. Definitely more than usual, and there was no surprise their gazes were fixed on my cleavage. My face felt hot, but I tried to let the discomfort roll off my shoulders.

“Adan is an amazing kisser.” Maggie sighed, dreamily staring off. I had a feeling he hadn’t been kissing her lips if the dazed look in her eyes and the flush across her cheeks was anything to go by. She’d been talking about him for a while now. “But enough about me.” She leaned closer. “Does being an Omega feel any different now that the shock has worn off?”

“Shhh.” I pressed my hand over hers, but no one turned to look. I relaxed. Thank the Goddess. The last thing I needed was to bring more attention to myself. As it was, werewolves kept looking at me, sniffing my scent in.

“Sorry,” she mouthed. “Code words. I heard that it comes with multiple mates and some nifty benefits. How’s it banging them in their third form? Knotting sounds crazy—” She stopped and pressed her hand to her lips. “Nevermind, don’t disclose anything about your sex life.” She shivered. “I forgot one of them was Graham.”

I pursed my lips to hide my grin. Her face had fixed into a look of horror.

“I have to pee,” she announced. She slid her drink over to me and popped to her feet. “I’ll be right back.” Her knitted shirt fluttered around her as she hurried away.

Condensation formed on the surface of her glass. I poked a water droplet, causing the liquid to expand on my fingertip. This wasn’t working. I was here to get my mind off them, to live a little. To show them I could choose someone else too, but all I could do was stare at a glass. They’d ruined me.

The bench under me creaked and jostled, bringing my attention to the big male sliding closer. I stiffened, my skin crawling from his proximity.

I exhaled slowly and stiffened my spine. He had brown eyes, much darker than Whitlock.

“ . . . approaching you.” He was talking. I focused on his last phrase.

I smiled like I’d been listening all along and nodded. “Good.” He grunted and scooted even closer. The side of his thigh pressed against mine. I sucked in a breath. His presence overwhelmed me. Not in the same way my mates did. Not in a good way. My stomach lurched, and nausea surfaced.

My wolf writhed inside me, filling me with the urge to take off running. I exhaled slowly. This was the point of me going out. To show them—and myself—that I could choose someone else.

Rolling my shoulders, I tipped my chin up to look at him. His blond hair was cropped close to his scalp. His lips were thinner than Graham’s, but unlike my mate’s, this male’s lips weren’t perpetually downturned. His shirt hugged his wide shoulders, and he was so pale, his veins showed through his skin.

He reminded me of the way Graham and Whitlock held themselves. Such dominance. This was an Alpha. I tried to hold my breath so I didn’t smell too much of his sickly-sweet scent. Give me leather and sandalwood all day and I’d be happy—there I went thinking about them.

“You okay there?” He waved his hand in front of my face.

I shook my head like I could get rid of the mess clouding my thoughts.

“Yes, sorry,” I breathed out. I wet my lips and rolled my stiff shoulders. He leaned toward me, visibly inhaling my scent.

His behavior wasn’t new. I’d caught on to how male werewolves had been reacting to me since I’d stepped in here.

The double glances, the sniffing, the curiosity.

His chest vibrated. I imagined it would have sounded pleasant if I hadn’t found my true mates, but all the sound did was put me on edge. I felt like I would break if I stiffened any more.

“Wait.” He breathed in again and his body trembled. Bliss crossed his features: slacked jaw, lowering eyelids . . . “You’re the Omega I’ve been hearing whispers about.”

Warmth crept up my neck.

I palmed my shoulder, sweeping my gaze across the bar. It felt like someone’s attention was drilling into me. A female watched me with eyes narrowed. My spine stiffened at the unfounded aggression directed at me.

“Are you from Beaumont Pack?” I asked, doubting it. Even though I hadn’t met everyone in my new pack, Alphas tended not to remain in the same pack. The dominance in them wouldn’t make that a peaceful situation.

“No, I’m passing by on my drive across state.”

“Back to your pack?”

The corner of his lips twitched like he found my questions funny.

“I don’t have a pack.”

My mouth formed my ‘oh’, but I didn’t say anything. It was unusual to encounter rogue Alphas. Or maybe it was just because Alphas were the rarest, after Omegas.

“Phil,” he muttered, eyes scanning my face as he held his hand toward me. His utter focus made my shoulders hike with nerves. Why couldn’t it feel like when the other two looked at me?

“Violet,” I replied, sliding my hand into his. He squeezed it, making mine seem too small. He was strong and muscular. I slipped my hand from his and his palm settled on my hip, sliding around to the small of my back. My heart jumped in protest again.

He was handsy. I licked my lips again. It was becoming a nervous tic at this point. Phil’s hand squeezed my waist.

I could do this. He was objectively attractive and best of all, I could handle his scent—as cloying as it was.

Forcing a smile across my lips, I met his eyes.

“Has anyone ever told you, you smell divine?” he said huskily. “I wonder if it’s all Omegas, or just you.” I didn’t have a moment to answer because he lowered his head more, invading my space. I stilled, but he didn’t push forward. The tip of his nose grazed my temple.

None of it mattered, he wasn’t them. I bit back a groan. This had to stop. I’d come out to get a little payback, and here I was thinking and ignoring the attractive male in front of me. I couldn’t help it if my stomach turned with discomfort. This was how they should have reacted being around other women.

My attention snagged on a male watching us from the table over. His eyes were wide and scared. I recognized him from the pack. He’d not spoken to me, but we’d met eyes before. He shook his head slightly.

The accusation in his gaze roused anger to the surface. I wanted to scoff in utter disbelief. I hoped word got back to my mates.

I rolled my shoulders, turning back to him with renewed determination. Fuck it. I could do this. I forced the corners of my lips up and scooted closer to him until I was nestled against his side.

“Phil, I’m pretty pissed off at this guy. I came out to get even.” He studied me for a few moments and then burst into laughter. His hand at my back flexed, and he rubbed his fingers into my hip.

“Is he an Alpha?” he asked, smirking as he lowered so much that I had to tip my head back to look into his eyes.

I nodded, scowling.

His eyebrows arched so high they almost disappeared.

“I’m happy to help.” He scooted me even closer. He leaned over and stopped inches from my face.

His mouth was coming so close. My heart jumped and began to pound violently in my chest. My wolf clawed at my insides, writhing for release.

My next breath stuck in my throat.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kiss him. It was making me physically sick. I covered my mouth, using it as a barrier. His lips pressed into the back of my hand and his eyes widened over my hand. An unmistakable flash of anger spiked through his gaze.

“Vi!” Maggie’s voice yanked me out of my leeriness. She stared from across the table, eyebrows furrowed, her golden eyes so like her brother’s, flicking from me to Phil. He lifted enough to no longer be pressing his mouth to my skin, but he was still so close that the entire side of my body nestled against him. I dropped my hand. My stomach felt sick and achy. I didn’t have it in me to choose someone else.

If that was the case . . . how could they?

My lip trembled.

“You okay, Violet?” Phil asked softly. I didn’t know whether to believe he was genuinely concerned. Not that it mattered. He was someone to use. I blinked repeatedly to clear the sheen coating my eyes.

I sniffled in and shook my head. His palm rested on my shoulder and slid around to hug me. Discomfort bloomed and just as I was going to pull away, screams erupted through the room. The hair on the back of my neck lifted. Moon Goddess, please don’t be who I think it is .

“Wolves!” A woman screeched. The crowd became chaos. Running bodies and screams drowned out Phil’s words as he leaned close to my ear. His breath caressed the shell of it.

A wolf landed on the table across from the one I sat at. An impossibly large black wolf with his hind paws covered in white fur. His head whipped side to side. He was looking for me. That was so, so incredibly bad. This was an establishment that also allowed humans.

A snarl dragged my attention to the golden wolf skidding up to the table Graham stood on. Our eyes collided and a terrifying growl exploded through the cacophony.

“Maggie,” Adan snapped, grabbed her arm and yanked her to the side, tugging her away so fast they were practically a blur.

I rounded on Phil.

“You need to go.”

His eyes flicked side to side like a cornered animal.

A sour scent came from him.

Graham’s wolf form landed on the table and the platform buckled. I kicked Phil and he took off running. I gawked at the crumbling table. He almost managed to jump off, but it tipped over at the last second.

It gave me a chance to escape. I scooted out of the booth so fast I was surprised at my speed. Adan had dragged Maggie this way, which meant there had to be an exit. I slipped around another running girl and into a hallway. The bathroom doors swung. It looked like people were running inside the stalls to hide. It left the path to the door with the large exit sign hanging over the threshold empty.

I slammed my palms into the push bars and was spat out to the back side of the establishment. Pebbles crunched under my shoes. People kept running but they all headed the same direction, to the front side where all the cars were.

Instead of following the crowd and endangering anyone else, I headed right into the thick forest. Once I was far enough, I’d shift.

Graham and Whitlock would track me down. They’d seen me in another male’s arms, and nothing matched the rage of an Alpha when another male was near his mate.

The tall thin trees swayed in the cool breeze. I was sure I’d feel the chill if adrenaline wasn’t pumping through me at an alarming rate. Slowing, I curled my fingers in my shirt and tugged it off, tossing it to the side. I needed to find a place to shift.

Leaves and grass crunched behind me. The harsh panting chasing me became louder by the second. My heart pounced in my throat. I couldn’t shift now. If I pulled my wolf out, it would take me too long to shift because I wasn’t fully used to her yet. It would hinder me.

The trees were so incredibly tall, and they stretched deep into the forest. I huffed, pushing myself faster and faster, but the sounds behind me only became louder.

What if it wasn’t one of my mates? I dug my heels into the ground, running as fast as my tennis shoes could take me.

An oversized form slammed into my side. I yelped upon the impact, more from shock than pain. Arms wrapped around me and curled me close. The drop was immediate and jarring. My cheek was pressed against fur.

I exhaled slowly, digging my palms into the wide, furred chest. Brown eyes in the beastly face stared down at me. Whitlock looked pissed. A shiver crested up my spine.

“Alpha—”

He snarled and suddenly had me on my back as he loomed over me.

“Mate,” he snarled.

I blinked up at him, words sticking in my throat. His body vibrated over me, and he lowered, his lip pulled back from his teeth. He opened his maw and settled his teeth against my bare shoulder. He growled and clamped down. I yelped and smacked him, pulling back. He had no choice but to release me or he would have shredded into my skin. I used my heels to drag myself backwards. I pressed my palm over the sting in my shoulder, blood slicked my palm. The bastard broke through skin, more so than Graham had.

“What in the Moon Goddess are you thinking?” I snapped. He’d bitten me on the opposite side of Graham and those wounds were almost completely healed.

“Mine,” he said, his voice laced with power. I managed to wobble to my feet. He stalked closer, walking on all fours with those oversized limbs. His back legs were oddly bent. Claws sprouted from the tips of his almost paw-like toes and where the heel arched, it bent up, allowing for mobility.

I continued to retreat. My back hit the smooth tree trunk. He didn’t stop coming at me. I craned my neck to keep him within sight. He slammed his claws into the trunk. It shuddered at my back.

“Whit—”

He clicked his teeth near my face. “Simon!”

He chuffed and a soft rumble vibrated his chest. His cold nose pressed into my forehead, and he sniffed. A growl started up again.

I looked down at what poked my stomach. The moon caught the glisten at the tip of his cock. He was so long, pink, and the shaft throbbed. I bit the inside of my cheek. His nose dragged against my ear and the growl became a snarl.

“Mine,” he repeated.

His claw sliced down the side of my jeans. He managed to hook it inside my undies too. With a quick yank, he did away with everything except my bra. I pressed my palms to his chest, sinking my fingers into fur.

“Who was the male?” he asked with effort. Fear for what he would do put me on edge.

“W-why? Leave him alone?—”

Simon snarled, gripping my jaw in his large hand. His teeth flashed and the threat sent a shiver up my spine. He was terrifying.

His muzzle hovered inches from my nose. His leather scent overwhelmed my senses, and I swayed forward, breathing in. His anger made me want to jump him even more. His body shook, the rumble in his throat building.

I buried my fingers into his chest, petting him—calming him. He shook his head, leaning into my touch.

“Mine.” A rumble started up in his chest.

“Simon?”

A whine left his muzzle.

“I need you,” he said in answer. He turned me to face the tree with a swift tug. I squealed from the suddenness, and my palms slapped into the textured surface. He pried my thighs apart, making the slickness that escaped my sex excruciatingly obvious. I was trying to ignore how much his presence turned me on.

A gentle touch of his claw grazed my neck and slid down. My bra became loose and slipped off my shoulders. I shivered, expelling a loud breath. A wet tip pressed against the cleft of my butt. He whined again, and his length pressed into me insistently. I wiggled back against him. He was so wet he easily glided against me. Lust had a hold of me. I arched my spine, and he made a pleased sound. Take me , I chanted in my head. He grabbed my hips, pulling a yelp from me.

I scrabbled against the tree to keep myself upright since he lifted my feet off the ground. He tipped my hips higher and slammed his cock into me. His knot rubbed against my channel, the ridge of it inciting sparks of pleasure through my sex. I moaned, my fingers digging into the bark of the tree until pieces flaked away.

I was needy and aching. Every time he pulled out, slick came from me until it dripped down my thighs. He thrust again and again, driving me mad. I pushed against the tree to meet each and every one of his ruts with needy whines. His grunts and pants echoed in my ears and even the sound of them inflamed my lust to a painful level.

My body jolted with each thrust, but he kept hold of me, securing me against him. As much as it felt like it, he wouldn’t drop me. His knot rubbed my entrance, and the pressure against my clit shot me into a mind-bending orgasm.

I stiffened to an excruciating level, whining as I ground back. He didn’t stop his incessant claiming. His muzzle rubbed against the side of my neck and down to my shoulder where he’d bitten me. His tongue flicked out, grazing against my skin and up to my ear, growls escaping him. He seemed to pay special attention to the spot. Then it hit me. Phil had sniffed me there. He was making sure I smelled nothing like him.

The delicious glide of his tongue caused my channel to clasp onto him like he would disappear. Electrical pulses traveled to my toes, and I curled them. His knot hit me just right and I was tossed into another release.

I screamed, gyrating frantically. He groaned and stilled so suddenly. His knot pulsed and expanded, throwing me into another level of orgasm. My fingers became numb, and I couldn’t hold the tree anymore. His arm wrapped around my breasts, and he propped me up, keeping me fastened to his chest.

The angle change took my breath away. I felt so utterly full.

He buckled and dropped me so suddenly that I screamed on the way down. I landed against his plush fur, still secure on his knot, my back braced by his chest. I bunched his fur, panting.

Foliage rustled and I met Graham’s golden eyes.