Page 29

Verity

“ A re there any questions?” I surveyed my plant mythology class. At Briar, it had been a small upper-division seminar class. Here, it was something that satisfied a cross-discipline requirement, so it was large.

Mercy sat in the very back. With Jonas. It was something we did in my family–sitting in the back of each other’s classes or presentations, waiting for them to notice. I hadn’t expected those two. It shouldn’t surprise me. They were becoming besties, and it was adorable.

Mercy raised her hand. “Can we do the paper as an interpretive dance?”

“Yes. If anyone would prefer to do a thirty-second interpretive dance in front of the class instead of the final paper, I’ll accept that. I’ll give exact details closer to the due date.” It was hard not to laugh at the request.

I saw a couple of faces light up, like Gwen, the Knights’ pink-haired EBUG, who sat by Mercy.

A few students asked actual questions about the syllabus and the brief lecture I’d given. I dismissed them a little early, because that’s what the first day of class was for.

“Good luck at your game. I’m working the night shift at Tito’s tonight and tomorrow,” Gwen told Mercy.

“We’ll be there after the game. See you then.” Mercy gave her a hug and Gwen left the classroom with a couple of her friends, but not before waving at me.

“You’re here.” I grinned at her and Jonas.

“I know how much this class means to you. Also, I love the new stories you added to the syllabus. I’m going back to take a quick nap before the game. You kids have fun. Also, that skirt is cute.” Mercy waved and left.

The long skirt was something new I’d gotten shopping with the guys.

Jonas gave me a kiss. “You’re a fantastic professor.”

“Thank you.” I linked arms with him and we left the room. “It’s an interesting mix of students. While the omega flower arranging club makes sense, I think half the hockey team’s here.”

“Who are now all off to the strip club,” he replied as we walked down the hall toward the labs.

“Strip club?” I waved at Saphira, who was off to teach her class. She looked Jonas up and down and smirked at me.

“Yep, they were going to the Treasure Room to check out the daily offerings? I’m not sure if they meant the dancers or if they have cheap afternoon food specials like the one I worked at did.” He shrugged.

I chuckled as we entered the break room so I could get my stuff out of my locker. “It’s not a strip club. The Treasure Room is what they call the campus needs pantry since we’re the NYIT Kings. Gwen heard they had toothbrushes and cheese sticks, which made everyone very excited.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” he chuckled. “The pantry at BosTec really helped me out. I send them money every now and again.”

“What a great idea. Marquess didn’t have a needs pantry. I love that we have one here anyone can use. The fresh stuff goes fast, hence the cheese run.” I put my teaching things away and got my backpack.

I put on my coat and slung my backpack over my shoulders. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

We walked down the hall, and someone called, “Verity.”

I turned and saw Dr. Winters. “Jonas, I’ll only be a moment.”

“How did it go?” Dr. Winters grinned at me. Today’s suspenders and bowtie had plants on them.

“Great. It’s going to be an amazing class. Also, I’m working on getting everything back on track.” I leaned on my crutch.

“I believe in you. Hey, we might need you to present at the next trustee meeting. Bertie’s being annoying. Because no matter what university you’re at, there’s always that one trustee. Make sure you drop that you’re supported by Compass BioTek,” he told me.

“I’ll do whatever you need. I’d be happy to share my research with the trustees.” My heart twisted a little.

At the same time, I knew this was part of academia. One reason Baba got out of it and went private when we’d all moved to Research Circle, was because he constantly had to justify things in a way he didn’t have to in the private sector.

“I knew I could count on you. Hopefully, it won’t come to it, but I wanted to give you notice, because I know how you like to be prepared. See you later.” Dr. Winters hustled off.

“Thank you.” Well, I knew what I’d be doing in my spare time–putting together a presentation so if this Bertie guy tried to discredit me by calling me in at the last minute, expecting me to be unprepared, I’d be ready with the best presentation ever.

Jonas gave me a concerned look. “Everything okay?”

“Just Dr. Winters letting me know that I might have to defend my research to the trustees.” I rubbed my temple. “Normal stuff.”

“Okay.” He gave me a squeeze.

The two of us left the building and set off for the metro. We were going to the outdoor market so he could buy ingredients. I’d never been to this one, and I was quite excited.

“I’m extremely confused about the interpretive dance option? Though honestly, depending on the topic, I’d much rather do a dance than write a research paper,” he told me as we navigated the icy, snowy campus.

“Mmmm, you can dance for me anytime, Sexypants. It’s something my dad always offers his students, and usually there’s a couple of takers,” I replied. Though not as many as you’d think.

We got on the metro, and I sank down into an empty seat, and checked my phone.

Dad

I hope your class went well. So proud of you getting to teach it!

Aww, he was?

Me

Thanks, Dad. It’s going to be a great class. Might even have a few dancers.

Dad

I love it. I might have some, too.

Jonas was beside me and leaned in. “Oh, your dad texted. That’s nice.”

“He did. Creed and Hale texted too, but I’m not speaking to Hale.” I scowled. I still couldn’t believe he’d crashed my car and didn’t tell me.

But I texted Creed back, telling him what I told Dad.

“Hale’s a lot,” Jonas agreed, texting someone on his phone. “Though I did some street racing and motorcycle recklessness when I was younger, so I understand the appeal. But I wasn’t racing a borrowed luxury car or engineering test-proof party drugs.”

“I bought that car myself.” Right now, I couldn’t afford to get another, and I wasn’t going to let my sister buy me a car, because she needed to save her money and be responsible.

At least we had great public transportation here.

“I know, Sweet Girl.” He hugged me to him. “You’re strong and independent and self-sufficient, and I love that about you. But you don’t always have to be. You have us now.”

I was so happy for that. A picture of Dean and Grif popped up on my phone. “Are those two okay out on their own?”

How much did Grif not being a beta change things?

Jonas kissed my temple. “They’re not far. We can get to them if we need to.” The metro slowed, and he stood, offering me his hand. “This is our stop.”

I took his hand, and we got off the metro, navigating the people and stairs with my crutch as we exited the station. Jonas led me down a few streets until we got to a massive outdoor food market filled with vendors selling everything from meat and produce to clothes and sunglasses.

Delicious smells teased my nose, making my mouth water. It was far beyond the farmer’s markets we had back home in Research Circle.

Jonas grinned. “This place is amazing. Let me show you my favorites.”

“I have them.” Jonas took the bags off my lap as the metro stopped.

We disembarked and walked toward their penthouse. The sky had gone gray. A chill hung in the air, but it wasn’t supposed to snow again tonight.

They’d tried so hard to make Mercy and me feel welcome. Last night, she’d been with AJ in the upstairs office as he explained something she was learning in her online finance class. It was sweet. Also, she’d been let in on Grif’s secret, but Mercy was epic at keeping secrets.

“Hey, I need to see something in the parking garage, come with me?” Jonas asked, as we got in the elevator, taking it down instead of up, bags of food on his arms.

“Sure.” Leaning on my crutch, I tried to calculate in my head if I had enough time to frost Dean’s cake the way I wanted before I had to go to the arena with Mercy.

We headed toward the SUV, which was parked next to their 4x4. Next to that was a hot pink sports car.

With a giant bow on it like we were in a holiday car commercial.

I exhaled sharply as I leaned on my crutch. “You got Dean a car for his birthday?”

Jonas chuckled. “Oh, Sweet Girl. This is for you. The license plate says so.”

The plate inside the sparkly frame read PLNTPROF.

“Sorry, Team Mom was taken–so was Sweet Girl ,” Jonas shrugged.

My knees shook a little as I got a good look at it. It was ultra-fancy and straight out of the car racing movies we’d watched during our snow-cation.

“Jonas, I told you not to buy me a car.” It was completely impractical and even smaller than Grif’s sports car. I wasn’t sure it even had a trunk.

Jonas’ lips curved into a smirk. “You told your sister not to buy you a car. Not me.”

My breath caught in my chest. It was the little details that got me. Like it wasn’t as low to the ground as Grif’s, so it would be easier for me to get in and out. The eyelashes on the headlights. Even the little fairy hanging from the rearview mirror.

Not to mention the personalized plates.

“It’s beautiful, but it’s too much.” I ran my hand over the hood. It wasn’t a convertible, but she was a beauty.

It was much more expensive than what Mercy teased me with. Also, a car like this would draw attention.

They’d also bought Mercy and me a lot of things to replace what we lost, even though I’d eventually get the dorm insurance money.

He put the bags down on the hood of the 4x4. Pulling me to him, he pressed his lips to the top of my head. “This is nothing. Don’t you realize that I’d do anything for you, Sweet Girl?”

“Thank you, Jonas. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.” I pressed my lips to his, hoping to convey everything words couldn’t say.

He tasted of the candy we’d tried at the market. The scent of moss wrapped around me, as did his alpha pheromones.

Jonas broke off the kiss. His eyes met mine as he swept my hair out of my face. “I know. And it’s a pity. Because you deserve the world, Verity.”

“You don’t need to buy me expensive things. I would’ve gotten a new one, eventually.” I cupped his face with my hand, my thumb caressing the scar on his jaw.

“In this pack, hard work doesn’t go unrewarded, Sweet Girl. Anything worth having is worth taking. We’re yours for the taking, Verity. Take us .” He kissed me again, hungry and needy.

How did I ever get so lucky to have found this wonderful and beautiful pack? One that got me in a way that no one else ever had.

I let my backpack and crutch slip to the ground and unzipped his jeans.

Take him? Yes, please.

“I claim you, you’re mine, Jonas Seong,” I murmured, lifting my long flowy skirt, hoping one day we could formally bite and claim each other.

His pierced cock sprung out of his boxer briefs as his pierced tongue flickered out. “Mmmm, Sweet Girl, my cock is happy to see you. What are you going to do with it?”

“This.” Putting my hand in the center of his chest, I pushed him against the hood of the car, hoping this part of the garage was private to us, or at least the penthouses.

In all honesty, I didn’t care.

I speared myself on his cock. “This cock is mine.”

Bracing myself against him, I took him fast, like I’d be driving this car on the open road. My pussy was dripping, part with need, part with all his pheromones.

“Oh, that’s it, take me,” he gasped.

“One day I’m going to bite this throat, right here, Sexypants.” I nibbled his neck as I continued to thrust myself on him.

“Yes, please. I can’t wait to do the same.” His hands grabbed my ass, helping to both steady me and quicken the pace.

“Jonas.” Something about the angle of his pierced cock, the way his inflated knot brushed my clit, made me squeal with pleasure.

That friction. Yes please.

“Take me.” Scooping my ass with his hand, he got me into an even better position, his arms making me feel safe and secure.

His intoxicating scent combined with me being on top made me feel sexy and powerful as I pounded him against the hood.

“Yes, that’s it,” I cried, smashing my mouth with his.

“Come all over my cock,” he groaned as his teeth grazed my neck.

My hips arched, and I pulled up so I was almost at the tip, delighting in the way his piercing dragged against my inner walls. As my orgasm took me, I dropped down on him, hard, taking his full-length into me.

“You feel so good, Sweetheart.” He pushed my hips down, my pussy fluttering hard-on his cock as his swollen knot rubbed against me.

I gasped as gravity and my greedy pussy made his knot dig into me. It slipped into me, stretching and making itself right at home, as bits of pain shot through me.

Oh fuck. I’d just taken Jonas’ knot. Sheer desire overwhelmed me as his knot fit into me, my pussy fluttering around it.

Jonas growled with pleasure.

“Fuck yeah, Sweet Girl,” he muttered as his hot release shot into me. “Oh fuck me, you feel so fucking good. I love that my knot is buried in your fucking pussy. I knew you could take me, you sweet, perfect little alpha. You’re fucking perfect for me, for us.”

The pressure of his knot was almost strangling. We’d played with the knot trainer toy a few times, but never was it like this.

Those dirty words made me clench, locking him to keep all that cum inside me, even though his knot nestled firmly into my pussy. Pleasure bolted through me so fiercely that I forgot to breathe. My pussy pulsed around his knot, strangling it, stinging with the stretch, and everything disappeared but sensation.

There was no garage. No car. No Jonas. Just pleasure so fierce it was painful.

“Jonas!” I screamed. “It’s too much, it’s too much.” Panic coursed through me as it felt like his knot–and the pleasure it brought–would split me in half.

Jonas knotted me. Not what I’d planned on doing today. Especially since I’d locked his knot without even trying.

“Relax. I’ve got you, Sweet Girl. You took me so fucking good. My knot is strangled so tight I can barely see,” he whispered, pulling me to his chest and rubbing my back. “I love you so much.” His purr filled the garage.

“I love you, too.” Aftershock after aftershock took me, as I laid there overwhelmed and full. My body slowly relaxed, accepting the knot, though I could still feel it stretch and pulse.

“That’s it.” Jonas kissed me. “You feel so good. I have you.” He continued to purr, making me feel warm, comfortable, and sleepy.

“I need to frost the cake,” I murmured as my lock let go, but his knot still held firm.

“His birthday isn’t until tomorrow. If you frost it later, so be it. Just relax, Sweet Girl, you took me so so good.” He clutched me tighter.

“I like that idea.” I laid there on his chest, hearing his heartbeat, feeling his purr. My phone rang a couple of times, but I couldn’t reach it. I was so nice and comfortable lying against him.

Finally, his knot slipped out of me, and cum gushed everywhere. I had to change for the arena, anyway.

My legs wobbled. My pussy was unhappy with me as I pulled up my panties, leaning on the car for support.

Jonas tucked himself in and zipped up his pants. His arms pulled me to him, and his hands ran up and down my back. “That was the best, thank you. Are you okay? I didn’t intend for it to happen.”

“Me neither. It’s fine. I feel a little weird. My poor pussy isn’t going to be fucking Dean into oblivion tonight when I get home, but I’m fine.” Okay, it ached a lot. Only partially in a good way.

“Dean will live. We can go get you that piercing if you want. Though the healing time could be pretty long.” Jonas kissed me deep.

“Um, hey, we have to leave for the arena soon and you’ve been down here awhile,” Mercy’s voice said from over by the elevator, interrupting us.

“It’s safe. Come see your sister’s present. I think you should take it to the arena tonight,” Jonas said, still holding me to him.

Mercy came over to us, makeup and hair done, but not in her suit yet. She sucked in a breath. “Fuck-a-doodle, that’s a beautiful car, Bub. Even if you stole my thunder.”

“Sorry, Squirt. You can find something else to buy her.” Jonas tugged on the end of one of her braids.

“I mean, go big or eat a sandwich.” Mercy opened the car door. “Ooh, look at that interior. Hale’s going to shit a pumpkin.”

The white leather interior was striking.

“Probably two. He isn’t going anywhere near my car. We can take it to the game. Drive up in it like we’re famous or something.” I grinned at her, excited to get behind the wheel of such a gorgeous car.

Mercy laughed. “We should. I’ll wear my hot pink suit. You wear that light pink one and your nice watch and some dangly earrings. Maybe steal a pair of AJ’s oversized sunglasses.”

“Sounds perfect.” Jonas kissed me again. He handed me my crutch and backpack, then grabbed the groceries. “Let’s go upstairs.”

“You need a shower,” Mercy teased as we got in the elevator.

That I did. I looked at Jonas. “I can’t believe you got me a car.”

Or that I took his knot.

“I told you.” He put an arm around my waist. “I’d do anything for you.”

I’d do anything for them.

Anything worth having is worth taking. Understood.