Page 12

Chapter 12

Ava

Over the next couple of days, I start to get more comfortable.

None of the four men were disrespectful about my space to begin with, but I notice after I confess everything about Marcus that they start to ask me if they can touch me, or to telegraph when they need to touch me or be near me.

It’s sweet that they’re being so careful.

I try to treat this place as my own, as Ethan told me, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that I’m a guest in this house. On the third day, I grab some of the workout clothes that Ethan got for me. I’ve been feeling full of restless energy, and it’s not just the fact that I’m cooped up in this house. It’s more than that.

I’ve got to work some of it off.

Once I put the clothes on, I head down to the large indoor gym the men have set up. I’ve never used a gym before, preferring to go for runs outside and do yoga in the park, but that’s not really an option right now, so I’ll take what I can get.

Like the rest of the house, the gym’s amazing. I have no shortage of equipment to use here. But the moment I walk in, all hopes of a workout are dashed.

Dante’s there, lifting weights.

His muscles gleam and his shirt sticks to him, showing off his toned body. I swallow hard. He really is a handsome man.

But he’s also a man who I’m not sure has entirely warmed to me. At this point I feel like I know where I stand with all of the others, even Garrett, but Dante is still a mystery to me.

Dante puts down his weights and looks up, spotting me. I wonder if he could smell me. Probably. The thought makes me flush.

“Sorry,” I blurt out. “I’ll go.”

I turn, but Dante’s voice stops me. “No, no. Don’t worry about it.”

His voice is softer than I expect. I turn back to look at him. “Are you sure?”

He nods.

Okay, then.

I start up the treadmill while Dante goes back to the weights. At first, I try to ignore him, wishing that I’d brought my earbuds so that I could listen to music and tune him out. But then once I start glancing over at him, I can’t stop.

He’s moving these huge weights around, but his movements are fluid, like water. Like these weights are nothing. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have him pick me up. He’d move me just as easily, I’m sure…

I trip on the damn treadmill and yelp, falling forward.

Strong arms wrap around me to keep me upright and I gasp, heat shooting through me as Dante’s scent and the heat of his body hit me like a wave. His hands fall to my hips as I get upright again and turn off the treadmill.

“Thanks,” I blurt out. I twist a little to look at him.

We’re both breathing hard, even though there’s not really any reason for us to be. Up close, I feel dizzy staring into his slate eyes. The sweat makes his hair darker, almost dark enough to match Garrett’s, and his stubble stands out.

He looks completely disheveled. I want to lick the sweat off his throat and drag him into the shower with me…

Dante clears his throat and steps back. “No problem.”

He goes to another weight machine. I watch him, taking in his laser-like focus. “I’m going to be honest… most rich people don’t seem as compassionate as the four of you.”

Dante smirks a little. “Well, maybe that’s because out of the three of us, Garrett was the only one born rich.”

“Really?”

He nods. He’s not looking at me. I feel like it would be dangerous if he did. “We all met in college when we were studying computer science and engineering.”

That gets a laugh out of me. “Sorry. You don’t look like your typical nerds, that’s all.”

“I know, and only Caleb really acts the part.” Dante grins at me, and it makes my heart flutter. “We bonded pretty quickly. Ethan is the best with marketing and sales, even though I swear he’d be good at anything he puts his mind to. Caleb is a whiz with tech, and Garrett’s best with finances. Comes from his background handling a lot of money from a young age. He’s the one who provided the initial capital that allowed us to succeed and get our company off the ground.”

Dante’s face hardens briefly before relaxing again as he adds, “It cost him a lot with his family. They didn’t like the fact that he was using his inheritance this way instead of joining in the family business. But Garrett isn’t one to be intimidated.”

“I’ve noticed.”

He chuckles. “Most people do. Anyway, Caleb and I were there on scholarships. I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go otherwise. And we’re lucky that we worked things out financially so that Ethan could pay back his student loans.”

I get out a mat and start doing my yoga poses, keeping one eye on Dante. He sets the weights down, watching me as I move through them fluidly. I tell myself I’m imagining the gleam in his eye, but my heart races anyway.

Out of all the men, Dante is the one I’m least sure about. Maybe he wants me, maybe he doesn’t. And my own heart and body are a mess. I need to hold on to my self-control.

Or what remains of it.

“Sounds like you really worked your way up,” I say, going into downward dog and trying not to feel like I’m presenting my ass.

Too late. I can just barely see Dante from this angle, upside down, and he’s staring at me like he wants to devour me. My heart kicks into high gear. His scent fills my nostrils and I want to whimper.

“We did. I can’t lie, having Garrett’s money helped. We all make a great team and none of us would’ve made it without the others. We only succeed together.”

“I like that,” I whisper softly, going out of downward dog and moving into a plank. “You’re a real family, huh?”

“People mistake Ethan and I for brothers,” Dante says slowly. “But I don’t think it’s just a matter of… looking alike. I think people can feel how close all four of us are. They can tell. Honestly, I feel like they’re my brothers in every way that matters.

“I was good at making friends growing up. I can be pretty damn charming.” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “But I didn’t really know what friendship was. Or what family was, actually. Not until I bonded with these guys.”

Envy slides through me and I move out of plank to sit and look at Dante. I’ve never had that. “Sounds really nice. My parents weren’t ever… they were distant. And I haven’t had many friends, what with the whole starting my life over twice thing.”

“Well, you have friends now,” Dante points out. “You have us.”

That warms me all over. Although, I’m not sure you’re supposed to want your friend to pin you to your yoga mat and fuck you until you scream. “I gotta say… I’m impressed. I thought you kind of just came from wealth.”

“I think most people do.” Dante sighs. “On the one hand, I appreciate that people see me and think I’m sophisticated. Especially when we deal with higher-end clients and investors. But I don’t want to ever take what I have for granted, and I don’t want anyone else to think I do, either.”

I feel a bit ashamed, assuming that this man just had everything handed to him. But on the other hand, I feel really inspired. Maybe someday I can achieve my dreams too.

“You don’t strike me as someone who takes his life for granted,” I tell him softly.

Dante moves closer, holding out a hand. I take it and let him help me to my feet, nearly swaying right into him. This close to him, his scent completely envelopes me. I feel drunk on the bourbon scent he gives off.

He has to be able to smell me too. I watch as his eyes darken. There’s no doubt in my mind now that he wants me, and god do I want him. I inhale sharply. I know I probably shouldn’t, but I’m seconds away from begging him to fuck me. That heat crawls up my skin again, and settles between my legs…

A low purr starts up in the back of Dante’s throat. “Do you have any idea what your scent does to me?”

I swallow hard. “Why don’t you show me?” I whisper.

Dante shifts closer, his hips pressing against mine and… oh fuck . He’s hard and thick, straining against the fabric of his pants. My body responds instantly to the realization, arousal rushing through me.

The door bursts open, startling us both.

I whirl around, my face feeling like it’s on fire. I probably shouldn’t be embarrassed, given what passed between Garrett and I in front of Ethan the other day, but I still feel like I should cover myself up or something.

Except it’s Ethan coming in now, and he doesn’t look like he’s here for a workout. His eyes are wide and dark with worry, and he’s breathing hard. He keeps clenching and unclenching his jaw. “You’d better come up. Now.”

I glance at Dante, who’s also glancing at me. He looks back at Ethan and nods.

We head up from the gym to the foyer, Ethan leading the way. When we arrive, I see Garrett practically toe to toe with a man in a suit, while Caleb stands in the doorway to the dining room, watching, his entire body tense.

There’s a second person in a suit, this one a woman. Her gaze lands on me and her nostrils flare, taking in my scent. There’s absolutely no hiding what I am right now. Especially now with how I’ve just been working out.

“You must be the Omega,” she says.

Garrett starts growling.

“Stand down,” Dante murmurs to him. He walks up to the woman. “Who are you, and what are you doing in our house?”

Garrett stops growling, but he absolutely does not stand down.

The woman holds out a badge and my heart drops to the floor. “We’re from the Omega Resources Division. I’m sure you can guess why we’re here.”

My vision blurs, and I realize I’m hyperventilating. Ethan puts his hands on my shoulders in an attempt to ground me. Caleb hurries across the room to stand next to me, like he’s going to wrap himself around me if he needs to.

“I can guess next week’s lottery numbers,” Dante says with a smile, his tone so smooth that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. “Doesn’t mean they’re accurate.”

The woman gives him a tight, unimpressed smile in return. I’m guessing from her scent that she’s a Beta. So is her partner, the one who’s currently in a staring contest with Garrett. It makes sense. If they sent an Alpha to pick up an Omega and go against another Alpha in the process it could get very messy, very quickly.

“We’re here because someone reported you as harboring an unregistered Omega,” the woman informs us. “We’re here to take her to the local facility and process her in the system.”

“Like hell you are,” Garrett snarls.

Dante takes a step to the side, which now puts him directly between the woman and me. She can’t even see me now. His shoulders are raised and his weight drops a little. The beginnings of a fight stance.

Caleb grabs my wrist and Ethan keeps his hands on my shoulders. I breathe in their scents, trying to calm myself.

“Once she’s processed,” the woman says, “then you can officially make a bid to court her, if that’s what you want. But we can’t allow her to keep living with you unregistered. Even if you’re bonded.”

She pauses, then looks us all up and down. “I certainly hope you’re not illegally bonded.”

“Why?” Garrett says mockingly. Challenging her.

“Because the paperwork’s a fucking headache,” the man mutters.

Garrett goes back to glaring at him.

My stomach feels like it’s uncoiling in my belly. My knees buckle, and I realize I’m crying. I clutch at Ethan and Caleb. I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to beg them not to let me be taken by these people.

I can’t be a registered Omega. I can’t. I’ll be trapped. I’ll be controlled by someone like Marcus.

Caleb guides me into deep breathing. My vision clears a little, and I look over at Garrett. He looks like he’s literally ready to hold these agents off and tell me to run for it, and I can feel how tense Ethan is, like he’s going to do the same.

Dante isn’t as obviously ready to fight as Garrett is, but I can tell he’s about to launch himself forward with his fists flying. He’s just more subtle about it.

“She doesn’t want to go,” he says, his voice low and tense.

“The last time I checked, it wasn’t about what people did and didn’t want to do when it came to the law. If people could just do what they wanted regardless, it wouldn’t be a law, now would it?”

“So you’re going to drag an unwilling Omega from her home .” Dante’s lips curl up into a parody of a smile. “Good to know. Fine, upstanding public servants, you are.”

He calls this place my home. My heart swells with joy in the midst of my fear and despair.

And I think that’s what makes me do it. That’s what decides it for me.

I look at the agents again. I could beg the men not to let me be taken in, and I know somehow, deep in my chest, that they would do it if I asked. They’d fight these agents off and give me time to run.

But what would that really accomplish? I’d be completely on the run, and I’d have doomed all four of them to legal trouble for breaking the law. It could ruin their company, their reputations, their entire lives.

I can’t do that to them. I won’t.

They’re ready to put it all on the line for me and I have to return the favor. I want to return the favor. They’re willing to protect me. I want to protect them in my turn.

And there’s only one way to do that right now.

I take a deep breath. “Okay,” I say, and I’m impressed that my voice doesn’t waver. “I’ll go with you.”

Garrett looks like he wants to tear someone’s head off.

Ethan lets me go reluctantly. Caleb squeezes my hand, giving me a reassuring smile before letting go as well. Dante looks at me for a long moment, and I think maybe he won’t move, but then he takes a small step aside to let me pass by him and go to the agent.

“If they give you any trouble,” Garrett calls as the agents lead me out, “I’ll rip their throats out.”

“Promises, promises,” the male agent mutters, sounding exhausted.

My heart pounds harder with every step I take, and the intense, comforting scents of the four Alphas fades as I’m ushered into a car and we start to drive away. I already miss their aromas and their steady presence, and I twist my hands together on my lap, staring out the window.

Will I ever see them again?