Page 49

Chapter 49

Ava

Several days go by while I recuperate.

As much as I’m desperate for us to seal our bond, once I actually get out of bed, I realize that my Alphas are right. I’m really in no shape for it yet.

On top of the ankle and my wrists, I’m pretty stiff and sore from being bounced around in the back of a van and then running for a while, and my body is weak from the fever. I really have to take it easy for the next few days, so I do.

My Alphas make good on their promise to stay by my side, but they’re not idle. Far from it. They’ve got a case against Marcus and the Prodigy Corp to pursue.

I’m busy as well. The doctor checks on me regularly, and even though I’m healing fine, I let him keep checking up because I know it’s not so much for me as it is to reassure my Alphas.

I can’t even imagine how much what happened to me scared them. I was pretty terrified myself, but at least I knew what was going on, and I knew that my Alphas would stop at nothing to save me. I was able to find comfort in that.

My Alphas, on the other hand… they had no idea if I was even alive. I picture what it would feel like for me the other way around, wondering if one of them was hurt or even alive, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t possibly bear to lose any of them.

So I let them fuss, and have a doctor over to check up on me. They also set me up with a therapist so that I can talk to someone about what happened, and make sure that I’m okay emotionally. Especially with the possibility of a trial.

Their lawyers are working with them on suing Prodigy Corp as a group with the other companies and inventors who have been hurt. We also heard a rumor that some of the current and former employees will be suing as well, citing wrongful termination, being made unwitting accessories in corporate espionage, that kind of thing.

There’s no way that Marcus can get out of this, or at least I don’t think so, but the lawyers want to be thorough. And I might have to testify.

It’ll depend on if Marcus wants to try to protest his innocence or not. If he just pleads guilty to the kidnapping, my statement might not be needed, although there’s a chance the judge will want to hear it anyway, perhaps in writing or in person.

But if Marcus wants to fight it, I might have to take the stand in court, and my men want me to be as emotionally prepared for that as possible.

It’s an exciting and tense few days, but the possibility of getting to put Marcus behind bars and wipe his company off the map helps me heal faster, I swear it does. I feel like I finally have power again. Like I no longer have to ever be afraid.

“How do you feel if you end up having to testify in front of him?” my therapist, Rachel, asks kindly halfway through one of our sessions.

I like her. I think I’ll keep seeing her when this is done, so I can work on dealing with my parents and my childhood, and the daunting task of reconnecting with the friends in college I left behind when I fled Marcus.

I think about the question. “When it was first brought up, I was scared,” I admit. “But now that I’ve had time to think about it and prepare, I’m not worried anymore. It might be good for me, to have a chance to tell people what he did and what he’s really like.”

“You’ve never told anyone besides your Alphas?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t know how to talk about it. But my Alphas believed me and supported me. Thanks to them, I feel confident. I don’t think it would be scary. I think it would be… getting to share my story. And I know it would put him behind bars. I have confidence in that.”

Rachel smiles. “I’m really proud of you, Ava. And I’m glad you have such a good support system.”

I really, really do. And they’re proud of me, as well. In fact, I’m proud of myself.

And what a support system it is. While my mates have made good on their promise to not officially claim me until my body is all healed up and they know I’m in the right headspace, they aren’t letting this court case against Marcus keep them from showering me in affection.

Honestly, if anything, they’re showing me even more love and attention than ever before. I appreciate how they’re making sure that I know I’m loved and cared for, even though they’re in the middle of this tough situation.

On the one hand, preparing to kick Marcus’s ass and make sure he never sees the light of day again is fun. On the other hand, it is a lot of work with lawyers, a lot of paperwork, a lot of minutiae. I try to look after my men as well as they look after me, making sure they take breaks, that they’re fed and drink water, that they relax when they need to.

Dante, who’s on the phone with one of their lawyers, smiles at me as I come into the kitchen. He’s been smiling more and more as we draw the net tighter around Marcus. All of my men have been.

It’s another reminder to me that those dark days of fear really are over. That I’m finally free of that man and his influence.

I crawl into his lap and let him cuddle me. I’ve been adoring all of their cuddles, getting to nest with them and have them close. I’m so happy that I get to have this. I’m out of my heat, so I can truly enjoy all the touch and closeness without being blinded by my lust, and I haven’t been snatched away from them.

It’s really sinking in for me that I can have this. I can have them. Nobody will ever take me from my pack, my Alphas, ever again.

And that’s why as I sit in Dante’s lap, I try very hard not to ask him again for the one thing that I’m craving. The one thing that I know I’m missing.

Their bites.

I want it so badly, but I haven’t gotten it yet. I understand that I need to heal, but my ankle is fine now, and my bruises are just about gone, and my wrists are all better. I’ve been doing well with my therapist and we’re moving me to once-a-week sessions instead of every other day.

It’s time.

Dante hangs up the phone. “That was the lawyer. He said that Marcus is still trying to beat the charges of corporate espionage, but our team knows he’ll have to cave eventually. There are just too many lawsuits now. But he had even better news. Marcus is pleading guilty for your kidnapping and endangerment.”

I suck in a breath. “Does that mean I don’t have to testify?”

“The judge will want a statement from you, but you don’t have to make anything verbally, and damn well not in front of Marcus. You’re free, darling.” He kisses the top of my head.

I nuzzle him, my heart feeling so full it could burst. “I’m so glad.”

I meant what I said to Rachel, my therapist. I’m okay if I end up having to testify in front of Marcus. But knowing that he’s given up on this fight with the abduction and endangerment of an Omega charge means that he’s more likely to also give in on all the lawsuits.

We’re going to win. I can feel it.

“That charge alone will put him behind bars for ten years,” Dante informs me proudly. He kisses my neck. “You did it. He’s going to be punished for what he did to you. He’ll never lay a damn hand on you again.”

“I know someone I wish would lay a hand on me,” I point out, dropping any pretense at subtlety.

Dante laughs. “We’ll see.”

I don’t hear anything more for the rest of the day, and I don’t want to push too far. I know that this isn’t really just about me. It’s also about my Alphas feeling comfortable with this. They’d never forgive themselves if they accidentally hurt me in any way or if we started, got halfway, and I had to stop from fatigue or just not having my heart in the right place.

But I’m more than ready.

* * *

The next day, I wake up to find that my alarm has been turned off, allowing me to sleep in. I head downstairs, and Caleb treats me to a foot massage while I eat breakfast. Then, Ethan takes me out to a spa day, waiting in the lobby with a book while a masseuse makes me feel absolutely boneless and completely relaxed, and my skin is smoothed over with lovely smelling hot oils and my face is given a mud bath.

When we get back, I take a nice long bath, and Garrett climbs into the huge tub too, joining me to wash my hair and cuddle me.

Then he leads me downstairs, where I find an incredible dinner laid out for us. Dante’s putting the finishing touches on the table, and I smile so hard my face hurts. It’s linguine di mare, with shrimp and mussels and my favorite sauce, and delicious freshly made crab cakes, and buttered lobster steaming on plates.

I couldn’t possibly feel more pampered. My heart is so incredibly full.

Dante pulls out a chair for me and we all sit down to eat. The food is exquisite, not that I’m surprised. I’ve come to expect restaurant-quality food from Dante. But it’s clear from the pricey food and how carefully he’s plated everything, making it all look beautiful and even putting candles on the table, that tonight is something special.

“What’s the occasion?” I ask as I mop up the last of my pasta sauce with a slice of warm, homemade bread. “Did Marcus finally roll over on the other court cases?”

The four men look at each other, smiling, and Dante shakes his head. “No, not that, although things are going well and we know that we’ll have him all wrapped up before long.”

I finish eating and push my plate aside. “What is it, then?”

Dante looks me in the eye, and I can see the heat in his gaze. “Why don’t we have dessert first?”

I shiver, feeling like I’m the dessert that’s about to be devoured.

Dante brings out some warm chocolate souffles, delicate and decadent, and we dig in. The chocolate explodes in my mouth, but it’s not just chocolate. There’s a hint of spice to it, and a tang like alcohol, and a smoky aftertaste…

It’s the flavor versions of the smells that I get from the scent of my mates. This dessert is my mates.

I finish my dessert and look at Dante in astonishment, impressed with his skills. He smiles knowingly. “Ava. How are you feeling?”

“Amazing,” I tell him honestly. “I feel amazing. And so loved. Thank you all for today.”

“Are you feeling strong enough?”

The breath catches in my throat as I realize what he means.

Instead of nodding or answering him, I push back my chair and stand up, the taste of chocolate and my mates’ scents still heavy on my tongue. I walk down the table to Dante, crawl right into his lap, grab him by the front of his shirt, and kiss him.

I pour every bit of my hunger into that kiss, and I hope that he’s gotten the message.

I want them to claim me. Now .

Dante’s arms tighten around me, his scent spiking in the air as he pulls me close. I can feel the bulge of his cock, already hard between us, and I can’t help grinding against it, rolling my hips so that my clit drags over the hot bulge.

We both groan, and the sound is echoed by the other three Alphas around us.

Suddenly, dessert is the last thing on anyone’s mind—or at least, what we all want for dessert has changed.

“I feel perfect,” I whisper against Dante’s lips. “I’m totally healed up, and I’m ready. So ready. I want your bite. Please .”

My voice turns to a plaintive whimper on the last word, and he purrs deeply, his tongue delving into my mouth in a fierce, claiming kiss.

I lose myself in it for a long moment, our lips moving together as if they’ve perfected this dance. When we finally break apart, Dante moves his mouth over to my jaw, kissing along the line of it before trailing downward to press his lips to the pulse throbbing in my neck.

A shiver runs down my spine, wetness gushing from me and soaking my panties as he scrapes his teeth lightly over my skin. It’s a gentle touch, not hard enough to even leave a scratch, but it still affects me all the way to my core—because I know it’s just a precursor to what’s coming. To the bite I’ve been craving for so long.

“Take me upstairs,” I whimper. “Now.”

“Anything our beautiful Omega wants.”

Dante’s chair scrapes against the floor as he stands up, bringing me with him. My legs wind around his waist, and his large hands cup my ass as he turns away from the table and heads out of the room. The other Alphas flank us on either side as he carries me upstairs, and when I look over Dante’s shoulder at them, the heat and emotion in their eyes makes my heart flutter.

This is real.

We’re doing it.

I whimper again, feeling more desperate for their knots than I ever have before. It feels even more intense than when I was at the height of my heat, although I don’t know how that’s possible. I’m filled with the strongest urge to have all of them inside me, to find some way to take all of them at the same time… but another part of me wants to fuck each of them separately, to be able to focus on each Alpha in turn.

“There will never be enough time for all the ways I want you to claim me,” I breathe, catching Ethan’s gaze.

He chuckles hoarsely, reaching down to palm his cock as we hit the top of the stairs.

“Walk faster, Dante,” he tells his pack mate, his voice strained.

Dante laughs, but I can smell the arousal in his scent, and he does pick up the pace, his long strides eating up the hallway as he carries me toward my room. Warmth fills me as I realize where he’s heading. He could’ve taken me anywhere in the house, but he chose my room, the place where I first nested and was knotted by them during my heat.

As soon as we step inside, I feel an overwhelming sense of calm, of rightness , fill me.

This is how it was always meant to be. From the very beginning.

Dante lays me on the bed gently, and for a moment, I find myself staring up at all four of the Alphas as they gaze down at me. They’re all so fucking gorgeous, muscled and tall and breathtakingly handsome in their own unique ways. My nipples peak, heat sliding through my veins as I reach for the hem of my shirt and tug it off.

All four men react to that, their gaze snapping to my exposed breasts. My bra is still covering the best bits, so I reach back behind me and undo the clasp, then slide my bra down my arms and toss it away.

“Fuck,” Caleb murmurs. “So damn beautiful.”

Dante is breathing harder, his chest rising and falling as he watches me, but he stays where he is for the moment, even though I can tell it’s taking some effort.

“Keep going,” he tells me.

So I do.

Under the heavy gaze of my Alphas, I continue to strip, and each article of clothing I remove feels like a promise. A vow. A declaration of what I want—what I need .

When I’m finally completely naked, I run my hands down my body, shivering at my own touch. I’m so keyed up already that even though it’s nowhere near as good as having them touch me, it still affects me. One hand stops at my breast, squeezing and molding the soft flesh, and the other continues even lower, ending up between my legs.

I spread my thighs a little, and I can tell that the movement allows more of my scent to fill the air, because the men’s eyes dilate, their nostrils flaring.

“I’m ready for your cocks,” I whisper. “For your knots.” I spread my pussy lips with my fingers, allowing them to see how wet and swollen I am for them at the same time my other hand moves up to my neck, grazing over the curve where it meets my shoulder. “For your bites.”

Dante lets out a quiet growl, shucking his shirt and then his pants before crawling up onto the bed to join me. He grabs the hand that’s been playing with my pussy, bringing my fingers to his mouth and sucking on them.

He bites my fingertips gently, and I squirm as my clit throbs in response.

“We’ll give you all of those things, baby girl,” he promises. “You already have our hearts. I love you so much.”

Unexpected tears sting my eyes at his words, emotions threatening to overwhelm me, and I reach for him, pulling him down to kiss me.

“I love you too,” I breathe.

My hands thread through his dark hair, and I can feel the heat of his body on my skin as he settles between my legs. His cock nudges my entrance, and I hook my legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

He presses slowly inside, stretching and filling me, and I kiss him harder, panting against his lips.

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, yes. Oh fuck— yes .”

The last word is forced from my lungs on a sharp cry as he pitches his hips forward, burying himself the rest of the way. He fucks me with firm, steady strokes, rocking our bodies on the bed as he kisses me over and over, and it’s everything I ever needed.

“So slick for me,” he praises, grabbing one of my legs and pressing my knee to my chest, opening me up wider for him. “So fucking tight. So good.”

The stretch in my hips is only outdone by the stretch in my pussy as he manages to get deeper than he ever has before. My jaw falls open as I forget how to breathe for a second. My pulse is hammering in my throat, and I can feel the beginnings of an orgasm creeping through me, making my limbs tingle.

His hips snap forward again and again, claiming me with each thrust, and I gasp for breath as if I’m about to be hit by a tidal wave.

“Oh god, keep going,” I beg. “Please, Dante, please, oh…”

He lifts my other leg, nearly folding me in half as he presses my knees to my chest, the weight of his body keeping them pinned in place, and I fall apart. He slams in one more time, and pleasure explodes through me, making my back arch.

“Fuck. Fuck .”

His knot swells, and at the exact moment he shoves it inside me, he leans down and sinks his teeth into the side of my neck.

Something I’ve never felt before explodes inside me, sending my climax spiraling to new heights, and I cling to him as he holds the bite, his teeth clamped down around my delicate flesh. There’s a bite of pain, but it’s the best kind of pain I’ve ever felt, making me gush all over his cock. The fluid of my slick seeps out from the place where we’re connected, soaking us and the bed, and I cling to him with shaking arms as all of the sensations wash over me.

It takes a long time for me to come down from the intensity of it, and after a while, Dante shifts our positions, wrapping my legs around his waist instead of pressing them to my chest. My hip flexors breathe a sigh of relief, and I vaguely wonder how he knew I needed that when I didn’t even know it myself. But I’m too lost in the moment to ask, held in a perfect bubble where nothing matters but the intense, unbreakable connection between us.

When Dante finally loosens his jaw and pulls back a little, I whimper at the loss. But he grins, dropping his head to lick at the tender spot.

Oh fuck . The feel of his tongue sliding over his bite mark is almost better than his tongue on my clit.

“Aahh…” I turn my head a little, shivering from head to toe. My pussy squeezes around his cock as I come again, another rush of pleasure hitting me so hard that little sparkly lights dance in my vision.

“Mine,” he breathes, licking me again.

The possessiveness in his voice just about makes me melt into a puddle, and I nod, my voice a whisper as I reply, “Yours.”

We stay like that until his knot slowly begins to deflate, murmuring to each other quietly, sharing kisses and soft words. I’m aware of the other three Alphas watching us, aware of their scents filling the room—but instead of making this moment feel less intimate, it only makes it feel more so. I’m glad they’re here to witness this, and I’m even more glad that I’m going to have their bites too.

Dante slips out of me after several more minutes, and I sigh at the feeling of emptiness.

Luckily, I know it won’t last long.

He gives me another deep, long kiss, then draws back. His thumb brushes over my lower lip, adoration shining in his slate-gray eyes.

“I’m so glad you found us, baby girl,” he murmurs. “My life was incomplete without you in it. All of our lives were.”

As he speaks, he turns to look over his shoulder at his pack mates, and each of them nods. I bite my lower lip, blinking back tears. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep from crying at some point tonight, with my emotions so high, but I don’t want them to blur my vision. I don’t want to miss a second of this.

“Ethan,” I whisper, gesturing to the tall Alpha with the crooked smile who came to my rescue that night at the club. “Come here.”

He does, tugging off his clothes and then switching places with Dante. He kneels between my legs, his fingers skimming along my inner thighs and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Can I tell you something?” he murmurs quietly.

“What?”

“I’ve wanted to do this ever since the first night I met you.”

I blink, my heart skipping a beat. “Really? But you didn’t even know me then. I could’ve been anyone.”

“But you weren’t just anyone,” he says with a smile. “You were you . Ava. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, inside and out. I was drawn to you so much that night. And sure, it’s gotten stronger every moment that I’ve spent with you, as I’ve gotten to know you. But the seed of it was planted that night. Even then, some part of me knew that I had found the Omega who would make us whole.”

“I was so scared that night,” I admit, reaching for him. He comes willingly, leaning over me so that our faces are only inches apart. “But I think part of what scared me was how safe I felt with you, right from the beginning. I wasn’t used to that, and I wasn’t expecting it.”

“You’ll always be safe with us,” he promises, his cock finding my entrance.

He presses inside, and with our faces so close, I can see the way his eyes spark with heat at the feel of my pussy stretching around him. I squeeze my inner walls just to make those sparks flare brighter, and Ethan lets out a hoarse chuckle.

“Such a little vixen, you are,” he breathes. “You’re asking to get fucked hard and bitten even harder.”

My heart trips over itself, skipping a beat as my breath catches. Then I nod, clenching around him as tightly as I can. “Hell yes, I am.”

Ethan’s nostrils flare, and despite the teasing tone of his voice earlier, I know he absolutely meant it. Keeping one hand braced by my head, he grips my hip with the other, holding me steady as he draws out and drives back in. He angles his hips in a way that makes every hard thrust send an explosion of sensation through me, and I wrap my arms around him, digging my fingernails into his back a little.

That only seems to drive him into more of a rut, and he nearly knocks the breath out of me as he fucks me harder and faster. It’s wild, intense… and so fucking perfect.

Pleasure ripples through me, and I’m mewling and panting, making noises I’m sure I’ve never made before. I turn my head, offering my neck up to him, and the movement makes Dante’s bite mark ache pleasantly.

“Fuck,” I whimper. “Need you… need your bite. Ethan, please.”

“Not yet,” he grits out, although I can tell it’s difficult for him. “Not until you come. I want to feel you fall apart on my cock while my teeth sink into you.”

God, if he keeps talking like that, he won’t have to wait long .

I nod fervently, focusing on breathing as my body becomes an inferno of pleasure. I keep forgetting to exhale, the breath getting trapped in my lungs as Ethan’s snaps his hips forward again and again, burying himself deep each time.

And then, suddenly, it all breaks. The tension coiling inside me explodes, and I scream raggedly, bucking beneath Ethan as I palm the back of his head and pull is face down toward my neck.

He doesn’t need any more urging than that. The warmth of his breath gusts over my fevered skin, and then his teeth are there. As my orgasm crashes through me, I brace myself for the burst of pleasure and pain—but it still shocks me when it comes.

Ethan bites down hard, and I can feel the vibration of his grunt against my skin as his own orgasm hits. His knot swells inside me, binding us together and filling me up, until all I can think about is him. This.

I have no idea what the bite feels like from the Alpha side, but it must be pretty incredible, because Ethan keeps coming for what feels like forever, pulse after pulse of his cock matching the clenching of my pussy. I can feel each spurt of his cum, and the thought of being so full of his release makes me shiver.

By the time it ends, I feel like someone took all the bones out of my body, leaving me a limp, sated puddle.

Ethan keeps his teeth clamped down on my neck for a while longer, and when he finally releases the bite, he pepper kisses to the spots where he broke the skin. It’s soothing and arousing at the same time, and each press of his lips makes my body jerk slightly.

“You’re mine now too,” he whispers. “Just like you’re Dante’s. Just like you’ll be Caleb’s and Garrett’s.”

I smile at the warmth in his voice, sliding my fingers through his sweat-dampened hair as I murmur back, “I was always yours. This just makes it official.”