Page 6

Chapter 6

Ava

I can’t stop smelling Ethan.

He smells so good . When he puts his hand in my hair, I almost melt and spread my legs, begging him to use those fingers other places.

I know that it’s just my Omega instincts coming out after being suppressed for so long. I can’t let my baser instincts win or dictate my actions. But oh my god. I want to climb into his lap and lick him all over, and grind against his cock until I come, until he pulls it out, until he—

I bury my face into my knees to hide my panting. I’m shaking with need, with desire for him. He smells so unbearably good and I know his knot would feel so very good inside of me. It would fill me and satisfy me like nothing else.

Cut. It. Out. I think fiercely to myself.

It makes sense that after so many years of suppressing my Omega side, now that it’s out it’s gone into overdrive. I’d probably be going this crazy for just about any Alpha.

You didn’t feel like this about the Alphas in the park, or the guy in the club . I shove that thought away. Yes, based on my theory, I should’ve spread my legs and begged the Alphas in the park to claim me, every last one of them. But I didn’t want them touching me.

I can still feel the ghost of their hands on me and it makes me want to throw up.

But Ethan… I have to keep my body pressed to the window to hold in the instinct to do something stupid like make him pull the car over and mount me.

I feel a little insane, to be honest.

The car is so full of his scent that even pressed against the opposite side of the vehicle, I can’t escape it. He smells so very good. I can’t remember ever feeling like this. I tell myself that it’s just the hormones, but I could smell the other Alphas, and none of their scents even really registered to me beyond ‘ew, no.’

Ethan, on the other hand? It’s like his scent was instantly burned into my senses, into my brain.

He keeps up a string of soothing conversation. He doesn’t seem to mind that I’m not responding. It hits me after a bit that he’s talking just so that I keep hearing his voice. He’s trying to soothe me. I must smell terrible right now, stinking of fear.

He talks about the weather, about his favorite food, about how often he goes to clubs and what clubs he thinks are best, about fashion, about movies he’s seen lately. He tells me his favorite color is blue and that he loves Britney Spears’ music.

It’s sweet, actually. And charming.

I can’t think of another Alpha I’ve ever met who would be so calm and casual with an unmated Omega who clearly doesn’t want to be with them. Maybe I’ve just been around the wrong Alphas, but that’s been my experience. Yet Ethan is so patient and cheerful.

Almost against my will, I find myself calming down and feeling soothed. Comforted.

Maybe… maybe I actually can be safe, with this Alpha. If only for a few days until I figure out what to do with my life now.

We get out of the city proper and into an upscale neighborhood. I find myself looking out the window in surprise. I don’t think it’s fair to call the homes here ‘houses.’ They’re more like mansions.

And then they are, literally, mansions.

Ethan pulls into the gated drive of one of them and my jaw falls open. This mansion is gorgeous and huge, with a fountain out front. I’d been so focused on running for my life I had barely registered that Ethan’s car is some fancy sports brand, but now it’s all clicking into place.

Ethan’s not just an Alpha with a thing for sports cars. He’s a stinking rich Alpha. Wildly rich. Insanely rich. I can’t afford to breathe in this neighborhood.

This is so far off from my own shitty apartment that we might as well be on the moon.

Ethan glances at me as he parks the car. There’s an amused gleam in his eyes. “Like what you see?”

I’m too busy gaping to form a proper response.

Ethan opens the door for me and holds out a hand to help me to my feet. I uncurl slowly, feeling self-conscious in my little black dress and bare feet. My hair’s a mess from running and then getting shoved into the grass. I must look so pathetic to him.

But Ethan doesn’t say anything about my appearance as he takes my hand and leads me into the house. He keeps his grip light, like he knows I’m still seconds from bolting and doesn’t want me to feel trapped.

The look in his eyes when I told him I want to be free was… something. I don’t know what to call it. I just know it’s like nothing I’ve seen on an Alpha’s face before. Usually when I’m passing as a Beta and I talk about how glad I am, or how much I value my freedom, the Alphas around me look annoyed or even outright disapproving.

Marcus always looked outright disgusted.

The foyer that Ethan leads me into is two stories high, with a grand, sweeping staircase that curls around the back wall, and a shining chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The floors are elegant marble, and massive paintings hang from the walls. This foyer alone is bigger than my entire apartment.

“It’s a bit late,” Ethan says, a teasing note in his voice, “but I can still give you the grand tour if you want.”

“Give who the grand tour?” someone says, and it’s like lightning up my spine. I jolt.

I know that voice. I’ve heard it somewhere before, I’m sure of it.

From the top of the stairs descends a man. In the dim lighting of the foyer his body moves like a sleek predator, a wolf padding down to see what all the fuss is about. His gray eyes pierce through me, and then his scent hits.

Honey. Bourbon. Spicy clove.

Oh my god. It’s the Alpha I ran into earlier this week.

When he reaches the landing, I see that he’s just as tall, just as muscular, and just as handsome as I remember.

I can’t believe this is happening to me. Any other Omega would probably feel lucky. I’m a little too busy feeling swept up in how good he looks… and smells.

Even from here, I can inhale his scent like a drug, and I nearly start panting. I want him to pull me into those powerful arms. His eyes seem to pin me in place, seeing right into the heart of me.

The way he stands exudes confidence. The kind that comes from a true Alpha. So many of them posture and swagger and it always said to me that they were secretly insecure. A truly confident Alpha doesn’t need to make a scene or show off how strong he is. He just exists, and knows his worth.

That’s what I’m getting from this Alpha standing on the stairs above me.

It makes me want to bare my throat in submission and it takes everything in me to hold that back and not give in. I’m not some silly teenage Omega. I’m not going to just swoon over the first confident Alpha I run into.

But it does tell me that this one is probably his pack leader.

I see the moment recognition enters his eyes. A small, warm smile tugs up the corner of his mouth. I kind of want to drown in it.

“Nice to see you again,” he murmurs, walking down the rest of the steps.

“Ava, this is Dante, my pack leader,” Ethan says. “Dante, this is Ava. She needs a place to stay. Her suppressants failed her.”

Dante. I roll the name around in my mind. I like it. Strong, but a little dangerous in a fun way.

Maybe it’s just from the fact that it’s so late and he probably just rolled out of bed to see what’s going on, but right now his rich dark brown hair is charmingly messy and he has a light shading of stubble on his chin. It makes him look disheveled, but naughty.

I swallow hard. I’m not going to think about that. I won’t think about running my hands through that hair or how that stubble would feel on my skin. I’m stronger than that.

“Are you two related?” I ask.

Ethan chuckles as Dante answers me. “No, but we get that a lot. We’re brothers in spirit only.”

I nod, not sure what else to say. Dante’s gaze on me is penetrating, and I see his eyes flick up and down my body, taking me in. His eyebrows rise a little as he realizes what a mess I look.

“What’s the fucking ruckus for?” someone else growls as they enter. “Do any of you dumbasses know what time it is?”

“Garrett,” Ethan says quickly. “We have a guest.”

The Alpha who enters is wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, and I gulp, shivering inadvertently as I take in his broad-shouldered body and toned, well-defined muscles. He looks like he could pick me up with one hand and fuck me through a wall without breaking a sweat.

With his dark, almost black hair done in a short, rugged hairstyle and square jaw, he looks like the Alphas I’ve seen on romance novel covers. I’ve never wanted to be eaten alive so badly before.

The Alpha freezes, then squints at me. He moves closer, brown eyes narrowed, like he’s not sure if I’m actually real. “An unmated Omega?”

His scent wafts over me as he draws closer and I have to lock my knees to keep them from buckling. He smells like freshly baked pie, like wood burning in a fireplace, and like a glass of sweet apple cider to wash it all down. Like pure, homespun safety.

The man Ethan referred to as Garrett stares at me. His scent mixes with Ethan’s and Dante’s until I feel like I’m going to pass out. I struggle to keep from panting and whining, every inch of my body on fire. I’m dizzy from their scents combining. I feel so turned on it’s like I’ve been doused in flames and yet, I feel weirdly safe. Like I’ve been wrapped in a blanket to keep out the outside world.

“What are you doing?” Garrett asks me, his tone gruff. “Out there unmated? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

“Yes, Garrett,” Dante says, his tone tired but calm. “I think she does. You’re safe here, Ava. It’s all right.”

Garrett mutters something under his breath. I can’t quite catch what he says, but I glare at him anyway. Ethan smirks. “Careful, Garrett, she’s a bit of a live wire.”

“What’s all…” Someone pauses to yawn. “The commotion…?”

A fourth Alpha enters, dressed in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, looking still half-asleep. His neatly trimmed blond hair is sticking up a little on one side, and it makes him look absolutely adorable. He’s tall, with a muscular build that tells me he could also probably lift me with no effort. He has electric blue eyes and a strong jawline, but despite his chiseled features, there’s something soft and kind about his face.

He blinks at me, then rubs at his eyes as if he’s not quite believing what he’s seeing.

“Nope,” Ethan says cheerfully. “You’re not dreaming.”

“Caleb, this is Ava,” Dante makes the introductions. “Ava, this is Caleb, the last member of our pack.”

“Ava, hi.” Caleb sticks out his hand for me to shake. Oh my god. He’s so cute I can hardly stand it.

I find myself shaking his hand, blinking as his scent crashes over me like a wave. It’s insanely comforting—rich dark chocolate, smooth caramel, and toasted hazelnuts.

Yum .

“Sorry, uh, I’m usually more awake than this.” Caleb glances at the others. “What’s going on?”

He’s still holding my hand. I clear my throat.

Caleb lets go of me and steps back, taking most of his scent with him. I nearly whine at the loss.

Four pairs of bright eyes stare at me, then at each other.

“She needs a place to stay,” Ethan repeats.

“She can’t stay here,” Garrett replies, his tone rough. “She’s unmated and we don’t have an Omega, do you have any idea what kind of problem that could be?”

“She’s right here,” I point out softly.

The thing is, I’m kind of in agreement with Garrett. I’ve never reacted like this to a single Alpha before, and now I’ve got four of them all vying for the attention of my body.

This is part of why I take suppressants. It’s not just for protection, so that others don’t judge me or try to take my life out of my hands. It’s also because I hate what my Omega instincts do to me. I don’t like being such a slave to my desires.

Yet here I am, wet and desperate with lust for these four Alphas that I’ve barely met. They make me feel safe, and I have to remind myself that it’s the Omega hormones talking. No matter what my mind knows to be true, my body wants to be claimed and mated, pampered by a pack of gorgeous Alphas just like this one.

I can’t let my body win. I feel so confused, torn between two completely different desires, but I know which one will win out. I just have to stay focused.

“We have a lot on our plates already,” Garrett argues. “Are we sure we really have the time to take on an Omega and look after her? Especially if we’re not going to bond with her? What about the PR mess if this gets out?”

“It will be fine,” Dante says, in a low soothing tone that nonetheless makes it clear he’s not going to be argued with.

“Do you really have nowhere else to go?” Caleb asks me.

I shake my head, swallowing hard. I could go back to my apartment, I guess, but I won’t. I’d be too afraid of one of my neighbors scenting me and reporting me to the ORD office.

Caleb looks at Garrett. “Then I agree with Dante and Ethan. We should take care of her. We can’t kick her out on her own like this.”

Garrett sighs. “You’re not registered with the ORD, are you?”

I shake my head again.

“Great. Just great. We’re practically breaking the law.” Garrett looks at the others, and then at me. “All right. Fine. You can stay.” He points at the others. “But no shenanigans.”

“That’s my job to say,” Dante points out quietly.

Garrett immediately ducks his head down in deference, which seems to be as much of an apology as anyone is going to get from him.

His obvious hesitance about having me here sets me on edge, but I remind myself that it’s partly my own fear and exhaustion making me feel this way. I can’t forget that these men are taking a risk letting me into their home and protecting me. Garrett has a point. An unregistered Omega could be a big problem for them if I’m discovered.

So instead, I say, “Thank you. I know that you don’t owe me anything, and I really appreciate the kindness.”

“Don’t mention it,” Dante says, his voice wrapping around me like a warm hug.

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Garrett mutters.

I swallow hard, trying to calm my racing heart.

When I left my apartment earlier this evening, I never could’ve imagined that I’d end up spending the night in a mansion with four unnervingly gorgeous Alphas.

But here we are.