Page 7

Chapter 7

Ava

“Now that that’s settled,” Ethan says, clapping his hands together, “why don’t I give you the grand tour?”

“Ethan.” Dante sighs. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Then you can go to bed,” Ethan replies cheekily. I have to bite back a smile. His cheerfulness is infectious and puts me at ease. He offers me his arm. “This way m’lady.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Garrett mutters under his breath again, and he storms off.

I ignore him. Yeah, grumpypants, I’m not exactly thrilled about any of this either . But I follow Ethan as he leads me around the house, pointing out the various rooms.

It’s. Huge.

I didn’t realize people actually lived in houses this big. This pack is rich. Very rich. Garrett said something about a product and public relations. I wonder what kind of business they’re in.

When you’re rich like this, that has to come with some measure of being in the public spotlight. These men really are taking a risk by sheltering me here. I’m still wary, but I also feel warm with gratitude.

I genuinely don’t know anyone else, Alpha or Beta, who would do the same.

Ethan shows me the home movie theater, and a large half-filled library where he explains Caleb’s still working on building his book collection, and the home gym where he and the other three work out.

I try to banish from my mind the image of these four handsome Alphas working up a sweat lifting weights, their clothes sticking to them and showing off their muscles that much more. I’m not entirely successful.

Ethan doesn’t take me out to the backyard, but he points out the massive, luxurious pool and hot tub, the tennis court, and the barbeque.

“Do you do a lot of entertaining?” I ask when he finishes showing me the downstairs.

“I love to hold a good party,” Ethan admits with a grin. “But not as much as we’d really like. Work keeps us busy and then there’s the whole…”

He trails off, and his eyes cut away like he’s guilty.

“It’s okay.” I keep my voice gentle. “You can tell me.”

“Well, it’s a little awkward, seeing as you’re an unmated Omega. But part of why we’ve been holding back a little on having people over is that we want to have an Omega for our pack.”

He sounds incredibly earnest when he says it, and it startles me. The charming man who cracks jokes and seems to have a permanent smirk on his face isn’t the kind of man I would expect to be so open and sincere, but Ethan is exactly that.

It makes me feel like I can relax around him. Like his jokes aren’t a front or a way to charm pretty Betas and Omegas, but coming from somewhere deeper and more genuine.

“Anyway, let’s see the upstairs.” Ethan grins and leads me up the massive spiraling staircase. When I look down from the top to the marbled floor below, it feels like I’m in a fairytale about to make my grand entrance into the ball.

The upstairs has slightly less formal rooms. Downstairs had a library, a billiards room, a dining room, and enough others that I made a joke about the game Clue , which made Ethan laugh. But up here there don’t seem to be strict designations for each room other than the bedrooms.

“We bought a house with children in mind,” Ethan admits quietly, indicating some bedrooms that remain undecorated. “Dante likes to plan ahead even if it feels too far in advance. That’s part of why he’s our leader.”

I’ve seen Alpha packs where there was a constant fight for dominance and who would be in charge. All four of these men clearly have strong personalities, but none of them seem to disrespect Dante. They all defer to him in the end. It’s sweet and reassuring.

Ethan leads me to a room at the end of the hall. “This will be your room. We’ve used it as a guest room before, but don’t worry, we had it deep cleaned, so it won’t smell like any of our previous guests.”

He’s right. I can’t smell any lingering scents. The walls are a soft cream color, and the room is fairly bare, clearly a guest room with the simple furniture. But the bed looks soft and comfortable, and suddenly my bones ache with exhaustion. I want to dive into this bed and let the pillows and blankets surround me.

“As long as you’re living here, I hope you’ll consider this your home too,” Ethan tells me, his voice soft. “Anything you’d like to use, seriously. If you want to read a book, or watch a movie on the theater, or take a swim, it’s all yours.”

To my shock, tears spring into my eyes. I’m not usually this emotional. But then again, I’m also not normally flooded with Omega hormones after years of suppressing them. “Thank you. Really. It’s very sweet, what you all are doing.”

“Hey, of course. I’m sure it’s a lot right now.” Ethan smiles, and it’s gentler than the playful smirks he’s been giving so far. “I know you can’t go back to your apartment, but in the morning just let us know what you want from there, and we’ll go over and get it for you. Clothes, books, that kind of thing.”

That does it. The tears slip free and I wipe at my face. “I miss my nest,” I admit, a sob catching in my throat.

It wasn’t much. I think my suppressants kept me from feeling the urge to nest as strongly as most Omegas do, but I still wanted to make my bed be full of lovely soft things that made me feel warm and safe. It was a place I could snuggle into at the end of the day and let the outside world fade away. A place that smelled like me, and was truly mine.

Now I have to sleep in a strange bed. It looks comfy, for sure, and I appreciate all the pillows. It’s silly of me to cry over something like this. And yet, here I am. Missing my nest. Missing my home.

“Oh, gorgeous. Hey, come here.” Ethan pulls me into him and hugs me tightly. I bury my face in his chest and inhale his scent, the toasted marshmallow undertone making me think of summer campfires and relaxed, happy times.

Ethan rubs my back. “You’re going to be okay. And even if I hadn’t been there, I’m sure your friends would’ve looked out for you. That one girl was glaring at me pretty hard as I led you out of the club.”

I laugh a little. “That’s Athena. She looks like a strawberry shortcake but she’s got a strong personality. But they’re my coworkers. We work at the shelter together.” I pause. “They’re all Betas,” I add, quietly.

I don’t know how Athena and the others will handle me now that they know I’m an Omega. I don’t want them to treat me any differently.

“Well, that’s nice. Probably how you got away with those placebos for so long.”

“I just don’t know if they’ll judge me for hiding who I am. And being unmated. Not that it matters now, I suppose. I can’t ever go back.”

Ethan’s body feels so warm and firm against mine. His scent envelops me, and I just want to crawl inside it. I shiver. I feel safe and protected, but I also can’t entirely ignore the heat sliding up my spine.

Before I can stop myself, I press against him more, nuzzling into his chest. I feel Ethan’s breathing kick up. A bulge grows against my hip, Ethan reacting to me, and my lips part as I start to pant. He wants me. He wants me, and he could take me right there on the bed. I bet it would feel so good, make me stop feeling so empty…

Ethan grabs my hips, like he’s torn between pulling me closer and tearing me away. He clears his throat. “You, uh, you said you work at a shelter?”

I struggle to get my breathing under control. “Y-yes. Yes. An animal shelter, yes. That’s where I work. A shelter.” Oh my god, I sound like a complete idiot. Lust is making my head spin. “That’s where I met Dante, actually,” I blurt out.

Ethan looks down at me with a smile. “Oh? How’d that happen?”

“I was out walking one of the dogs. We need to do that, not just for exercise obviously, but also so they can get used to obeying a human. It helps prepare them for when they get adopted. This dog, Roger, he’s on the big side, and so I was dealing with him and didn’t see where I was going and literally bumped into Dante.”

“And let me guess, you were smitten.” Ethan mimes swooning.

“No,” I protest, but I’m giggling.

“I think that’s really great, that you work there. I think someone who dedicates their life to helping animals like that is a good person, and your coworkers are probably good people too, then. And I’m sure that means they know what a good person you are. If they’re going to judge you for making the choice you thought was best for yourself, then they’re not really worth your time.”

He really had to go and be charming and sweet. I’m doomed. “I’ll be honest I’m… I’m really not sure about still being there. I love the animals and the work, but the owner was a real tightwad. I don’t think the animals are being treated as well as they should. Maybe this incident is a sign that it’s time to move on and find another place to help out.”

“Hey, maybe.” Ethan curls his finger under my chin and tilts my head up. “My point is that you’re okay, and nobody should judge you. It’s all going to work out.”

My breath catches in my throat. It’s such a sweet gesture, but also one full of natural dominance. My throat is exposed but I don’t feel scared. I feel vulnerable, but I like it. I’ve never liked it before.

The shadows play on Ethan’s handsome face, but one of them seems darker than the rest. I reach up. “Did you get hurt?”

Ethan winces slightly as my fingers brush against the bruise. “Nothing I can’t handle. And nothing that wasn’t worth it.”

My breath catches in my throat and I find my hand cupping his face, feeling the shape of it against my palm. Ethan shudders, and I feel him hard against me again. My mouth falls open and Ethan’s arm comes around my waist, anchoring me against him. My legs spread just a little, just enough, that I can feel that hard outline of his cock between them, so close, so very close to where I want it… where I want him …

“Oh fuck,” Ethan chokes out, and then he’s pushing me away, the green of his eyes now thin rims around the large black of his hunger. He clears his throat and lets me go.

I stand in place, shivering. I want him so badly, but I also know it’s just chemicals. That’s it. My hormones are raging right now and Ethan’s being very sweet and comforting, of course I’m going to react. It doesn’t mean anything, and I won’t let it mean anything.

I won’t be claimed. Not by anyone.

Ethan smiles at me, his smile a little lopsided and self-deprecating. “I’ll let you get your rest. You’re probably exhausted. But don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything, okay?”

I need you, my body begs, but I ignore it. “Thank you, Ethan, I will.”

He nods, then exits, closing the door softly behind him, leaving me alone with my out-of-control body and my conflicted thoughts.