Page 14 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 13

Viper

I circled Candi like a vulture, watching as she lay sprawled on the desk. Every breath she took came in sharp, shallow bursts, her skin flushed with the effort to maintain control.

But her control was slipping—fast.

I could feel it, taste it in the air, thick and heady, like the storm I knew was coming.

Her body betrayed her, even if her words dripped with venom. The tremble of her thighs, the way her chest heaved, trying to catch up with her racing pulse—it all told me what her mouth refused to admit.

She wanted this.

Needed it.

Her omega instincts were screaming for her to surrender, to stop fighting, and give in to the heat simmering between us.

But Candi? She was too proud for that. Too stubborn, too headstrong. She didn’t break easily, and I loved her for it. That fire inside her, the way she clung to her independence, only made me want to claim her more. It would make her eventual surrender, all the sweeter, when she finally realized just how good it would feel to stop fighting us.

"You’re not forcing shit on me, Viper," she spat, her defiance clear. "One little orgasm doesn’t mean I’m about to submit to you or Ghost. I’m no one’s bitch ."

She tried to sit up, but Ghost was quicker. In an instant, he was there, his tattooed hand wrapping around her throat—firm enough to hold her in place, but not to harm her. Her gasp was music to my ears, and a wicked grin spread across my face.

"Ghost!" she said in surprise. She hadn’t anticipated his cat-like reflexes. It’s why we call him Ghost. He’s silent, deadly, and you don’t see him coming until it’s too late.

"Let me go," she hissed, her voice strained as she tried to free herself. But Ghost’s grip remained unyielding. He stepped between her thighs as her back hit the oak desk once more.

"No," he growled.

"No?" she seethed. "What the fuck do you mean, no?"

She tried to get up again, but he held her in place. The power he had over her was intoxicating. If I were a better man, I’d make him listen to her. But I wasn’t. I needed her to be so overwhelmed with lust, that she couldn’t picture anyone else satisfying her but us.

I curled around the desk like a predator, watching her squirm under his attention. I leaned closer, my grin widening.

"So what? You’re going to force me?" she challenged.

I smirked, circling around her as Ghost’s free hand explored her breasts, squeezing with just enough pressure to make her moan. Her nails dug into his arm, leaving crescent-shaped marks where she fought for control.

Yet, Ghost’s grip around her throat remained firm, keeping her pinned, her body taut with resistance, but yielding all the same.

I leaned down, brushing a stray lock of hair from her flushed face, my fingers lingering to make her shiver. My gaze locked onto hers, dark and unrelenting, and I allowed a wicked smile to curve my lips.

"Oh, sweetheart," I taunted, my voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You’ll be pleading for more than just our bite by the time we’re done with you. But don’t worry, we won’t claim you fully until you’re begging us for it."

As Ghost tightened his grip, I moved to the top of the desk, my eyes never leaving Candice’s. Her gaze met mine with a defiant challenge.

"So what, Viper?" she spat. Her defiance was a shield, a mask over her true feelings.

I knew she wanted us.

I seized her by the chin, forcing her to look directly into my eyes. For a moment, her defiant glare softened. The shiver that racked her body wasn’t lust, it was something deeper, more vulnerable.

Fear.

That flicker of fear shattered the haze of need clouding my judgment, and my protective alpha instincts surged forward, overriding the raw desire. It felt like an ice bucket had been poured over my head the moment her scent soured.

"Ghost," I murmured, my voice low, but commanding as I stroked a path along her jaw with my thumb, "let her go."

Candice’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ghost hesitated, his grip still firm on her throat. I looked up at him, my voice turning dangerously low. "Now."

"Are you for real right now?" he challenged, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes," I growled, my tone brooking no argument. "As your president, I command you."

The tension in the room escalated as Ghost and I locked eyes, a silent battle of wills. For a long, charged moment, neither of us wavered. But he would back down.

I wouldn’t hesitate to remind him why I was in charge here.

Finally, Ghost’s expression hardened. And slowly, he released his grip from her throat, stepping back. A whimper tore past Candice’s lips as she sprang to her feet, quickly adjusting her shirt and covering herself.

Without another word, she darted toward the door, her movements frantic and disheveled. Every instinct in me screamed to stop her, to pull her back into my arms and comfort her, until that sour scent of fear was gone. But I held myself back, fighting against the primal urge. I knew what she needed right now was space.

Just as she reached the door, Ghost’s voice rang out, rough and commanding. "Princess."

She froze, her hand hovering over the door handle. It wouldn’t take much to convince her to stay, to let us finish what we’d started, but I knew she needed to make that choice on her own. I wouldn’t force her.

No matter how badly I wanted to.

"I’ll see you tomorrow," Ghost said, his voice laced with dark promise. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

Candice hesitated. I thought she might turn back. But instead, she nodded slightly, her hand trembling as she gripped the handle and opened the door.

And then she was gone.

"What the fuck, Viper? She was this close to giving in to us!" Ghost barked, his usually silent demeanor cracking.

I slumped into my chair, staring at the empty desk where Candice had been just moments before. Her jasmine scent still lingered in the air, a tantalizing reminder of what we’d almost had.

My heart stammered as I recalled the look in her eyes— fear . I never wanted her to fear me. Others to fear me? Yes. But not my omega. Never Candice.

"She wanted us, Vipe. She was perfuming. I could practically taste how badly she wanted us." He said it, like that was enough.

But was it?

I scoffed, ignoring his curses and jabs. He didn’t see it the way I did. Didn’t see the war raging inside Candice the way I could. Her body might want us, but her mind? It needed convincing. I refused to be like the alphas that roamed this city—like Jordan or his father, Titus, who forced submission.

We didn’t take away free will. It wasn’t what the MC stood for.

I locked eyes with my enraged enforcer, trying to get him to see reason. My gaze was hard as steel.

A Steel Serpent .

Ghost growled in frustration. His hands rested on the edge of the desk that separated us, his posture tense. He was a deadly alpha, and I knew if we came to blows, he would put up one hell of a fight. I hoped it didn’t come to that, but he needed to back the fuck off.

"What do we stand for?" I demanded, ignoring everything he had been saying for the last ten minutes.

"Why the fuck are you asking me that?" Ghost shot back, his anger barely contained. The tension between us was palpable, a live wire sparking with every breath.

My nostrils flared as I studied him, the scent of his frustration mingling with the remnants of Candice’s perfume. "What does our patch stand for? What does the oath you took mean?"

I pointed at the serpent emblem on his cut, a symbol of our crew’s ethos.

"Honor. Protection. Loyalty," Ghost replied, his jaw clenched as he answered, the words coming out with a measured intensity.

"Protect those who need it," I reminded him.

Ghost’s eyes narrowed, the frustration in his gaze turning into a sharp edge of irritation. "We protect women and children. Omegas and betas."

I nodded slowly, rising from my chair with a deliberate calm. I ran a hand over my beard. "And our little omega? Does she fall under our protection?"

Ghost’s nostrils flared. "Of course," he scoffed, as if the answer should have been obvious.

I leaned forward, my hands braced on the desk, eyes locked on his. "I am trying to protect her from us ," I hissed. "She gets a choice. We don’t take that from her. Ever."

Ghost’s expression softened slightly, though his frustration remained. "You think I don’t know that? I would never force her—"

"She was afraid, Ghost. Is that what you want? Her fear? What would your brother say if he saw you right now, forcing his omega into submission? What would Chaos think of us, hmm?"

He growled. "She wanted us! Why are you—"

I cut him off again. "She was terrified, Gabriel!" I bellowed, using his real name for the first time in years. But he needed to understand I would not budge on this. My eyes narrowed as silence fell upon us.

"I will never force her. What would Chaos think if he found out you forced his omega into a bond she didn't want?"

He recoiled like I'd slapped him. Calling him anything but his road name was insulting. But bringing Chaos into this? That was a low blow.

Even for me.

But he needed to see this for what it was.

Ghost growled, his fist banging on the desk that separated us. "Don’t fucking talk about him! He will never get to have her. He lost that because of the club. Because of the Hounds."

I stared him down, knowing this was the crucial moment. Chaos and Ghost were meant to share a mate, a pack. Now, I was using that shared history to drive home my point.

Ghost’s anger flared, but there was a flicker of understanding behind his eyes. He clenched his fists, his knuckles white against the dark oak of the desk. The silence between us grew heavy, filled with the weight of Chaos's death and the fact we had almost forced our omega when she wasn't ready.

I could see the internal struggle warring within him, the clash between his loyalty to the MC and his alpha instincts to protect his omega. His shoulders sagged slightly, the fire in his eyes cooling to a smoldering ember.

"You’re right," he said, his voice rough. "I get it. We can’t just push her into submission. It’s not what we’re about. It wouldn’t be honoring Chaos either."

I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and white-hot fury. Relief that he was seeing things my way, and fury at the loss we still felt from that failed run. From losing a brother.

But Chaos died with honor.

"Exactly. We need her to come to us willingly , to trust us. If we force her, we’re no better than the alphas who prey on their omegas. No different than a stray. A Hound… Than, Adam Sterling."

I thought of my nephew's omega, the forced bond she was still tied to, and I seethed with rage. One day, she would be free of him. The club would see to it. But for now, she was safe with Vaughn, and that's what mattered.

Ghost’s gaze dropped to the floor, his frustration giving way to contemplation. "I just… I want to protect her. If she's ours, the Bramwell Sanctuary can't take her from us. Michelle and Adam can't use her. We have so many enemies, Viper." He sounded tired now.

"I know," I said, my tone softening. "I want to protect her too, more than anything. But she needs to choose this, Ghost. Choose us. You understand?"

His eyes met mine again, this time with a hint of resignation and acceptance. "Yes, Viper. I get it. You’re right."

"Good," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Now, make sure her den is secure. Protect our omega in my absence. Gears and I’ll gather intel on the Hounds' next move."

She was more than just a prize to be claimed. She was everything that had been missing in my life. At forty-two, I never imagined I'd find my mate, let alone have her be half my age. But she was my reason for everything now.

I would make this city safe for her, for all omegas, and earn her as mine.

Or I'd die trying.