Page 18 of Love in Excess (Beta Accepted #9)

LINCOLN

I’m not sure how long we sit in the dark, Celeste curled against my chest, her small frame tucked into my lap.

Her breathing’s still a bit erratic, hitching every few seconds, but it’s calmer now than when she first crashed into my arms in my apartment lobby.

Every now and then, she mumbles “please,” her voice barely a whisper before relaxing again, my heart aching for the terror she experienced.

Fucking Carter .

The worst part was the sudden surge of emotion I felt after a walk with Jasmine.

I just had to get to Celeste, regardless of anything else.

It makes me wonder if we’re not already bonded in some way, as if fate already has plans for me—telling me that this is it.

That this is my pack. One can only hope.

Something buzzes on my chest and I reach to silence it before trying to get to my phone again. Celeste digs her fingers into my chest, halting my movement. “Don’t leave me!” The broken cry has me sighing and relaxing as I explain to her what I’m doing.

“Sweetie, I’m not going anywhere but if I can’t get to my phone then I can’t call Hunter.

” I press my lips to her forehead, damp with sweat, a low, rumbling sound coming from me that I’ve never made before.

The purr takes me by surprise, like my body knows how to soothe her even if my head’s still catching up.

She sighs, her breath warm against my neck as I tighten my arms around her, the purr steadying us both. “I need to call your Alpha, okay?”

She shifts, her face nuzzling closer, her lips grazing my collarbone. “ Our Alpha,” she whispers. “He’s ours. But yes, I need him. I need both of you.”

I heave a small sigh as I reach for my phone again, Celeste tensing and then relaxing after I slip out my phone.

Hurriedly, I dial Hunter, hoping and praying he has his phone on him.

Celeste settles, sucking the skin along the curve of my neck between her lips, my scent calming her all over again.

The sensation sends a shiver down my spine but I force myself to focus.

“Doc? Why are you calling me? Is everything okay?”

I can hear the strain in the Alpha’s voice and it hits me that he’s probably felt everything through the bond. “Yes, well no. I’ve got Celeste here with me at my loft. Carter ran after her, but she’s safe. She just needs more than me.”

Hunter’s voice drops, a growl edging his words. “Fucking hell, I’m gonna kill him.”

I glance at Celeste, her face still pressed against my neck, her fingers curled into my shirt. “Can we do that later? She needs you.”

“Already on my way. I called her a few times but didn’t get an answer so I went home but she wasn’t there. Where’s Carter?”

“I don’t know,” I push out, my eyes flicking to the door, half-expecting that bastard to barge in. “Just tell the front desk you’re here for me and they’ll buzz you up. My door is unlocked.”

“And you? Doc, are you alright?”

Silence filters between us. No one ever cares if the doctor or paramedic is okay.

They just assume we are. After all, we’ve seen a billion incidents like this.

It’s different, though, when the incident includes one of ours.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I almost tell him that I need him but that’s a little too much for me to admit yet.

A weak “Daddy” slips from Celeste’s lips, a tremble running down her spine.

Hunter lets out a small grunt, doors opening and closing before I hear the rumble of an engine.

I place the call on speaker, Hunter directing his words at Celeste.

“Hey, baby girl. I’m on my way, okay? Five minutes, maybe three.

Fuck, I hate that we’re doing this again. ”

She makes another small sound but doesn’t say anything else, all of us resting there in silence, Hunter’s purr filling the space.

His purr nearly has me asleep, the door cracking open putting me on alert mode all over again until I see Hunter slip through.

There’s a raw power to his entrance that has Celeste waking up immediately, my beautiful Omega scrambling from my lap and jumping into Hunter’s arms. He holds her tight against his chest, murmuring something into her ear that’s only for her, a soft smile curving on her lips as she nods.

I push to my feet as well, moving forward until I’m at Celeste’s back, casing her in between us.

She settles almost immediately, Hunter grinning up at me.

He silently ask for permission before curving one of his hands around the side of my neck and pulling me into a kiss.

It’s soft and passionate, full of emotions meant for a lover.

I can’t help but hold on for the ride, letting Hunter take and give as he pleases.

He pulls back, his brown eyes searching mine, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I love that she knew you were safe enough to run to, Doc,” he says.

“That means more than you’ll know.” His free hand settles on my hip, Celeste burying her face into Hunter’s chest. She seems completely content between us, while I’m just unsure of what happens next.

Hunter grumbles something unintelligible when his phone vibrates, pulling it out with a curse.

“Fuck. Ruiz said he has some information about Carter at the station.”

Which means they’re calling Hunter in to deal with this.

Celeste lets out a little whine before it cuts off abruptly. “It’s okay. I can get home. I… I’ve done this before. I can…” She pushes away from us, eyes wide and dazed as she tries to stumble toward the door. It’s heartbreaking to think she has no one to lean on.

“Sweetie, you’re not going anywhere in that state. You can stay here until Hunter’s done, alright?” I have enough sick time I can put forth, but it’s only good if I mention that my Omega needs me. And she does. So bad.

I gently reach for Celeste and tuck her into my side, waiting until she relaxes all over again.

Hunter looks on with an adoration that has my heart beating a little faster.

He steps closer, cupping my cheek in his hand.

“I was going to tell the station to fuck off, actually.” My nostrils flare as Hunter’s scent thickens, a deviant glow in his eyes.

“I’ve got ten minutes before I have to leave and I’d rather spend it holding my mates than worrying if you’re okay. ”

I’m more than alright with that, quickly pulling out my phone to text Teddy that I’m calling out today.

I shuck off my shoes and my uniform jacket, my pants following it as I watch Hunter do the same, before starting on Celeste.

Everything about this feels extremely domestic as I lead them to my bed in the corner and I scoot in first, Celeste curling up against my chest and then Hunter completing the sandwich at the back.

Jasmine happily trots up and lays by our feet as I hold my breath, waiting for something to go wrong. For someone to push Jasmine away, for Celeste to say she’s not comfortable, for Hunter to say I didn’t do enough.

But none of that happens.

And it dawns on me that not once did I hesitate. When it came to gathering Celeste and bringing her up here, to letting Hunter in, to holding them in my bed.

Soft snores rattle against my chest, Celeste already out as she clings to me, Hunter catching my gaze over her shoulder. “Color?”

“I… don’t know. It should be too fast. But it’s not and I’m… it feels…”

“Right?”

“ Perfect. ”

He just grins at me, reaching over to settle his hand on my hip. “Then let it be that and don’t think too much about it.”

So, I focus on just holding our Omega and keeping her safe because if I hadn’t believed they were mine before, I do now. No one else has been in my loft and shared my bed with me like this. The fact that Hunter didn’t even hesitate tells me how serious he is about this connection between us.