Page 28

LEMON CHEESECAKE

Blake

Pember’s scent was so perfect it caused a rush of saliva to coat Blake’s tongue. His mouth was watering, actually fucking watering at the feeling of the omega’s bottom lip slotted between his teeth. A breath passed between them, but it was impossible to tell who owned it.

He stared down through heavy eyelids, breath catching as he saw Pember’s long, dark lashes up close.

A breathy sigh left Pember’s throat as Blake caressed his earlobe between his thumb and forefinger.

It was so fucking soft, and Pember’s lips parted around the sound.

It was taking all of Blake’s self-restraint not to claim his mouth entirely.

It had become painfully obvious over the last week that Pember had absolutely no idea of the effect he had on people. How his voice, his expressions, his quiet strength drew in everyone around him. Made them want to be in his orbit. Made Blake want to be in his orbit.

Pember’s hands were trembling as they gripped his T-shirt, causing guilt to punch through Blake’s gut like a boxing glove. He pulled away, taking half a step back. He’d been selfish—taken advantage of a moment’s vulnerability just to satisfy his own desire.

But, Pember followed, pressing up onto his tiptoes and capturing Blake’s mouth in a kiss all of his own.

His mouth was hot and pliant, carrying an urgency that had Blake gripping Pember’s chin again, tilting his face up and parting his lips.

Their tongues touched, drawing out another soft sigh from them both.

“Alpha…” Pember whispered, so quiet it was nearly lost on Blake’s lips.

And if that one word didn’t stir up something fucking primal in him.

He wanted more, wanted to devour the sensual little creature in his arms until he was a shivering, whimpering mess. He wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool, keep him in his bed and fucking destroy everyone who tried to hurt him.

A snarl pulled at Blake’s throat, drawing out his canines as the possessive thoughts threatened to take hold.

Pember’s eyes popped open, and with a gasp he pulled back, fingers touching the red welt blossoming at the corner of his mouth.

A blush crept up his neck, pushing past his hairline and curling around his ears.

Blake lurched forward, ready to drag the omega back into his arms, but halted when he saw how Pember’s eyes flitted nervously around the room.

“I-I’m… Oh God, I’m so sorry,” Pember stuttered. “I don’t… I never… I absolutely should not have done that.”

Blake swallowed, mind fuzzy as he huffed out an incredulous laugh. “Sorry, what?”

“I-I shouldn’t have kissed you. You were telling me about how heartbroken you are over your ex-wife, and I bloody kissed you!” He turned towards the sink, rubbing the back of his neck. “Jesus Christ, Pember, read the room,” he muttered.

Blake crossed his arms and leant against the counter. Rubbing the stubble on his chin, he tried to keep his voice even as he said, “I think you’ll find I kissed you.” His voice still cracked a little.

Pember’s head snapped up, expression stricken. “Don’t be absurd.”

A low rumble bubbled in Blake’s chest as he uncrossed his arms and pushed himself upright. He moved towards Pember with a measured stride, making the omega back up until his spine hit the fridge.

“You’re quite bossy, aren’t you?” Blake said, stopping just before their toes touched. Leaning a hand on the overhead cabinet, he dipped his chin to look Pember in the eyes. “Would you like me to leave?”

Pember drew in quick breaths, his eyebrows making some utterly delightful shapes across his forehead. “So you can go back to work?” he said, crossing his arms and setting his jaw. “I don’t think so.”

A half grin tugged at Blake’s lips, and he was not at all ashamed to admit that he was rather enjoying the way Pember’s focus drifted to his fangs.

The satisfaction was short lived, as Pember ducked under his arm and grabbed a bag of lemons from the table.

He reached for something in one of the drawers, and in one fluid movement placed the lemons and a zester in Blake’s hand.

Tilting his head towards a bowl on the side, he said, “The lemons aren’t going to zest themselves.”

Val and Cherry were, true to form, loud . The parrot danced across the backs of their chairs, nipping and pecking at their heads whilst they ate.

“She’s just combing your hair,” Val said, swatting at Cherry as she nipped Blake’s ear.

“No, she’s using my earlobe as a chew toy,” he grumbled. “Don’t you have any cuttlebones left?”

Val waved the comment away, cream sauce dripping onto the napkin covering her blouse. “She doesn’t like the taste. Prefers red meat.” The old alpha’s mouth tipped into a wicked smile.

Pember snickered, but swiftly looked down at the table when Blake shot him a disgruntled look. They’d managed to construct the meal in awkward silence, Pember doing his absolute best not to look at Blake, and Blake unable to do anything but steal small glances at Pember.

It had almost been a relief to see him cry, as much as he hated to admit it. Seeing his emotions laid bare and not just bottled up behind his glassy, moss-coloured eyes.

The incident with the other alpha had spooked him, it was obvious in the way he moved, in every line of his body.

Even as he padded to the bottom of the garden to collect the wild elderflower, his back was tense and his arms were tucked in—making himself small.

Not to mention the way his scent had spiked into something sharp and metallic, a smell that had Blake tipping into a run before he and the dogs had even arrived back at Bell Lane.

“I told you, no!” Val shouted, cutting through his thoughts. She was half standing and reaching across the table towards Pember.

There was a stack of unopened letters in his hands, the same ones that’d been scattered around the old alpha’s house since the day Blake met her. Pember hurriedly tapped them into a neat pile in the middle of the table.

“Val, there must be at least a hundred envelopes here. Some of them even have red writing on, which is never a good sign!” As if to prove his point, he held up an envelope that had DO NOT IGNORE printed across it.

Val waved a disfigured hand towards him, valiantly making a grab for the letter. “I don’t care, lad. They can write what they want!”

“Well, I do!” Pember yelped, jumping back as Val made a swipe for him. “What if it’s the bailiffs? Or about your pension? O-or the council telling you they’re going to cut off your electric? What’ll you do then?”

Val’s lips peeled back over her blunt fangs. “I’ll just sit in the dark. I told you, I’ll be dead soon.”

Pember huffed and crossed his arms. “Don’t say that.” His concerned expression slipped to Blake.

“Don’t look at him, boy!” Val snapped. “I’m not listening to him or you!” She showed even more of her teeth as she growled at Blake. Blake gave a rumble back, which did nothing to appease her.

With a stamp of his foot, Pember edged around the table. “Then I’ll just throw them in the fire, shall I?”

Blake was beginning to regret lighting the damned thing, as Pember moved towards it with the letters in his hand. He held them out, waving the envelopes towards the flames.

“I’ll do it, Val. I’ll bloody do it.”

Blake didn’t think the omega would actually throw the post in the fire, but he was interested to see where he was going with it.

“You’ll do no such thing, you troublesome little upstart!” Val lunged for them again, and that time Pember let her grab him. He steadied her shoulder as she overbalanced, but she only yanked the letters away with a snarl.

Pember narrowed his eyes, nodding to himself as though he’d just figured out her greatest secret.

Val huffed, throwing the letters into a side table and slamming the drawer shut.

Staying silent, Pember waited for her to settle back at the table while Blake refilled her drink and changed the napkin around her neck.

She gave Blake a hard look, as though it was entirely his fault that Pember had taken to meddling in her affairs.

With an elbow on the table, Blake propped his chin on the back of his hand. He looked at Val, then at Pember, who was busy worrying the welt on his lip from the corner of the room. Eventually, Val jerked her head, gesturing for him to rejoin them.

He did, but kept his steps quiet and his eyes low as he sat next to Blake. “What if there’s letters from your children?” Pember continued, the words quiet. Val glanced at his lips, her brows pulling into a deep frown. “Or your grandson? Surely you?—”

“There won’t be,” she said, her voice growing distant.

“But there might. You never?—”

“No!” she yelled, banging the table with the heel of her palm. It made Cherry squawk, her grey wings leaving behind feathers as she flew up to sit on top of the fridge.

“But you don’t?—”

Blake clapped a hand around Pember’s knee, urging him to drop it. Which he did, but only after shoving a potato in his mouth and chewing aggressively.

Leaning close to Pember’s ear, he said, “I’ve tried. I think she’s more scared of there not being a letter from her family than anything the local authority might throw her way.”

Pember nodded, turning his head so his cheek touched the tip of Blake’s nose. “I think so too. Like Schrodinger’s long-lost family. What if we helped her write a letter? She’s got their addresses, ri?—”

“Will you two stop it!” Val said, making Pember jump. “I might be deaf but I’m not sodding blind. I can see you whispering to each other.”

Blake sighed, straightened and removed his hand from Pember’s knee.

However, as he went to take a sip of water, he felt it pressing into the line of his thigh.

Without another word, he hooked his fingers back around his leg and pulled Pember’s thigh over his own.

The chair scraped across the floor, the wooden legs clacking together as the space closed.

Gooseflesh pebbled Pember’s arm as he looked straight ahead, and Blake considered just scooping him up and taking him home. Instead, he stroked a thumb over the soft fabric of Pember’s leggings, satisfied with the way it made the omega unable to hold his fork straight.

Val glanced between them, her watery eyes narrowing. “Anyway, what’s the point?” she continued. “There’s nothing for them here. Not since their daddy passed.”

“There’s you,” Pember said, as though suddenly remembering himself. He moved to stand, but Blake gripped his leg, all but pulling him into his lap.

Val stared at him, her wispy brows pulling into a frown. “What’s wrong with you, boy? You got ants in your pants?”

Pember flushed, his pale skin taking on a crimson hue. “N-no, I just—” He glanced up at Blake, who only returned the look with a smirk. Pember swallowed. “B-but surely you miss them?” he continued.

Val gave a sad smile and dropped her head. “Aye. But what reason am I for them to return home?”

“You’re every reason,” he whispered, leaning across the table to touch the back of her hand.

Silence passed between them, the moment hanging heavy in the air. Eventually, Blake sighed and said, “Cheesecake, anyone?”