Page 23

NINETEEN

Playing: The Few Things by JP Saxe (ft. Charlotte Lawrence)

The house is practically vacant by the time I get there. A few stragglers lie on the lawn, speaking to their friends and keeling over from the night well-spent.

I text Kendall but see a party of three already heading my way. From the silhouettes alone, I can see it’s my two pack mates and our beautiful new addition. I watch their blissed out faces smile and laugh with each other, so I make the mental note to punch my professor the next time I see him.

I mean, who makes college students turn in their papers at midnight on a Saturday? How fucking cruel.

I get out of my car to greet them and the mingling of scents in the air is potent. Rum, vodka, coconuts, and a calming lavender poking through. There’s something herbal too… something I’m very used to smelling on Ciro.

“You guys look like you had fun,” I comment, and Stacia’s cheeks flush deeply.

Interesting .

“You two get the back.” I swing open the passenger’s door for her. She raises her brow at me before giving me a nod and an almost-hidden smile. Kendall and Ciro, however, find the opportunity to tease me by calling me a chauffeur and giving me shit about forcing them into the backseat.

My pack mates continue to talk amongst themselves, laughing about something involving our frat brother Bradley.

I tune it out. All I can focus on is my proximity to Stacia.

She’s got her hands sitting in her lap, and I can feel her attention waning from me to the road and back again.

I itch to hold her hand, reach over and casually lace our fingers together, pretend we’ve done it a million times before even though this would be the very first time.

I’m not good at going slow, but I know that is what my omega needs and I would do anything in my power to provide it for her.

I pull up the driveway to her house and park the car.

“You stay there.” I give a soft but stern point to Stacia before looking at my drunken brothers in the back seat. “Don’t get in any trouble, we’ll be right back.”

Their protests follow me as I get out and make my way to the passenger’s side.

Stacia gives me a soft smile as I open her door.

We walk stiffly but excitedly beside each other as we make our way to the front door.

My stomach is rumbling with something more than butterflies. It feels fluttery, but sinking too.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t come out with us tonight,” she says as we mount her doorstep.

“There’s no need for you to apologize for that, Stacia. My professor, maybe, but not you.”

She bites her bottom lip, but more in worry than in nerves.

“Was it,” she starts, stopping to find the words. I watch her as she fiddles with a piece of her hair and looks anywhere but my eyes. “Was it okay that I hung out with your pack mates?”

I tilt my head in confusion, wondering what made her ask such a thing.

“What do you mean?”

She tries to shrug casually. “I thought maybe you would be… angry about it. Being the prime and all.” She must see the puzzlement on my face because she shakes it off. “Or not, I’m not really sure how pack dynamics go.”

Then I remembered how Derek treated her desire for a pack, how he treated her when she was only talking to Ciro, and it all makes sense.

I reach a hand up and meet her eyes. “May I touch you?”

She nods meekly before I slide my hand around her neck and give her a fond squeeze.

“Look at me, Stacia,” I say firmly, but with no command or bark in my tone.

Her eyes meet mine once more. “I love that you three had some quality time together tonight. Sincerely. There’s plenty of time for all of us to get to know each other.

I am looking forward to my time alone with you.

” Her features relax, but I still look at every part of her face for any discomfort.

I only see blissful relief. The freckles that stretch across her nose from each cheek lure me in. I want to count each and every one.

“Besides,” I continue, “the more pleasure you get from the pack, the happier I am. I can guarantee you that. Did my brothers give you enough pleasure tonight?”

Her nod is bashful, a beautiful pink spreading across those very freckles.

“Are we feeling shy, Omega?” I whisper. She gasps slightly before her gaze looks upon my lips.

“No, just nervous,” she says just above a whisper. “And excited, of course.”

The declaration hits me in the chest. I squeeze the nape of her neck again before speaking once more. “Can I scent mark you, Stacia? I won’t see you for a while, and my alpha would prefer if you had my scent as well as my brothers.”

Her pupils dilate with interest as her hand bunches in my shirt. “Please do.”

I put my cheek to hers and softly mingle our scents together. The allure never made much sense to me before, but now it’s all I can think about in her presence. Our scents become more than acquainted with each other.

My alpha would much prefer to be drenched in it, but he subsides at the small notion, letting me slide my lips down to her neck and giving her a peck for reassurance. Stacia lets out a soft sound, rubbing her own face against my cheek to scent mark me back.

It’s everything I could ever want.

“I’m going to back away now so you can go inside and get some rest. I promise one of us will reach out to you soon. Or you can reach out to us. Anytime , okay?”

I feel her nod against my skin. Against my better judgement, I pull back and press the same peck I gave her neck to her lips before backing away. Her appeased beam gives me butterflies.

“Goodnight, Atlas,” she says as her eyes follow my movement.

“Goodnight, Stacia.”

The drive home is bittersweet. The guys tell me about their night, purposefully leaving out any vulnerable details that I’ll come to experience with our omega myself.

Their glee makes me smile, makes me think of the brighter future ahead.

One with love for all of us. It’s a glorious thought, and now it’s a genuine possibility if the longing I saw in Stacia’s eyes were anything to go off of.

And it has my alpha purring in my chest all the way home.