Page 10 of Secure Touch (Her Vicious Pack #8)
Riley
Things are clearly no longer going right in the bathroom when Vera throws door open and we’re all flooded with Luca’s bitter caramel pheromones, which have somehow gotten even more bitter than usual.
All three of us are on our feet, ready for action, when Mathew comes stumbling out, holding up Luca, who looks like he’s about to faint. His face is so pale, and he isn’t wearing a mask, which is very bad if he’s so close to Vera, or when Caleb’s pheromones are around.
My heart sinks, and I cross the room, making sure I don’t get in the way as Mathew almost carries Luca to the balcony, not wanting to make it even harder on either of them.
But while Luca starts to look better with the fresh air, Mathew becomes scarily pale as he lets himself slip onto one of the lounge chairs.
I’m at his side in moments, touching his face, checking his pulse, trying to make sure he’s okay. Behind me is commotion and I realise that Vera also isn’t doing too well.
Fuck...
What the fuck is happening?
I pick Mathew up and Jorge and Luca step out of the way as I follow Caleb back into the bedroom, Caleb is carrying Vera, his face a mask of pure concentration, and he can’t seem to keep his eyes from Vera’s face, watching her every movement.
He puts her on the bed and I put Mathew next to her, the Omegas immediately clinging to each other, holding on tight. Their colouring is coming back slowly, but they still seem to be in pain.
“Close the fucking door.” Caleb, who is normally the calmest of us, snaps as Jorge is coming inside, followed by Luca, who’s still making sure his mask is on right. “And close the window.”
“We don’t have to—” We don’t have to go that far, the window hasn’t been a problem until now.
“Do it!” Caleb’s pheromones roll off him, all anger and impatience, making my hairs stand on end, making me almost want to submit to him. I don’t think I’ve seen him this furious before and it seems to come out of nowhere too.
I move fast, closing the window, shooting Luca a worried look, but the Beta is standing in the same place as before, like he’s rooted to the ground, as he stares at the two Omegas on the bed.
Luca isn’t doing that well yet either, he needs more clean air, but I also understand that he can’t be away from the Omegas for too long. It’s a complicated balance.
“Caleb, these pheromones aren’t helping.
” Jorge keeps his voice level as he sits next to Mathew on the bed, running his hand over Mathew’s side, trying his hardest to surround our Omegas in soothing pheromones.
Vera and Mathew are shaking, their faces contorted in fear, Vera’s pheromones smell like she could start sending out appeasing pheromones at any moment.
This is bad. This is really bad.
The tall Alpha stares at our Omegas, shocked, realising what’s going on. “I didn’t mean to. I don’t mean to.” His voice is barely above a whisper, as he crawls onto the bed next to Vera, sending out wave after wave of soothing pheromones, even though they’re still a little off.
It seems to do the trick though, as Vera and Mathew are no longer looking terrified, but they’re not looking very well either.
Then, deeply bitter pheromones flood from behind me, and I’m right on time to catch Luca as he slumps in my arms, his face very pale again.
I’m torn between needing to stay inside for my Omegas, and taking Luca outside so he can recover, before he starts to get worse too.
I glance to Vera and Mathew, Caleb and Jorge can take care of them for a couple of minutes, but Luca won’t survive being inside for much longer.
“Come on.” I wrap my arm around his shoulders, help him walk to the balcony door and then help him outside.
I close the door behind me as quickly as possible, not wanting to upset anyone inside, and then hold Luca up with one arm as I take his mask off with my other hand.
On impulse, I hold him close and surround him with my pheromones, trying to soothe him. The air outside should help enough, but maybe getting pheromones from one of his mates will work even better. I can hope and try.
He stirs, wrapping his arms around me, his pheromones slowly starting to settle closer to what they’re like normally.
“I’m sorry.” Luca’s voice is quiet and he steps away from me. “This is my fault. I didn’t pay attention.”
“It’s not your fault.” I make him sit in one of the chairs. “Masks can slip, it happens, especially if your mind is elsewhere are you’re not paying attention to them. For example, when you’re slamming into Mathew.”
His eyes go wide and a blush spreads over his cheek and down his body, his pheromones taking on a note of desire. “I’m sorry you had to hear all that.”
“Firstly.” I put my fingers under his chin, making him look at me. “Stop apologising. There’s no need for it. I know that it’s hard, I was the same when I got out, but there’s no need to always apologise. You’re not going to get punished for making simple mistakes.”
He nods slowly, still looking troubled.
“Secondly, Vera and Mathew sneaking off together or with one or more of the pack to have sex is normal. They have a very high libido and love sex. Getting shy around the rest of us every time it happens is not going to do you much good. It’s how they are.
You better get used to it.” I try to make my voice sound light, but I’m not sure it works with the way Luca is staring at me.
Then I notice the note of lust and curiosity in his pheromones. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure...” Though I don’t know exactly how to interpret his tone.
“Do Vera and Mathew sometimes take more than one person at a time with them?”
I can’t help my laugh. “Yes, all the time. They often take Jorge and Caleb off together. To spend time as four of them together.”
“What about you?”
Even the short thought of having to share Vera or Mathew with Jorge and Caleb while I’m having sex with them pulls a growl from me.
Luca moves back, surprised. “No?”
“No.” I stand up, purposefully releasing the tension in my body. “I don’t share my Omegas with any Alphas, not during sex, anyway.”
“Okay.” His voice is soft, careful, and when I look back at him, he seems lost in thought.
I try to imagine sharing Vera and Mathew with Luca, the shorter man mixed in with the three of us, another variation of body, another variation of pheromones, and I notice that not only doesn’t it trigger some angry possessive response, it makes me curious.
I have no idea how it would work, how he would fit in, but I’d be interested to find out.
I swallow hard, not even sure I want Luca to hear this, but also needing to say the words out loud. “I don’t think I would mind it if it was you.”
The spike in Luca’s pheromones are my only clue that he heard my words, and I quickly turn back to the door.
“Once you feel better again, you should go back inside.” I open and close the door in as short a time as possible, and I’m overwhelmed with a mix of Caleb’s, Jorge’s and Vera’s pheromones, all somewhat on edge, but none of them are too out of the normal anymore.
Vera and Mathew seem to be asleep again, and my heart aches as I look at them. I wish I could pick them up and hide them in their nest, they’d feel so much better in there.
And then I remember why they can’t be in there right now. We’re going to have to clean the nest out once everything settles down, which makes me feel even worse.
How are they going to react when they find out their nest is destroyed?
Do they remember doing it, or will this be a total surprise to them?
Caleb looks up and motions for me to come over, then he scoots aside so I can curl up against Vera. “Shift change.” His laugh is hollow. “I’m sorry for?—”
At my pointed look, he stops, simply nods at me and then slides off the bed.
I’m making myself comfortable against Vera’s back, the small Omega easy to cuddle, when Mathew notices I’m there. He takes my arm and wraps it around him too, letting out a soft happy sound as he settles between Jorge and Vera more. The two don’t seem to have noticed a thing, which makes me smile.
The path to all of us getting here wasn’t easy, and I’m sure that we’ve still got a long road ahead of us, but we’re here now and we can all help each other out, we can all support each other.
Even if that sometimes means we clash or that we say or do things we know aren’t right.
The most important thing is that we help each other out, even in hard times.