Page 30 of The Comfort of Pain (The Black Market Omega #1)

Beth

It’s been a full week, and Burke still hasn’t returned. I keep replaying the horrible moment when I saw him. How angry he looked. How protective my pack was. How wonderful it was to see Darrion.

I’m so thankful for the young alpha.

As much as I miss my mom, I can breathe easier knowing that he’s watching over her. And in a few years, he’ll be bigger and stronger. Maybe one day he’ll tower over Burke.

“Killian and Basil should be back soon,” Jeremy says as he skims his hands over the bubbly, hot water.

I smile, leaning into the hot tub’s powerful jets. They push at my lower back, massaging my tense hips. The big window in front of us faces the lawn. My eyes drift, watching the wind swoop and shoosh the leaves. The thick clouds in the distance are puffy and dark. It looks like rain.

“You’re safe here, Beth,” Jeremy suddenly blurts out, and I realize I’ve zoned out again. I can’t help it.

“Sorry,” I mumble and Jeremy inches a little closer.

“He’s gone.” The beta places his hand on my knee. His fingertips are wrinkled and rough.

“I know,” I say, but I don’t believe him. “Where are Killian and Basil?” I ask for the hundredth time.

“They’re just working,” Jeremy gives me the same answer. “I promise. There’s nothing to be worried about.”

Bullshit .

I can smell everyone’s intense worry every time a branch taps against a window, or the house creaks and settles. And as much as everyone tries to convince me that the alphas are just taking on odd jobs, I know better. Every night this week, they’ve come home sweaty and amped, like they’ve been running all day long, then they take every chance they get to whisper with Tristan. I’ve heard words like “protection”, “stay alert”, and “don’t let your guard down” more times than I can count.

Still though. I appreciate that they’re at least trying not to worry me. It’s kind of sweet. Almost as sweet as Jeremy’s determination to distract me.

“You’re flushed.” Jeremy fusses over me, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Are you too hot? I can turn the temperature down.”

“Actually, I think I’m tired.” I give him a weary smile as I squeeze his hand under the water. “Thank you for being so sweet to me.” I take the opportunity to shift closer to the beta, moving away from the jets. While the pressure feels good, sitting in one spot for too long makes my skin feel weird and kind of numb. “Will you come and lay down with me?”

“Of course,” He presses a kiss to my temple, then hits a few buttons on the side of the tub. The jets immediately stop and the water goes still. This thing really is amazing. “Up and out.” The beta holds out his hand, helping me stand and climb out of the water.

Even though the room is warm, the air feels cool against my bare, wet skin. I shiver, then reach for the nearest clean towel. There’s a pile of dirty ones next to our clothes. The boys have carried me in here every day this week, trying to relax and soothe me.

Well, not Tristan.

He’s been weirdly distant.

I’ve tried wracking my brain as to what could have happened, but nothing comes to mind. Burke did imply Tristan was a monster, but surely that isn’t bothering the alpha this much?

“Are you coming?” I ask Jeremy as I wrap the towel around me.

“I’ll be right there.” He secures his towel around his narrow hips. “I’m going to get these in the wash.” He lifts the pile of dirty laundry.

“I can help,” I say, but I already know he won’t let me. He never does.

“Nope,” Jeremy says firmly. “Go and get in the shower and I’ll be right there.” He kisses my cheek as he passes.

I don’t bother arguing this time—I really am tired. Instead, I make my way through the gym. It’s completely silent, only the sound of the AC unit humming. But once I reach the main part of the house, all the normal sounds rush at me: Wind pushes at the side of the house, making it creak. The oak tree taps at the big window, and Tristan stomps around his room upstairs. He’s been hiding in there all day. Even our bond feels weird compared to my other two alphas. It’s kind of muted.

I make my way up the stairs, and down the hall, then pause outside Tristan’s room. I can hear him in there. He’s mumbling to himself…I think.

Curious, and a little bold, I knock on the door, then turn the knob.

Tristan snaps his head up when the door creaks. He’s sitting at the foot of a very messy bed. The blanket hangs off one side and the pillows lay on the floor. But it’s the rest of the room that’s so shocking.

There’s clutter everywhere. Trinkets and trash litter the dresser and side table. There’s a pile of rusted knives sitting in one corner and a jar of what looks like teeth sitting on a messy bookshelf.

“Wow,” I say, not bothering to hide my shock. “You and Basil are two very different people.”

“What’s wrong?” Tristan stands, immediately taking two steps toward me. I can smell the anxiety mixed in his smokey, sweet scent. I’m not sure if he’s truly worried or just wants me to leave, but that's not going to happen. Not until he tells me why he’s been hiding.

“I wanted to see your lovely face.” I close the space between us, resting my hands on his broad chest. I stroke a few of his tattoos, tracing the swooping black lines.

“Where’s Jeremy?” Tristan asks, looking past me into the hallway.

“He’s doing laundry.” I push up onto my toes, making it clear I want a kiss, but the alpha refuses to lean down.

“Let me walk you to your room.” Tristan wraps his fingers around my wrist, and I snap.

“No,” I say firmly, jerking my hand free. “We aren’t going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong.” My tone is sharp, almost commanding, but I know Tristan too well. Even if I acted like a total ass, he wouldn't hurt me.

“There’s nothing wrong,” Tristan says calmly, but his words feel like lies. “I’m just busy.” Our bond tenses, telling me he’s hiding something.

“If you don’t talk to me right now, I will burst into tears.” I plant my hands on my hips.

The alpha tilts his head, as if not sure how he feels about my threat. “That’s it? You’ll just…cry?”

I suck in a deep breath, gathering all the tense emotion in my chest, then I push it up and out, feeling my eyes begin to water. My chin quivers, and Tristan gasps.

“Please, don’t cry,” he says, holding out his hands as if trying to physically push my emotions back into place. “I’ll talk.”

I pull in a deep breath, then sniffle loudly, trying to pull myself back together. “How about we sit?” I look past him at his bed.

Tristan plops down, then hangs his head. He rubs his eyes hard, and the energy in the room shifts. I’m suddenly scared for my alpha.

“Tristan?” I sit next to my mate, curling my fingers around his big forearm. “Alpha. Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

He pulls in a slow, deliberate breath before looking up. “Do I scare you?” His question catches me off guard, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes,” he says firmly, and my smile instantly fades. “Everyone knows what a monster I am.” Rage bubbles in my gut as I remember my father calling him that. “I wanted to hide that from you, but,” he squeezes his eyes shut tight before bowing his head again. “I don’t want you to be scared of me.”

Trying to take his fears seriously, I think it over, but I honestly can’t think of any moment where he truly frightened me.

“Are you scared of me?” I finally ask, and this time it’s Tristan who laughs.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He looks me up and down as if to mock my size. “You couldn’t even scare a fly.”

“Hey now,” I pretend to be offended. “I’m a very dangerous omega.”

“Is that so?” Tristan smiles and it crinkles the edges of his eyes.

“Yes,” I say firmly. “I once stabbed a man.” I curl my hand into a fist, then pop the scar on his upper arm, mimicking the way I struck him. He stares at the mark and a sweet smile takes hold, almost as if remembering the moment fondly.

“You are so vicious.” He leans into me, and our bond thrums.

“Well, you did deserve it.” I inch closer, rubbing the tip of my nose against his.

“Oh yeah?” Tristan growls and his warm breath fans across my face.

“Yes.” I stare deep into his warm brown eyes. “It turns out he’s the kind of alpha that refuses to kiss a girl when she desperately needs it.” I jut my chin out, trying to look angry.

“Do you need it, omega?” His big hands curl around my waist, moving me so I’m straddling his lap. My bare pussy pushes against his belly and my pulse quickens.

My lips brush against the alpha’s, but right before I can kiss him, he stands, heaving me up, high in his arms. His hands cradle my ass, squeezing both cheeks.

“Where are we going?” I ask as we step into the hallway.

“The shower,” Tristan growls, then he crashes his mouth to mine. I fall into him, kissing him with everything I have as he carries me into Killian’s room. “Jeremy!” Tristan breaks the kiss. “Start the shower and get naked.”

I glance over my shoulder, thrilled to see the beta doing as he’s told.

“Hey.” I turn back to my alpha, cupping his face. “Don’t shut down on me again,” I say as he sets me on the bathroom counter. His hands pull at the towel, tugging it off my body. “If something bothers you, you have to tell me.”

Tristan leans down, pressing his forehead to mine. “Promise.” He presses a single kiss to my lips. “But first, I need to fuck that pussy while Jeremy claims that ass.”

“What’s that?” Jeremy pops his head out of the shower. His black hair is soaked, and water streams down his lean, sexy body. “What do you need me to do?”

Tristan smirks, then picks me up. “Get hard, beta. I need help making our girl scream.”

I have no idea what time it is, but the whole room is pitch black.

Thick clouds block out the moonlight as rain lashes at the massive window. My whole pack is dead asleep. Killian is wrapped around my body, with Basil pressed against my other side. Jeremy and Tristan are on the other side of Basil. And while I don’t want to risk waking anyone up, my bladder has other plans.

Moving very slowly, I wiggle out of Killian’s hold, then very carefully crawl over him. The second I’m free, I slip out of bed and tiptoe across the room. I hold my hands out in the dark, trying to remember exactly where the bathroom door is. Finally, my fingers touch something round and metal. I turn the knob, praying it’s not the closet. Because if it is, I’ll have a mess to clean up come morning.

Thankfully, my feet touch the cool bathroom tile, and I run straight for the toilet. All my muscles turn to jelly as I finally relieve myself.

I take my time, finishing up and cleaning myself off. I wash my hands as quietly as I can, hoping the faucet isn’t too loud. Killian lets out a rumbling sound in the other room, and I turn off the water and dry my hands.

Stepping back into the bedroom, I stare out the window, watching thick sheets of rain pound against the window. Lightning flashes and I flinch. The treetops outside illuminate for one glorious second, showing every inch of the valley below. Then a violent boom cracks overhead, making the whole house vibrate.

My whole body jerks, and I yip as I run straight for the bed.

I try to be careful as I crawl over Killian and back under the covers, but my heart is pounding and I end up jostling the whole damn bed. The rain roars and the wind howls. Lightning cracks once again and I pull the covers over my head, scared the sky is going to boom again. It’s such a horrible sound.

“It’s okay, omega,” Killian says with an amused lift. “It’s just a little rain.” Warm hands find me under the blankets, pulling me to his firm body. I briefly consider telling him I’m fine, but the sky crashes again, and I tremble.

“Stupid thunder.” I roll to face the alpha, snuggling deep into his arms.

Killian kisses the top of my head through the blanket, then he begins to purr. The vibrations are so loud and firm and wonderful, working their way deep into my shaking bones. For a second, I’m worried he might wake up the others, but I doubt they can hear much over the storm.

The blanket is lifted off of my head, and Killian shimmies down, bringing his face to mine. Then he tucks the covers over both our heads, hiding us from the world.

“Not a fan of thunder?” he asks. I can barely see his features in the dark, but I can feel his adoring eyes on me.

“Sorry, I woke you up,” I whisper, very aware of how close his face is to mine.

“That’s okay.” His fingers trace the side of my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. He keeps touching me, loving me. It feels so good. “I like waking up next to a beautiful omega.”

Heat blooms across my cheeks and I duck my head. I hope he can’t see me blush in the dark, but he probably can. Alphas have an unreal sense of sight. And smell. And strength.

So much raw power.

Why does he have to smell so good?

“I’ll keep you safe from the storm.” Killian rests his hand on my hip, before moving it up the length of my side and around to my back. His fingers spread out, spanning the full width of my shoulders. My skin tingles in the wake of his touch and I instinctively arch into him. “Fuck, your scent is heaven,” he rumbles softly.

Goosebumps rise, and curl one hand around his trim waist. “Killian,” I moan his name when his cock pokes my belly. He’s already leaking precum.

“Do you need your alpha?” he whispers and his cock twitches.

I nod, brushing my lips over his. “Yes, please.”

A happy rumble leaves his throat as he moves his hand up, not stopping until he’s cradling the back of my head. “So soft.” He slowly closes the small space between us, pausing right before our lips touch. “Kiss me, pretty girl.”

I obey, tipping my head up and pressing my mouth to his.

But the second our lips touch, lightning flashes and a deafening crash rocks the whole house. The bed shakes, and Killian rolls me, tucking me protectively under his big body.

It feels like an earthquake has sucked us down, deep into the earth.