Page 30 of Their Knotty Pack (Starbrook City Omegaverse #3)

Bethany

" B ethany! Hello!" Lanie's voice snaps me out of my half-asleep daze.

Shit. I fell asleep while eating my lunch again. I'm glad I didn't get caught by Mrs. Lopez, otherwise I would have gotten an earful. I lift my head off the break room table, rubbing my eyes. I only meant to lay my head down for a second, and then…

"Gods, I wish I had your problems," Lanie chuckles. shaking her head. She knows exactly why I keep falling asleep and why I've been so tired this last week.

I will not neglect my relationship with Miles because my bond with Kieran refuses to be tamped down.

With Miles' bond, it's as easy as envisioning some blinds and pulling them down over the connection.

When it comes to Kieran's bond though, it's like there's reinforced steel bars preventing me from shutting him out.

Cady thinks it's because Kieran and I aren't "settled", so the bond is trying to force us to establish a real emotional connection.

We've got the physical part down.

It's why I've been so tired. Miles and I are together nearly every evening, and then like clockwork, I'm woken up at some point in the night by Kieran's arousal .

The first two nights I had barged into his room, we bickered, and then he ended up fucking me over the edge of the bed, and after that I didn't even bother with the pretense of it all. Just let myself into his room and climbed him like a damn tree. Or a mountain.

He's rougher than Miles, but I hate to admit I like it just as much.

I'm no stranger to rough sex, but with Kieran, I don't feel like I'm in danger at all.

It's not a punishment. It's a way to let our baser instincts come out to play.

I'm sure Kieran has a scratch on his back for every fingerprint shaped bruise on my hips.

My question is the same after each time. "Did this mean anything?"

His answering smirk is always the same. "Only if you want it to."

The problem is, I'm not sure if I do want it to.

Outside of the four walls of the bedroom in the dark of the night, he's still the same arrogant asshole he's been since I met him.

Plus the fact that I don't go back to bed until almost four in the morning most nights, I'm tired and cranky when I do see him during the day.

"You do not wish you had my problems." I let out a tired laugh. "I don't know if I want to slap him or get on my knees for him half the time."

Her nose wrinkles. "Yeah, you're right. I'd take your problems with two mild, unassuming betas though."

I do have one totally assuming beta, and despite our brief kiss the other day, we haven't made that much headway "getting to know you" wise.

My phone rings before I can answer, and I find myself scowling at my phone.

"Is it them again?" She asks, worry lacing her tone.

Grimacing, I nod, and hit ignore on Pack Douche Canoe's call. "Have they come by again?"

Lanie grins. "Not since that security guard Titus set me up with put Grayson into a wall. "

"Good." I sigh, and then let out a pained groan when the voicemail pops up on my screen.

It's the third one this week. I would just block their numbers, but if something happens, I want to have the voicemails as proof they aren't who everyone thinks they are.

"Let's see what they have to say this time. "

"Bethany," Preston's aggravated voice comes on the line as I play the voicemail on speaker, "When are you going to stop punishing us?

Come on. You've had more than enough time to throw your little tantrum wherever you're hiding.

It's time to be a good girl and come back home.

We'll even let you bring your boy-toy along as long as you share—"

His words have bile turning in my throat as I exit the voicemail. I can't listen to a second more.

"Shit," Lanie hisses, "I knew they were vile, but this is a whole other level."

Swallowing roughly, I export the voicemail as an .mp4 on my phone and upload to the cloud, just like Hannah's alpha, Noah, told me to. I don't need that shit on my phone.

"Come on, babe. We have a one o'clock appointment to keep." Lanie sighs, grabbing a protein shake from the fridge. She taps her freshly done nails on the door.

Dread fills me as I stand from the table, gathering up my stuff. I used to love my job. I used to love helping omegas find their packs.

Before I met Miles, I figured I was just depressed, and that's why going to work every day made me feel like throwing up. Now though…I'm starting to wonder how many omegas I've "helped", that ended up in a situation just like mine.

Or worse.

I'm just grateful that no omegas have asked me about my personal life recently. Then I'd have to say that I used to have a pack and now I'm kinda-sorta with a different one, but I'm only mated to one of them, plus my omega mate.

That's not really a story I want to get into .

If I hadn't met Miles when I did, I'd have no support system against Pack Hansen now that they're harassing me again.

Other omegas might not be so lucky. I just wish there was something I could do to help.

The rest of the day passes in a blur, and by the time I get home, I'm ready to take a nap. Both Miles' and Damien's cars are in the driveway, and surprisingly so is Brody's. Normally he's not home until after dinner.

The guys have all insisted on taking turns cooking, and it's the only time we all get together as a "pack".

When I open the front door, the front room is empty, which in itself isn't odd, but the delicious smell of creamy sauce and garlic wafting through the area is.

I follow my nose, entering the kitchen to find Brody, standing in the kitchen in nothing but sweatpants and apron, humming to himself as he stirs something on the stove.

Holy. Shit .

I had been so out of sorts when I woke up after my heat ended I didn't even think to look at him.

But shit, have I been missing out. While he's not as bulky as Kieran, or as lean as Miles, he lies somewhere between, his back muscles rippling as he reaches over the to cabinet to grab…

something. I have no idea, my eyes are trained on the way his shoulders are currently flexing—

My raspberry scent fills the air and I immediately curse myself for being so obvious with my reaction.

"Bethany?" Brody is asking as he turns, a heart-stopping smile on his face. How have I not noticed just how breathtaking he is until this very moment?

I feel my cheeks warm at his attention, even though I know for a fact he knotted me multiple times during my heat.

"That…that smells really good," I manage to get out without sounding like a flustered idiot. "Do you cook a lot? "

I want to smack myself as soon as the words leave me. Does he cook a lot ? He's a lawyer, not a chef. Of course he doesn't cook a lot.

He gives me a small grin. "Yes, actually, or, I used to." Oh. "I took today off early since I realized I hadn't taken my turn cooking yet."

"You should do that more often," I start to ramble, unable to stop myself.

What is it about him that is making my omega turn to mush right now?

"Taking off work early, I mean. Not cooking.

Well, maybe cooking, I haven't tasted it yet.

But also, I didn't mean for you to take off work, like, early early.

I know your work is important, I just meant at a reasonable hour—"

Brody's expression turns thoughtful as he takes a step forward. "Have you been feeling neglected by me, beautiful?"

My mouth goes dry. Did he just call me beautiful?

My cheeks are flaming now. "I—no, I mean—"

He silences me by ghosting his lips over my cheek, and my breath hitches, his clean leather and cedar wood scent encompassing me.

"For the record, nothing is more important than you and Miles, not even my work.

I'm afraid I haven't been a very good alpha to you, have I?

" he murmurs, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

His whole sentence is ridiculous, because of course I'm not more important than the omegas that he helps everyday, but before I can say anything he keeps talking.

"That settles it then. I'll start leaving the office at five every day, okay?

" He leans back slightly, looking into my eyes.

Is he going to kiss me?

Do I want him to kiss me?

His warm brown eyes dart to my lips briefly, and my chin lifts instinctually.

A small grin ghosts over his own lips before he leans forward slowly, giving me all the time in the world to back away. But I don't take it .

I can feel it in my very soul. Brody is a good alpha.

He'll treat Miles and me right, I know it.

Any of the alphas from Pack Hansen would have called me clingy or needy if I mentioned wanting them home earlier. Not Brody.

His hand moves to my jaw as his lips meet mine. The kiss is sweet and gentle. Testing.

And his scent makes him smell like mine .

My heart threatens to burst out of my chest as it pounds wildly. My hands grip his surprisingly hard biceps as he shifts himself closer to me.

This is nothing like the mutual passion Miles and I share, or the rough claiming of Kieran.

No, this is reverence .

All too soon, he's backing away, a dopey grin on his face. I'm sure I'm wearing a matching one, but I can't even bring myself to care. Brody kissed me.

And I liked it.

"I hate to leave you," he says breathlessly, and I believe him. "But, dinner…I don't want the sauce to burn."

"That's okay," my voice sounds just as out of breath as his, "do you happen to know where Miles is?"

The door to the kitchen swings open. "Did someone say 'dashingly handsome omega'?"

Brody chuckles as he returns to the stove.

"Miles," I hiss as I turn around, "were you spying on me?"

"Oh, hush, little nymph," he tsks as he wraps his arms around me and kisses his bite mark on my neck. "Your emotions were all over the place in the bond, I just had to make sure you were okay. I barely heard anything. Though I do have to say you're adorable when you ramble."

I shiver at his touch, the scent of my arousal thickening in the air. Bonding marks are especially sensitive, and any touch, especially from the mate who gave it to you, elicits instant arousal. Miles' blueberry-dark-chocolate joins in when he scents me, and Brody groans, his back to us.

"Sorry," he says quickly, and I turn in time to see his ears get red. Did we just make him as flustered as he made me?

"If you're wondering if our nest permanently smells like chocolate-covered fruit," Miles drawls, a mischievous glint in his eye, "the answer is yes."

I bite my lip, holding back my laugh as I see Brody's arm reaching to adjust himself, his back still to us. "Noted." He chokes out, then clears his throat. "Dinner will be ready in…twenty minutes, just so you know."

We hold back our giggles as Miles follows me up to the nest so I can get changed. Now that the adrenaline of my interaction with Brody has worn off, my exhaustion hits and I stifle a yawn.

"Nymph…" Miles flops on the bed while I change out of my work clothes. "You need to get more sleep."

"I know," I pull on the shirt I found in front of the door to the nest this morning.

Ginger and lemon fill my nose as I settle into it.

I grin to myself, knowing that Damien followed through on his promise.

"But, it's not like I'm going to stop having sex with you, and until Kieran and I figure ourselves out, the bond won't let me block him. "

“Wouldn't…" he sighs as he runs a hand over his face, suddenly looking unsure. "Wouldn't you get more sleep if…you were with…us at the same time?"

I nearly trip over the leggings I had been pulling on. "Like…like a threesome?" I squeak.

Miles gives me a confused look. "Yes? Baby, you just had us all tend you through your heat, and you were part of a pack for three years. What part of group sex scares you?"

"Well," I look down, nervously wringing the bottom of Hunter's shirt in my hands.

"My heat was different, because that's all instinct, and I don't remember any of it until after the fact.

" I swallow roughly. "As for the whole pack thing…

Pack Hansen never shared. I was with one of them at a time, under a strict schedule. I've never…"

Miles' voice is filled with understanding. "Oh, baby, come here." I look up, and his arms are open for me to crawl into his lap. He kisses my forehead. "It doesn't have to be scary, and I really don't like how tired you've been this last week."

I bite my lip. "I don't want you to feel like you're not enough—"

He tilts my chin up so his eyes meet mine. "I am completely aware that's not the case. Your parents said they wish they had found a pack, right?" At my nod, he continues, "These guys are decent, good alphas. They aren't anything like your old pack, and I think you know that."

I reluctantly nod. "I do."

"Besides, it's not like this bond with Kieran is ever going to just go away. You need to nurture it, and let it grow. Get to know him without the snark, and maybe having me there can serve as an initial…buffer. To not let it devolve into rough, angry sex."

"I suddenly regret sharing that information with you," I tell him, scowling.

"Why?" he raises a brow, grinning, "You certainly came hard enough on my cock when I told you to imagine Kieran was taking your—"

"Okay, okay, I get it." I cover my face with my hands. "But I don't even know how to approach him. Like, 'hey, wanna go get freaky with me and our omega?'"

"I will pay real money to watch you say that to him," he deadpans, before laughing and pressing a kiss to my hair. "You just leave all that to me, nymph."