Page 14 of Unbonded (Pack’s Companion #3)

Bram doesn’t make a sound, and it’s somehow easier to give into my instincts as silence envelops us.

Everything is dark, safe, and warm, especially as my lips skim up the thick column of his neck.

With his short hair, I have unrestricted access to his scent gland, and I dip towards it without a second thought.

Pleasure curls down my spine as I lap at the raised flesh, the muskiness of his skin making my lips tingle and my thighs clench.

I moan, suddenly desperate for more, but the car starts under us, and I pull back with a pout.

Except… that’s not an engine.

It’s an alpha purr; a hypnotic rumble that’s so deep and soothing, it’s like a hand caressing my bruised heart.

An alpha’s hand, that most definitely does not belong to you!

Awareness hits like I’ve just been dunked in a bucket of cold water. And it’s not my heart that is perched on his lap and rocking against the huge bulge in his pants.

In what world am I straddling Bram Webber and sucking on his scent gland?

I leap off him so fast, I smack my knee against the console, but I barely feel the sting. How can I when I’m vibrating with embarrassment for climbing him like a sugared-up toddler?

It’s only as I cringe back into my seat that I feel a trickle in my panties, my pent-up body growing slick at its proximity to all that . “Oh, my God, Bram! I don’t know why I did that. I’m so, so sorry!”

“Don’t be.” He runs a hand down the front of his crumpled shirt, and I wince at my hand-shaped wrinkles in the fabric. “I’m flattered, not mad.”

“Flattered?” I cringe at the swollen skin around his scent gland. Are those teeth marks? “That was so out of line. I’m really sorry.”

He arches a silky brow. “You’re apologizing for the best thing that happened to me today?”

“I mauled you!” Uninvited, and only moments after he rescued me outside a strip club that’s part of an omega trafficking ring. What the hell is wrong with me?

He presses a thumb to his abused scent gland and grins. “Maybe, but I’m not complaining.”

I shake my head, amazed he can be so calm about this.

But then I catch sight of my bare thighs and the fabric cutouts over my breasts, and my temper goes nuclear.

“This fucking dress!” I hiss, dragging my crumpled coat across my exposed body.

“I’m going to burn the damn thing. And then I’m going to kick Stanley King’s ass for making me wear it! ”

“Hmm.” Bram’s not smiling now, his gaze back on the club door. “How about I drive you home so you can get changed?”

Is that a not-so-subtle reference to the state of my panties? God know if he can smell me, but my cheeks flames as I jerk the seat belt across me – just in case my damned dress decides to flaunt itself again. “Okay. Thanks.”

He just nods and starts the car, and I want to slap myself for mistaking his purr for the engine. Clearly, my brain was hijacked by my hormones, and I honestly don’t know why Bram didn’t just push me off him. “Why are you helping me like this? You don’t even know me.”

“You helped Dash.” His lips quirk, a warmth in his amber eyes that softens his hard face. “Why did you do that?”

“It was my job.” Although, that’s not technically true, and I shrug. “I wanted to help him. I admire him and… it was the right thing to do.”

He nods, like this makes perfect sense. “Well, this is just me returning the favor.”

I sink a little lower in my seat. “But is he going to be angry that I… licked you?”

“You mean Dash?” Laughter rumbles out of him, but there’s no mockery in his face. “Pretty sure he’s going to ask for a repeat.” He glances sideways, catching my shocked look. “He’s attracted to us both, so he’ll be happy we’re getting along.”

I don’t know if he’s just being kind or if he really is so unaffected by all this.

Either way, I can’t take back what I did, and I’m grateful he stopped me from walking into the club.

But I’d hate for my actions to upset Dash, especially if it drove a wedge between him and Bram.

“I’ll talk to him. Make it clear I didn’t mean to step on any toes. ”

Bram just smiles and I force myself to stay quiet until we pull up to my brownstone.

It doesn’t look any different from when I left, a light shining through the front window so it wouldn’t feel so dark and empty when I got home.

But I can’t stop my overworked mind from conjuring up monsters in the shadows.

“You’re sure your friend is picking Stanley up?

It’s just that he has a spare set of keys. For the remodel, I mean.”

Bram doesn’t answer, sliding out of the car and coming around to open the door.

Instead of stepping back, he holds out his hand, drawing me to my feet.

I stare up into his amber eyes, surprised by the way they reflect the moonlight.

It gives them a strange shimmer, like the golden flecks have hardened to icy silver.

“I promise you, Kate, that guy is out of the picture. Even if Perry doesn’t pick him up, he’ll be watching him.

But if you like, I’ll come in and make sure the place is secure. ”

Relief floods through me, and it must be written all over my face because he takes my keys and leads the way up the front door. It’s a typical brownstone with a narrow entryway, and he tells me to hang back while he looks around.

“We’re alone,” he says when he returns, but his face is tight with anger. “This place is barely secure, though.”

I chew on my lip, casting an anxious glance around the room. “I have a double lock on my bedroom door.”

His scowl just deepens, and he puts his hands on his hips. “Contractors are required by law to make a site secure. Why was your ex working with an asshole like King?”

I sigh and cross to the living room – or the second-hand sofa that passes as the sitting area in the empty house.

I sink onto the lumpy cushions, while Bram rests a hip against the back, his arms still folded.

“He offered Lee a payment plan. I didn’t know it at the time, but we were already in debt, and Lee thought he could just pay the guy each month.

But all he did was put us in a deeper hole. And then he left.”

Bram grunts, his lip curling. “I don’t like the sound of this payment plan. Can I see your contract?”

“Lee has all the paperwork.”

He stares at me. “Your ex left you with a half-finished, unpaid-for renovation, a predatory contractor, and then took the relevant documentation with him?”

I give a brittle laugh. “I doubt he gave it a second thought. His new mate sent movers to take care of everything. I wasn’t here, and I think they just grabbed whatever they felt like…

” I look around the painfully empty room and grimace.

“I’ve been meaning to get some things back, but Lee hasn’t been taking my calls. ”

Bram’s eyes glint again, almost eerie in the dim light. “While you’ve been working overtime to cover his debts.”

“I know I should share your outrage,” I tell him quietly, “but for a lot of the past eight months, I’ve just been trying to keep my head above water. It hasn’t left a lot of time or energy for anything else.”

“Understandable.” His eyes flicker to my neck and I wait for the usual ripple of disgust on his face, but he just shakes his head. “Wouldn’t be right not to return the favor.”

There’s a strange edge to his voice and I look at him curiously. “Excuse me?”

He huffs a breath, like there’s something he wants to say, but he’s not sure how I’ll take it. “I can’t leave you here without some proper security, Kate.”

“I’m fine.” It’s my automatic answer, and I watch his eyes narrow. “I can’t… run from this.” I wave at the cold, empty room. Even his huge presence can’t sap the chill from the air. “This is my life, Bram.”

He tilts his head, studying the hole in the wall where the promised fireplace has yet to appear. “How about you come to our place? Dash would love to see you, and we could have some hot chocolate.”

I feel that tiny flare of excitement kindle inside me before I remember that I crawled all over Dash’s alpha like a rash. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Well, I could call them up and tell them to come here for the night.”

There’s a hint of challenge in his eyes, and I try to picture Corbus Janssen bunking down in my bare bones guest room. He must see the panic in my eyes because he gently squeezes my arm. “Come on. Everything feels better with hot chocolate.”

I’m tempted to ask again why he cares so much, but I’m too cold and tired to argue. “That sounds great. Just let me grab a couple of things and we can go.”