Page 46 of Unbonded (Pack’s Companion #3)

By the evening of the third day of Dash’s heat, he’s come out of the haze and is sore and sleepy.

I leave him cuddled up with his new mates, and grabbing a robe, slip out to the terrace.

It’s a crisp fall night, and as I pad across the marble pavers, the steam coming off the heated pool is enticing.

I don’t have my bathing suit with me, but that seems like an extravagance after being naked for so long.

Casting a quick glance at the surrounding buildings.

I drop my robe and plunge in. I am addicted to Dash’s scent, and will always cherish sharing his heat with him, but it feels good to let the water rush over my head, stripping me back to my own simple self.

As I float on my back, studying the smog-sprinkled stars, I decide that the last few days have been…

a lot. The alphas have focused on Dash, as promised, while Lachlan and I have mostly cuddled and watched.

We’ve still had our share of orgasms, since it’s impossible to resist with all the slick and pheromones in the air, but most of them have been slow, cozy couplings where my release has moved through me like warm honey.

I can tell that Corbus, in particular, has been triggered by my scent, but other than the occasional kiss or puppy pile cuddle, we’ve kept our hands to ourselves.

I suspected that a pack heat would be a feast for the eyes, but I never thought it would be so emotional.

Watching the alphas claim Dash at the same time was a riveting experience, Lachlan’s breath like a furnace in my ear as they stretched our omega to his limit.

I have no idea how they managed it, given the sight of Bram’s knot at full mast, But Dash took them so well, it was like witnessing an erotic dance they’d choreographed just for us.

But it wasn’t just the sexual high notes that moved me.

It was the way the guys were so attentive through every peak and dip, always ready with their bodies or a soothing purr and a warm washcloth when Dash needed them.

I’ve never seen him preen so much as when he first saw their matching claiming bites in the mirror, and when he came over to show me, I could barely see them though the tears in my eyes.

Happy tears, I’d assured him, because there is nothing more beautiful to me than Dash finally getting everything he deserves.

A small splash catches my eye, and I come out of my starfish float to find Corbus sitting on the edge of the pool in a pair of Zegna boxer briefs.

His platinum hair has been brushed, and there’s a hint of mint toothpaste in the air, but the signs of a long, intense heat are written all over his body.

The evidence makes my stomach clench in envy, because while omegas might not technically bite alphas, we like to scratch up the ones we love.

“Are you sore?” I ask as I study a Dash-shaped bruise on his neck. Okay, so maybe we bite a little, too. “I mean, from…”

“Fucking?” On his tongue, the word sounds like one of those Belgian chocolates Dash has been raving about in his moments of lucidity. “I am well-used but not rubbed raw like poor Lachlan.”

I smirk at the mischievous glint in his eye.

Dash’s heat has clearly loosened him up, but these glimmers of personality are still rare enough to make me treasure them.

In fact, I want to lick them out of the air, but that might be because my scent mate is sitting in front of me like a moonlight-wrapped gift.

“And how are you?” he asks, the pool lights reflected in his icy blue eyes. “You were worried about being triggered. Do you feel any signs of your own heat coming on?”

Lachlan has been monitoring me fairly closely, and other than the usual reactions to a nest full of horny men, I seem to have come out of it with my hormones intact. “No, I’ve been fine. Maybe being in a pack is good for me.”

I can tell Corbus likes that idea, his hands gripping the edge of the pool as a soft purr falls from his lips.

But it’s the effect I’m having on his designer boxer briefs that has me floating closer.

“You took such good care of Dash,” I murmur, watching as the water from my approach laps against his corded calves.

“You and Bram are good alphas. We’re lucky to have you. ”

His purr takes on a deeper timbre, his pheromones thickening in the air. I can feel my own body responding, the omega who has watched her scent mate pleasure another now swimming to the surface.

“Your scent has been driving me crazy,” I admit as I bob in the water between his thighs. “It was enticing before, but now you’ve bonded Dash it’s like I’ve opened a cedarwood tea chest.”

He leans down to cup my cheek, his fingers stroking my damp skin. “You like cedarwood? Because of our bond, yes?”

“I liked it before I even met you. In fact, I had cedarwood shelving custom made for my closet – the only part of the remodel that I actually wanted.”

A slight frown darkens his handsome face. “That’s unacceptable. If you need me to talk to this contractor…”

I hum my appreciation at him jumping to my defense.

The house is my problem, but it’s nice having someone else share my disappointment.

“It’s okay. Bram’s helping me with it. And you have already done so much by offering me the use of that beautiful salon.

” I’ve wanted to thank him in person, but Dash’s heat has taken precedence.

Now I reach out and cup his left knee, watching for any sign that the contact is unwanted.

I know that in time, I will learn to read him a little better, but right now I’m just going on instinct.

“It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, Corbus, and I really hope I can live up to your expectations. ”

His finger trails along the curve of my cheek, his gaze following in its wake. “I want to be a part of your success, even if it’s just giving you all of the opportunities you deserve.”

A warm coil of pleasure tightens my belly, and I slide my hand further up his thigh.

The muscle ripples in response and I pause, watching his face.

“Am I too close?” He shakes his head, his gaze now fixed firmly on my mouth.

I’m floating right between his knees, his musk scent filling my lungs, but he’s not showing any signs of discomfort. “Will you tell me if I cross a line?”

His eyes flicker to mine, and I hold my breath, but he just gives me a soft smile. “There are no lines with you, Kate, just pauses while I catch my breath.”

“I’ll remember that.” To prove it, I stop with my hands cupping his inner thighs, giving him a chance to sink into the touch.

His skin is warm and smooth, and my mouth waters as I watch his stomach muscles flex.

I can see his erection straining the limits of his briefs, and I can’t hide the hunger in my eyes as I gaze up at him. “Does this feel good?”

His head bobs again, his gaze back on my mouth.

I lean forward, watching his face as my lower body touches the tiled wall and my mouth dips towards his straining cock.

This close to him, I’m saturated in his scent, and I almost whimper as I tip my face forward.

When my lips brush the front of his briefs, a groan stutters out of his chest, every muscle going rigid.

Still watching his face, I nuzzle the hard length for a moment, then press a soft, careful kiss to the plump head beneath the fabric.

He mutters something in his language, and I give him a sweet smile as I push off from the floor, floating backwards out of reach.

When I resume my starfish position, he blinks at me, shock and frustration warring in his eyes. “What are you doing?”

I give him a coy look from beneath my damp lashes. “Letting you catch your breath.”

It takes a beat for my answer to sink in and then he laughs, a wild, rich sound that takes us both by surprise.

I’m tempted to float back over to him and see what a real kiss will do, but he rubs his mouth and takes something from the pile of towels at his side.

“I actually came out here to give you a gift. I didn’t expect… ”

“A kiss in the moonlight?”

“A man can dream.” As the joke settles between us, he holds out a silk box. “This is for you.”

I’m lucky I’m in the shallow end or I’d probably drown as I take in the Paragon crest stamped on the top. “Oh,” he says when he notices the smile freeze on my face. “It’s not a bonding ring. I mean, it can be if you’d like, but I just saw it and thought of you.”

I grip the edge of the pool, visions of Suzanna LaGrange’s enormous diamonds flashing tauntingly before my eyes. “Um. My hands are wet.” And incredibly unsteady. “Can you open it for me?”

“Of course.” A practiced flick of his elegant fingers reveals a shimmering dark stone on a bed of tiny blue sapphires.

The band is the same burnished white gold as his moonlit hair, but the centerpiece is as different to Suzanna LaGrange’s flashy diamonds as night is to day. “It’s called stella obscura .”

I gulp as I stare up at him. The only jewels I know of with actual names are either in the Tower of London or Christie’s auction catalogs. “It’s stunning, Corbus. But is that an opal?”

“It’s from Lightning Ridge in Australia, arguably the best place in the world for black opals.” He takes the ring from the box and slips it on my finger, his mouth softening as it slides into place. “The harlequin pattern is unique, like you.”

I stare at it with dazed eyes, a question burning on my lips. Corbus must smell the tension in my scent because he tilts my chin up with a cool finger. “What is it, Kate? Don’t you like it?”

“I just…” How do I explain the fear twisting in my stomach? “Is this really for me? I mean, is it on loan, or do I get to keep it?”

“Of course, it’s yours,” he replies, looking puzzled. “Bram has already insured it in your name.”