Page 62 of Unbonded (Pack’s Companion #3)

She hums her agreement, and hands me a pill I dutifully swallow. “That will counter the drug they used to induce your heat, but it can only slow things down, not stop them.”

I nod, and when she gets to her feet, I assume we’re done, but she waves a hand to keep me in my seat.

Even though she’s a small beta looking up at four agitated men, her back is straight and her voice rings with authority.

“Kate is as well as she can be, under the circumstances. Her pulse is elevated, and her hormone levels are lower than I’d like, but she’s young, strong, and very determined.

” Lachlan takes a step towards me, but she holds up a hand.

“Having said that, we have an amplified heat, scent bonds, and two omegas in the mix. One of whom has only recently been mated, and by an uber alpha who is possibly on the verge of a rut.” Bram blinks at her and she cocks a brow at him.

“This could be a perfect storm, or serendipity at work. Either way, I think I’ll take that offer of a guest room for the night, so I can be close at hand if you need me. ”

“Thank you, doctor,” Corbus says with one of his polite smiles. If Dr. Green can see past his mask to the strain on his face, she doesn’t comment. “Do you have any advice for us before you go?”

“Just listen to your instincts and keep checking in with each other.” She looks around at us, lingering longest on Bram. “For all the variables in play, I can sense the connection between you, and I believe that you want what’s best for Kate.”

“We do,” Dash says quickly, dancing over to pull me into a hug.

Dr. Green watches him with the same fascination I often find in my own reflection, and I bite my lip to hold in my smile.

She might not be too sure about Bram, but she’s clearly already a member of Team Dash.

“I’ll show you to your room, Dr. Green.”

“Nora,” she corrects him, giving his arm a fond pat. “There’s no point in being formal if I’m spending the night under your roof.”

He blushes prettily but shoots me a sly wink as Lachlan comes over to pull me into his arms. I nuzzle into his neck, his sunshine scent restored now we’re away from that warehouse of horrors. “Are you okay, Katie? You’ve been through so much…”

“It was awful,” I tell him, skimming my lips over his scent gland and drinking down his shiver, “but I knew you were coming for me. I just had to hold on.”

“I’ll always be there. Now I have this, I couldn’t live without it.”

I stare up into his eyes, a kaleidoscope of memories hovering in their depths. It’s crazy to me that I missed it for so long, but now I recognize it for what it is. Soulmates , or whatever magical word you give to two people who are linked on a level deeper than bites or biology.

“I love you, Lachlan. And I don’t want to live in a world without you, either.”

Tears well in his eyes, but it’s like sunlight through raindrops, because his smile is pure joy. “I love you with everything I have, Katie. Whatever I can give you, it’s yours.”

“Just you,” I tell him, then press a hand over my mouth, because he’s coming in for a kiss and he doesn’t deserve that . “And maybe a toothbrush, because I wasn’t kidding about the puking.”

He laughs, kissing my temple, and my heart is so full, I’m surprised I don’t combust right there on the fancy silk rug.

But Dash has come back, and he’s making a beeline for our alphas, a frown on his face. We follow, and I catch a flash of eyeshine as Bram glares at Corbus. It’s so out of character, I stop abruptly, looking between them. “What’s going on?”

“Bram is being stubborn.” Corbus clicks his tongue, and he must see the tension on my face, because he reaches out to stroke my cheek. “It’s alright, my love. We are just having a discussion about dynamics.”

“Really?” That seems like something we should work out together – preferably in the nest. While naked. Heat blooms in my belly, and I shuffle my feet. “What’s the point of contention?”

Bram gives an irritated growl. “Corbus thinks I should be pack alpha.”

I nod, but Corbus gives another click of his tongue. “It’s not something I think, Bram, it’s who you are . You shouldn’t fight it.”

“You mean I should just accept I’m a freak of nature?”

Dash makes a low sound in his throat, and Corbus shakes his head in a rare display of disappointment. “Don’t call yourself that. Ubers are the embodiment of power and control. We just witnessed it back at the warehouse. And some of us might not be here if you were a different man.”

“It’s true,” I say softly. “They weren’t planning on letting me go, Bram. I heard them talking, and one of them was boasting about how easy it is to make omegas disappear.”

Lachlan’s arms tighten around me, but I watch as Bram’s fists clench, a tremor of emotion straining his vest to breaking point. “There’s nowhere they could’ve taken you that I wouldn’t have found you.”

“Because you’re pack alpha,” Corbus says. “We rely on your caution and control, Bram, but that’s not your only virtue.”

The eyeshine flickers, overcome by his curiosity. “What are you talking about?”

“Stop trying to fix me by fighting yourself.”

Bram’s frown deepens. “I don’t do that.”

“You do. But it’s not your fault. You’re doing this out of love for me, because you believe I always need to be handled.

” Corbus places a careful hand on Bram’s arm, which is now folded across his chest. “But in trying to control my issues, you’ve also adopted some of my worst traits.

I don’t want to be an emotionless shell, Bram, so why are you choosing to be one? ”

I catch a wide-eyed look from Dash, but Bram is locked on Corbus’ face, a glimmer of hurt in his gaze. “You really see me that way?”

“No. Because I’ve seen all of you. The strong, the brave, and the ruthless pack alpha.” He nods to the rest of us. “But we are more than two now. We need all the different parts of you, not just the ones you think are safe to share.”

Bram is quiet for a moment, his head down as he digests Corbus’ words. “I never thought of it like that. I was just trying to keep everything contained.”

“Because you’re both risk-averse and intuitive, which makes you one of the most brilliant financial minds I’ve ever met. But you’re not just that, mijn broer . You’re so much more.”

Bram turns his attention my way, the eyeshine all but gone. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You won’t.” I step into his arms, feeling the unsteady thud of his heart under my ear.

Everyone has been treating me like I’m fragile, but Bram has been through as much as I have, unleashing a part of himself he’s always kept buried.

“You’re everything I want, Bram, but more importantly, you’re exactly what we need. You have to be our pack alpha.”

I can still feel the tension in his body as he says, “I’m not sure I know how.”

“Let it out.” Lachlan says, stepping forward and thumping Bram in the chest. I give him an indignant look until I realize he’s already brushing away the hurt by stroking his hand over our alpha’s heart.

“Be yourself, big guy, and know that we love you, no matter how many guys you toss out of windows.”

“He did what ?” Dash hisses for the third time, running his soapy hands down my well-washed body.

Despite the pill I took to slow things down, my heat is still burning under my skin, so a bath will have to wait.

Dash volunteered to help me have a quick shower, but so far, we’ve been in here for ten minutes, and Dash is still stuck on the fact that our enemies have been dealt with – without Bram really lifting a finger. “And you’re okay with that?”

“The command or the window?”

Dash blinks at me through a froth of bubbles. “Both.”

I shrug and tease the last of the shampoo out of his hair. “Those men played by the rules of the jungle. In their world, the strong get to use and abuse the weak, with no repercussions. Bram just showed them what strong really means.”

Was it confronting to watch Bram command two men to their deaths?

Of course. But I truly believe they deserved it, and I can’t say that if I had Bram’s ability, I wouldn’t have done the exact same thing.

My only fear is that his actions will attract the attention of the police, but Corbus seems unconcerned on that front.

“Bram was protecting his pack,” I murmur, pressing a kiss on Dash’s throat.

“They crossed a line and paid the price.”

Dash groans and backs me up against the tile wall, his knee nudging my legs apart. “Hearing you talk like that makes me all kinds of horny.”

I laugh, but Dash is already dropping to his knees, his tongue lapping at my folds. The heat that has been building under my skin rushes back to the surface, and I grip his silky hair as he licks the slick from my seam. “That’s so good, Dash.”

“Tastes like a dream,” he groans, rolling my clit with the point of his tongue.

My back slides against the tile and I can feel my knees giving way, but a shadow passes over the glass and then Corbus is sliding in next to me.

He catches me before I can fall, a shudder running through my body as he takes up position at my back.

He’s all lean muscle and strong thighs; the body of a man who thinks an advanced spin class is just an easy ride round the block.

“I hope you don’t mind me joining,” he murmurs, kissing my neck. “I had to come investigate the sweet sounds you were making.”

Not that I’ve stopped, given that Dash is still on his knees. “It’s your shower,” I tell Corbus, then melt against him as Dash lifts my leg over his shoulder. Another swipe of his tongue while Corbus thumbs my nipples, and I unravel like a swirl of soap down the drain.

I’m still shaking through my release when Dash pulls me down at his side. It’s not great on my knees, but Dash gives a cheeky nod in Corbus’ direction. “I thought you might appreciate the view from down here.”