Page 13 of Their Alpha

I nodded. My throat closed up a little with…gratitude? The need to cry? The desire to drop to my knees and suck on his cock until my stomach was coated with his cum?

I gasped at that thought and shook it off by heading back to the basket.

“I hope you like turkey,” I said.

“I love it,” Artemis said enthusiastically.

We reached into the basket at the same time and our hands touched as we both tried to lift the plate. That simple touch took my breath away and made my heart race.

“You’re doing a great job,” he told me with a casual smile, shifting to take the bag of chips out of the basket while I brought out the plate of sandwiches. “I’ve never seen a husband so caring and considerate of his spouse.”

I shrugged and turned to sit on the edge of the cabinet with him, taking a bite out of the sandwich. “Gideon is everything to me,” I said once I’d swallowed. “I don’t have much of a family. We don’t talk, at any rate. Gid is my family.”

“How did the two of you meet?” Artemis asked, munching on his sandwich and eating the whole thing in just a few bites. He must have been starving and dehydrated.

I wasn’t all that keen on telling the full truth. It would reveal too much about Gideon and where he’d come from. But I trusted Artemis enough to say, “At a homeless shelter, actually.”

Artemis’s brow shot up. He swallowed his bite, then said, “Gosh, that’s…that’s a lot.”

I shrugged, pretending it didn’t matter. “We both made it out of there by sticking together.”

“You obviously have money now,” Artemis said, opening a bottle of water. He froze, then said, “I’m sorry, that was rude. Forget I said anything.”

He proceeded to down the entire bottle of water without stopping.

“It’s okay,” I said as he gulped. I was transfixed by the bob of his Adam’s apple, but tried not to pant and drool too hard. “The shelter had a learning center attached to it. We took some classes there, learned computer skills, and we both have jobs now.”

Artemis finished his water, then nodded. “I have a friend whose company funds a lot of those schools. They do good work.”

I caught my breath as another wave of…no, I wouldn’t call it adoration swept over me. I liked Artemis Montgomery, that was all. He was genuinely nice, deeply attractive, and smelled like home.

That though sparked all my guilty feelings again. Gideon was my home. I had no business feeling so damn drawn to Artemis.

As if my heart had called to him, Gideon groaned and squirmed on the bed in the other room. I hadn’t shut the doors, so when Artemis turned at the sound, he got his first sight of my beloved.

Artemis caught his breath and pushed away from the cabinet where he’d been leaning. Immediately defensive, I stepped away with him. I liked Artemis, but I would fight him tooth and nail to keep him away from Gideon, dying in the process, if I had to, if he planned to so much as touch him.

Artemis only took two steps forward before checkinghimself and holding back. He glanced briefly at me with what felt like an apology, but also an ask for permission, then looked at Gideon again.

“It’s his choice,” I said, as if he’d asked me outright if he could get a closer look at the omega he was technically servicing.

“Understood,” Artemis said.

Gideon tensed on the bed. “Fletcher?” he asked, desperate and frightened.

He pushed himself up to sit and twisted to look for me. When his eyes landed on Artemis, his mouth dropped open in what I was afraid might be a silent scream.

Artemis was a sight to behold, standing there naked and erect as he was. I could tell he was affected by Gideon’s heat from the way his breaths started to come in deep pants and the flush that spilled over his entire body. And I absolutely kicked myself for not making sure Artemis was firmly strapped down while Gideon was awake.

“Fletcher?” Gideon asked again, his face contorting with desperation. “I need you.”

“I’ve got you, baby,” I said, forgetting everything else and running to him.

I jumped onto the bed with him, pulling him into my arms so I could cradle and kiss him. Gideon was burning up with his next heat wave. His mouth was hungry against mine and his hands roved my body, but he wasn’t finding what he wanted or needed.

“Oh, God, Fletcher!” he gasped. “This one is strong! I need…I want…I….”

“I know, sweetheart. Hold on. Artemis is right here, and he can give us what we need.”

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