Page 40 of Pack Apollo

"Thank you," he says sadly. "That's all I'm asking."

We part ways, and I take an Uber to the Apollo house. It seems as though everyone is home per usual. However, I worry because there's an unfamiliar bright red car in the driveway. Surely, they'd have said if they were having company over since they knew I'd likely be coming back today.

Getting to the door, I don't bother knocking as I haven't for weeks when they told me to stop when I feel comfortable since I'm always welcome. Walking in, I hear the TV going in the den, so I head that way.

Palmer is the first one to spot me and almost bounces over Cordell's head to get to me as he comes over the couch."Billie's home!"

He wraps me up in a tight embrace, and I forget about the stress of the day for a second. Burying his face into my neck he takes a deep breath before pulling away slightly and giving me a confused expression.

"Come on, love, we've got a surprise for you," Brent says, coming up beside Palmer.

He captures a hand and pulls me to the door. When we get there, a different set of hands close over my eyes. By the scent of spicy aftershave, I know that it's Cordell. Very carefully they maneuver me down the step leading outside. As soon as we come to a stop, his hands lift and I'm left staring at the driveway with all of their cars.

I glance from the cars back to them and back again. I don't understand, other than the red car. Then it clicks. When I turn to them again, Jake is holding up a key fob dangling from a keychain with a new car tag. My lips part in an o.

For whoever knows how long, I stand like that, my brain not believing what they're trying to say before I finally say, "No."

They all smile, and Palmer laughs. "What do you mean ‘no?’"

"No," I repeat again, shaking my head. "I'm not taking that."

"Rules are rules, babe. You have to," he tells me. "If it's offered as a courting gift, you'll offend your potential pack by turning down a gift."

My eyes cut to him. "Did you swallow one of those pamphlets from the center?"

Even Roz laughs at that as Jake walks over and places the fob into my hand after he unclenches my fist. "It was Roz's idea."

I peer up to find him watching me. "Much safer than Uber rides."

"Not like I mind in the least," Palmer sighs. "But, I wasoutvoted."

"You can't just buy a person a whole-ass car," I tell them.

"Well, we surely couldn't have bought you a half of a car," Cordell teases, making them all laugh again.

"Come on, love," Brent says, casually pulling me toward the bright-red, ostentatious beauty. "Let's take it for a drive."

And we did. For hours, we drove around the city and even down some back roads where Brent teased me to push her limits. Of course, my grandma driving ass, I didn't go above sixty. I had to admit that I loved it more than anything I've ever gotten in my life, and I made sure they all knew it when we got back, thanking them at least twenty times, especially Roz.

My day has been an up and down roller coaster of emotions. As I sink into my favorite tub, I feel some of the tension leaving my body. I don't know what I'm going to do about my mother and Daryl, but that's not a problem I can solve right this second. Not that I even want to try while I'm enjoying the feel of the jets on my back as I watch one of my favorite alphas get undressed.

"You’re looking at me like you want to devour me," Brent teases, stripping down the last bit of his clothing.

"Maybe I do," I tell him, licking my lips. I love the way his cock is already hard and jumps at my words.

He steps into the water and the majority of his body disappears beneath the partially soapy water. As many times as we've bathed together, never once has he made the move to take it any further. I've come to the conclusion that he's leaving it up to me to make the first move.

Wading over to him, I straddle his legs, bringing my torso out of the water as I knee-walk up until our chests are touching. Placing a hand against his chest, I can feel the hard thump of his heart against my palm. Bringing my lips to his, I kiss him until we're both senseless with need.

After the day I've had, I need him. I don't want to wait any longer. Apparently, he agrees with me since he's the first to reach between us to help guide himself inside of me. I lower myself down on him slowly, enjoying the feel of his cock stretching me out. I wouldn't dare tell the others, but he's definitely slightly bigger than them. Where some might find it uncomfortable, it makes me feel amazing.

We continue to kiss as I start moving on top of him. Slowly at first so as not to disturb the water too much. But then his lips drop down to my neck and I feel his teeth scrape against my skin. The desire to beg to have him claim me right then and there is so strong that I almost beg him to. Somehow, I manage to keep my wits about me and channel the feeling into riding him instead. The water is splashing over the edges a bit as I feel his knot start to swell, and that's when I lose the battle.

"Ahh, Brent," I call out softly. "Mark me. Bond me. Make me yours."

He grunts against my neck the warm air making me clench down on him. Just as his knot hits that spot inside of me, his mouth closes over my neck and he sucks. Hard. I may cry out. I may not. One second, I'm riding the best high I've ever felt, and the next I'm waking up draped across him with my head on his shoulder as he skims his hands down my back.

He must sense the shift when I come to. "Welcome back, love. You okay?"

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