Page 64 of Welcome to Bone Town

Jax with his intense adoration, breaking through every doubt I have that I could ever be loved as I am, even if this relic doesn’t fix me. Bear with his steady strength, alleviatingmy fear. Roman, with his irritating fire, pushing and challenging me, but also always protecting when it’s needed most. And Archer, my beta. The calm beneath it all. The linchpin holding us all together.

I want this pack. I want to bond them and keep them and create a home with them.

Far away, I hear my men, but their words seem distant. All that matters is this moment.

My fingertips brush over the centerpiece, tracing the blood red gemstones. It’s warm to my touch. A warmth that spreads across my skin. My breathing picks up as I slowly reach around the bust and unclasp the hook at the back. When I pull it away, the bust lifts an inch, like a weight has been lifted from the molded shoulders.

The solid heft of the metal settles the shaking in my hands. A whimper climbs my throat as my skin tightens, nipples pebbling into firm peaks. Without thought or hesitation, I wrap the choker around my neck. It fits perfectly.

Roman turns, and our eyes lock, his widening as he takes in what I’m about to do. But I feel none of his panic. All I feel is calm. And warm. Tingly and happy.

“Just so we’re clear, if this makes me go into heat, I wantallof you.” I know they’re not ready to bond me, but I want to experience a heat with them, and this might be my chance. I don’t want one of them holding back because they aren’t sure if I’d want it. Thinking of Jax’s off-hand remark about condoms yesterday, and all the nights I cried about not being able to have kids, I add, “No condoms. Uh… if you want.”

Maybe it’s reckless. But right now, I don’t care. It feels right.

When I bring the ends of the necklace together to clasp them, they pull from my grasp and snap shut with power I don’t possess. A wave of heat unlike anything I’ve ever experienced washes over my body. My insides twist and cramp. It’s a feeling I’m familiar with, but this time, it’s ten times worse. A whine pitches through the air,my whine,needy and desperate.

My skin is sensitive and even the scant clothing I’m wearing feels oppressive. I want them off. Ineedthem gone so nothing is separating me from my mates’ touches. Except, I’m so lost to this haze that I can’t bring myself to remove them on my own. My whine grows louder, a sound befitting the absolute desperation ricocheting through my body and soul.

So this is what a heat feels like.

48

“Fuck,yes.” Jax throws his head back, scenting the air.

Elderberry and rose hips flood the space with a fresh note that’s unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before. My dick immediately stiffens in response to the glowing omega before me. She’s resplendent, like the goddess incarnate. The power radiating off of her is only softened by the whimper from her lips and the way her hands grip her stomach. She curls over, and the next sound that escapes her is one of pain.

Instinctively, I know she’s in heat. And I know exactly what she needs.

“Come here, omega.” My voice shakes with the effort to avoid barking the command. My alpha wants to take over, to dominate.

Since I’ve avoided omegas, I’ve never been so close to one in heat, and the pheromones pouring off her affect me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. My knot swells inresponse to her needy whine, aching to give her what she needs.

Cora obeys my demand, taking a step toward her alphas, but before she can get any closer, Archer jumps between us all.

“Wait.” He holds up his hands. They’re shaking, and a light sweat has broken out on his brow, too. “We need to talk before this goes any further.”

“No,” Cora moans, shaking her head as she sinks to the floor like her legs have given out on her. “Knots. I need knots.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Jax walks around Archer. “We fuck her. Knot her. Bond her. Seems pretty simple to me.”

The second he’s close to Cora, she grabs for him, nails scratching over his naked skin. He hisses in pleasure, then praises her when he sees the red welts rising on his arm. “That’s right, my perfect little mate. Mark your alpha. Claim me.”

“We can’t do thishere!” Archer urgently waves a hand in the air.

In a blink, Jax has Cora’s shorts off and his head between her legs. She’s on her back, writhing on the stone floor, as he hoists up her ass to devour her. Fuck, it’s like the pools all over again, but this time I’m not going to just sit back and watch.

Shoving Jax out of the way, I pull her into my lap, brushing the sweaty hair from her face. She protests the loss of Jax’s tongue only for a moment before snuggling into my lap and wrapping her legs around my waist, dragging her core against me.Fuckkkk.

“Hey, hummingbird, look at me.” Her eyes are already unfocused, but she follows my direction. Archer’s probably right. We shouldn’t do it this way—but with her wet pussy grinding against my cock and the potency of her heat pheromones, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to resist.

Reaching around her, I fiddle with the clasp on the choker, hoping once it’s off, this crazy heat spike will end, and we can talk more reasonably about a plan.

But it won’t unhook.

“Let me try.” Archer squats down behind Cora. She clutches the necklace like she knows he’s trying to take it, whips her head around, and growls. But no sooner has she snarled at him, than she’s grabbing him and kissing him like she’ll never get enough.

He continues to fumble with the clasp on the choker, to no avail.

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