Page 69 of Crave

“More… I need a knot.”

Uh, I didn’t think I had one of those. I looked down at my hand, my fingers disappearing inside her. I wonder if I could…

Testing the waters, I make my hand a little less corporeal. Huh, that worked. Folding my hand like some kind of origami swan, I pushed a semi-corporeal hand inside her, and she gasped.

“Is this okay?” I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. Fuck, I should have definitely asked before I put my whole hand inside her like she was a puppet.

“So full,” she breathed, and I swore. I was hurting her. I tried to remove my hand, but she reached down and gripped my wrist with inhuman strength. “Don’t stop. It's so good,” she groaned, pressing the pillow further into her mouth. So I didn’t stop. Inch by inch, I gave my hand back its corporeality, until she stretched fuller and fuller, and fuck, it was something else.

She writhed and thrashed, muttering my name over and over again as I twisted my fist inside her, stroking her with my fingers, until she locked down on my wrist so hard, I was glad I didn’t have bones. Pressing her pillow to her face, she screamed her release, and I swear, I came right along with her. She was heaving in air, and slowly, I removed my hand, which was so damn obscene. I loved it.

Her fingers released from my wrist, and I wished she’d been able to mark me. Maybe one day. I climbed up the bed, curling my body protectively around hers.

“Bowie,” she breathed languidly. I let her feel my smile as I pressed my lips to the back of her neck.

“I know.”

“Thank you.”

“You never have to thank me for anything. My heart is yours.” But she’d already drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, still wrapped around Susannah, I heard someone open the solid door to the cell. Releasing her, I stepped into the corner so I could watch who it was. I was relieved when I saw Dominic.

“Susannah?” he called, and Susannah crawled her way out of the blankets. Dominic’s nose twitched, and I realized he could probably smell her release. Shaking his head, a frown came back over his face. “Omega? They’ve arrived with the witness. Errol is here. Your trial is about to begin.”

As if she could feel where I was in the room, she looked at me in the corner, her eyes wide with fear. I wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter; there was no way I was going to let anything happen to her. I’d burn this fucking town down first.

41

SUSANNAH

Dominic walked beside me as I moved toward the warehouse acting as the town hall while the real town hall was being used as the school. Soon they’d have to convert some of the existing buildings to be functional, but at this point, we were all just trying to catch our breath. Some of us more than others.

“Did you call Quinn? My Alphas?”

Bowie walked on my other side, the brush of his hand the only reason I knew he was there.

Dominic nodded. “As soon as they rolled into town.” His feet slowed. “Look, Omega. There was no love lost between me and your old Alpha. So I’m going to close my eyes for ten seconds, and if you run and I can’t find you, what a shame.” The sarcasm in his last words was thick. “I don’t know how they’ll spin your… circumstances, but if you don’t want to risk it, I’m happy to say you outran me.”

I gave him a soft smile. “Thank you, Dominic. But I really am innocent, I promise.”

Dominic huffed, starting to walk again. “Fine. But I wouldn’t have blamed you. Wilkie was a fucking asshole.”

“Absolute fact,” I murmured, but that was the last of our conversation as we stepped into the warehouse. There were about forty people sitting in chairs haphazardly scattered around, including my guys. My Pack. Quinn looked terrible, and I desperately wanted to go to him. Merrick had him tucked under his arm, pressed between him and Murphy. Tanner sat in front of them, Jericho at his side.

I wanted to run to them. Kiss them. A sob welled up in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Bowie’s fingers squeezed mine, and I held him tightly.

Quinn’s parents were there, as well as a few more of Wilkie’s cronies. But overwhelmingly, it looked like people were here for me. Raiden and his Pack, including Naja, next to my brothers and their mates. My father, though he was sitting with my brothers and not up the front where he would normally be. He looked livid as he stared at Quinn’s parents, like he was one second away from making them prostrate themselves on the ground at my feet.

Dominic pulled back a chair, waving for me to take it. I gave him a tight nod and sat down. Sitting in front of us was the Alpha General, Legion General Theodore, Electra, who was the leader of the Moonburst Coven, and Wilbur. I hadn’t even considered the witches would have a role in my trial, but it made sense. We were a combined community now. Everyone got a vote.

Courtland heaved a sigh. “Let’s get this underway, shall we? These proceedings have been dragged out enough. Gwenda Jack, you accuse Susannah Calathean of murdering her Alpha. As you know, such allegations can lead to the death penalty, so I’m sure you have foolproof evidence of your allegations?”

He knew she didn’t. There was no fucking proof.

“Of course, Alpha General.” Gwenda stood, grabbing a wrapped package. Walking up to the long table, she opened the package and tipped the contents in front of the judges. A plastic bag slipped out, and inside it was a charred and rotting hand. Even through the sealed bag, I could smell the decomposing flesh, and I gagged. Courtland seemed unperturbed, though Wilbur looked like she wanted to hurl. It was disgusting.

“It’s a severed hand.”

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