Page 45 of Dodging Bullets

I gave him a sad smile. “We have more baggage in this Packhouse than JFK.”

August stood, stepping in front of my chair until his legs were between my knees. And then he pulled my head to his stomach and hugged me. Pulling me tight against his hard abs, he buried his fingers in the short lengths of my hair and just held me. Hisbreaths were even and regular, his scent so reassuring that I could feel the anger, the turmoil, just floating away.

I admitted something to myself that I would never admit to August for fear of pushing him away. At some point in the last year, I’d fallen in love with him. It was a soft glow in my chest that always turned into an inferno in his presence. I’d kept it hidden, locked away, because he deserved better than a broken Pack and an even more broken man. But it hadn’t stopped me from loving him, wanting him.

As I shuddered in his embrace, I couldn’t help the feeling of rightness that settled in my soul. I was greedy; I knew that. I had Polly, who I wanted with a longing that stole my breath. My feelings for her had struck me like a bolt of lightning.

But my feelings for August had been like a steady warmth in my soul.

It was selfish, but I wanted them both, and I would do everything in my power to have them both. To make them happy and content.

I tilted my head up to look at August’s pretty dark eyes. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. I froze, not moving, in case this was actually a dream. When he deepened the kiss, I leaned hard into it, chasing the kiss until I could taste him on my tongue. He pulled back, and his pupils were so wide, it was like looking at pure darkness. “Forever.”

My heart thundered in my chest. Was he suggesting that he was considering us? Allowing us to court him? God, I hoped so.

His smile was sweet, and I couldn’t help but kiss him once more. I held him tightly to me, unwilling to let him go just yet. “Why’d you come over? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t to hear my woes, for once.”

He laughed and sat in my lap, and I gave my cock a stern talking-to about what was appropriate courting behavior. Stabbing him in the thigh was not appropriate behavior.

“I wanted to check on Polly, and, uh, tell you that I accept your courting suit.”

I whooped, leaping from the chair and spinning him around, even though we were basically the same height, so his feet dragged on the ground. I kissed him again. “You won’t regret this, August, I promise.”

The sound of my shout drew a sleepy-looking Polly and a mussed-looking Llew from his bedroom. He had her tightly just behind him in case of intruders, and I loved that man more than anything.

When Polly saw August in my arms, a bright smile spread across her face, the first one I’d seen since last night. “August!”

She ran towards him, and he caught her easily in his arms. He lifted her up to bury his nose in her neck as she clung to him. She began to scent mark him, though I wasn’t sure she was aware she was doing it. They looked so happy together, that any last fears I had about them eventually becoming adversaries in the same Pack disappeared.

“Beautiful girl, you smell so fucking delicious right now,” August groaned, and I realized he was right. She smelled sweeter, and given the haggard expression on Llew’s face, he’d had to sleep beside that sweet scent all night.

“She had a rough night. Little heat waves, I think, and then she’d settle. But not long now, I don’t think.” Llew went over and kissed August’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, Omega.” His voice was husky, and Polly whined. But not in discomfort at her Alpha kissing another Omega. She grabbed him closer, like she could drag her big Alpha into her Omega cuddle pile.

Fuck, I wanted to be in the middle of that cuddle pile.

When Polly turned her head and kissed August, I swear, all the blood rushed to my dick until I was lightheaded. She kissed him like she wanted to swallow him whole. Their scents intertwined, and I stared at the ceiling, breathing through my mouth so I didn’t go into rut.

Fuck.

August finally pulled his mouth away from hers. “You better get Max back here as soon as possible, because Polly is going into full-blown heat. I give it a few hours, at most.”

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and moved out the back door to the patio. I couldn’t think in there, with the pheromones so thick in the air, I could almost taste them. I hit Max’s number, and he answered almost immediately. “Hey. Everything okay?”

“She’s going into heat. August says get your ass home ASAP.” We were prepared; Max had seen to that. We had snack foods and sports drinks, waterproofed bedding, nesting supplies—basically everything we thought she might need.

Max swore softly. “Show her the nesting supplies in the cupboard. She’ll want to nest. I’ll pick up the instant meals and be home in forty minutes.”

He hung up, and I knew I could leave the details in his hands. I was going to be worse than useless for days now. I only had one objective: to please my Omegas.

With that in mind, I sucked in some clear air and walked back into the house. I had this.

Twenty-Six

August

Ihadn’t really known how a heat with another Omega would go. There was a chance that her heat would push me into mine, but it wasn’t guaranteed. There was also a chance that when she reached the stage of her heat that was more instinct than cognizance, she’d throw me out.

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