Page 24 of Cost of Courting

My scent stutters and changes, getting stronger and more aggressive. I pause, almost weeping in relief when I inch my hand down and feel the base of my knot start to protrude.

“I’m an alpha. I’m an alpha.”

I grip myself hard and start to tug, furiously thinking about her blue eyes, that blue hair. All the things I want to do to her.

I let out a deep, growling grunt when I come. When I dare to look down at the mess, it’s all over my stomach and chest. I just fucked my hand in the middle of my kitchen and…no knot.

My ass clenches, and I whimper. Slick weeps down between my butt cheeks.

“What the fuck is this?” I kick my clothes off and race for the shower, washing it and the scent of apple pie and vanilla ice cream away.

It goes for a while, but, in the middle of the night, it returns. Strong, intense, and impossible to ignore.

I hold my girlfriend’shand and stare at the front door. It’s a house that looks very much like the one I grew up in. I’m not sure why it’s so important to come here and meet her sister, but Luna has been with a one track mind about it. I did not expect this rundown house in this dangerous neighbourhood. It makes me like her a little bit more.

In a moment of weakness, I gave in to her pleas.

Now, here we are.

I really wish I wasn’t.

She opens the door and walks in, glancing back and gesturing for me to follow her. Luna’s black hair sways in opposition with her short skirt. She leaves a cloud of incense perfume that does nothing for me at all.

She is safe. My safe bet. Pretty, sexy, the perfect mask. With her, I can be Alpha Raines. I feel nothing for her whatsoever.

“You’re going to live a short fucking life, Morrow!”

Who is that? Why does the sound of that voice set the hairs on my arm lifting? I can hear the voice of a man's reply, but I can’t discern any tones or words. Just a hum of sound.

Still, my hackles rise.

“Get your fucking hands off me, Graves.”

“Graves?” I murmur, not realising I ask it out loud.

My girlfriend looks back with a huge smile. “My sister’s best friends came home, but she’s not through being mad at them. They’re family. You’re going to love them.”

The hallway feels like it goes on forever. Everything screams at me to beg Luna to leave, to find an excuse to get out, but I can't. I'm compelled towards those voices.

“Come on, Sel, you have to forgive us. What is it going to take?” I don’t know that voice, but I like the teasing note in it.

“Crawl over broken glass, and I’ll let you know,” she says in a withering voice.

“Is your sister an alpha?” I murmur, hoping I’m right.

“No, she’s an omega. But she takes care of us.”

I have a horrible, horrible suspicion of who is on the other side of that door.

My skin crawls and goosebumps break out.

She lets out a howl of rage, and I hear the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

“Put me down, Kingston Noctis!”

“Never. You’re going to forgive us or I’m just going to hold you like this-OW!”

“Try it again, and I’ll shove this blade so far up your ass, Mael will think he has another hole to fuck.”

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