Page 32 of A Pack of Honey
"Sleep well, Little One?" he asks. I feel my face heat but manage to keep my expression neutral when I shrug. He runs his hand through his hair and smirks. Slowly, I make my way across the porch to sit on the swing next to him. He's so packed with muscle that I'm a little scared the old thing can't hold us both. It groans when I add my weight to it, but it doesn't immediately collapse, and I take that as a good sign.
"You aren't…" I trail off, not really knowing how to end that sentence. He looks down at me with the kind of solid steadiness I've come to rely on in such a short period. He's going to make me express my thoughts, the bastard. Like a fucking big girl.
"You and Luca seemed to have a moment there,” I say. “And in the kitchen the other day. I thought, maybe… maybe you were upset I hadn't come to you first." Jesus, I can talk. I need to get it together.
He purrs and pulls me closer to him, sliding a hand under my shirt to rub soothing circles along my spine. My hands fist the front of his shirt, and I bury my face in his neck.
"Good girl, telling your alpha what you're thinking." He scent marks the top of my head. "Fortunately, you're completely wrong."
A knot that had formed in my gut eases. "I am?" I look up to find his dark eyes roaming over my face.
"Your omega knows what the pack needs. More than that, she knows what you need." He strings his fingers into my hair and pulls. Not enough to hurt but enough to ensure he has my full attention. "Since we found you, my whole reason for being here is to ensure you have everything you need. I know you can take care of yourself but I want you to give me what you can. I'm here to take care of you, understand?"
I instantly perfume. Heat gathers at my core and lower. I swallow hard, and Cole's eyes track the movement like a starved beast.
"Yes, alpha," I breathe. His purr turns into a light growl.
"Such a good Little One." His voice is low and full of hoarse longing. He brings his mouth down to mine in a searing kiss. When we pull apart, his arms come to rest against the swing arm on either side of me, caging me in.
"Can you tell me why you think your omega hasn't come to me?" he asks.
The question is curious but not judgmental or pushy. Simply searching for information to help me along. Knowing his dominant nature is the only way to break down some of the walls I've built.
I think about it for a moment, wanting to know the answer. "I think I want you so much, it's almost intimidating. I've never been with a dominant alpha before. And what you're offering is something I've always wanted to explore, but haven't experienced." This last part has my cheeks heating so much that I'm sure I'm an unflattering shade of red. But Cole doesn't make a joke or make me feel silly. Instead, he leans down and rubs his stubbled cheek on mine, scent marking me. The bristles of his short beard scrape along my skin, sending sparks of pleasure to my core.
He turns his mouth to mine and trails several soft kisses along my jaw and ear. "Don't worry, we'll explore it together. We'll work up to everything. I want you to be comfortable before. Besides, I can be a lot to handle. I want you to feel completely ready." He pulls back, and his dark stare pins me, making my breath hitch and slick gather in my panties.
Suddenly, I don't want to wait, or become comfortable—with anything. I want him this instant.
"Make a list," he says, and I blink up at him.
"A list?" With his aroused scent and my perfume mingling in the air, I feel like all of my thoughts are having to slog through mud to get out of my mouth.
Cole nods. "Things you like, don't like, and things you want to try but aren't sure of. Any hard lines. If we do this, you will give me your needs and trust me to handle them."
I open my mouth to reply, but tires against morning gravel distract me. Cole and I both look around at the car pulling up the drive.
"Employees?" he asks. I shake my head, my heart racing. I know that car.
"Craig," I whisper.
Cole
"Stayhere,"Igrowl.Thankfully, Sunny seems inclined to obey finally. I absolutely hate the stricken expression on her face directed at the parked car.
Striding across the porch to the screen door, I breathe in and out once to keep from barking. "Get out here," I call into the house to my pack. There’s scuffling, and then they're all stomping out the door.
"What's going on?" Hunt asks, noticing Sunny, who's made herself into something small on the swing, her legs pulled up to her chest.
"The cousin," I say, gesturing to the car stopping outside the low fence gate.
Each of my packmates goes rigid, growls erupting from all of them. Good. I want their alphas front and center for this. We descend the steps, me at the front. A mountain of an alpha steps out of the car. Craig is bald and wears a tan suit.
Craig walks through the gate like he owns the place, and it snaps something in me.
"Stop," I bark. I'm satisfied to find his muscles bunch at the command as he goes rigid and still. Some non-alphas think that size has something to do with dominance. It never has, and never will. Dominance is about inner power. It's born, not fed or trained.
He's frozen and furious. It takes a few beats for him to shake off the command. As an alpha, it won't last nearly as long as if I had barked at a beta or an omega. It's why I can't just bark at him to leave.
