Page 21 of Forbidden Taste
I swallow hard, my own skin prickling with a heat I can’t shake. “As long as it’s not Benjamin. I can see you’re in pain and I can’thelp you. Riley, please, tell me who to call.” My hands hover over him, wanting to soothe, to fix, but my knot’s not enough—not now—and it’s killing me.
He gasps, his head tipping back, his curls sticking to his forehead. “The number on the fridge,” he manages, his words slurring with urgency. “Just… oh my God, hurry.” He flips onto his stomach, his ass lifting into the air, hips rocking forward as a high, keening whine escapes him.
Rushing to the kitchen, I search for the number he mentioned, my heart pounding so loud it drowns out everything else. My vision blurs as I swipe it and head back to the nest, my own breathing starting to pick up, my body shuddering as another bout of slick moves down the inside of my thighs.
Riley drags me back into the nest the moment I get there, his mouth finding mine and then moving down my neck as I try to focus on dialing, the world tilting under the weight of his touch.
The line rings, and a cheerful voice answers—“Pizza Palace, what’s your order?”—and I freeze, confusion crashing through me as Riley’s lips move against me, pulling a shudder from deep in my chest.
“Shit,” I mutter, my thumb chaotically jabbing at the screen, ending the call with a clumsy swipe before I dial again. This time, it’s right.
“Rent-an-Alpha Center, how can we assist you?”
I have to take a moment, Riley sucking sensitive skin between his lips nearly making me end the call and fuck him right here. But it wouldn’t help and we’d just be even more frustrated. “We need an Alpha,” I push out, my voice rough with need. I rattle off Riley’s address as he lays me back again, completely consumed in his heat, my gorgeous Omega dropping himself onto my cock again. Hispleas are loud and unbidden as he cries for more, my knot,anythingto soothe him.
Barely holding on, I answer the other questions about duration, preferences, safety protocols, flubbering through it, my words jagged as I try to stay in the moment. It feels like a lifetime before they say someone will be on their way within 15-30 minutes and that if anything changes to call again.
“Hold on angel, they’re coming,” I whisper as he folds over my chest, whining for what I can’t give him.
“Leo,” he gasps, my name a broken plea on his lips, Riley coming with that one word, his release spilling across my stomach. He buries his face in my chest, wetness gathering on my skin and I can’t tell if it’s sweat or tears as he starts moving again.
“You’re going to be so beautiful, angel. God, you’re gorgeous now,” I murmur, running my fingers through his hair, pressing light kisses to the top of his head. A groan tears from my throat as I flood him with my own release, my cock still hard, my knot useless. “Someone’s coming, okay?” And in that moment, I’m not sure if I’m reassuring him or myself.
fifteen
HAWK
A heavy breath falls from my lips as I bow my head beneath the hot stream of water, my muscles screaming from the long dance routine we ran tonight. Every leap, every turn, every damn lift has left me aching, my body a tangle of tight knots and bruised joints. I tip my head back, letting the spray hit my face, trying to rinse away the mess in my mind—rehearsals, finals, the looming offer from the Karlen Center—but it’s no use.
The worst part isn’t the exhaustion; it’s the whiff of scent that plugged my nose on the way back to my dorm, a mixture of sharp and sweet, taking over my thoughts. Apple pie and honey, twined together, lingering in the main hall where there shouldn’t have been anyone at this hour. It hit me hard and I’d spent the whole walk back trying to adjust myself, my cock straining against my tights, praying none of my friends noticed the flush creeping up my neck.
I’m one of the few Alphas in the modern dance course who isn’t teaching or hoisting pretty little Omegas and Betas into the air, and I’ve taken enough shit for it but this is my last year, and with Karlen waiting, I don’t give a damn what they think.
Except right now, my mind’s in an entirely different orbit, spinning around that mingled scent. It’s two people, distinct but fused, my body responding like it’s never done before. My Alpha instincts flare,a low growl rumbling in my chest as I reach down, my hand wrapping around my cock, the water slicking my grip.
I stroke myself, slow at first, then faster, imagining those scents smothering me. My forehead presses against the cool tile wall, the contrast sharp against my heated skin, and I fuck my hand, chasing that imagined warmth until I’m spilling down the drain, a groan tearing from my throat.
I squeeze the base, putting pressure around my knot, and the pleasure explodes through me, shuddering down my spine but it’s not enough as the water washing away the evidence. There’s only so many times in a life you catch a mate’s scent—rarer still to find a true scent match—and yet, somehow, tonight, I’ve stumbled across two.
Two Omegas, their scents twined in a way that’s got my blood singing, my instincts clawing at me to find them, claim them. I shut off the shower, the sudden silence heavy, and step out, water dripping from my dark hair, my skin still flushed as I grab a towel. I barely get it around my waist, the fabric clinging to my damp hips, when the door bangs open, and I jolt, worried that one of my roommates will pick up the frazzled thoughts running through my head.
“Hey.” Jace pushes inside, oblivious to my state. “Your phone’s been buzzing off the hook. Seems like someone really needs an Alpha.” He smirks as he places my phone on the bathroom counter, tossing me a look before ducking back out.
My gaze drops the lit up screen, a number I know all too well scrolling across it. My heart isn’t in it today, even if just for the fact that I want to just crawl into my bed and pass out. So, I dismiss the call with a swipe, the screen going dark, and turn to the mirror, catching my reflection in the dim light of my dorm bathroom.
A lazy grin tugs at my lips as I take in the man staring back—smaller than most Alphas, sure, but pretty in a way I’ve always liked.Wet strands of black hair hang over my eyes, dripping onto my forehead, and muscles ripple beneath my bronze skin, lean and defined from years of pushing my body to its limits. I’m not the hulking stereotype, but I’m enough, not to mention the pretty part is just another piece of my charm.
The phone buzzes again but I decline it again. The center can find another Alpha. I can’t be the only one ready to help an Omega in heat at this hour, right? My phone buzzes again but this time it’s from Delilah, the owner of the Rent-an-Alpha service. She never calls unless it’s an emergency. I sigh and swipe to answer. "Hey, Delilah. Blowing up my phone, really?”
“Yes,” she snaps, her tone all business, no patience for my teasing. “This one’s a premium client. He’s in heat now and they tend to be painful. You’re the closest Alpha and the only one responding.”
I shift, running a hand down my face. “Yeah, sure, but I think this might be one of the last ones, D. I’m graduating soon, and I know I started this for a reason, but…” I trail off not sure how to finish that sentence. Delilah knows exactly why I started this side gig.
“I get it, okay?” Delilah says, understanding threading through her voice. “Everyone phases out of the program eventually—whether for a mate or just moving on. Right now, though, I need your ass across campus. I’m messaging you the address.” She hangs up before I can argue, the line going dead, and I stare at the blank screen, my breath catching as it buzzes again—a text with a name and location that makes my jaw drop.
There’s no fucking way.Riley Hart. The golden Omega of the academy, the one whose name’s on every music major’s lips, just went into heat. I blink at the screen, several times, my mind racing. And then it’s like everything hits me all at once—the tangled Omega scents from the hallway, the rumors of Riley falling prey to the whims of anotherOmega, and that gorgeous Omega who’s both terrifying and alluring all at once.
There’s no fucking way that this just landed in my lap, right?
