Page 22 of Forbidden Taste
It makes sense Riley would be a premium client with the money his parents shell out at everything. However, he has an Alpha, right? None of this makes any sense but instincts are yelling at me to at least check out the situation and make sure Riley is safe. It takes me all of five minutes to yank on clothes, a black shirt and pair of jeans lounging on the side of my bed. I shoot off a message to my advisor, letting them know I’ll be unavailable for the next few days. It’s the one saving grace about this academy, as stuck up as it is. Our lessons tend to be private with our professors outside of classes.
Senior year is about perfection and in turn means that so long as we log in the hours each week, it doesn’t matter when we do.
“Now, that that’s done,” I mutter to myself, grabbing my phone and wallet before shuffling outside and through the courtyard. My phone buzzes again, a message through the center’s app offering a few details about Riley and how I should best ease him through his heat. Unfortunately, unlike most of the Omega profiles I’ve come across, this one is sparse and leaves way too much unsaid.
Doesn’t want to be manhandled, can be mouthy during heats
I snort softly, picturing the golden Omega of the academy snapping back mid-heat, all fire and defiance. Then there’s another text, this one directly from Delilah.
Might be another mate in the room
My steps falter, just for a second, my chest tightening as it confirms what I’d suspected—that it is the two Omegas everyone’s been talkingabout, everyone trashing on the larger one, saying he coerced Riley into something. Leo, I think his name is? I’m not sure. Either way, I hasten my steps a little, feeling the urgency to soothe Riley through his heat. After all, that’s my job. Help them through one of the most confusing, terrifying moments of being an Omega and then leave once the job is done.
However, if they really are mates… would I be overstepping by going into Riley’s space? Would Leo be territorial? My heart sinks into my stomach, suddenly running through all the possible ways that this could go wrong. I took up this gig years ago, a misguided atonement for my sister’s death—Alphas too rough, too careless, leaving her beaten and bruised while I was away that weekend.
I came back to her silence, her absence, and it broke me. Raged against the system, got those three bastards locked up, but it didn’t fill the hole, didn’t quiet the guilt gnawing at my heart. The rent-an-Alpha service became my penance—helping Omegas who didn’t have anyone, giving them what I couldn’t give her. It passed the time, dulled the ache, but over the past year, my heart’s drifted out of it, restless and searching for something more.
And now I know why—that goddamn scents I caught earlier, because that wasn’t the first time. I’ve smelled them before, separately, faint traces over months that I brushed off, but tonight, together, it’s like a punch to the gut, waking every Alpha instinct I’ve tried to bury. A possessive growl rumbles low in my throat as I step into the apartment building, my boots echoing in the stairwell.
It takes no time to reach Riley’s apartment as I knock, my mind a mess of guilt and want, and I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into. Then the door swings open, and the world tilts, my knees nearly buckling under the weight of what I see. The most beautiful Omega I’ve ever laid eyes on stands there—tall, broad, completely naked, hisskin flushed a deep pink, sweat plastering bright orange hair to his freckled face.
His sea-green eyes lock on mine, staring down at me from his height, and it’s like heaven in a bottle—spiced apple pie rolling off him, hitting me square in the chest. My cock twitches, my knot pulsing, and I clench my fists, restraining myself from doing something stupid—like reaching out, pulling him close, burying my face in that scent and never letting go.
I clear my throat, managing a small smile. “I’m Hawk.”
He steps back, his shuddering frame trembling with every breath, and points down the hallway, his voice rough, raw with need. “My Omega needs you,” he says, and I don’t think I’ve heard anything hotter—the way he speaks of Riley, offers him up, trusts me with something so precious. My throat tightens, my Alpha instincts roaring to life, and I nod, stepping inside, the door clicking shut behind me.
I follow Leo down the hall, his broad frame swaying slightly ahead of me, his scent fluctuating between overly sweet and something so rich, I almost want to drop to his knees for him. Riley Hart’s in his nest, curled tight into a ball amidst a mess of blankets and pillows, his flushed skin glistening with sweat, his fingers digging into the plush around him. My Alpha instincts scream at me to go to him, to ease the trembling, but I hesitate at the edge, my hands flexing at my sides as I look to Leo. It feels right, somehow—deferring to him, even here, with two Omegas and me the Alpha.
Leo frowns, his eyes narrowing in confusion, but then he steps closer, his hands moving to my shirt. His fingers brush my chest as he eases it off, the fabric whispering against my skin, a shiver running down my spine, caught in the quiet intensity of his touch. He walks it over to Riley, draping it across the nest, and Riley stirs, his bodyunfurling slightly, a soft sigh escaping as he presses his face into the cotton, my scent mingling with his.
Leo watches him, before a sound rumbles from his throat—a deep, commanding sound that’s wholly Alpha—and my knees nearly buckle. I’m in love, instantly, helplessly, my cock pressing hard against my jeans, straining with a need I’ve never felt before. I’ve never wanted to submit to anyone, never craved it, but this Omega is calling to me, pulling at every instinct I’ve tried to tame.
I try to keep my eyes on his, to hold that stormy gaze, but it’s impossible as he starts undressing me. His hands move with purpose, undoing my boots, tugging them off one by one, his knuckles grazing my calves. Then he’s at my pants, unbuttoning them, sliding them down along with my boxers, the cool air hitting my heated skin as the fabric pools at my feet. He’s acting like an Omega—gentle, attentive—but there’s a dominance in him, a quiet control that thickens his scent, sweetening it further, as if he’s the one in heat. His jaw ticks, his lids half-closed, and when he stands, he stumbles slightly, his massive frame unsteady. I reach out, my hands catching his arms, steadying him, and feel the tremor in his muscles—Riley’s heat seeping into him, stirring something wild beneath his skin.
There’s no reaction for him, no instinct for him to curl into my chest, just a quiet determination to provide for Riley that I can admire. No sooner am I sinking in the pink and yellow plush is Riley pushing me onto my back and straddling my thighs, his heat pressing against me as he sinks down, taking me in.
A loud groan rips from my throat, my hands flying to his waist as he moves, his hips swiveling in slow, deliberate circles. He reaches for Leo, his fingers tangling in those orange curls, pulling him close, and I’m caught between them, watching as they kiss—deep, messy, their mouths colliding with a hunger that makes my chest ache. Riley’sbody rocks against mine, and I grip him harder, fingers digging into his hips, anchoring myself in the haze.
Usually, there’s a moment—rules laid out, boundaries set—but not now. I’m lost, drowning in the scent, the heat, the feel of them. Two Omegas in one room is a different beast, my control slipping, my Alpha instincts roaring to take over. I clear my throat, the sound rough, and Leo pulls back, his eyes nearly black with desire, pupils swallowing the green. “Whatever Riley needs,” he purrs. “Anything Riley needs.” It’s a command, a plea, and I nod, my breath hitching as I look up at Riley, his face flushed, his lips parted.
“Sweetheart,” I murmur, my hands sliding up his sides, feeling the tremor in his skin, “You have to tell me what you need.”
“More,” he gasps, his head tipping back, “harder.”
I roll us over, pinning him beneath me, his back sinking into the blankets as I take over. I move, fucking into him with, my hips snapping against his. “Fuck, yes,” he cries, his hands clawing at my shoulders, his voice ringing out, commanding, not the soft whimpers I’m used to.
I glance up at Leo, needing to know that he’s okay with this because essentially I’m fuckinghisOmega in this moment, not mine—even if I know that we’re mates. That’s when I fully see him, Leo kneeling beside his, his fists curled on his thighs, my gaze snagging on his cock, hard and leaking, the knot at the base swollen and unmistakable. My face flames, my entire body shuddering with a rush of excitement, a fantasy crashing through me—Leo fucking into me, his knot locking us together while we take care of Riley.
The thought’s dizzying, my rhythm faltering. Leo lets out a growl, his eyes snapping to mine. “Focus,” he growls, his voice cutting through the haze, and I do, turning back to Riley, pouring everythinginto him—every thrust, every touch, my hands roaming his chest, his thighs, feeling the heat of him under my palms.
Riley starts chanting ‘knot me’ mixed with a slew of other curse words I can’t quite catch, my attention turning to focus solely on him. Give him what he needs, I tell myself, and then we can focus on everything else.
I know it’s not going to be that easy.
sixteen
LEO
