Page 18 of Feral
I let myself ease back into his chest, the hair tickling the damp skin between my shoulder blades. He tucked my head beneath his chin and wrapped his huge arms around my waist, until I was wholly anchored to this man who was a stranger, but a stranger who spoke to my soul.
“Rest,” he whispered once more, and I felt myself beginning to succumb to the Alpha command. When his chest began to vibrate with a silent thrum, my whole body went limp.
Relax. Yes.
10
DARIUS
When I woke, I was alone in my nest. A nest that smelled like sex and sweat, but mostly of a certain Omega. I stretched, ignoring the way my Beast searched the air for her scent. As I pulled on a pair of sweats, I told myself I needed to pee, not that I was chasing the Omega in the bathroom. She probably wasn’t even in there anymore.
But when I slowly slid open the door, my lips parted. Cooper was in the tub with her. As I moved further into the bathroom, I realized that both Cooper and Kitten were sound asleep. I waited for the stab of jealousy, and while it was there, it was muted. It was hard to be jealous when you’d just spent three days balls deep in the woman in his arms. That would be hypocritical. But the heart was rarely rational or logical.
I was just glad that me and that bloodied organ were on the same page.
Cooper had his arm banded around her ribs, holding her tightly into his chest even as his head tipped back against the tiled walls, his eyes closed. She looked tiny against his chest, black smudges beneath her eyes the only sign of her exhaustion. I dipped my finger into the water, and it was cool. I touched Cooper’s cheek, and his eyes snapped open, his arm tightening around Kitten instinctively.
“It’s okay,” I whispered softly. “The water’s cold though.”
I noted that while Kitten was still gloriously naked, Coop had his boxer shorts on. The small part of me that still felt betrayed by Corvin and Beckett was oddly satisfied that Cooper hadn’t just jumped on the heat train. As selfish as it sounded, I had been the center of Cooper’s world since we were kids. That was when he’d decided I would be his Omega, and no amount of dissuading would convince him otherwise.
As much as part of me preened at the idea that he was holding out for me, I hoped he’d form some kind of kinship with Kitten, because I had a feeling she was going to be around for a while.
Cooper rubbed Kitten’s arm gently, and I hid my smile. Okay, maybe I didn’t have to worry about them bonding. “Time to wake up,” he said gruffly, his voice always grizzled when he first woke.
Kitten blinked and yawned, and when her eyes met mine, she gave me a smile that made my chest feel shaky. It was a dangerous smile.
“Darius.” She breathed my name, and I admitted to myself what I’d been fighting for three days. I had feelings for her. Feelings born from a crazy situation and way too many pheromones, but feelings all the same. We’d just have to see if they’d stick around. Or if she felt the same pull.
“Hey, Kitten,” I replied, giving into the urge to touch her. “I see you stole my favorite bath pillow.” I raised an eyebrow at Cooper.
A small crease appeared between her brows. “Sorry. I didn’t…”
Fuck. Now I’d made her feel guilty. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I didn’t mean it like that. Come on, out you get, before you turn into a raisin. Or Cooper’s balls turn into Rocky Mountain Oysters.”
Cooper gave me a droll look, but hefted Kitten up onto her feet, standing up behind her. I grabbed the fluffy towel from the vanity and held it out. She stepped out of the bath on feet that were still delicate, despite being weathered. You could tell she spent a lot of time barefoot in the woods. I wrapped the towel around her tightly as Cooper climbed out and grabbed his own towel from where it hung behind the door. He gave us both a smile, then hotfooted it out of the room.
We stood in silence for a little while, and for the first time since Corvin had carried her unconscious into the Sanctum, it was awkward. I gave her a tight smile. “I’ll go and grab you something to wear. I’ll leave it outside the door so you can have a moment.” Then I ran away like Cooper. Apparently, we were all allergic to these kinds of situations.
At the door though, I paused. “I’m not mad you’re here, Kitten. I’m mad that I didn’t know you existed, but that’s not in any way your problem. What I’m trying to say is, well, if you want to stay, it’s okay with me. More than okay, even. But I’m going to give Corvin and Beckett seven shades of hell about this whole thing, so don’t think any of that is coming your way.”
She gnawed on her lip, and I resisted the urge to replace her teeth with my own. “Okay.”
That was enough for me. I shut the door to the bathroom softly behind me, heading down the stairs to the open plan kitchen and dining room. As I walked in, my wayward Alphas tensed.
Yep, they knew they’d fucked up. Corvin’s chin was raised slightly, so I knew he wasn’t remorseful, and Beckett just looked like a damn kicked puppy with those big, dark eyes.
Instead of chewing them out about it, I headed to the kitchen. “I’m starved.”
Beckett, predictably, launched himself at the refrigerator. “Let me cook you something to eat. Waffles, smothered in fruit and chocolate sauce?”
Oh, my favorite breakfast. He definitely knew he’d done bad. “That would be wonderful. You might want to make enough for all of us, and any other love interests from the past that you might have secretly squirreled away in some rustic hideaway lovenest.”
“Darius, it wasn’t—”
I waved a hand at Corvin. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Alpha. The damage is done.”
Beckett reached out, grabbing me and pulling me against his bare chest. Dammit, I was a sucker for this man’s chest. “There are no other secrets between us, Omega. I swear on my life. On our bond. I’m so sorry this hurt you.”
