Page 63 of Pack Owned
His words send a thrill through me, paired with a shadow of fear I can’t quite shake. It’s too much, all this intensity, this claim over me.
“Kayla,” His nostrils flare, and his gaze drops to my lips for a brief second. “You smell amazing. Like... like something wild and sweet.”
I feel heat bloom across my cheeks, and I’m torn between wanting to step closer and run to the safety of my room. The scent of him—sandalwood and sea breeze—fills the space around us, grounding yet dizzying.
Abruptly, I stumble back, the proximity setting off alarm bells in my head. My heart hammers against my ribs, and I nearly trip over my own feet. Liam’s eyes flash with something unreadable, then, just as quickly, my body slams on the brakes.
Ugh, Omegas are supposed to be submissive, not skittish. Then, our conversation when we were playing the video game in his room flashes in my mind, and my face flushes. I clench my fists to keep the tears from burning the backs of my eyes.
“Good night, Kayla.” He bows his head.
I watch him turn to leave, feeling a tangle of emotions. Oh no, did I insult his pride? Hurt him? Omegas are warned from birth not to bruise the egos of Alphas. It’s like kicking a bear—it won’t end well.
Stepdouche proved time and again how true that is.
But Liam isn’t roaring in frustration or exerting dominance. He isn’t storming off with clenched fists. There’s no anger in his retreat, only a quiet resignation that leaves me reeling.
“Wait, Liam.” My hand shoots out like it has a mind of its own, grazing his elbow. A jolt runs through me, and a tingling sensation startles me… just like in the library with Dane.
What’s happening to me? Is this… Panic claws at my throat.
Liam halts, and before I can pull away, his fingers wrap around mine. They’re warm, strong, and alarmingly gentle. My breath catches, hitching in my chest as if it’s trapped there, refusing to escape.
His gaze pins me down, searching. I fear he might read my thoughts and see the chaos inside me. I half expect him to pull me in close, to demand answers, but he doesn’t. He just stands there, holding my hand between his strong, calloused palms, giving me the choice to either run or stay without pressure.
When I finally hiccup out a shaky breath but make no move to flee, Liam lifts my knuckles to his lips with heartbreakingly tender reverence. The whisper of his warm mouth against myskin is like a spark igniting fireworks, every nerve ending alight and hyperaware as he brushes lush kisses across my knuckles. It’s such an unexpectedly intimate gesture, leaving an unspoken promise shivering in the air between us.
“Good night, Kayla,” he whispers against my hand, his breath a ghost of warmth tickling my flesh. “We’ll continue our game… our quest through the diamond mountains after breakfast tomorrow.”
I want to pull back because this feels like it’s too much, too soon, but there’s something about how he says my name, like it’s a secret desire that pins me to the spot.
He releases my hand with a gentle squeeze. The absence of his touch leaves my skin tingling, aching for something I can’t quite put words to, a gnawing inner emptiness only his proximity seems to fill.
He whistles a carefree tune as he ambles down the hallway. My gaze tracks after him helplessly, eyes wide and disbelieving. He’s just... gone. Leaving me clutching the door frame for support, a hollow feeling settling in my gut.
A gust of cool air sweeps in through the open door, brushing across my overheated skin and bringing with it the crisp scents of rain and earth... and the faintest lingering hint of Liam’s woodsy cologne that makes my knees feel all wobbly.
“Damn it,” I mutter, free hand resting against my thumping heart as I try to process... well, everything. What on earth am I getting myself tangled up in here?
I can’t resist brushing my fingertips across my tingling lips. The phantom warmth of his kiss from my dream lingers. Goosebumps prickle my skin, and a strange warmth ignites low in my belly, and I wonder if it’s from the dream or something else.
Ryker
I’ve been trying to stay away from Kayla after Nexus’ surprise visit, but fuck if I don’t find myself heading up the stairs toward her bedroom.
It’s like she has me wrapped around her little finger. This raw need gnaws at me, fierce and possessive, screaming that she belongs to me. Not a chance in hell I’m sharing. Not with Nexus or any other Alpha who thinks they can show up and claim what’s mine. Dane and Liam are the only exceptions—twisted fate tied us all up in this mess.
Rounding the corner, I find Liam strolling away from her room. Smug bastard’s whistling some damn tune, a cocky swagger in his step. Jealousy flares in my chest, hot and fast. I shove it down.
“Everything alright with Kayla?” My voice comes out rough.
“Easy, Casanova.” He smirks. “Just checking on our girl.”
Our girl. Something inside me clicks into place that he’s known all along the truth of her being ours, even though I fought so hard to resist in the beginning. I nod in response.
“Then you won’t mind if I see for myself.”
“Ryker.” Liam’s voice cuts through my damn train of thought. “We gotta talk.”
