Page 75 of Pack Owned
CHAPTER 24
LIAM
I’m not prepared for the gut punch when her moans seep through the walls, along with Ryker’s grunts. It’s like someone’s twisted a knife right into my fucking core. My hand shakes as I snatch the pack of cigarettes from the back of my nightstand’s drawer—the ones I swore off a year ago—and storm out the door into the night.
The cool air slaps me, but it doesn’t touch the fire that rages under my skin. Goddamn Ryker and his shitty Alpha scent, which now probably clings to Kayla.
Fuck! She’s our Omega, not just his. The lighter flicks, flame dancing, and I drag the smoke deep into my lungs, letting the burn remind me I’m still standing, even if it feels like I’m being torn apart.
“Shit,” I mutter, pacing outside my camo Jeep, the gravel crunching under my boots. I toss the butt and light another, needing something—anything—to dull this edge.
Dane steps out, his posture rigid against the dim light from inside. From the army, he’s learned how to be a man who knows control, but right now, I’ve got none. He leans against my Jeep as if he’s not being torn apart inside.
“Fuck, Dane,” I spit out as he comes to lean against the porch railing beside me. “Knew she was ours from the moment I laid eyes on her.” I stab a finger in the direction of the house, toward where Kayla is with him. “Ryker fought it, denied it, and now he’s the first to claim her? Bullshit. It should’ve been me. Hell, it could’ve been me.”
Dane watches me, steady-eyed and silent, taking in every raw shred of my frustration.
“Doesn’t seem fair, does it?” he says, his voice a low rumble that doesn’t quite hide the edge underneath. “That her heat came on when he was the one with her.
“Fair?” I bark out a laugh, raking a hand through my hair. “It’s fucked up, is what it is. I should be in there. Not him.” But she’s probably a virgin, and me barging in there might freak her out right now. The fact that she’s in heat and letting Ryker touch her is huge. I should be happy, but I can’t help the jealousy that I wanted to be there for her the first time.
“Sometimes, things just don’t go the way we plan, Liam,” Dane replies, his tone all calm and reason, but I can see his jaw ticking, tension there he won’t voice.
“Plans?” I scoff, smoke curling from my lips. “This isn’t about plans, Dane. This is about Kayla.” And this primal need clawing at me, which I know he feels, too. “Should be my name she’s gasping out for her first time, not his.”
“Timing’s a bitch.” He pushes off from the porch railing, muscles coiled tight.
“Damn right, it is. Ryker is a lucky bastard.”
Dane’s eyes flick back to the house, then he turns that measured gaze on me. “It’s her heat, Liam. You know how it pushes an Omega. It’s sooner than expected, what with everything she’s been through.”
“Fuck, I know,” I snarl, my fists clenching at my sides. I don’t need reminding of the raw deal life’s handed her or how much Iwanna find her stepdad and rip his balls off. “I want to be there. Want to help her through it.” My voice drops to a growl, thick with desire and frustration.
“Easy, man.” Dane’s hand lands heavy on my shoulder, a grounding force. “She’s probably a virgin. She needs time to heal. We can’t all just pile on. She’ll be sore.”
“Jesus F. Christ.” The words ground out between my clenched teeth. Images of Kayla, flushed and writhing, slip through my mind, taunting me, but Dane’s right. If she’s in pain, that’s the last thing I want.
“You know anything that might help with... with her soreness? Speed up recovery?”
“Actually, yes.” Dane’s answer comes quickly, and for a moment, relief washes over me. “There are things we can do. Ways to ease her pain. Cold compress on the area. Baths with Epsom salts, lavender, and a few other herbs. I’ll get it ready for her when she wakes up.”
“Good.” My response is clipped, but the tightness in my chest eases a fraction. “Not that I can’t wait, but I can’t fucking stand the idea of her hurting.”
“Neither can I,” Dane says quietly, and his eyes hold mine—a moment of understanding that goes deeper than words.
“Thanks.” Short, simple, but it’s all I’ve got. Gratitude’s never come easy to me, but for Kayla, for this, I’ll swallow my pride.
“Anytime.” Dane turns back toward the house, leaving me alone with the night, the burn of nicotine in my lungs, and the haunting soundtrack of Kayla’s pleasure. I take another drag, holding the smoke in my lungs for a moment.
When it comes down to it, I’ll wait, fight, bleed—do whatever the hell it takes. She’s worth every second, every bruise, every smoldering ember of longing. For Kayla, I’d wage wars and walk through fire. And when she’s ready, when she heals... I’ll be there, claiming what’s fated to be mine.
Watching his retreating back, I blow the smoke out into the night. The cherry burns bright for a second, like a beacon of all the fucked-up feelings tangling inside me. With a growl of frustration, I flick the remains of the cigarette into the darkness. The night swallows it, just like it’ll swallow my rage—for now.
“Going to prepare the herbs for Kayla’s bath,” Dane’s voice echoes in my head, and I can’t help but think how fucking lucky she is to have someone like him. And then there’s Ryker—the bastard—stumbling into something he didn’t even know he wanted.
I lean against the cold metal of my camo Jeep, the texture rough beneath my hands. It’s a comfort, the familiar feel of something that’s mine. Control… that’s what I need right now.
The thought of her lying there, possibly hurting, twists something fierce inside me.
