“So, picking things back up,” I murmur as she blushes, “We’re really not formal, and we’d rather not stick to the instructions and do our own thing. This is only as long as you’re comfortable, and you’ll need to tell us if there’s anything we should be aware of about what you need.”
She nods, a look of relief pressing over her face, and relaxes back into her chair. Cautiously, she reaches out for the sugar and cream Ace gave her earlier, her eyes flicking to me. I nod encouragingly, and she starts experimenting with her cup. Taking a sip, her eyes widen in pleasure. My pulse jumps. “I like it this way,” she offers Ace, who winks at her.
“I take mine black, personally.”
“Like your soul,” adds Gabe, as he starts putting plates down on the table. Ace acts wounded, and they start to bicker. It’s more lighthearted than some of their recent arguments. The smell of the food fills my nose and glancing over at Harper, I can tell she’s excited. Another punch to my stomach. When was the last time she had a proper meal?
Idiot. You should have fed her last night.
We need to do fucking better. I don’t want her to ever go hungry again. Gabe stays close to her, watching her face intently as she daintily cuts into her food. The moan she lets out at the first taste sends a ripple across the pack, all of us immediately focusing on our own plates and trying to push our erections down. If she’s always this vocal, we’ll have permanent hard-ons at this rate.
Looking around, I take in the atmosphere. Even with the uncertainly, there’s ahopefulnesslinking us together that I haven’t felt before. Everyone is watching Harper whilst pretending not to as she scoffs down her food, and Gabe hums happily as he starts her a second omelet, muttering about adding cheese this time. Even Devlin can’t stop shooting little glances at her, the harsh lines of his face softening slightly with every stolen glance.
She’s been here for a matter of hours, and I can already feel the impact. Peace washes over me, and I push away intruding thoughts of the world outside. At least for today, we can enjoy getting to know her. Reality will intrude soon enough, but I plan to make the most of this time with my pack and try to rebuild some of the bonds that have been strained over the last year or so. Glancing at Dev, I see him staring at his plate with a frown. He’s taken to Harper much better than I expected, but I can still feel his struggle. I push my concern down the bond, and he responds with a stoic flatness. He’s okay, but I’ll need to keep an eye on him.
Gabe, however, is another story. Our bruised alpha, who’s hidden away from the world, is beaming as he cooks for Harper. I notice that he hasn’t touched his scar once since we’ve been sat here, a nervous habit he picked up after the attack.
Ace seems much more relaxed too, his nervous energy toned down as he flicks balls of paper at Dev across the table, trying to make Harper laugh. Dev ignores him, but it just makes her smile harder until a bright giggle tumbles out into the air. Music and sunlight. I swallow down the urge to sweep her up and catch her laughter with my lips. Not yet.
ChapterTwenty
Ace
After Harper’s finished eating her fill, weakly protesting to Gabe that she’ll be sick if she eats any more, I reach out and snag her hand, pulling her up.
“Where are we going?” Her fingers curling trustingly into mine makes my chest hurt. This girl is dangerous. We all know it, but I don’t think any of us care, apart from maybe Devlin.
“I want to give you the full tour,” I say, staring pointedly at the pack when they half-rise from their chairs to follow. Brow creasing in disappointment, Gabe flops back into his chair with a small huff. My stomach flips and I consider pulling him along, but I want some time to get to know Harper properly too. She’s had time with Gabe and Rogue, and Dev hasn’t pushed it, so I’m seizing the opportunity where I can.
Harper follows me closely as we head back down towards the living area. It’s a huge, open plan room, a large hearth at one end offering a roaring fire on cold nights and the huge television set up for movies and gaming when we’re in the mood.
“So, this is our main pack space. We call it the snug,” I announce, pulling Harper to a stop in the middle of the room and gesturing around. She disentangles her hand and I push down my protest, following her as she moves towards the brown leather seating arranged in a semi-circle. Glancing at me, I realise she’s waiting for permission and nudge her gently. “You don’t have to ask. Make yourself comfortable.”
She burrows down into the soft leather without another word, curling her legs up underneath her. It’s a huge sofa, made to hold all of us, and she looks tiny huddled up in the corner.
“It’s sosoft,” she whispers, running her hands gently across the surface. My heart clenches at the sheer enjoyment on her face, and I think of the section in the manual that talks about nesting. She’s clearly never been allowed to make one. She’s not even allowed a blanket.
Anger floods through me at the reminder of where she’s come from, and I turn from her to give myself a moment to calm down, heading to the hearth. We’ll probably come back in here later, so I drop down to get a fire going. After a minute, Harper’s hand gently touches my shoulder. “What’s the matter?”
There’s no judgement in her husky words. Leaning back, I glance up at her where she stands, worrying her lip with her teeth. Reaching out, I gently pull it free. “Don’t damage those beautiful lips, little omega.”
A hint of cinnamon wraps around me, and my hand lingers against her mouth. I give in to temptation and sweep my finger against her softness, enjoying the way her mouth opens to me and her golden eyes darken. She’s so beautifully responsive.
Before I lose control, I let her go and motion to the fireplace. “Have you ever set a fire before?”
She sinks down next to me gracefully, perching back on her heels in a clearly well-learned move. “No, but I’d like to learn. What do I do?”
I show her how to scrunch up the paper we keep in a basket next to the hearth, explaining where to position it and helping her choose blocks of wood to build the frame. She’s a picture of concentration as she places them carefully down, the edges of her pink tongue just poking out of her lips. Temptation in one perfect package. I can barely pay attention to what we’re doing, forcing myself to grab the long matches from the drawers in the coffee table.
She laughs in delight when the flames spring up. “I did it!”
She turns to me, the fire reflecting against her golden eyes. I swoop in without a second thought, grasping her face between my hands. The moment our lips meet, I’m lost. She’s soft and pliant against me, her breasts pressing into my chest. Cinnamon and honey twists around us as her arousal makes itself known. A low whine builds in her throat as her mouth moves against me. I sip at those perfect lips, little nips that draw out the noises she’s making and go straight to my cock. With a growl, I drag her into my lap, fully intending to replicate the noises I heard from the kitchen earlier. I want to see her come apart for me, crying my name as her body shakes and tips over the edge.
ChapterTwenty-One
Harper
Ithink I’ve turned into some sort of sex-crazed nympho.
