I can’t speak. Can’t answer his silent question. I’m too overwhelmed, too confused. I don’t know if I can give them another chance, but I know I don’t want to pull away. Not right now.
Orion goes silent, and we sway to the music while I try to process what he’s said. With my face pressed against his chest, his scent wraps around me, growing thicker as we dance, and I can’t quite focus on his story. All of my attention is honed in on his body pressed to mine, his hard cock against my stomach. I desperately want to feel that thickness inside me. I’m sweating again, too hot. I reach my arm up and tangle my fingers in Orion's hair, pulling his mouth to the bare skin of my neck. His lips are warm, but the touch feels cool against my feverish heat.
“Raven?” His tone is gravelly but concerned.
“Alpha,” I rasp. Before he can say another word, I fling myself forward and press my lips to his. Yes, this is what I need. We’ll figure everything else out later. Right now, all I need is this.
My alpha.
29
ORION
Raven’s tongue explores my mouth like her life depends on it. Fuck, she tastes delicious. Like cinnamon and soft cookies. Like home and comfort. Likemine.
My arms wrap around her instinctively, pulling her flush to my body. Until my brain kicks back on, and I realize what she said.Alpha. Not Orion, or O, or even asshole. She called me alpha.
I pull back, regretfully separating our lips so I can look at her. She whines and runs her nose along my collarbone, up my throat as far as she can reach, which isn’t far. She’s not particularly short, but I’ve got a good foot on her.
“Raven.” I try calling her name but she doesn’t respond, doesn’t stop nuzzling into me. “Raven.” Firmer this time. Nothing.
I slide my hand up to bury my fingers in her hair, getting a good grip and pulling her off my neck so I can look at her. “Omega.”
That gets her attention, and,fuck. Herpupils are blown, sweat beads along her delicate brow. When I stroke her arm with my free hand, I nearly hiss. She’s burning up. Is she having a fucking heat spike here in the bar?
No. No way. This can’t be happening. The Olympic committee required participating omegas to be on suppressants and blockers. Even as I think it, her snickerdoodle scent spikes with arousal, and I can smell her slick.
A thought pushes through the haze of lust trying to take over my brain. The committee also required omegas to have bodyguards. I look up, half expecting to see some big alpha assigned to protecting her. Is that who she was hugging after her performance? Maybe. Probably. But I’m positive he’s not here now. I know damn well if he were, he would have ripped me off of her already.
I grip her chin and force her to look at me. “Raven.Omega.” My bark slips through, but it gets her attention. “Where’s your security guard?”
She leans into my palm. “Mmm, snuck out. Want you.”
My good girl Raven snuck out? Alone? Other alphas are starting to notice her scent permeating the space, eyes flicking to her in undisguised interest. Fuck. I need to get her out of here. Now.
The guys aren’t here, since they were giving me space to talk to her. I pull out my phone, but the screen is black. I try to swipe it open, click the side buttons, and nothing happens. It’s dead.
“Hey, dollface.” A strange alpha is at Raven’s back, far too fucking close.
“Back off.” I growl menacingly at the man, stretching to my full height. He looks at my omega again, then decides she isn’t worth it.
Idiot. She’s worth everything.
I look down at her. “We have to leave, snowflake. It’s too dangerous for you here. Please.”
Raven looks at me, and I see the need burning in her gaze, along with trust I never hoped she’d give me so soon. Even if it’s her heat instincts driving her, I’m grateful. I keep her close as we navigate out of the bar. I need to get her someplace safe. As much as I don’t want to put her in a cab with an unknown driver, we can't walk all the way back to the village when she’s like this. I’ll protect her with my life, but I’m only one alpha. If a pack caught a whiff of her and wanted to take her, I wouldn’t be able to stop them.
Decision made, I flag down a taxi and drag her inside. The driver raises his eyebrows at me in the mirror, but I rattle off the address for the south gate of the Olympic Village, then ignore him. As soon as the door shuts, Raven is on me. She presses into me, her breasts against my bicep as she tries to lick my neck. Fuck, this is definitely a heat spike.
I try to gently push her to sit on her own, but she whimpers, and I’m done for. She can’t consent to sex this deep into a heat spike, but I can’t leave her to hurt either. She’s my scent match, my mate. Her small hands fumble with my belt buckle, trying to rip it open. I grip both her wrists and pull them off me, forcing her to stop trying to get to my cock. The driver will absolutely kick us out if she does that, and the media fallout would be a bloodbath.
“Omega.” I infuse the word with my bark. I hate it, but I need her to listen. “I’ll give you what you need. But you have to wait.” When she whines, I growl at her. “Not here. No stranger is going to hear what you sound like when youcome. When I make you shatter for the first time, those noises are allmine.”
She presses her thighs together but stops struggling. I let her scramble into my lap, even if my cock is so damn hard it hurts when she wiggles that round little ass on it. My forearm locks across her hips, stilling her. Just a couple more minutes. We have to make it just a couple more minutes.
The cabbie pulls up to the curb in front of the entrance to the Olympic Village. I throw more than enough cash at him while pulling Raven out of the back seat, but pause as soon as the fresh air hits me and my mind clears. We’ve still got to get through security. Raven will have clearance to enter the village, but they’ll freak out if they think she’s in heat. Thankfully, the cold seems to have sobered her a little, but her scent still gives her away. I veer to the right, changing course and heading for a little corner shop with a sign that saysBottega. God, I hope they have scent neutralizers.
Raven whines as I drag her inside. The shop owner gives us a wary look, but doesn’t comment when I buy three bottles of scent neutralizing spray. As soon as we’re back outside, I mist us both down. Raven starts sobbing the second she can’t scent me anymore.
