“Lucky, can you look me in the eye?”
Lucky swiped the fallen hair from his face and pushed a hand into the mattress, but only made it halfway into sitting before he grabbed Ford.“I’m sorry about this,” he said, so serious that Ford braced himself for a push, a slap, some kind of recrimination for being involved in this mess.
A kiss landed square on his lips, and Lucky moaned, a soft sound that could only be described as contented.That kiss made Ford feel more alive than a thousand volts of electricity.
For a first kiss between strangers, Ford had never felt more connected to someone.Lucky softened against him and his lips parted, a temptation too far.Damn the consequences.Ford kissed back, hands on Lucky’s jaw to steady him, and Lucky hummed, a lovely sound that sang through his veins.
When he realised he was kissing the victim of a crime, a vulnerable omega, and one who had recently been drugged, Ford’s senses snapped into place and he broke the kiss.Lucky didn’t look repentant, which only made him smile.“Technically, you just made me break the rules.I could get shot for that.”Especially with Jesi standing just a few feet away and Lucky’s true mate in the room.
Lucky’s lips parted, then he narrowed his gaze and a moment of confusion marred the sweet, contented gaze he’d had locked on Ford until now.
“Was I your first?”
Lucky lifted a hand, sealed an invisible zip over his mouth, locked it and threw away the key, making it clear that Ford would never know the answer.
That was pretty cute.He might have pushed further, but someone cleared their throat and he pulled away, instinctively licking the kiss off his lips.“Another time, flower.”He winked at Lucky and tried not to be ashamed of how perfect that kiss had been.
Chase
It should have hurt to see his mate kissing someone else, but there was nothing—no ache in his chest, no nauseated squirming in his stomach, no intense need to break them apart.Why?
Ford had already explained how he’d accidentally touched Lucky, before knowing he’d been injected with OX, and how the drug would drive Lucky towards Ford.Chase had hated having to listen to the words, but he could already see it was true.
LuckywantedFord.Whether that was the OX or instinct, it was hard to tell.
Ford pulled away from Lucky, a smile on his lips that was part embarrassment and half amusement.“It’s just the OX,” he murmured, maybe to convince himself as well as Chase.Then Ford speared him with eye contact.“The only thing that will override the OX is being near his mate.You need to do your job as Lucky’s one and only true mate.”
Lucky sighed, a soft but happy sound.“Nope.”He popped the word, looking drunk.“I don’t have a one true mate.”Lucky stared at Chase with an intensity that made him want to throw up, hearing those awful words that twisted in his gut like a knife.“I have two!”
Jesi barked a laugh, but quickly put a hand over his mouth.“How interesting.”
Ford scoffed, suddenly looking nervous.“It’s the OX.”
“You think he’s lying?”Chase wasn’t so sure.Most omegas, especially Lucky, would never lie about a true mate bond.He stepped forward to eye Ford with curiosity, wondering if Lucky’s impossible claim made sense of why he hadn’t been jealous of this agent kissing his true mate.“By the way, I was his first.”He didn’t mean to gloat, but Caroline had heard him?supposedly discreetly?telling Grant about their kiss in the library, and had been kind enough to tell him that he was Lucky’s first kiss.
Though Ford didn’t seem annoyed, rather more approving than he’d expected, he yanked his phone from his back pocket and put it on speaker.“Roach, you hacked into the bonding site, right?Is there such a thing as a three-way bond?Like, two alphas and an omega?”
Whoever Roach was, he laughed.“I don’t even need to look it up.It’s called an AOA, an alpha-omega-alpha bond.”
Ford hung up and looked Chase in the eye.“Good news is that there’s no rush to fuck Lucky, because true mates trumps OX.Bad news—to fulfil the requirements of a first heat between bonded mates—” He paused and leaned in so close Chase could smell the mint on his breath.“You and I gotta fuck.”
He looked thrilled, but Chase’s stomach sank to his boots, unable to imagine ever fucking, or being fucked by, another alpha.By the look of Ford, he was the type to want to do the fucking.
Jesi snorted, which reminded him they had an audience, though Ford just raised an eyebrow like he was waiting for an answer.
“Are you gonna make your mate?ourmate?suffer for your pride?”
Chase floundered for words, knowing Ford was right.It made the most sense—consent to him and Ford screwing or face the unthinkable of hurting Lucky in a way none of them would recover from.Even if it saved him, the guilt of forcing Lucky into something he may not remember or be capable of consenting to would consume Chase and leave an irreparable tear in their bond.
Jesi stepped in to press a hand to Ford’s arm.“Rein in your hormones, stud.”He stepped between them to reveal a small vial.“Someone has their head on straight and brought a gift for the newly bonded omega.”
“Where the fuck did you get that?”
“Boss Lady suggested I take the latest sample, because it was important.”Jesi lifted a gentle hand to pat Chase’s cheek.“You two need to get Lucky feeling like a treasured mate, making sense and holding a conversation, then he and I need a chat.I brought someone else who should be here.”
“Who?”
“Rafe.”
