He’s always been attractive. Sexy in a way that makes it hard to make eye contact with him, but his darkness looks so much like the one I keep locked away. I tip my chin up as I try to breathe in his scent. I know he hides it. That I won’t find even a hint of it in the air, but I try anyway.
Warm, melty, delicious apples and vanilla fill me up and make me want to roll around in it.Oh Hudson, you yummy Alpha…My eyes flutter shut as I enjoy the pheromones he’s giving away like candy, but Apollo growls so loud it snaps me out of my thoughts.
Smokey sandalwood and amber fill my lungs, and everything gets a little blurry for a moment.
Holy. Fuck. Me.
Apollo’s scent is so perfectly him. Yeah, I need to bottle that up to use during my next heat. Hudson’s too. His wide eyes are so full of uncertainty, but my mind is too foggy withwantthat I can’t place why.
God almighty, can I lick him now, please?
Beau is doing worse than I am, moaning and whimpering as he nuzzles into Apollo. This might be the first time he’s ever felt his Omega instincts so strongly. The whine he lets out is pained and pitiful. He’s so lost in his instincts that he hasn’t said a word since I left the bathroom.
“You want to know how to help him?” I’m all breathless instincts, keeping my eyes locked on him until Thor speaks.
“Follow your instincts, Apollo.” Thor directs him from the edge of the bed, kneeling on the mattress.
I’m like a squirrel in a nut store. So many tasty options, I don’t know where to look first. So big. Every inch of his toned muscular body is big. His hands, his fingers…
My eyebrows shoot up when he uses the edge of the comforter to hide his body from my view. Shit, did I make him uncomfortable with my attention? I’ve been crushing on Thor for a long time, too scared to do more than teasingly flirt with him, but now he’s in my bed, nearly naked. The easily wounded and rejection-sensitive Omega heart inside me recoils from the thought that maybe he’s not into me at all.
“Sorry, Omega. You’re looking at me like I’m your midnight snack, and I’m trying to stay in control, not lose it,” Thor murmurs, smiling gently. Oh well, that makes sense.
Hudson grabs my chin, turning me to him. When our eyes meet, all I see is heated desire. Dominant need. His scent isn’t hidden, and he’s letting me see how bad he wants me. It’s only lust between an Alpha and a compatible Omega, but it’s all I need.
I want to be wanted. I want to see the lust in his eyes when he looks at me, and my scent reacts to his.
“Show him,” I whisper. Alphas are naturally jealous and possessive. Especially ones that aren’t in a pack together, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He saw me kiss Apollo and wasn’t jealous.
Apollo wears his dominance like a shield. Something that might bother a weaker Alpha. Hudson is not weak.
“You have to know what the Omega needs. Some things will always be true,” Hudson explains, licking his lips as he reaches for me. “They need cuddles and comforting touches. Love bites,” he emphasizes his words by demonstrating what he means, biting my shoulder, then licking away the ache.
I’m putty in his hands as he turns his body to face Apollo, pulling me into him, my back to his front.
“The better you know them, the easier it will be to let your instincts guide you.” I could fall asleep right here, right now. Their scents are lulling me into a whole new level of comfort, even if there are two missing still. “But Beau doesn’t even know what he needs or how to ask for it. He’s been hurt. Used and beaten.”
Apollo growls, a low rumble that only seems to make Beau fuss more. The sound makes me uncomfortable. That won’t do. He needs comfort. Three Alphas, and none of them are soothing him properly.
“He needs gentle reassurance. Calm, consistent protection. You need to show him that he’s safe with you. That he can let his instincts take over, and you’ll be here the whole time,” Thor explains, voice strained. Risking more rejections, I peek at him.
The mountain of a man shifts, discomfort etched into every line on his face. Sweet Alpha, he just wants to soothe the Omega’s pain away.
“Beau has endured horrible things. He needs to be shown that an Alpha’s comfort should be freely given, without strings or expectations. We’re supposed to protect Omegas, not use them.”
Every second of Beau’s discomfort is like another shard of ice piercing the air, hitting the Alphas the hardest.
“I don’t know what to do,” Apollo confesses helplessly.
“Get between Beau and Dream, then lie down, all of you,” Thor grunts, but the tiniest hint of a bark laces his words. I’ve never seen him be so close to losing control. I’ve never seen him be anything but perfectly in control, actually.
I don’t fully understand his intention until we’re all huddled together. I am the Omega stuffing in an Alpha-bread sandwich. My purr roars to life louder than a motorboat engine. It triggers a chain reaction in Hudson and Thor. My only complaint is that I can’t see Beau over Apollo’s massive frame.
He’s warm and smells like smokey sandalwood and amber, though, so I guess I’ll save my protests for later. I can’t hear whatever Thor is saying to Apollo either, but I hear Beau whine again. Long, low, and full of his soul-deep pain.
There’s a quiet voice in the back of my head that’s worried about the timing of his instinct’s sudden uproar. Why now? Is it the Alpha scents, or are the drugs in his weakened system wearing off? Will his dad try to inject him again soon?
A vicious growl rumbles in my chest.
