She is what she has always been. An Omega whose softness was forced behind steel. A creature made for connection, now unraveling.
And Knox?
He is frozen. He looks down at her like she’s just started ticking and he has no idea which wire to cut.
"Oh, nut up and hold the girl, would ya, Prime?" Blaze snorts. “I’ve seen you handle live grenades with less protesting.”
"Knox, I promise I’ll behave. I’ll be good, just don’t let me go. Please,” Halley whispers, her voice low and mewling. It’s a sound meant only for her Alpha. Private and intimate.
She presses herself into his body, curling and rubbing against him with instinctual precision. She buries her nose in his chest and inhales, as if scent alone can fix the lonely ache beneath her skin.
His hands hover, hesitant, like even holding her might break her.
If she were in her right mind, she’d probably laugh at how fast she disarmed our most emotionally impenetrable teammate. She might even throw in a smug little smile, just to make sure he never forgot it.
Except, Omega Specialist Halley Sparks isn't here right now.
Instead, a five-foot-nothing, pleading, submissive little Omega is in her place. Her usually sharp eyes are unfocused and glassy, her lips are parted, and her cheeks are flushed. She's panting, her chest rising and falling.
She shifts her hips against him, slow and searching, until he shifts her slightly, readjusting their hips so her movement no longer grinds against him.
She huffs and struggles in his arms, frustrated at being denied the friction she craves.
"Why won’t you touch me, Alpha?" she cries, her voice cracking at the edges. "Don’t you want me? I’ll be the best Omega. Just give me a chance."
Even without an inner Alpha pulling the strings of my instincts, that plea is devastating.
Knox frantically looks at Viper for help.
'What the fuck do I do, LT?'he projects, jaw ticking with discomfort.
Viper climbs to his feet, shaking off the last of Halley’s Omega Command, and just crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow. He’s not stepping in. Not this time.
To his credit, I didn’t think Viper would be able to stay out of it. He’s usually first in line when she gets like this. But he’s keeping his distance and offering no gentle words or soft touches, not even a flicker of hesitation. He meant it when he said he’d give the rest of us time to bond with her, and he’s actually doing it.
The thread in my heart, our Pack bond, hums with a golden warmth. It’s pleased and content with his sacrifice.
Knox, however, isnotpleased that his lieutenant has denied his request for help. So, like the strategist he is, he adjusts his plan.
He turns to me. ‘Take her,’he says with a beseeching look.
I shrug and shake my head.'Like Blaze said, she’s not a damn grenade. Halley’s easy to handle when she’s like this. She’s sweet and soft and just wants you to show her how much you care. Hold her. Tell her she's a good Omega. Make her feel safe,'I encourage.
Knox's brows furrow, and he looks down at Halley.
"Alpha," she says, a vibrato plucking at her vowels.
A purr starts softly and grows louder and louder. Her chest resonating the sound.
It spreads over me like smooth butter and I feel my muscles relax. I sag, the emotional load on my shoulders lightening.
I’d forgotten that she could do this. Make a grown man melt with a simple purr. If it didn’t feel so good, I’d call it a weapon.
For a second I see Knox soften, the crease between his brows easing as he lets her purr sand down the sharp edges of his anxiety.
“Kiss me again?” she asks, breathy and eager.
Knox stiffens and recoils like she’s slapped him.
