“For fuck’s sake!” he snaps. “Why can’t I keep anything a secret from you?! Do you really think I’d let you suffer alone? After you told me how you respond to their scent? I’ll always provide what you need, kitten, including another alpha’s knot. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t bring to you everything your heart desires? I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the other two get an invitation.”
“Koz! Are you serious!” I squeal like a banshee, half shocked, half not shocked. It is Koz we’re talking about. He might be possessive but he’s the most considerate, trusting person I’ve ever met.
“Raney, I’ll be with you the whole time. The deal is though, as soon as I’m out of here, they get the fuck away. I will have you to myself, at least until I’ve filled you over and over with my claim. And then I’ll happily watch them crawl to you.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
PUCK
Perhaps fate had a hand in everything today. All practice my mood had been shit. I knew I was pretty much out of control, but there was nothing I could do to slow or stop the rising of my alpha.
The whole time everyone kept their distance, and that was pissing me off, adding to my foul fucking mood. I was itching for a fight. Coach binned me. Again. But I guess I was meant to be where I was because the instant Hayes arrived at the arena, I knew. Don’t ask me how, but it was like an alarm going off in my chest.
I dropped my skates where they fucking fell. If I wasn’t so consumed by an insatiable need to be with Raney, I’d be asking why the fuck everyone was slapping me on the back. Coach yelled out something about giving me a once off pass, pretty sure I told him to jamb it up his ass. Later he’ll get an apology, but considering how I’m feeling right now, he might not.
I love playing, I love my teammates, but the reality is nothing comes close to Raney.
Driving back, they don’t talk and neither do I. Or maybe they do. Before Talon even parks near my place, I’m out of the car.
It takes me all of two seconds to pick up the not so faint stirring of her heady scent. Raney’s in heat. I can smell it as easy as knowing where she is in my fucking house. And I respond, my cock hardening to the point of fucking aching while I snarl like an animal.
Opening my front door, I seriously consider pushing the fridge in front of the closed door so Hayes and Talon can’t follow me in. But at the same time, now is not the time to be threatening each other. Besides, I could take these two out with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back.
I race across to my bedroom, the sight I see stops me dead in my tracks. Hayes slams into the back of me.
“Holy shit,” he whispers into my ear, both of us lost watching Raney writhing in my bed.
She’s managed to get the windows covered, blocking the light from the huge window, but she’s also gathered a couple of small lamps and set them up around the room, making it feel dark and cosy. She’s also gone through cupboards, upending drawers, dragging my clothes to cover the mattress along with every blanket and pillow I own. I guess they’re pretty clear signs of her designation and yeah, shit, it makes me feel phenomenal knowing she felt safe enough in my space to make a nest. The saturation of her blossoming wisteria scent makes it impossible to argue that she’s in heat.
Hayes leans over and talks quietly in my ear, like he’s just figured out what’s going on. “Raney’s an omega.”
I should be ready to rip his head from his body in order to keep her secret safe, but I’m not fussed. Which is fucking weird since all day I’ve been feeling ready to blow up and make someone hurt. I know why: my alpha doesn’t see either of them as a threat to her. And I’m going to trust those instincts.
“You don’t move unless she tells you,” I hiss over my shoulder as I take a step away. Okay, maybe him being here does bother me a little, but I also know if push comes to shove, I’ll be able to beat him senseless without raising a sweat.
Ripping my hoodie off, I kick off my trainers and call her softly. “Raney.”
Another voice answers, but the look of unbridled desire and relief on her face when she turns around is pretty telling too, except it conflicts with his commanding bark. “Puck, ass where I can see you.”
I guess I’m about to meet Koz, but before I can go nearer to where she’s set up a laptop, she grabs my hand, tugging on it to make me fall over her. The warmth and heat she’s giving off is like lying on an open fire. The softest, most fucking stunning open fire I’ve ever seen, mind you.
Raney’s hands bury in my hair, locking my face super near to hers. She’s strong but then again there’s no reason I would fight against her. Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long. And up this close, the scent that’s perfuming off her skin does what it’s supposed to do to a compatible alpha—it traps me fucking completely.
“Do you want to be here?” Her words are whisper quiet, a deep husk to her voice that hits all my buttons.
I lean in and drag her bottom lip through my teeth. “Told you already today, we’re only getting started.” Before she can lick the spot, I suck her plush lip into my mouth and use my tongue to soothe the hurt.
Her jade eyes darken in an instant, and her voice croaks before she clears her throat. “Doing a heat together kind of blows going slow out the window.”
If I had a gun against my head, it wouldn’t be able to stop the smile that spreads over my face to mirror the one on her beautiful lips. She pulls me closer, stopping a hair’s breadth from my lips. I have to crack my neck in anticipation at what she’s going to say next, but I beat her.
“Wanna go slow with me, Raney?”
We don’t need words.
I completely let go of all my alpha; perfuming, dropping all my control. But she returns the gesture tenfold. The result is like standing in a hothouse where the air is thick, warm, concentrated sweetness, and so potent it’s almost like standing under a misting wisteria sky. Except there’s nothing romantic about it. Well there is, but there’s also this surging thing between us—we need to fuck. And there’s no chance we’re going slow.
She holds my face like I’m the precious one here. I obliterate the distance between us to slam my lips to hers, a near feral noise bubbles up from deep in my chest that lets her know not to go gentle.
