A purr vibrated in his chest, his breaths labored as he scent-marked me.
Oh shit.
Sam was right.
I was his, and I wanted him to be mine.
I was in love with my husband and wanted him to be my alpha.
Twenty-Five
WILLOW
After two days of keeping Kaelen a prisoner in my nest, he finally convinced me to let him leave. I reluctantly agreed, burrowing further into the plush blankets that smelled of the ideal blend of espresso and honey—ofus.
Now, I had to figure out how to ask my husband to claim me. I tried to stay in the moment the last two days, keeping my mind from wandering to how to tell him I loved him. I wasn’t a teenager anymore. My omega snipped at me, annoyed at me for not presenting for our alpha and confessing our love and devotion.
I snorted, ignoring her ridiculousness for the time being as I inhaled his lingering scent on the pillow. My nose twitched, irked that it was already fading. Like some crazed little thief, I crept into our bedroom, raiding the laundry before Aileen cleared it, stealing his shirts to add into our nest.
Kneeling on the bed, I wove his clothes in between the blankets, rearranging the shirts and pillows for far too long before I wassatisfied. With both me and my omega content, I fell back asleep.
Eventually, I woke up when the sun was too bright to ignore anymore. After I showered, I wandered into the bedroom to get dressed, smirking at Shadow, lazily dozing on our bed. I crawled in beside her, scratching a spot behind her ears.
My lips turned down in a frown when I eyed the burned patch on the tip of her tail. Kaelen had found a vet and booked an appointment for Shadow in a few days. Hopefully, they would offer something to help encourage the fur to regrow there.
I hated the idea of her having to wear a permanent reminder. Subconsciously, my fingers drifted to my own scars.
After another hour of dozing with our puppy, I finally slipped into a lilac sundress, the silk whispering against my skin. The house was unusually quiet as I padded through the halls. A note accompanied the serving of soda bread on the counter.
Aileen insisted that I was still too skinny and needed to eat more. Kaelen said she told everyone that. Even Patrick, who ate enough protein to last a lifetime.
I rolled my eyes, picking at the loaf before plopping into an oversized chair in one of the sitting rooms. Unease prickled under my skin. I tried to watch something on TV, but nothing held my attention. A quiet voice echoed in the back of my mind, telling me to go find our alpha.
The more I ignored my omega, the louder she got.
“Fine,”I hissed out loud. “You’re turning into a real bitch, you know?”
Before I knew it, I was standing outside his study, my hand hovering to knock on the door. I gnawed on my raw lip. My heart jumped as I second-guessed everything. The sapphire on my Claddagh ring shimmered in the light.
It had only been a few hours since Kaelen had left the nest. I shouldn’t be so dependent on him that I was already seeking him out. The needy omega thing would stop being cute real quick if I continued to interrupt him when he was working.
My hand fell, and I spun, about to retreat to my nest and burrow into the blankets where his scent still lingered.
“I can smell your sweet cunt, little omega,” he said from theother side of the door. I squeaked, my cheeks stinging. “I want to see you, Willow. Join me.”
Ignoring the pounding in my ears and the stickiness on my legs, I pushed open the heavy oak door. It closed behind me with a click, and a moan slipped past my lips. Kaelen always looked good. Usually, straining the fabric of bespoke suits and custom-tailored button-ups.
His eyes lit up when he caught me gawking at him. Dark jeans clung to his muscled thighs while a black t-shirt stretched across his chest, showing off his tattooed arms. This was my new favorite version of him.
There was something debauched in his casualness.
Staying quiet, he crooked two fingers at me, beckoning me closer.
My feet moved on their own until I stood beside him behind his desk. A single strand of auburn hair broke free from his bun, hanging over his face.
A rough hand followed the curve of my ass, and a high-pitched whine filled the space.
“No panties,” he groaned, nails digging into my skin.
