I leave on stiff legs, that icy chill now spreading through my bloodstream. Why didn’t I think of this before? If Bluff isn’t interested in joining the club, then he’s going to want to take his scent mate with him. Where the hell does the asshole even live? It’s not something that was on my radar before, but now it’s at the top of my need-to-know list.
I jog downstairs, only slowing as I reach the basement door and his scent washes out to greet me. It’s got dark honey tones, but Abbie’s fragrance has already taken root, giving him a sweet peaches edge. Jealousy thrums through me, and I can’t keep the scowl off my face as I kick the door shut behind me and strideover to his cage. He’s sitting on the bench where I deposited him earlier, and while there’s sweat on his brow, he somehow manages to look like he’s right at home in his flannel shirt and dusty jeans.
“Comfortable?” I growl as I grip the bars and stare in at him. “You really know how to steal the spotlight, don’t you?”
“I didn’t come here to steal anything,” he says mildly, like he’s sitting in church and not locked up in the club basement. “Abigail is my scent match, and she consented to my claim, so I didn’t break any rules.”
“Except for club etiquette, which says civilians don’t come in here and do as they fucking please.” His black eyes drift away from me, towards the door, and I feel my hackles rise. “Besides, she prefers Abbie or Butterfly. Something you’d know if you came round and courted her like a normal fucking person.”
“Is that what you’re doing, Pitt? Courting her?” He doesn’t wait for my answer, since it’s probably obvious from the green-eyed monster riding me like a gargoyle that I’m heavily invested. “The thing is, normal doesn’t work for me much anymore. And that’s not just because I was in the desert too long.” He curls his hand into a fist and taps his knuckles against his temple, right above the thick curl of scar tissue. “TBI. Got blown against the side of an armored truck and it turned my brains to soup for a while.”
Ark told me about his injuries, of course, but this is the first time I’ve been face-to-face with the guy. I thought he’d look like every other snake eater with a desert tan and a bad case of PTSD, but this guy has more in common with a wolf that’s spent a hard winter in the woods. “You still knew how to avoid our security. And tonight wasn’t the first time you came onto club grounds, was it?”
“Is that really what you want to know?” He gets to his feet, and while he’s not quite as tall as me, he has the wiry, hardenedmuscles of a guy who’s used to fighting without rules. I know a thing or two about waging war in dark corners and dirty alleyways, but I’m pretty sure I’d be coughing up blood before I put him on his ass. “Ask me whatever it is, so I can get the hell out of here.”
It’s the first sign that his composure is cracking, and I give him a nasty grin. “Don’t like cages, soldier boy?”
“I’ve known a few,” he says slowly, “but I’d prefer to be locked upstairs with my butterfly.”
I can’t quite hide my sour reaction and he nods, like he’s seen right through me. “So, you want some kind of guarantee I won’t steal her away from you?” I glare at him and he shrugs. “I can’t give you that until I talk to Ark, but if he can find a way past this, I’ll do whatever’s best for her.”
He must be done with the conversation, because he turns away and returns to the bench.
I rub my skull all the way up to the suite, too tired to put my jumbled thoughts into any kind of order. Ark is going to have to sort Bluff out tomorrow, because right now, I need my bed. Lucky for me, it’s occupied by a pair of sleeping omegas who look like they’re brushed in silver from the moonlight coming through the window. They’re wrapped tightly around each other, the scent of slick and come heavy in the air. As I let it settle in my lungs, I quickly strip off my cut and tee. I’m draping them over a chair when I hear a muffled sound from the bed.
Abbie is sitting up, the sheet pooled around her waist as she blinks sleepily at me. I drink her in, my gaze lingering on the rosy tips of her breasts. She’s put the dog tags on the nightstand so that the only thing clinging to her skin is her long, rumpled hair. She usually wears it up, but I’ve had a dozen different dirty dreams about wrapping that silky mass around various parts of my anatomy.
“Hey, beautiful,” I murmur, kicking my boots off and shucking out of my jeans. “Sorry I woke you.”
“Was I asleep?” She pulls a face as she reaches for me, drawing me into the bed beside her. Her hands are warmer than usual, and there’s a pink flush across her chest, but she shivers as she wraps herself around me. She usually only clings to Wings, and while I’m definitely not complaining, I cock a brow in his direction. “Did you tire him out?”
“Yes.” There’s a forlorn edge to her voice and her scent thickens, the sweetness of peaches taking on a darker tone. “Did you see Bluff? Is he okay? Is Ark going to let him out?”
“He’s fine.” I pluck a strand of hair off her hot cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “As to the rest, I think that depends on their conversation in the morning.” Her face falls and I can’t resist brushing my thumb over her lips.Fuck, I’m so gone on this girl.“The good news is they both want what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me is having my mate in my bed,” she mutters, her hands sliding down my chest and plucking at my ink with her nails. She moves fast, her warm body pressed to mine as she follows her fingers with her mouth. My dick is already hard, but as she starts dropping hungry, open-mouthed kisses on my stomach, I wrap a hand in her hair and groan.Damn, this has to be the best feeling in the world.But to my delight, it just gets better, especially when she swings a leg over my hips and grinds down on my lap. My eyes roll back in my head, and as she leans down to lick at my mouth, it goes a long way to soothing my hurt feelings.
“You taste so good, beautiful.”
“I need you,” she says, circling her hips. She’s so wet, she’s soaking my boxers, and my mouth waters at the tantalizing scent of omega slick in the air.
“Anything you need, sweetheart,” I tell her, sitting up in a half crunch to steal another kiss. She’s almost messy in herhunger, pushing her tongue into my mouth and licking at every crevice. My head spins at the onslaught and I wrap my hands around her waist, lost in the heat and softness of her skin. Abbie is everything I’ve always wanted but never thought I’d deserve, and I groan as she rocks over my lap. “You’re so perfect, butterfly.”
“I need you, Pitt,” she murmurs, her eyes blown wide as she arches her back. It pushes her tits out, and I palm them greedily. I consider waking Wings up so he can torture them a little while I take care of her clit, but she distracts me by reaching between us and gripping my throbbing shaft. “I want you to knot me and claim me, Alpha.”
I pause, a note of concern sounding in the back of my slick-soaked brain. We’ve gotten a lot closer lately, but I thought I was still a long way from convincing Abbie to take my bite. I don’t have scent hormones on my side, and she’s still understandably wary about alphas associated with the club. I don’t doubt that she’s attracted to me, and in the heat of the moment, I’m probably a good stand-in for her mate, but…
In the heat of the moment…
“Damn.”
I must look kinda wrecked, because she peers at me through glazed eyes. “What is it?”
“I think you’re in heat, sweetheart.”
“What…?”
“You’re burning up, Abbie. And your scent is even sweeter than usual.”
