It takes a moment for what he said to sink in, and then a hilarious cackle leaves my mouth. It turns into a snort, and then his eyes flash green again as his wolf reappears.
Between giggles, I manage a word or two. “His name…is…Big Daddy?” I roll onto my back to laugh as Richard starts growling, an unhappy noise threaded with his wolf’s deep rumble.
“Don’t laugh; I’m serious,” he whines. “It’s a problem!”
That sends me further over the edge until I’m full-on cackling, tears streaming from my eyes. “That is the least serious name I’ve ever heard!” I snort again, unable to keep it down. “I thought those lucky few who got to talk to their wolves got names like Grey Swiftwind and shit like that.”
Richard lets out an otherworldly growl, and that’s when everything goes sideways. One moment, he’s on his side grousing at my reaction. The next, his enormous body is on top of mine, my wrists in his hands and yanked above my head. His face is inches from me, lips drawn back to reveal twin fangs. He’s hot, so incredibly hot, his skin searing mine like a flame. His hips roll, his hard cock resting against my thigh.
Everything in me tightens, pulse racing as I stare up at him. His eyes are full green, glowing as if lit from within. Some deeply innate sense I have tells me I pushed him, but not too far. No. I think he could do with a little more.
“Hey, Big Daddy,” I murmur. “Nice to officially meet you. It’s kind of a mouthful, though. Is there a shorter version of your name? Maybe…BD or, I dunno, Daddy?”
A ripped snarl raises the hair on the back of my neck, my breasts rubbing against Richard’s perfect, broad chest. His mouth is so close to mine, our breathing rough and heavy, our bodies pressed together.
“Alpha,” he commands. “What you call me should only be ‘Alpha.’ Say it with me, omega.”
I force back a smile. “Yes, Alpha Daddy.”
He releases one of my wrists and threads his fingers through my hair, yanking my head back so hard, I yip. The move forces me to expose my neck, his breath warm on it. Fluttery tingles radiate out from my core, my body clenching and tightening at his dominance.
The next wolfy growl pebbles my nipples as I hang on the precipice of desperation. I need a touch, any touch—his tongue, his lips, those damn teeth.
I don’t get any of that, though.
Instead, something else happens.
My scent. It blooms and soaks the air with pheromones as I perfume for him. I can’t control it any more now than I could earlier when he and Rowan fought. It’s a natural response, but the moment it happens, he lets out a ragged groan, dipping lower until his mouth brushes my neck.
“That fucking scent,” he murmurs, his voice roughshod.
His words drive me to the point of no return, energy building along my skin as I arch into his frame. “Please, Alpha.”
Soft lips hint at brushing my neck. “Please what?”
I can’t voice what I need. I’m throwing every possible signal at him. Is he going to make me say it?
Richard releases my hair, returning my gaze to his. Big Daddy’s green shows through as I reach up and stroke my fingers down the bridge of his nose.
His eyes scan my face. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but I can’t take this heat any longer. Propping myself up on my elbows, I lift my chin and brush my lips across his, just a taste, just a tease. Richard hovers frozen above me, eyes flashing wide as I do it again, nipping slowly at his plump lower lip. For a moment, I see him war with unnamed emotion even as Big Daddy’s green burns brighter.
His lips open, and I close my eyes to wait for the maelstrom to unleash.
But…it doesn’t come.
Richard lifts off me and off the beanbag completely, rising to a stand as he runs his fingers through his hair, staring at me like he doesn’t know me.
The shock of what I just did and the sting of his rejection hit me all at once. For a moment, I lie there, chest heaving, staring at him as he stares at me. There’s an entire chasm of unspoken things between us, but the only thing I can focus on is the fact that he pulled away.
He pulled away.
It’s so wrong and horrible, I could cry. So, I do what any sane omega would do when rejected…
I run.
I run down the stairs and across his beautiful home to the exit. And then I shift into my wolf to stop feeling so very much.
CHAPTER TWELVE