Page 21 of Corrupt Me

“I just-”

“There is no just, Camila. I will not watch you suffer while you’re trying to be strong. Did you know that Sasha could feel you? Your frustration? That little bit of terror running through your veins? And what were you doing out of the car, propped up like that, and barefoot?” My gaze dips to her feet which she’s now trying to hide. There’s no use. “Just for the night, Camila. We’ll figure everything else out tomorrow morning.”

She swallows nervously, looking between the three of us as I tighten my hold on her. “You have a guest bedroom, right?”

“If you think you’re sleeping anywhere but in my nest where I can hold you close and make sure you’re safe, you’re mistaken.” Camila opens her mouth to protest but I’m not having it. “No, I felt everything. I had no idea what that was and I know you’re strong. I watched you throat punch that Alpha but you’re allowed to ask for help.” Without giving her another chance to try and talk her way out of staying with us, I bend down and slide an arm beneath her thighs to pick her up.

She squeals and kicks, pressing against my chest for me to put her down but I shake my head as I stalk over to the car. One of my Alphas can grab her bags. “Put me down. I’m not all that light, Sasha. I’ll come home with you but-”

“First, I will not be putting you down anywhere. You’ve been standing on the pavement with bare feet. Second? You’re very light.” I stand just outside of our car and squat with her still in my arms, watching as those full cheeks turn that beautiful shade of red again. Goddess, I’m going to enjoy figuring out how to keep her cheeks that color.

Chapter fourteen

KOLSEN

Rage bleeds through me as I stare at her adorable little car. What was she thinking, taking off like that? I know nothing about the woman that has captured my attention but she must have friends or family she could stay with, right? It doesn’t help that Sasha has pulled the exact same shit more times than I can count. When the easiest answer would be to ask for help, he usually just tries to bulldoze right through the problem.

It has nothing to do with the fact that he is my Omega and everything to do with the fact that my need to protect my mates overrides everything else.

My lip turns up in a snarl as I round the car, my gaze falling on the packed bags in the front seat and her phone charging in the middle console. I don’t believe for a second that Camila picked up and left her father’s house because they had a disagreement. In the last several hours that I’ve been around her, I can tell that she deals with a lot and that she backs down often. Not because she has to but because she can weather whatever comes at her.

For her to have left in the middle of the night means that if Ezra crosses my path, I will have a few choice words with him. How dare he put my mate in this emotional state? Both my Omega and my Beta suffered from that man’s actions. I’m not surprised that I have already claimed Camila in my mind. With Sasha, it was instantaneous. Amiri took a few days to grow on me but once he did, I’ve never looked back.

Camila is everything and the fact that all of us have immediately wanted her in our lives tells me she’ll fit just fine. I might have to talk Sasha out of dragging her into the nest, though. As much as she says she wants to branch out and try everything on that list, it can’t be all at once. I want to explore and experiment with her, not overwhelm her.

Glancing over at our car, I have to suppress a laugh. Our disgruntled Omega is stuffing Camila into the back seat. He crouches down to inspect her feet, growling at what can only be cuts and scrapes on her skin. Her eyes are wide with a mixture of confusion and adoration, her hands reaching for him as she tries to pull away. I can only imagine she’s trying to tell him she’s okay and he’s telling her that he’s going to do what he wants. Those two are going to be a handful.

My anger softens when Amiri places a firm hand in the middle of the back. “As angry as you want to be at the situation right now, she’s not ready for this side of you.” I grit my teeth and twist to look at him, expecting a sermon about keeping my anger in check. Sasha is hardly privy to these conversations, the ones that happen in the dark or out of sight. My relationship with Amiri is rarely anything more than a primal release—something we both love to get lost in from time to time.

However, Amiri is more than just a release. He’s more than my mate. He’s also sometimes my safe space, my voice of reason, the one person who can see that my lack of control will bring the opposite effect. And then there are other times when he tells me to loosen the reins and attack whatever suits my fancy. Amiri isn’t my keeper but at times he might as well be.

“Camila isn’t ready for either of us. That doesn’t mean she won’t be or that she won’t want the version of protection you offer. We both saw her flinch and if you go manhandling her or this situation, it’s going to scare her away.” I want to hate Amiri for his words but each one comes out in a very firm, honeyed tone meant to calm my thoughts without having me rage at this Alpha. “I am just as pissed off as you are at a man who is supposed to be taking care of his daughter, not pushing her into the arms of an abusive relationship. That will be handled. For now? Breathe. She needs more than your anger tonight. She needs to know that we are a safe space.”

I know as much.

Silently, we gather her things from the car before traveling over to ours. I throw the bags in the trunk and then open the back door to see Camila curled up against Sasha’s side. They look so perfect together, my Omega finally having someone to hold of his own. He rarely leans into his designation outside of a heat but I’ve seen the way he is with some of his conquests. They’re always a little smaller than him, rosy cheeks and big eyes. However, he’s never been attached like he is with Camila.

I’ve never seen him press his lips to their forehead and tighten his arms around one of them, his eyes boring into my skull, daring me to do something. Sasha might have only met her tonight but I can tell that he’s in love. Amiri has been for months but we never actually spoke about bringing on another permanent mate.

Me? She will be so easy to love and to protect but I need to know that she won’t run when she sees everything I have to offer. When she finds out the truth about my face. When she realizes that I am a loose cannon and I don’t always listen to reason.

Needing to sit back there with them, I slide in, Camila staring at me like she’s suddenly become the prey. Amiri takes the driver seat, meeting my gaze through the rearview mirror, reminding me that this is her show. I swallow carefully, about to say something when Sasha leans forward over her shoulder. “Do it, buttercup.”

“Do what?” She hisses.

I have no idea what they’re talking about but the car is suddenly filled with the scent of honey and pomegranate, her eyes still focused on my face. “What do you need, love?” I ask, softening my words enough that my growl doesn’t make an appearance. When her lips part slightly, my purr starts, the need to calm our newest mate driving my reaction.

Sasha pushes her toward me, “It’s a very pretty seat. Take advantage of it.”

She’s not going to… Camila kneels beside my thigh, her petite hands falling to my leg as she holds my gaze. The things I want to do to her right now would have Amiri driving off the road. My nostrils flare as her scent thickens, her interest making my cock rock hard. Still, I don’t move, cataloging her features until I realize something I didn’t pick up before.

Camila is looking at my entire face. The scars don’t bring about the minute disgust that most people try to hide. She’s memorizing it as if she needs to store it somewhere for safekeeping. This time when she reaches up to touch the scars on my left side, I don’t stop her. The atmosphere morphs into a peaceful aura, the rage slipping away as she runs her fingers across the raised and disfigured skin.

“He saved me, buttercup. Dragged me out of a fire that my ex-Alpha started.”

I’m still waiting for Camila to pull her hand away, to dismiss my scars as something she’ll just have to deal with. The other men and women I’ve spent time with outside of the pack just want my cock. They could give two shits about what I look like because it’s about the conquest and boasting rights for them—never about the emotional connection.

“You know that you’re beautiful, Kolsen? I would be proud to have you as my Alpha.”

---