Page 11 of In Their Arms

I would do anything for this Omega.

FormyOmega.

“My Alphas have always known and hell, I tell them often enough I’m not going to be a good Omega,” Blake mentions as he sits back against the pillows. “I’m not… I don’t want the same things like Luca does. I don’t crave them, seek them out…”

I cut him off with a sharp laugh because it’s all bullshit. In the week that I’ve somehow found myself part of their family, I can see right past the walls Blake has built to keep his Omega instincts locked down. I see the way he eyes Luca’s nest and the way he bites back a little whimper when Grayson offers him a small kiss. “I don’t believe that for a second, genius but we’ll get there.”

His nostrils flare with a bit of defiance, my laughter slowly turning into a purr as I play with the idea of trying to drag out a whimper from those gorgeous lips. He’s fighting the pull of his instincts, but when his body gives in, that beautiful sound hitting my ears, his entire face turns red with embarrassment.

Oh, I’m going to love playing with Blake.

6

Maceo

I don’t get to enjoy Blake’s blush for long, Luca bursting into the room and launching himself at the Omega. It’s always alluring watching the two wrap themselves around each other, their need to be close, something that I envy. Luca climbs up Blake’s lap, straddling his thighs. “You’re awake. You came back to me.” Tears fall down his cheeks as Blake pulls him into a lazy kiss, our Omegas tasting each other until their scents mold into this suffocating sickly sweet scent that has me hard without an outlet.

Blake pulls back, his hands sitting on Luca’s waist. “Hey cupcake. I see Grayson found a spot.” He grins, his gaze falling to Luca’s bottom lip, the skin there a bit swollen. His tongue darts out to flick over it, Luca rocking his hips over Blake’s lap until I have to gently separate them before a very different scene erupts between the two.

Luca lets out a little whine, jutting his lip out in an adorable pout that’s all too tempting but I don’t have that much restraint either. “Sweetheart, not here.” He sticks his tongue out at me before curling into Blake’s lap like he belongs there.

Apparently the temporary bond has given Luca the grounding he so readily needs. I can still see the pain simmering beneath his expression but for a brief moment, we can relax in this space. I lean back in my chair, taking in our Omegas, Blake’s color slowly returning. Luca, on the other hand, is a delightful mess, his cheeks rosy as he focuses on Grayson.

And there’s the Alpha who’s slowly carving a spot into my heart. His hair is a mess, his shirt hanging loose on his shoulders, barely on straight, wrinkles creasing the fabric like he hadn’t bothered to fix it before running out the door. His scent is thick in the air, heavier than usual, wrapped around Luca like a second skin, clinging to him, marking him.

I knew that while it wasn’t going to be a permanent bonding, the extra time they spent outside this room absolutely devolved into something else. “I guess everything went alright, yes?” I raise an eyebrow, Grayson’s eyes widening just slightly, a blush forming on his cheeks.

Well, that’s new and something I definitely want to explore. He clears his throat and nods. “Yeah. Paperwork is signed.” Grayson turns his attention back to our Omegas, both of them scenting the fuck out of each other, noses running along each other’s necks until they’re filling the air with their perfume again. "It’s almost like Blake is the Alpha in this situation," he mutters, a teasing edge to his voice. "Wasn’t long before Luca ran over here to show off his bite like he was waiting for approval."

I chuckle, because he’s not wrong. Blake pulls away just enough, his voice a few octaves lower than before. "Looks good on you, cupcake."

Luca practically preens under the attention, his chest rising a little higher, his lips twitching into something undeniably pleased. “You look better. You’re better, right? You’re not as pale. And I can feel you more. You taste like pears.” His rush of emotional chatter covers his anxiety, Luca obviously trying to hold back the bit of panic bubbling up.

I watch them for a few more minutes before walking around to Grayson, gesturing for him to follow me to the small lounge. “How is he?” I ask once we’re out of earshot.

“Masking. He was an entire mess in the other room, the doctor almost didn’t sign the paper. I don’t trust that smile for a fucking second but it’s like the moment he felt Blake wake up, it all changed. The way they’re connected is not something I understand in the slightest.”

“Blake freaked out for a second when Luca wasn’t there.” I run a hand down my face, exhaling until my chest fully deflates. “Grayson, I know everything is shit but it’s about to get worse. Quentin mentioned that Blake is going to go into heat but it’s probably going to be a violent one. His body is resetting and since he hasn’t had one in a while…” I trail off, trying to find the right words but it seems Grayson understands.

“He told you? No, don’t look at me like that, Maceo. I’m glad he did. It was difficult when we first came together. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t really understand.” Grayson glances over at our Omegas still holding each other. “I was more than happy to make sure that Blake had everything he wanted but until he truly explained the why… and now, I fucking hate that this is the only way to make sure he stays healthy.”

I lean against the wall, folding my arms across my chest as I watch Grayson’s expression change and morph, noticing for the first time how much softer he is than Luther. “He said he didn’t like the feeling.”

“It’s so much more than that. He was terrified during his first heat with us. He probably doesn’t remember but I’ll never truly forget how wide his eyes were, the number of times he left his own nest to try and wash his cravings down the shower drain. He suffered because he wouldn’t let us help him but also because he was fighting his own brain, his own instincts. He wants to lean into them but for some reason… he just doesn’t.”

I wonder if something happened at some point but that’s a conversation for a different time. Grayson lowers himself to the lounge, gesturing for me to follow, my thigh pressed against his. It’s a reassuring comfort and the way Grayson’s breath hitches tells me that there might be more to this at some point.

For now, I have to find something to ignore the goddamn bulge between my thighs, threatening to ruin my control. Having one Omega on the cusp of a heat is bad enough—we were already together for Luca’s—but adding in that other sweet scent is making it hard to concentrate on anything else. Grayson lets out a small grunt and I look over to see that he’s even more affected than I am which makes sense considering he’s actually bonded.

I think about addressing it, maybe even doing something about it when Luca’s phone vibrates in my pocket. I slip it out, grimacing at the name fading in and out on the screen. Denying the call would be easy enough but it wouldn’t save me any grief. Grayson catches on, his expression darkening as I answer it. “What the fuck do you want?” My voice is low enough not to disturb Luca and Blake but it’s only a matter of time before they pick up on the change of emotion rumbling through the room.

A low chuckle greets me on the other end. “I’m on my way.” My blood runs cold as I grip the device, praying that I heard it wrong. "And you better have my fucking Omega."

Then the call goes dead. Hudson has been watching us, waiting for his moment to step in and swipe Luca away. I still can’t figure out why he’s so adamant about this bullshit, not that it matters. We just have to hope that Grayson’s claim holds up.

And if it doesn’t… I’m not sure if we’ll be able to handle it.

7

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