Page 50 of In Their Arms

“We don’t have to talk about this right now, sweetheart, he purrs. “Let’s focus on something else.”

I shake my head, my brain moving too fast, pulling pieces together, trying to make sense of something that refuses to fit. “This doesn’t make any sense.” I pull back slightly, looking between all of them, feeling the weight of their concern pressing down on me. And then it hits me. “There was…” My breath catches. “We went to these fundraising events once or twice.” I swallow hard, flashes of memories surfacing, memories I didn’t think mattered until now. “It felt like I was a prop or something.” I meet Luther’s eyes, and I already know the answer before I ask. “It was that, wasn’t it?”

No one says anything right away. And that silence? It tells me everything.

The nest is warm, perfectly built, wrapping around me in a way that should be comforting, but I’m restless. Blake is in my nest,still working, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he paces, his phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear. I can hear the irritation in his voice, the clipped tone, the way he’s barely holding back from completely tearing into someoneagain. I recognize the sound of his stress, and it’s starting to annoy the hell out of me.

We ate, we relaxed, and the others are in the kitchen, whispering about something I don’t have the energy to care about right now. I just want Blake. I try to distract him, crawling into his lap, nipping at his jaw, anything to pull his attention away from whatever crisis he’s dealing with. But all I get in return is a half-hearted, “In a minute,” as he waves me off.

I frown, settling back onto my elbows as I watch him. “I’m going to tell them you’re working too hard,” I warn, trying to keep my tone light, teasing, but there’s an edge to it.

“They said three hours,” he mutters, still focused on his screen.

I roll my eyes. “And you’ve been at it for four.”

Blake sighs, rubbing at his temple. “I’m almost finished.”

I snort. “Bullshit.”

Pushing off one of the pillows, I straighten up and call out toward the kitchen. “Maceo, I need you right now.” Within seconds, Maceo steps into the room, brow raised, already amused because he knows exactly what I’m doing. I point directly at Blake. “Fix this.”

Blake groans, dropping his head back against the couch, exasperated. “Luca—”

But Maceo doesn’t even give him a chance. In two strides, he reaches down, plucks the laptop right out of Blake’s hands, and snaps it shut. Blake bolts upright instantly, his face twisting into mock outrage. “Hey—”

Maceo smirks as he leans down to brush his fingers along the shell of Blake’s ear, right where his bite mark is. Blake melts instantly. His eyes flutter shut, his body going loose, his mouth parting slightly like he’s about to protest but can’t quite form the words. He tilts his head slightly, unconsciously pressing into the touch.

“That’s not fucking fair,” he mutters weakly, voice thick, almost breathless. “I was almost done.” His pair scent blooms into the air, growing thicker by the second.

Our Beta grins, pleased, smug. “You’re completely done now,” he murmurs. “Work can wait. I’m done with hospitals for a while and I’d really like my Omegas in good health.”

Blake groans again, this time in defeat, collapsing back against the couch like the fight has been drained out of him. From the other side of the room, Grayson is outright laughing now. “This is going to be fun. Watching you get put in your place by both Maceo and Luther.”

Maceo turns his attention toward Grayson, his grin widening into something sharp, full of promise. “Yeah, but he’s not the only one I’m interested in playing with.”

Grayson freezes. His entire face flushes, color blooming across his cheeks, creeping down his neck. Laughter bubbles up in my chest, pure joy in the rare sight of Grayson completely thrown off his game. But before I can even revel in the moment, Luther swoops in. One second, I’m standing there, watching the scene unfold, and the next, I’m hoisted off my feet, tossed over Luther’s shoulder like I weigh nothing.

I squeak, my laughter turning into a startled yelp as I wriggle in his grip. “Luther—”

“You want to watch with me?” he asks, his voice dripping with amusement.

I grin, arms looping around his shoulders as I press my forehead against his back. “Yeah.”

He sets me back down onto my feet, pulling me to the floor and then into his lap. And then his fingers start curling into the waistband of my shorts, slowly dragging them down. “Luther,” I start, voice wavering between warning and anticipation.

He smirks, his tone dark and entirely too satisfied. “I’m a good Alpha,” he murmurs. “I can multitask.”

Maceo’s grin widens as he moves to stand behind Grayson, pressing his lips just beside the Alpha’s ear. “It seems that they want a show since they missed the last one.” The groan of pure pleasure that slips from Grayson’s lips as he melts in Maceo’s hand iseverything.

32

Hudson

The house is exactly as I remember it—sterile, cold, built on money that never quite masked the rot underneath. The air feels thick and heavy with tension that was always there, lingering just beneath the surface, but now it’s suffocating.

And they’re waiting for me.

Two people I’ve spoken with too many times to count, the ones who handed Luca over to me three years ago without hesitation, without a second thought. Like a transaction, like a fucking business deal. Now, it’s all fallen apart. And I need a lifeline. Well, we both do.

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