Page 22 of Going Down Smooth: Part Two

Things had gotten so bad, my urges, my sexual needs were pushed aside. I’ve been merely surviving, but I want to live. The same phrase kept coming to me, like a whisper in the back of my mind, the same words I kept saying to myself over and over again. I am alive. I did not die. I refuse to give credence anymore to those negative thoughts that feed my trauma; soul crushing feelings that swallowed me whole for months. I choose. I choose them. They are mine, and I want them, now. Happy with my newfound strength I keep working, only to pause again as Lox’s message comes through.

Lox: Are you offering to warm them up for me, mouse?

I stare at the screen and smile. They’ve been so patient. I can put them out of their misery and get lost in the four men I love. Orgasms should be prescribed in my opinion.

Mercy: If you’re a good boy, maybe.

I reply quickly, covering my mouth to hold back my laughter as Dane approaches me, eyebrows raised in question. I can almost hear them groaning from here. I bite back another laugh. I miss being in a good mood.

“I think they might be arriving back earlier than you expected.” I hold up my phone but not high enough for him to see the messages and he hums in response.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he backs away. “I don’t want to know. Being in the house is going to send them into a tailspin with all of our scents everywhere. We are finished. I was coming to tell you we were making our way back to our posts. I will have the rest of the guys carry the boxes out to the trash. The sooner we get out of here the better.”

My phone pings in rapid succession but I don’t look while Dane and the rest of the security team rush around the rooms tidying up the mess we made. Checking my phone again, I type out a quick reply, then another one knowing I won’t have long until I am bombarded with my Alphas’ pheromones. I am going to give myself over to them, ready and willing.

Mercy: Don’t make me wait too long.

But first, I’m going to make them beg for it.

FOURTEEN

NATE

Two Christmas trees. Knight chopped two down, deciding we should put one in the middle of the driveway in front of the house. Like he was worried about decorations, I wasn’t buying it for a second. None of us complained when he chopped down the first tree, growling, then proceeded to chop another one down. My brother was practically vibrating with need after Mercy’s message almost an hour ago. We all were, as the urge to rut took hold. Those animalistic impulses that we push down most days were riding us hard. Which is why as we all rounded the corner of the house with the two trees dragging behind us, we all paused.

My sniff is audible as I take in Mercy’s rich peach scent, and I can’t help the snarl bubbling up from the back of my throat.Mercy.

My brother’s growl as well, trees forgotten as we all jog up the steps to the house, stopping abruptly as the direction of her scent changes. We all turn in the direction of Dane, who for some reason is laughing at the sight of us. Does he think this is a game? Did he touch my baby? My Mercy. Our Mercy. I know I’m not thinking straight, but fuck it, I bare my teeth at him. Dane’s smile falters as he holds up his hands in surrender as Knight steps forward. I don’t have to see my brother’s face to know his expression mirrors my own.

“Dane. Was Mercy out here?” Knight asks as he takes another deep breath. “Explain to me why you smell like her. Do it quickly because I don’t know how much control I have left.” Knight holds out his arm to hold back Lox, who hasn’t said a word this entire time. Silent in his approach and a lot scarier, that’s saying a lot because none of us are small men.

“Miss Mercy, I mean, Miss Smooth, asked us all for help this morning inside the house. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. She’s the boss ultimately, right? She assured me that you would rip my ass apart if we didn’t help.” He shrugs, hands still raised as he continues. “So, I took some of the guys inside to help her. Fair warning, when you walk inside, you will smell a bunch of Betas, but no one touched her. We are all mated. Remember that,” he says the last part slowly, reaching the prowling beasts inside all of us. I take a deep breath, shaking my head to clear it.

“Why would she need your help? Did something happen? Did Dez or Alister call?” Trey asks in concern as he brushes past us all to go to the door. It hadn’t even dawned on me that maybe she was in distress after hearing from one of them.

“Hey.” Dane snaps his fingers getting our attention. Then he laughs as we all turn our heads as a unit. “Go in the house. I will take care of the trees before you all go raging bull on me and the rest of the team.” Dane steps in front of Trey and opens the door wide for us. With another knowing smirk he gestures wide, arm swinging inward allowing us entry. Neither one of us saying anything as we barrel past him. As the door closes, I swear I can hear him say, “Crazy-ass hormone-fueled Alphas”.

Lox lets out a long whistle of surprise, pulling me from my thoughts as I take in the room in front of us. All those edgy emotions fall off my shoulders as I see the twinkling lights; the aroma of mulled wine and cinnamon permeates the air, along with Mercy’s delicious peach scent, strong and potent. Whatever remained of the Betas scents is barely noticeable. None of that matters as Christmas has exploded all around us. Everything I had planned, executed to perfection by my beautiful Omega, my Alpha. She heard me and she surprised us by beating us to it. Wreaths and garlands hang all around us, satin ribbon tied in big bows, and pinecone mantel pieces placed on top of the fireplace. How she was able to get gun toting, big-ass, scowling security guards to do this is awe inspiring.

“I have no words,” Knight finally says, breaking the silence as we all take in the room in wonder.

“Mousy, Mousy, where are you, beautiful?” Lox calls out as he walks slowly through the room.

Trey runs out of the room without a word as I turn in a circle bumping into my brother as I go. “She heard us talking, Knight. Why are these damn decorations making me so emotional? Fuck! You know I hate crying.” I wipe a tear that escapes my eyes as Knight turns to me with understanding on his face. Instead of giving me shit about it, he pats my shoulder, not judging me in the slightest.

“Nate, she’s come back to us for a second time, that’s why. I don’t mean physically; I mean mentally and emotionally. So, revel in it. Fuck, shed a tear, because what you’re feeling is undying love, brother. It’s the kind of love that invokes a myriad of emotions. You love her. So, bask in it,” he says as Trey runs back into the room, wiping his glasses on his shirt with a boyish smile on his face.

“The entire ground floor is done. We just need the trees. But I think by the hungry looks on your faces the trees can wait. I think I need to thank my songbird personally.” Trey turns and heads to the stairs.

“Mousy, mouse, are you going to make us come find you?” Lox calls out to her again, but she doesn’t respond.

“We can smell you, baby girl. You can’t hide from us,” Knight says as we make our way up the first landing, then the second, walking down the hallway until we reach the door of the main bedroom.

“Well, fuck,” Trey says, causing us all to pause, crowding the doorway.

“Who said I was hiding? The object of this game was for you to find me,” Mercy purrs as she crosses one bare leg over the other. My heart skips a beat and I think I might have died for a second as my brain tries to compute what it sees. I have lost all capacity to think as all my blood rushes to my dick.

Mercy sits in one of the white wingback chairs, her wild tresses tamed in two braids down her back, her lips are painted a dark wine color, but the rest of her face is absent of makeup. The reflection of firelight in her brown eyes flickers like two burning flames, making her look otherworldly. Her chin tips up, elongating her neck, allowing my eyes to travel down her body in one sweeping motion.Holy shit.

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