Page 42 of The Knotty Omega

“You guys don’t need to woo me—” I try to protest, but am quickly shushed by all the alphas.

“We’ll all take her on individual dates, and then at the end, we’ll do another pack date.” Mattie decides, nodding his head.

“Sure, but Simon should get extra credit since he’s the one who thought of it,” I say sweetly as Simon blushes at my praise.

Each member of the pack gives me their own kiss goodnight, Titus brushing his lips tentatively across my cheek, Simon giving me a chaste kiss on the lips, and Ollie going for a full tongueing as he dips me low.

I come up laughing and look at Mattie and Archie. “Will you guys…sleep with me tonight? I’ve come to realize I’m not a huge fan of sleeping alone now.”

“Of course,tesoro mio.” Mattie smiles, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he bends down to gently brush his lips over mine. “We would be honored to be invited into your nest. Let us go get ready for bed, and we will join you shortly.”

By the time we’re all settled in the nest, Archie and I are facing each other, our legs tangled together, my forehead pressed to his. Mattie is pressed to my back, his arm slung across my hips and his hand is on Archie’s side.

I sleep better than I have in a long time.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Okay, how long do you think it will take for someone to say something about us coming in together?” The words are playful, but I am a little worried about it.

Packing up with Archie’s pack is going to make me come clean about the whole Reggie thing…not something I’m looking forward to. His hand reaches for mine in my lap and he keeps one hand on the wheel. “Fuck ‘em,” he grins at me from the drivers seat. “If they want to talk shit about the best thing that’s ever happened to my pack, then they can go eat a dick. Or seven.”

I snort a laugh and cover my mouth. “Archie! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” I tease, but then the rest of his words hit me. The best thing…? “Archie…"

“Nope. Don’t want to hear it, CJ. You are undoubtedly the best thing to have ever happened to my pack. Do you know the last time we ate together as a family before we met you?” He glances at me, and I shake my head. “I don’t either. Simon would be working, Titus would be holed up in his office…” he sighs, “but now you’re here, and you’re going to be the glue that holds our family together again.”

I swallow hard. That’s a lot of pressure to be under. “But what if…”

Nobody has said anything about bonding yet, but that has to be where this is headed, right? I've spent so long avoiding everything to do with alphas, packs, and bonds, the thought of a bite sends a little wave of terror through me.

But then, just as quickly, I remember how my scent match pack values me just as I am, and the fear recedes.

“No what-ifs, blossom. You don’t even have to try.” The nickname makes me smile. No doubt a reference to my orange blossom scent. This is the second time he’s called me by it today, the first being this morning when I woke up to his morning wood pressing into my thigh.

Getting ready for work this morning was not fun, but waking up between Mattie and Archie in a yummy-man sandwich?

Very, very fun.

My scent fills the car at the memory of the two of them working me over, not dissimilar to how they did in the car on Saturday. Only this time, it was Mattie with his hand between my thighs and Archie kissing me breathless. Archie only gives a knowing look and chuckles, shaking his head. “This morning could happen every morning if you want it to, blossom.”

By the time we get to the office, walking through the lobby hand in hand, we get more than a few stares but nobody says anything. When we’re the only two on the elevator, part of me wants to test if they actually watch the cameras by getting on my knees for my beta, but then I realize Simon really might be right about a breakthrough heat. I mean, if I’m thinking about sucking off my beta in a work elevator at eight on a monday morning.

My perfume fills the enclosed space anyway, and Archie lets out a groan. “Shit, you’re killing me here.”

My cheeks flood with heat, unused to the amount I seem to be perfuming over the last couple of days. “Sorry.”

“Don’t misunderstand me, CJ. I don’t want you to be sorry, I just wish I could get to my knees and lick away the evidence so nobody else on our floor can smell it.”

I give him a cheeky grin and kiss on the cheek before the elevator doors ding open, and we separate with a squeeze of our hands, heading to our own desks.

An hour later, I’m ready for my meeting with Grady to update him on my progress. Hopefully the fact that I’ve found my scent-matched pack will put an end to this deal we have.

I really did start out not wanting an actual pack, but Pack De Lucca is more than I ever could have hoped for. Simon’s quiet carefulness, Ollie’s pure joy, Titus’ protective instincts, Mattie’s calm collectedness, and Archie’s quippy banter all twine together in a combination that makes me feel perfectly at home. I’m half in love with all of them already, and it’s only been two days.

“Hey, do you want to come to this meeting with me?” I’ve stopped at Archie’s desk, peering over the back of his computer monitor. He looks up at me, his lips turning up in a smile when he sees me.

“The one with Grady?” He asks, moving to stand. All the guys know about my meeting with Grady today, and they are just as hopeful as I am that I won’t need to prove my pack status further.

“That’s the one,” I grin as he joins me, and we walk side by side to Grady’s office.

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