Page 73 of Pit Stop

But he never gave me more than a gentle smile and a passing wave. As I grew older, my crush turned into bitterness because I knew I’d never have him, that he was way out of my league. That a man like Maverick would never go for a nerdy little omega like me.

But here we are, mated. His bites still lining my skin.

He thinks I’m sexy, he growls it in my ear, fucks me like his life depends on it.

My life does depend on it.

But for now, he’s my mate, the bond between us growing with each passing day. It’s going to hurt like hell when it breaks.

The incline increases and I can hear the strain of the engines as we climb the mountain, twisting and turning around each bend until we reach a small dirt turnout. My eyes blink in the darkness, not sure why we’ve stopped, when I finally see it. Small lit lanterns hanging on trees, a crooked sign hanging on a rusted pole.

The Den.

Well, this is fucking weird, I think as Maverick shuts the motorcycle off and I hop off. His fingers gently brush my skin as he unbuckles the helmet and sets it on his seat. His thumb brushes against my lower lip, as if he can’t help but touch me, and then he bends, kissing me softly. I lean into it as moremotorcycles approach, pulling onto the gravel and shutting off one by one.

His lips slowly leave mine, and his nose brushes against my neck, marking me as his. No one will dare even approach me with the scent of him permeating me.

“All right, enough. I can smell you from here,” Forest grumbles as he approaches. He makes a face at the two of us, and I flip him off.

Forest does the same back to me.

“Just wanna make sure they know who he belongs to,” Maverick tells him.

I want to bristle at the possessive alpha comment, like I would have a few weeks ago, but instead, those words make me melt.

The omega part of me is growing with each passing day. It seems I can’t quite help myself.

“Well, this place is a little primeval,” I say, looking at the flickering lanterns. It seems they’re actual flames.

“Yeah, that’s the appeal. Going back to the olden days when we still shifted, I guess,” Maverick says as Nox approaches and puts an arm around Forest, jostling him slightly.

“All right, losers. Let’s go in. Lots of treats waiting for us inside.”

The way he says that, with a growl on his lips, makes me shiver. Oh shit. What am I getting myself into?

But Maverick slides his arm around me, pulling me into him, and I know I’m safe. He won’t let anyone touch me. And I feel like people inside there will want to touch me. It reeks of alpha pheromones.

We stride forward, following the crowd of people who move toward the mountain face. I can’t make out where it leads, but as we draw closer, I see there is a doorway carved into the rock, and come to the silly realization that this actually is a den of sorts.

Hence the name.

Once again, I wonder why I’ve never heard about this place. My eyes travel to my brother and realize it’s probably because they kept it from me. It’s the alphas’ little secret. But then again, I’m surprised Rob hasn’t been here. He loves fucking and getting fucked, but maybe this is only reserved for alphas and omegas. Maybe betas aren’t invited. That would explain why Delphine never told me about it.

I’m about to ask what the deal is, but my words die in my throat when I step through the doorway. It’s dark in here, lamplight flickering from posts on the walls and from candles on wooden tables. The floor beneath us creaks as we move, and I hold on to Maverick a little tighter.

My gaze shifts around the large space. On the far right, there’s a bar, couples leaning against it, drinking and flirting, and in the middle are several large round chairs that people are lounging in, scenting one another and making out.

The smell inside is mostly smoke, wax, and alpha. But to the far left, in the shadows, I make out the shapes of people writhing, and as we draw closer, the scent of sex wafts through the air.

Oh.

I knew it. The Den is a place you come to get fucked. A hookup spot for desperate omegas and horny alphas. I bet there’s a maze of caves down that dark hallway where people could wander into and get some.

I peer up at Maverick, and he leans down to scent me again.

“You’re irresistible,” he murmurs as he nips at my ear. “Don’t want anyone to think I’m going to share.”

I pull away from him slightly and meet his hooded gaze.

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