Page 22 of No Strings Attached
She nods, pointing to a cute little blue car parked at the edge of the lot. “Yeah, over there.”
“What’s the chance you could take me to the hospital?” I ask as I start to pant, my breathing uneven. Even sucking in lungfulls of air hurts at this point, the pain in my arm spiking with every word.
Her eyes widen, her hands twisting together. “Did you hurt your hand?” she asks, glancing at my arm, cradled against my chest.
“Everything hurts,” I tell her, “but if I say something to medical here, that’ll just add to the problems. If anyone asks, we’re just going for a coffee.”
A nervous laugh tumbles from her lips as she starts walking with me to her car. “Everyone knows you don’t do anything but hike and shit,” she teases. “No one has ever seen you at a restaurant or a café, let alone in public outside of some really expensive galas or shooting locations.”
Her words hit me right in the stomach. She’s right. My life—it’s not mine. I’m a product, a brand, a thing for Tristan and nowWarren to sell. The realization sinks in mixing with the heat in my gut and the pain radiating from my shoulder. I’m not living. I’m just existing for their profit, my Omega secret their leverage.
My chest tightens as I force myself to keep moving, climbing into the passenger seat of her car. The door shuts with a thud, and I lean back, the chaos making my head spin. It feels safe in this space, her sweet scent cradling me as I try to stay conscious. However, the moment she pulls off onto the road, I can’t hold on any longer, the darkness taking me under.
Olivia
The morning has been a blur of meetings that have my anger rising with every passing second. Constant phone calls, rustling papers, and the faint berry scent of my own agitation. My cream blazer’s folded over the chair, my blouse unbuttoned at the collar to keep me from feeling choked. The meeting with Warren Hart is set just before lunch, my stomach twisting at the thought of his smug face coming into my office.
I’m itching for a release, my body buzzing with need. If I could, I’d drag Jamie home right now, fuck him into my nest until the world fades away. If I thought it wouldn’t scare Elias, I’d call him to the office and beg him to take me apart with those strong hands of his. But I know what this is—our bond with Elias has already formed, his preheat stirring my Alpha instincts into chaos. He’s out there, being mistreated, and it’s driving me wild.
I’ve resisted calling him all morning, knowing that he needs more time to process. Well, at least, we haven’t talked aboutrelationships, about what this pull means, and it’s only been a day since we met.
I can still feel his purr and smell his stormy rain mixed with honeydew scent along my skin, the way he claimed us without even knowing it. My chest aches with the need to check on him, to make sure he’s okay, but I hold back. I let out a tired huff and lean back in my chair. Only a few more hours and I’ll find myself curled up in my nest.
Until then, I’ll bury myself in work so that I can forget about the world around me.
The only part I’m still waiting on is from Reggie to call back about Elias' contract. I left him a message, practically begging him to find a way out, but he hasn’t responded yet, and the waiting’s killing me.
I pop another button on my blouse, a sudden wave of heat rushing through me. I always knew that an Alpha’s bond with their Omega mate would send my own pheromones into chaos but I didn’t think I’d be feeling the same heat Elias did. I know for a fact if I check between my legs, I’ll find my panties damp with need, a need that I can’t sate untilafterlunch.
A citrus scent pulls my attention toward my office door, Jamie peeking in with his bright grin. His hair’s pulled back into a neat bun, my beautiful husband dressed in a soft gray sweater and khakis, looking like he stepped out of a cozy fall catalog. He bounces over, his eyes crinkling at the edges with how wide his smile is. “You rang?”
I snort, a smile tugging at my lips despite everything. “Babe, what are you doing here? I thought you were touring the location for the movie set. Which one was it?”
His warm laugh rumbles through me, easing the knot in my chest. “It’s calledMadame, and yes, the site is fascinating, but what’s more fascinating is my wife and the way her face lights up when I bring her these.” He pulls a small box from behindhis back and sets it on my desk, before he starts unwrapping the small box. My eyes widen as the lid opens, revealing a strawberry croissant from the bakery across from the movie set, pink glaze glistening along the top.
I gasp, my anger softening for a moment. “Jamie, youdidn’t.”
“Oh, Idid.I knew it would give you some ammo before meeting with Warren,” he says, his eyes searching mine, knowing how much I need this, how much I’m dreading that meeting.
Goddess, he’s perfect. I spin my chair away from the desk and pull Jamie into my lap, my arm sliding around his waist as he leans his head on my shoulder. I drag him into a kiss, furiously smashing our lips together, hunger and desperation bleeding through our connection.
He giggles against my mouth, his citrus scent filling my lungs and mixing with Elias’ lingering honeydew rain-filled scent. My anger from the morning’s meetings melts beneath his touch, “I knew I married you for something,” I tease. “Do you need something too?” My hand dips a little to cup his ass, Jamie’s face warming at the contact.
He swats my hand away as he shakes his head. “I can’t tell you how I’m going to respond to Warren,” his tone turning more serious, “which is why this is also doubling as an apology.”
I nuzzle against his cheek, his beard scratching my skin, and breathe him in, letting his warmth ground me. He picks up the strawberry croissant from the desk and breaks off a piece before feeding it to me, his fingers brushing my lips. The sweet glaze and buttery flakes burst on my tongue, and I hum, savoring the taste.
I know what he means. Jamie’s not a typical Alpha, even less than I am. He’d have been a perfect Beta, an even more perfect Omega, with his nurturing heart, his fierce love, the way he falls so hard. I adore that about him, but it leaves him vulnerable topeople like Warren who see his softness as weakness. It gets him hurt, and I hate it. But this—thisis new.
We’ve never both wanted to protect someone like we do Elias. Jamie might go rabid on Warren’s ass or he might look to me for direction, waiting for my lead. Either way, I’m ready.
“This is delicious,” I hum again, the sweetness a brief escape from the rage building for my meeting with Warren. “And for the record, you don’t need to apologize. I’m more than happy to put Warren in his place.”
I’m prepared for the fallout, especially when it comes to Elias' contract. He’s our Omega, bonded to us in a way that’s already rooted deeper than a physical bite. I’ll tear through anything to keep him safe, to get him out of that trap. Jamie agrees as he unearths a bottle of water from his pocket. “I know you didn’t have any water today, so there’s that too.”
“What would I do without you?”
His grin widens. “Crash and burn,” he says, leaning in for more kisses.
