Page 45 of The Pack Next Door
Every taut, golden muscle was inspected closely, following them down only to discover exactly what he thought about my current state. Long, thick, with a knot that was starting to inflate at the base, whatever I was about to say came out as a thin whine. Shock, then fear, then exhaustion had kept my heat at bay, but now…? My feet moved of their own accord towards him. The wolf was done playing. I could run all I liked, because it just made the inevitable all the more delicious. Need flared to life, hot and hard low in my pelvis, and right now, Jace was the only one who could quench it.
Chapter 23
Jace
“Something you need, Briar?”
The shake of her head, the fine tremor in her body, it told me to keep the fuck away, but that whine…? I took a step closer, my eyes raking over a body I’d dreamed about, but didn’t dare take a closer look at until now.
“Some clothes?” Her eyes darted, her tongue flicking over the bottom of her lip, right before she locked eyes with me. Then they trailed down again, taking all of me in, and that had her stopping still. “To find a way home.”
“You sure that’s what you need?”
Her scent was like a warm hand wrapping around my knot and tugging me closer. I wouldn’t. There was still hesitation in her voice, her stare. My mate’s body knew exactly what I could give her, that rose perfume growing more and more tart by the second, but that didn’t mean she was ready for it.
“Of course, I…” She shook her head, brows creasing. “I mean…”
Her chest heaved, and I tried really hard not to watch the way the most perfect breasts began to bounce. Briar, I needed tofocus on Briar. I watched the muscles in her thighs tense, ready to run away or to me, and sent up a silent prayer. I’d waited twenty-eight years so far. I’d wait another twenty-eight, if that’s what it took.
I just really, really hoped I wouldn’t have to.
One step towards me. My own muscles locked down tightly, stopping myself from lunging forward and grabbing her.Not until she gets a little closer, I told myself.
“I was supposed to be in bed.”
That was said as a muttered aside, as if her mind was still struggling to comprehend what was happening. Did the wolf bring her out here? That may have been it, because mine gave me little notice, forcing me awake and on four paws seconds later. Because he knew, she knew, that this was meant to be. Another step and she was close enough to touch, my hands going up without thought. Her pupils blew wide, her stare almost indignant, which kept them hanging in the air.
“We can go and find a bed, Briar,” I said in a low growl, because the wolf didn’t want to wait. Her wolf saw mine and knew what we were to each other. Trouble always came from the human side of us, a fact that was not hard to convince him of. That meant I needed to be in control. “Whatever you want.”
“What I want…?” There was pain, and need, and desperation in her tone, and I’m ashamed to say I was glad of it. Misery loves company and I was in agony, waiting for her. “I…” Her eyes flashed as silver as the moon as she stared up at me, her lips peeling back to reveal the cutest little fangs. A hand whipped out, dragging my head down to press against hers. “I want this ache to stop.”
The only way that would happen was by riding out this heat with all three of us, then emerging with our mating marks on her neck, but I wasn’t about to push that now. My omega didn’t need truth bombs. She just needed me. A rush of the sweetestfucking pleasure tore through me, taking my breath away, right before my hands landed on her shoulders.
Caress them, my instincts screamed. Trace the shape of them and then the graceful swoop of her collarbones. Follow them down and see if could cover her breasts with my hands, glorying in that softness. Instead, a far better one had me stopping still and staring down at her.
“I can help.”
“But you’re supposed to be my mates. and I don’t even know how I feel about that.” The busy monkey mind was coming back online, but she wouldn’t be able to think her way through this. My thumb swept over her skin, just a tiny soothing gesture. Her eyes met mine again. “That wouldn’t be fair?—”
“Shh…” The same thumb brushed across her lips and that softness made my mouth water. What would it be like to press mine against them? “I’m your alpha. That means I look after you. Not because you’re not capable of it, but because fate has decided I’m the right one to take that responsibility from you. I can help, right now, tonight, and that doesn’t have to mean anything.”
The wolf howled his protest, but he didn’t get it. What made Briar strong enough to walk away and build a life for herself after being rejected, also made it really hard for her to surrender now. Would I hurt her? She had to wonder, and I had to prove that would never happen.
“This has to be hurting you.” My hand slid down to come to rest over her pelvis, hers covering mine to keep it there. “Can’t stand to see you in pain, omega.”
“Not… omega…”
She was fighting it, tooth and nail, and I was powerless to help until she gave consent.
“Briar.” My hand lifted her chin so she was forced to look into my eyes, right as my other traced small circles on herstomach. I heard the tiniest of moans, which gave me to go ahead to continue. “Do you want a break from your heat? To stop that pulsing tide from shifting in you? I can break it for a while.”
I was operating on purely theoretical knowledge here, but our fathers had worked hard to ensure we understood how to get our omega through her heat. She nodded sharply, all doubt gone.
“Have to make you come.” My fingers left her chin to stroke down her throat, catching the way her pulse beat faster. “Me too. My seed can ease you for a while.”
“Sex?”
I was losing her and for no good reason. With a smile, I shook my head.
