Page 105 of Petals and Strings
Finally, Audrey jolted upright. Her eyes drifted around, taking stock of us all before finding me sitting. Watching.
“Hey,” she husked as she carefully extracted herself from the bed and stumbled my way. I’d taken a chair to the side so I could see the door, despite it being locked.
She settled in my lap, snuggling into my chest as my arms snaked around her. I held her close, my nose resting in her hair. She smelled like our pack, the other scents fading with sleep but her omega sweetness and fresh rain, rose, and sandalwood scent was there. A calming breeze on a hot day, refreshing and nurturing all at once.
“If you want to sleep here, I can hold you,” I told her gently.
She sighed, but shook her head. “My nightmares are coming back. I don’t want to sleep.”
I stood, keeping her in my arms, and walked us to my old room. There was still a bed inside, but it was one of the only ones here after dragging the others out to the main area.
She didn’t protest. Her face was still buried in my chest. This felt a little bit too right. My alpha was right there at the surface, calling to our omega.
It wasn’t often that Audrey showed her vulnerable side. It made us want to protect her even more.
Despite what everyone always told me would happen when I found a scent match, I wasn’t out of control right now. In fact, I’d never felt more grounded.
“This place makes me feel like a kid,” she said when I sat us down on the bed, laying her on her side in front of me. Sheimmediately rolled over to face me, her eyes not meeting mine, instead watching as her fingers traced over my skin.
The touch was feather-light. Goosebumps erupted on my skin and a soft purr started without thought. She smiled softly before she started speaking again, the words erasing all amusement.
“It’s hard to feel like we’re nearly thirty when we have every aspect of our lives dictated for us. Until you stepped up, we didn’t even get to make a single choice for ourselves. Those monsters stole my entire young adulthood, and now it feels like they still have that control.”
“I get what you mean,” I said. “From the time I took that mandatory dominant test, and got marked as half-feral, it’s been like that. I’m too dangerous for normal life, most jobs wouldn’t accept me, and my dad’s feral reputation made that all even harder. He was big in fight rings and the professional boxing world. I didn’t want that life but he assumed I’d have no other choice. That school I went to was mandatory and I didn’t really make it out. This is no different, just less aggressive alphas around.”
“When I got here, I needed to be here. But why aren’t we released when we’re stable?” she growled. The anger made her voice even deeper and I ran soothing strokes down her spine, trying to bring her back. That anger wouldn’t serve us now.
“They make money off of us. Malik can test out his medications,” I guessed. “This is a stepping stone, one that delivers accolades. If they didn’t charge Theo then he’ll look like he survived working in one of the toughest facilities around. It’ll look good on resumes.”
“That’s fucked up,” she said, shaking her head. “I just want to leave."
“I promise you that we’ll get out of here,” I told her. “Ares is going to make that possible where we couldn’t.”
“But what will this place take before that happens? My omega is still half-suppressed despite the dangers of long term use. Our meds are a hot mess and I don’t even know if I should still be taking them.”
“Mine suppresses my alpha,” I admitted. “With you it feels like we’re normal, he’s here but not out of control.”
“I just want to feel like an omega. To embrace the softer side of life I was denied. To reclaim the parts of me they stole without my consent,” she said, finally meeting my eyes.
Was she saying…?
“Touch me, alpha. Take me. Give me my first knot that isn’t forced,” she pleaded. Her voice wavered and I didn’t want this moment to be tainted by fear or desperation, but when she looked up at me I saw clarity in those gorgeous, mismatched eyes of hers.
She didn’t just need this.
She neededme.
“Are you certain? Once my knot is inside you there’s no going back,” I said gently, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.
"Help me erase that place, alpha. It haunts my dreams and makes me feel like my body isn’t my own. Show me it’s not just mine, but yours, too.”
“Mine,” I agreed on a growl as my alpha surged forward. He had her consent, her desperation, and he was happy to give her everything she ever wanted.
She was under me now, my arms caging her in. All that vulnerability had faded, slowly melting away so only her lust was left behind. Her scent sweetened even more, flourishing under my nose as I ran it along the column of her throat. It was stronger here against her warm skin.
Perfect.
I nipped at the flesh there, my hand moving up to ghost over her side and up to her hair, tangling in the wild, blonde strands.
