Page 100 of Bound By Pain
Her hands wrap around my neck, fingers digging into my skin as she drags me down to kiss her. I absorb her sounds of pleasure, letting the vibration of each one act as fuel feeding the fire of my desire. Thought turns hazy, not quite a rut, more like letting go. Like accepting that this is my Omega and I am her Alpha.
It’s as freeing as it is terrifying.
My head is clear when my tongue finds her neck. The same spot I tried to mark earlier. Taking this step sends fear skittering up my spine, but I recognize it for what it is: residual trauma. I know Bea won’t hurt me. Just as I know I would never hurt her.
Breaking her skin is easy. Fate twists the strands of our souls together. Hers a soft pink that hugs the dark gray of mine, wrapping my soul in a warm embrace that I can feel all the way to my toes.
A tear slips down my cheek as her teeth latch onto the front of my throat, where the world will see her mark on my body. Our connection strengthens. So bright it’s blinding, before it settles into an ethereal, starry glow.
I kiss her again. Slow and full of all the emotions I know I cannot put into words. Then I knot her. Locking us together and sating the rest of her heat-driven need.
Lying beneath the night sky with my mate in my arms, I feel settled. Secure and safe in a way I haven’t been since my mother was alive.
Bonding Bea won’t be a cure-all for my trauma. It doesn’t erase the hurt from my past or the way I react to it, but sensing her in my heart builds a foundation for me to stand on. A starting point to healing.
My brat is the best gift Fate could have ever given me, and I’m going to spend the rest of our lives making sure she knows it.
It turns out Shiloh was right, and Bea’s heat broke a mere hour after I bonded her. Not that I will admit that out loud. His knowing smirk this morning was enough to deal with.
Bea is curled in the couch’s corner, devouring her third helping of the curry and rice Orion threw together while we cleaned up the nest. Heats take a lot out of all of us. Despite our best efforts, her body didn’t get nearly the amount of calories it spent over the past week.
“So fucking good,” she groans, glancing at Orion with hearts in her eyes. My Omega loves food. Having an Alpha who can cook is a real turn-on for her. Not that we will do anything aboutthe small pulse of arousal we feel in her bond. Our mate needs a break. And quality sleep.
“So, what’s going on with you two?” She points between me and Ridley, bringing up a topic I was hoping to avoid.
For now, anyway. The bond mark I left on Ridley’s arm can’t be unattended forever. We’ve seen the consequences of that, and I would never put the asshole through it.
“We became best friends.”
I glare at Ridley, and Bea questions his statement, believing we were already best friends. Maybe we are. He and Creed have been the closest people in my life since I met each of them. It’s just weird to hear him say it out loud.
“The bond between us doesn’t have to mean anything more than that. Sure, we’ll feel each other’s emotions more clearly than we feel the rest of our pack, excluding you, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. Maybe it will help make this asshole less grumpy sometimes.”
Bea snorts, head shaking. She clearly doesn’t believe that will happen. It is much more likely Ridley will annoy the hell out of me and make me even grumpier.
“To draw us away from this… endearing topic, I have something to discuss with everyone. Before we pile into bed to sleep for a day.” Shiloh stands from his seat across the room and moves to perch on the coffee table.
When he’s sure he has all of our attention, he continues. “I would like everyone to take my pack name. Hyphenated, if that is your preference. My name carries weight in New York. Along most of the East Coast, actually. It can give you some protection that your names may not carry.”
I shrug when he glances at me. Keeping my dickhead father’s pack name is not a priority to me. The thought of escaping his legacy actually sounds great. The only one of us who may not agree is Creed. His parents legacy has always been important tohim. During our time in the military, he spoke of them often and reverently.
Turning my head, I catch the conflicted scowl on his face. “I guess that’s fine, but I’ll be hyphenating Acherley-Barrett. My family name is important to me.”
Shiloh folds his hands and nods when everyone agrees. “Good. I will settle the paperwork this week, and we can create a pack account to draw from after it has been finalized. I will also add each of your names to the deed for the penthouse. Now, if the four of you don’t mind cleaning up from dinner, I’m taking our Omega to soak in the bath.”
Bea is much more relaxed when she crawls into the pack bed an hour later. Her eyes heavy with sleep. She gives me a crooked smile as she collapses beside me, hand reaching out to twine with mine when Creed wraps his gigantic body around hers.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “With what happened during my heat?”
“You mean accidentally bonding Ridley?”
Her snort blows a wayward curl away from her face. “No. I know you aren’t happy about that. I mean, bonding with me.”
Hesitant eyes roam over my face. Waiting. Searching for any hint that I regret binding my soul to hers.
Scooting closer, I press my forehead to hers and clasp her hand against my chest. “I could never regret you, Bea Powell. Fate couldn’t have picked a better Omega for me.”
“For all of us,” Creed adds.
