Page 34 of The Alpha: Part Two
I nod. "It helped a lot." It really did. It's been a constant reminder that she wants me, that she's with me. That I'm hers. And that's what I am and always will be. I felt it the night I walked across the dining room of that swanky restaurant and sat at her table. Hers.
"Good," she says, and lowers her mouth to mine.
I'll never turn down a kiss, but it can't be like this. Not anymore. It won't work. It can't be like it was before, asking for permission before every touch. She needs me to be her alpha, not some fool too terrified of himself to take the gift he's being offered. Desir'ee needs me to claim her, and that isn't something I can do from my back. She needs to know I'm strong enough for her, that she's more important than my fear. She needs to understand that I'm strong enough to lead her and it starts here. I take one single, deep, breath and carefully thread my fingers in her hair to pull her away just far enough to break the kiss.
"What's wrong?" she asks, concern obvious in her eyes.
"Nothing," I say, my voice still made of gravel.
She smiles and bends to kiss me again, but she can't lower her head without pulling against my grip. "Seth, what are—" She cuts off with a squeak as I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her across my body, rolling us so that our positions are switched.
"It's time for me to claim my omega," I growl, moving my fingers from her hair to press against the point of her chin with my thumb so that her mouth opens. "The way she deserves to be claimed," I finish, and pray that I can do it as I cover her mouth with mine. With my thumb keeping her mouth open, it's easy for me to lick my way inside, aggressively tasting her, possessively running my tongue against hers. "Fuck, you taste good," I groan against her lips, then dip back inside for more of her.
Already, her leg is hitched up and wound around my waist and the sweet scent of her arousal is clouding my concentration. It's been longer than I care to think about since I've shown any kind of dominance with a female, much less tried to kiss one like this. Come to think of it, I can't remember kissing any female before Desir'ee kissed me for the first time. I know it happened, it must have, but it just doesn't matter enough to remember. All that matters, all that I care about, are Desir'ee's kisses and her taste in my mouth, her scent taking over my senses.
I drag my fingertips from her chin and across her throat. "You need to tell me immediately if I hurt you or scare you. Do you understand?"
Her eyes close in long blinks as she nods up at me, but it isn't enough.
My heart is thundering in my chest, forcing blood to rush and race through my veins. I can do this. God, I think I can, anyway. But only if she understands. I stretch my grasp around the lower half of her face, my fingertips and the tip of my thumb pressing into her soft skin almost firmly until she gives me her eyes. "I mean it, Desir'ee. If you get so much as a hair upset, you tell me. I refuse to hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally. Do you understand? I need to let myself go for this, just a little, but I need you to promise me that you'll say something if it gets out of hand."
"I promise," she says, big, honeyed eyes peering up at me with pure acceptance.
"Ben, Michael," I call out, never dropping Desir'ee's gaze.
"Seth," they answer in unison.
"Watch her. If she looks even a little bit of the wrong kind of uncomfortable, put a stop to everything. Full brakes." I feel as desperate as I sound. Depending on them, trusting them, it’s terrifying, but I don't know if I can trust myself and they'll keep her safe. I don't doubt that for a second.
"Won't take my eyes off of her," Ben assures me, and Michael tips his chin when I glance over at him.
"Alright," I say, brushing my nose against hers. "This isn't going to be like before, darlin’. I won't be asking." I don't give her time to respond or give myself another second to doubt myself. I give her one last gentle kiss, then Itakeher mouth. All but devouring her, I thrust my tongue against hers in a mimicry of what I intend to do later between her thighs. I haven't let myself have that yet, and I plan to indulge myself tonight. Heavily.
She makes soft, little gasping noises when I kiss and lick down the side of her neck; and when she arches back, giving me complete access to her throat, I can't stop the sound that escapes me. I have never experienced an omega submitting to me because they wanted to. Not once. It's always been about rank or survival, never want or need. The sight of it actually makes my head spin.
"Thank you," I whisper, kissing the center of her exposed neck. "Thank you," I whisper again, my lips brushing against her skin. "Thank you," I murmur yet again, and gently nip at her soft, vulnerable throat.
At the feel of my teeth, she makes a sound that forces me to break out in goosebumps. She sinks her fingers into my hair and winds her leg tighter around my waist, and I roll my hips just a little because we both already need the friction. I reach back up to her jaw again and turn her head to the side so the twins' marks are clearly visible. I lick across one and suck a mark over the other and purr when she bucks hard enough that both of us leave the mattress.
"That's not fair," she whines, but she's got a death grip on my scalp, daring me to stop mouthing their marks.
I growl and press my teeth into her neck, making sure to make contact with the scarring of both their marks, and she moans, long and loud, and the scent of slick grows heavy and intoxicating. Pulling against her grip on my hair, I pull back and look down into her face as she rocks her hips against me. "Where do you want my mark, Desir'ee? I'll put it wherever you want it."
Her head whips to the other side, showing me the other unmarked side of her neck. "Here. So that everyone can see it."
Pride, foreign and unexpected, blooms inside me at her words. I want everyone to see my mark on her. I want everyone to know she's mine. But to know that she wants it, too… It's overwhelming. Humbling. "Yes," I say against her neck, my voice is barely more than a purr. "Everyone will see that you're mine." I kiss that perfect place, directly parallel to the twins' mark. "And theirs." I lift up and press a kiss to her mouth. "Ours."
Desir'ee smiles up at me, trust and acceptance written on her face, and it takes my breath. I'm so lucky. So fucking lucky. She didn't give up on me, and she didn't leave me, not even when she should have. "I'm going to do everything I can to be worthy of you, Desir'ee." I kiss her again, "I will live my life for you and for this pack. I promise." Then I start making my way down her body.
It's a funny thing to want to rush through doing something because you want to do it, and do it all, so badly, but at the same time want desperately to drag out each moment into an exquisite eternity. I want to lick a direct path straight to the delicacy waiting for me between her thighs. I want to lay between her spread legs and indulge myself until she's trembling and begging me to stop. I know better than to do that, though. This is a moment to savor.
Her fingers stay tangled in my hair as I kiss the inside of her breast. She isn't quite pulling me to her nipple, but she isn'tnoturging my attention there, either. Smiling, I cup her breast, mounding it up, and suck her dusky nipple into my mouth. She groans in relief as my tongue slowly swirls around it, her grip on my hair tightening. "Don't stop, Seth," she breathes.
It never occurred to me to stop, but I do reach over and palm her other breast and pluck at that nipple each time my mouth pulls her in. Her thighs are splayed wide now, one calf still hitched around my back. Her minty sugar scent is growing heavier, tunneling deeper into my awareness. Headier now, the smell of her arousal is tinged with the pheromones that flood an omega when they're nearing their heat. It should bother me like it has in the past, but if she had a spike right now, I'd probably lick every drop from her and wish for more.
Reaching back for her wrist, I pull her hand from my hair and press it firmly into the mattress at her side. "Stay just like that for me." Her scent is even more enticing as I scoot farther down the bed. I am as nervous as I am ravenous. I haven't allowed myself the taste of a female in so long. I didn't trust myself enough to attempt it. But I need this, I need her.
When I'm finally settled between her legs, she's spread before me like a banquet. I can feel the heat and want radiating from her. I use my thumbs to spread her even more open and her swollen clit throbs as she moans and lifts her hips. "Please, Seth." I glance up to find her eyes hooded, her puffy bottom lip trapped between her teeth. So beautiful. And she's mine.
