I feel him tense as he hits the top of the stairs on the top level. Tugging him further, I gather the courage to boss him around. It's not easy with such dominant men, but not knowing Riot as well as I do my other mates makes it a bit more nerve-racking.
"Vivian, I don't know," he whispers right as we cross the threshold into the pack bedroom.
I shake my head at him and pull. My nerves and the weight of this moment send the words back into their locked box. All I have to convince my new alpha to join our pack in my nest are my eyes and body language.
Riot barely fights me, but that doesn't mean he's not overthinking it. His hindbrain is probably chomping at the bit to follow me. I'd bet my left arm that the man is trying to convince himself it's a bad idea.
Hell, he almost had me in the perfect position to present for him in the basement. We could have easily taken the next step, but his control saved us from our libidos for the time being.Thisis the perfect alternative to sex. Him being in our pack nest is more meaningful than anything I could ever offer.
He claimed me, now I'm claiming him.
Changing tactics, I lift my arms and wind them around his neck. I so badly want to take his eyepatch off so I can see all of him, but we can't yet.
"Firefly," he murmurs. In the dark of my bedroom with my mates on the other side of the wall waiting for me, I reach onto my tiptoes and press my lips to Riot's.
A shudder ripples through his shoulders, and his hands tug me closer with a firm grip on my hips. Darting my tongue out, I trace the plump flesh and preen when he opens immediately.
My clit tingles and my eyes pop wide open when he sucks on my tongue. An unsolicited moan slips free making him chuckle and pull back.
"Alright, come on," he whispers, voice thick with desire. He doesn't release me though. Riot demands my trust by walking me backward until my feet are forced to rise the six inches onto my nest mattress.
A whimper from my omega startles me a little, but Riot's there shushing me as he helps me kneel between Silas and Kade. A little nudge and I'm lying back, hoping like hell he will stay.
Breath caught in my lungs, Riot and I hold eye contact as he begins to pull my leggings down. He leaves my underwear but with the soft twinkly lights around us, I note the clench of his jaw and the restraint he's forcing himself to hold.
Another needy sound escapes, and chills race across my entire body. Riot kisses the inside of my left ankle never once breaking our connection.
"Good night."
A crack feels like it expands through my heart and soul when he leans back as if to leave. Tears burn my eyes, but faster than I can blink them away, a hand shoots out and drags Riot down onto his side.
"You're staying," Jarek rumbles, sleep evident in the slight slur of his words. "Mmm, mate."
I watch completely surprised and enraptured as Jarek tucks himself around Riot, making my new alpha the little spoon. Riot's familiar look of exasperation settles over his features, making me giggle. Even though Riot glares at me, one of his hands wraps around my calf and he settles into Jarek's embrace.
I wait to close my eyes until he does.Please be here in the morning.
Twenty-Two
Silas
It's just one thing after another.
Deep breaths aren't helping anymore. I should be thrilled and excited to wake up with Riot in bed with all of us, but I'm stuck in a constant loop of trying to fucking fix everything.
Kade might be the only one I'm not worried about right now, but even so, he has the weight of the whole pack on his shoulders as our protector and leader.
As the beta, I'm supposed to help maintain the calm and day-to-day stuff. But nothing about our everyday lives is normal since Vivian was taken.
We've barely left the house in weeks.
Add on the fact that there's literally nothing I can do to truly help my omega, and I feel like I'm losing my mind. Everyone is stuck dealing with their own shit, and none of it is accessible to me.
I'm supposed to help.
Yet, Jarek is dealing with his new bond abilities that I don't really understand. Hell, I have the least amount of feeling in the bond than everyone in the pack. It's completely out of my wheelhouse, and whenever he's not with Vivie or staring at Riot,he's zoned out, poking around with the tethers. I can feel him, but I can't help. My alpha's here, but he feels so far away.
Riot has an air of untouchability that makes me keep my distance. I think I've done a good job of befriending him and such, but where's themore? He's my alpha too. We’ve had these moments of amazing tension and understanding, then...nothing.
