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“So what’s the plan?” Peaches asks, plucking at the shirt. “I don’t think they’ll let me wear this.”
“They’ll let you wear it because I say you’re wearing it,” I growl. I peek out one of the only windows in the room to look at the platform, peering around for any sign of Boyd. “I want my scent on you. It’s the only way we’ll keep the others from fucking with you.”
Her tongue darts out to wet her lips and I try not to get distracted—failing utterly when her brown eyes meet mine. “The bite won’t be enough?”
I glance at the mark, already mostly healed and pink at the edges. The two punctures are still open, but they’ll close soon and leave a pretty scar right over her heartbeat. I banish the thoughts my wolf puts in my head of how good she looks with that scar—like it belongs on her freckled skin.
I’m in for the fight of my life, aren’t I?
“I’m guessing you don’t know much about how mating works in packs like this,” I say.
“Don’t treat me like I’m naïve,” she huffs, a weird amount of attitude for her. “But…no, I guess I don’t. I was too young to be mated when I left here, and in Austin…well, they do thingsa lotdifferently.”
“How’s that?” I ask.
“It’s more like a wedding,” she says. “It’s slow…sensual. There’s snacks and nests and nice words and the bite…I think the bite is the last part. Because it’s such a big deal.”
Guilt and desire war in my chest, knowing I took that from her but totally distracted by the way she talked about mating. The way her lips and tongue worked around the word ‘sensual’ goes straight to my cock, and I cross my arms over my chest and turn to the window so she won’t see anything amiss.
“Well…you should know it’s different here,” I say. “The goal is to claim your mate—mark them multiple times, breed them. If we’d actually mated last night, you’d be covered in bite marks.”
“That doesn’t sound very romantic,” she scoffs.
“It’s not about love, Peaches,” I say. “It’s about sex, rutting…and it’s about pleasure.”
Her scent spikes abruptly, wreaking havoc on my ability to think straight. Shelikedthat. But…no, it has to just be her omega instincts. She told me in no uncertain terms last night that I stole her innocence and I’m not about to do anything more.
When I look back at her, though, she looks riveted, her lush pink lips parted.
That’s the first place I’d bite.
A little nip right on her plump lower lip, just enough to hurt.
“You make it sound like you’ve done it before,” she says.
“Not really.”
“Not really…?”
“Enough questions,” I mutter. “We have to figure out how we’re going to watch each other’s backsandget over to the dock.”
“Ah, so we’re watching each other’s backs now,” she says with a smile. “You make it sound like we’re partners in crime.”
“According to the law of the Rig, we may as well be,” I say. I get closer, lowering my voice. “Never forget that everything we’re doing right now is a crime according to your father. Not only are we about to break a hell of a lot of rules about omegas, but we’re committing treason in his eyes.”
She sobers. “I’m sor—wait. Yeah, Javi. I get it. No more jokes.”
At least she’s not complaining anymore.
I keep her close as I go to the door and step out, feeling more like an unwelcome guest than a prisoner. None of Gideon’s people are around, which seems like it’s gotta be either a flex or a serious lack of awareness. I settle on the former when, after a quick circuit of the first floor, it becomes clear that this place is a fortress.
The only people here are Gideon’s omegas…and Gideon has already figured out that I don’t intend on hurting them.
Not that I think he would care.
“Can you smell them too?” Peaches asks as we walk toward the front door. “My father’s mates—they’re somewhere in the citadel, but I don’t hear a peep.”
“They’re hidden,” I say, “though I don’t know from what or who.”
