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“Julia!” Adeline scolded, completely embarrassed, and yet I sensed her curiosity too.
I ducked into my blanket and squealed. “Ohmygods.” But then I peeked out and my smile was all they needed to see.
“That good, huh?”
My eyes rolled orgasmically, and they laughed. “Yeah,” I said, “that good.”
fourteen
LEO
It wasincredible to see Demi smile. Laughter filled her eyes as she filtered back into the house with the other Omegas. Julia and Adeline seemed more relaxed than they had earlier. I didn’t blame them for being wary of us. This house was full of Alphas, and we were strangers to them. But what the girls had gone through, what they’d survived, bonded them. They trusted Demi, and seeing her come out of her shell did my heart good.
“Hey.” I smiled at her, easing over to their group as they placed their mugs in the sink.
The rest of my pack chatted with Pack Jacobs on the couches in the living room. Given that the floor-plan of the house was rather open, I felt their attention without having to look.
We had unanimously decided that I’d be the one to initiate a conversation between us and the Omegas. Since I was a Beta, we figured the girls would be more receptive to my presence. I had no issue with acting as a liaison if it helped. At heart, I was a people pleaser. I wanted what was best for everyone, and Demi’s new friends were no exception.
I just hoped their talk had gone well and Demi had gotten them to open up. Thus far, we knew next to nothing about them other than their names, which, while helpful, wasn’t enough to reunite them with their packs or families.
It was killing all of us not to know where they’d come from or who may be out there looking for them. Were they in danger like Demi had been? Or were they just unfortunate victims, stolen from their lives without a trace?
Someone out there had to be worried about them. I knew what it was like to miss someone so badly you couldn’t think straight. To yearn for someone so much you closed your eyes and begged the Fates for their absence to be a cruel nightmare you’d wake from. I didn’t wish that type of desperation on anyone.
So, yeah. We’d help Julia and Adeline get back to their families or packs. They didn’t have any bite marks visible, but it was possible they were courting a pack, much like Demi was.
My packmates and I had no problems being around the other Omegas now that we had Demi—our perfect scent match. But Pack Jacobs’ tension was obvious in every shift they made as they tried their best to contain their reactions to the women. They sat on the far side of the living room, and while they were mostly under control, our pack placed ourselves as a buffer between everyone.
It was hard for available Alphas to be around unclaimed Omegas whose scents were compatible, but as long as the women didn’t go into heat, everything should be fine. Yet, as I glanced back and forth between the men in the room and the ladies, I decided that taking extra precautions never hurt anyone.
Regardless of how grateful I was to Pack Jacobs, their presence incited a deep desire to claim Demi once and for all. I may be a Beta, but she could still wear my bite mark alongside those of her Alphas. The scars would be a sign that she was taken—that she had the love and support of a powerful pack behind her. More importantly, her scent would subtly shift. Between that and the crescent-shaped scars, she’d be off the market for good.
“Hey.” Demi gave me a sweet smile and sidled up to me.
Her arms immediately went around my waist, and I wrapped her up. Everything about my girl was soft and inviting. A blanket hugged her shoulders, but her nose was freezing.
“Chilly outside?”
“Yes, but after being trapped indoors for two weeks, barely seeing the sun or feeling the wind, bracing ourselves against the cold was so worth it.”
Anger and guilt swamped me in equal measure—anger at what she’d been through, and who put her through it, compounded with the guilt that we hadn’t found her and saved her a hell of a lot sooner. I couldn’t overcome the feeling of failure. My muscles tensed.
“Leo.” Demi rubbed my back, peering up at me with concern in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
Of course, she sensed my emotions. Hell, she probably smelled the subtle change in my scent at how pissed I was that she’d been taken. That we hadn’t been able to protect her. Again, I may only be a Beta, and I may be more laid back than my other packmates, but I was just as protective.
I blew out a harsh breath. “Sorry, Honey. It’s going to take me some time to forgive myself.”
“Hey,” my mate cooed softly, reaching up and cupping my face with chilled fingers. “Don’t shoulder the sins of others, okay? You saved me, Leo. You and our pack, along with Pack Jacobs. You did everything you could do, and you got me out.”
Her hands threaded into my hair and tugged. I went without complaint as she dragged me down. The first kiss was sweet and tender, but the second was all-fucking-consuming. Her lips parted and her tongue swept out to tease the seam of my mouth. I opened for her with a groan, deepening the kiss as I dug one hand into the hair at her nape, the other going around her waist to crush her to me.
I almost forgot we had an audience until one of the Omegas snickered.
“Get a room, you two,” Slade bellowed from across the house.
Demi backed off slowly, unabashed if not slightly pink-cheeked. Her fingers went to her rosy lips, pressing against them as though I’d put her in a daze.
