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twenty-five
JAMISON
Knoxand I stood in the doorway of the media room watching Demi sleep amongst her other mates. Splayed over top of Leo, she used him like a body pillow. Thane slept on her other side, his arm tossed over her waist while Hades snored softly from where he sprawled near her head. Eli slept near her feet, his glasses still on and some fantasy book with a dragon on the front draped over his stomach.
Knox huffed a laugh and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck, it’s good to be home.”
It fucking was. It’d been a long two days, and I wanted nothing more than to join the rest of my pack in the makeshift nest Demi had created. But first…
“Go shower,” I told Knox, unwilling to disrupt the peaceful slumber of everyone when we smelled of gunfire and blood. I didn’t want Demi to see us so disheveled. Neither one of us had taken time to clean up after everything had gone down, too eager to get home to our Omega.
Knox gazed down at himself, grabbing the edge of his shirt and taking a healthy sniff.
“Damn, I smell terrible.”
Our soured signatures permeated the cotton, and I knew if we woke Demi now, she’d react to the multiple emotions she’d be able to smell on our clothing. Her scent was already distressed, even in sleep, and I wouldn’t make it worse. When I roused her from her dreams, I wanted her to be overjoyed to see us. Not fucking wrecked over what we’d been through.
Slipping away, Knox and I padded to our own rooms. Under the stream of hot water, I braced my hands against the tile and let the day wash down the drain.
Fuck, that’s nice.The heat relaxed some of the lingering tension in my shoulders. Flicking my hair back, I scrubbed with body wash that enhanced the natural notes of my scent and then stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist.
I took time to shave, cleaning up the line of my beard and slapping some aftershave and deodorant on. Feeling more human, I stepped from the bathroom, steam billowing out around me.
And I froze.
Demi blinked up at me from where she sat at the end of the king-sized bed. Wrinkles were already visible along the front hem of her t-shirt as she crushed the fabric in disquieted hands.
“Sweetness,” I growled. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to be sleeping.”
Not that I didn’t welcome her presence. Her bare legs were on full display, giving me dirty visions of them wrapping around my waist when I pushed her back into the mattress and buried myself in her sweet cunt.
Focus, you asshole.
Something was wrong. My mate was worried, and instead of coming to me while I showered, she’d chosen to wait. I instantly hated the idea of her sitting out here alone while she was upset.
Why hadn’t she come to me? Was she afraid I’d be cross at the perceived interruption? I thought we’d moved past that, but I could be a gruff bastard, and I knew Demi struggled with just how Alpha I was. Out of the entire pack, I radiated stern, dominant energy more than the others.
I thought we’d moved past that. Thought I’d assuaged her fears. I wanted her to know she could come to me whenever she wished. For her, my door would always be open, as would my arms. My bed. Anything she fucking desired.
“Is it over?” she whispered, voice mousy and timid.
Suddenly, all the pieces clicked. Shewasscared. Just not of me.Thank fuck.But I didn’t want her frightened at all.
“Oh, Little Omega,” I said roughly and crossed the space separating us. I dropped to my knee before her and took her hands in mine, saving the edge of her shirt from further abuse. “Yes. It’s over.”
Her beautiful green eyes instantly watered. “Sweet mercy, really?”
“I’d never lie to you about something so damn important. We got the rat bastard.”
“What about Huck and Reed?”
“They’re both in custody, as well. The pictures and videos we took corroborated the buried financials the feds were able to dig up and tie back to Anton. The authorities are hunting down all their known associates as well. It’s over, Sweetness. You’re free of them.”
Tears poured in earnest down her cheeks, and she threw her arms around my neck, nearly unbalancing me. I righted myself easily and grinned into the crux of her neck as I wrapped her up in my arms.
“It’s alright, Little Omega,” I rumbled. “Let it out. You’re safe now. You’re always safe with us.”
I purred for her while she cried until she hiccuped. It broke the emotional well that had built, and eventually, she laughed.
