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“It’s okay, Sam. I’ll go. Dio, stay with him.” I raised my hands in a futile attempt to placate Sam, but it only seemed to rile him up further.
“No.” Sam growled. His one word bled dark, potent fury around the clearing that made my nipples ache and my body want to sway towards him. He still refused to look at me, though. “She’s your mate. Go with her. Protect her, Dio.”
My heart fractured. Sam was fighting his own alpha nature in a desire to protect me. From him. Pulling away from his only support, risking losing himself in a frenzy to make sure I was safe.
“She’s our mate,” Dio yelled, not budging an inch in the face of Sam’s rage, as if it was an old friend. “I can look after you both. I swear.” Dio’s voice cracked as he put one hand back on Sam’s chest, over his heart, but glanced back at me. His eyes were wild, and he looked a heartbeat away from spilling his own blood if he thought it would help Sam right now. Or me.
“Dio,” it was a broken whisper that ripped out of me. I could feel his fear that this was all spinning out of control, and his need for both of us. I don’t even know what I was asking him for. I just didn’t want him to hurt.
I’d only met them today, but I already knew I’d tear myself apart rather than hurt either of them. I took a step back, trying to make the decision for him, but it felt like moving through quicksand. Dave shifted behind me, and his hand lightly grazed over my back, lending me his strength.
“Go, Dio. I’ve got this,” Dave said. His voice was firm and calm.
“No. You don’t-”
“I’ve pulled dominant alphas back from the edge plenty of times. I led Damon for years. You don’t know me, I get that. But I need you to trust that I’ve got this, Dio.” Dave sounded steady and sure, as if mountains could break over him and he’d still be standing strong.
I glanced at Dio as Dave stepped forward and stood close by Dio’s side, as if offering him his strength now. Dio was glancing between Dave and Sam, clearly torn.
“Sam can’t calm down while he can scent and see you and Lexie, and as much as you want to, you can’t take care of them both right now. So let me do what I do best while you take care of Lexie. You’re not choosing between them, we’re just playing to everyone’s strengths right now. Okay.”
“Please. Dio,” Sam ground out.
Dave gently tugged the younger man back, causing Dio to drop his hand, as he looked at Dave with a strange expression. Something intense and unspoken passed between the two that I couldn’t discern before Dio took a deep breath and nodded shakily. I let the breath I had been holding out in a whoosh.
“I’m trusting you with my family,” Dio told Dave, transferring his hand to Dave’s shoulder and squeezing hard.
“I’m trusting you with mine, too,” Dave said, as he put his hand over Dio’s and gripped it for a moment that felt laden with hidden words. “I won’t let you down. Now go.”
Dave didn’t seem at all bothered about having an intense moment with Dio while Dio was naked. I assumed men got very comfortable seeing each other’s bodies when they were in the military. What with group showers, dorm rooms, and such.
Dio sent one last, piercing glance toward Sam, who was standing alone with his entire body clenched. “I’m only going for now, only because you asked and Dave’s here. I’ll find you later. Nothing has changed. Okay. You’ve got this, Sam.”
Dio swore quietly under his breath as he turned and moved stiffly towards me, as if that quicksand was pulling at him too. He grabbed my hand and tugged gently as he reached me, but I felt torn, too. My gaze locked on Sam in his anguish and rage.
Sam’s pain pulled at my newly awakened omega instincts. They were running rampant and stampeding all over my heart. I wanted to comfort him almost as much as I wanted to punch him for demanding Dio take me away. I ached in a way I’d never felt before. His rage riled me up almost as much as his clear desire for me, just in different ways.
The barrage of emotions was confusing and overwhelming.
Dio put his hand on my face and gently diverted my attention to him. “Lex, now is not the time.” He watched me with sudden, sharp concern, as if he could sense my messy emotions now that he had some distance from the barrage of Sam’s. “Let Sam calm down and we’ll figure it out, okay?”
I wanted to fix this. There were so many heightened emotions running through us all, I could almost taste them on the air. I could suddenly feel fear and worry coming from Dio, and I gasped.
“I can feel you.” The sensation was shocking, yet the connection became stronger the longer he had his hand on me.
Dio nodded gently at me. “I can feel you too, Lex. It’s fucking amazing, but right now, we need to take this inside or we’re going to hurt him more. Will you come with me?”
I nodded at him, appreciating that he had asked instead of demanded. Before we left, I turned to Dave, seeking him out. I needed to know he was okay.
Dave had his back to Sam for the moment, already angled towards me. He was gazing at me with his arms crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge.
“Good girl.”
Oh god.I felt myself grow wet at his words as heat flooded me. I’d never gotten the whole praise kink thing until this very moment. Whenever anyone tried to praise me in the past, especially during sex, I’d felt like kicking them in the balls.
Yet, coming from Dave, with that look in his eye, I felt desire and need overwhelm me. I felt my nakedness underneath my blanket intensely as my nipples hardened and my slick dampened my thighs.
I’d had the urge to run and be a bad girl with Dio earlier, but now I wanted to sit at Dave’s feet while he guided me to suck his dick just the way he liked it until he praised me again.
