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“Are you feeling territorial?” he asked her.
“Hell yes,” she answered. “And if Sadie is an important ally, you don’t want me poking her eyes out. Pool. Now.”
His grin widened as he jumped in. Wolf took one look at Ava’s face and followed him in. I couldn’t help but think of when we’d been in this pool during her heat.
“Why are they undressed?” I asked, my voice gone still and quiet.
“Nobody has a lot of clean clothes here right now, and they were pulling out trees. They stripped to keep theirs clean,” Ava said, as if the explanation was obvious. She moved over to me instinctively, at my obvious disquiet, and wrapped her arms around me. I let out a heavy breath, then breathed her scent in slowly. It had only been hours, but I’d missed her. I didn’t know how I’d survived a decade without her. Looking back on it now, I think I’d become robotic, just solving each problem in front of me and moving onto the next. It hadn’t been a life. This, our pack and the life we were building for her, or trying to, was everything to me.
“And you had no problem with Lexie seeing Wolf half naked?” She’d seemed so jealous the first night we’d arrived, especially around the other omegas. Her possessiveness, even though she wouldn’t look me in the eye, had given me hope. It confused me that she seemed okay with it now.
“I would if it was anyone but Lexie or Maia. They’re mated and our packs have become intertwined, which makes them my sisters,” she answered.
“Hell yeah, we’re your sisters,” Lexie growled playfully, and Ava grinned at her. Those two together were trouble.
“Just so you’re aware, that doesn’t work in reverse. No stripping in front of other alphas. I don’t care how close you think we are,” I growled for real and pulled her hard into me. Her body trembled against me, setting off my predator instincts.
“Yes sir,” she squeaked and her sweetened cherry scent washed me in a haze of desire.
Lexie laughed. “I think everyone needs a cool down.”
“I’m good. You guys catch up,” I growled. I grabbed Ava’s hand and side stepped piles of greenery as I led her out of the ruins of the conservatory. As soon as we were outside, I pushed her up against the wall in the hallway and ran my hands up the back of her thighs until I felt her soft skin. I couldn’t get enough skin contact with her. I felt starved.
“You’re killing me, little bird,” I growled before I kissed her senseless. Her soft lips parted and I dove in, needing her to feel what she did to me. I only pulled away when we heard a movement in the doorway and a pointed cough. I knew Wolf wouldn’t care that I was kissing Ava, but I assumed Sam and Lexie were behind him.
“Coast is clear,” Wolf said over his shoulder as I pulled back, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Ava’s lips. Seeing them swollen and red from kissing did something to me every damn time. He patted me on the shoulder as he passed, and I shook myself.
I pulled myself together as we headed into the formal living room. Cary, Nick, and Ryder were sitting on a couch together and each one tracked every movement Ava made with a hunger that matched my own. Only I couldn’t handle letting her go yet. So I grabbed the chair next to them and pulled Ava into my lap. Wolf lounged against the back of the chair behind us.
Sam’s face lit up as he approached his squad mates, Matt and Anders, and pulled them into a hug. The relief in his eyes was clear, and it was obvious he’d been worried about them. He’d expected them to be back within a day, but they’d been gone for three.
The third volunteer, Oliver, was hanging back, sticking close by Sadie’s side. I watched him for a moment as he assessed everyone in the room, trying to figure out who the biggest threat was. He looked half a heartbeat away from yanking Sadie into his arms and dragging her out of the room.
Sadie was being much more subtle as she watched us with an air of studied casualness that would have hid her nervousness to a less experienced eye. But I wasn’t fooled. She had dark blonde hair in a braid over one shoulder and a tough stance as she discreetly eyed everyone in the room. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Lexie’s bright hair as she brought up the rear with Pala. Sadie pushed past the alphas, raising a few amused eyebrows, and strode straight over to her.
“Lexie,” she called out confidently. Sadie ignored everyone else, even Oliver, who was hot on her heels.
“It is you, you sneaky shit,” Lexie laughed, but she sobered up quickly as she gave Sadie a hug. “I’m sorry about Constance. She was an incredible woman.”
Sadie nodded in agreement and pulled away quickly. She tried to step back but bumped into Oliver, Matt, and Anders, who had piled up behind her. She shot them a mock glare, but the affectionate smile that slipped free ruined it.
“Anyone care to explain the bite marks on the four of you?” Sam asked suddenly, his voice had gone lethally quiet.
Sadie just raised an eyebrow at him and put her hand on one cocked hip. She looked unimpressed to have someone up in her business.
“You’re mated?” Lexie asked her, ignoring Sam for the moment.
“Yeah, it was obvious the moment these three showed up they were my mates. We got snowed in together in a small cabin, so things happened quickly.”
“Was it consensual?” Sam asked, pulling the attention back to him again. I tensed, not sure what to expect, at the look on his team’s faces.
“Sadie popped out from behind a tree and pulled a gun on us when we arrived, because we’d set off her alarms,” Matt said, stepping between her and Sam. “Trust me, she’s strong, capable, and smart as hell. She saved our lives up on the mountain. If she didn’t want something to happen, it wouldn’t. So while I appreciate you looking out for her, you can relax, Sam.” I could see how much respect Matt had for Sam, but he wasn’t letting anyone mess with his pack. Sam seemed a little thrown, but he quickly recovered.
“Yeah, and we’ll try not to be offended by what you just asked,” Anders growled. He was a darkly potent alpha, and his words felt like they held weight.
“Sorry, guys. I had to check. I’m happy for you,” Sam said, in a voice that was still quiet, but had lost its coldness.
“Okay, let’s bring it down a notch,” Lexie said, then introduced everyone in the room that hadn’t met yet and encouraged everyone to sit down. We’d taken to using this room to meet because there was plenty of comfortable seating.
