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I open my eyes and find the pair I need. “Stop it.” I grit out. It’s a plea, one alpha to another.
Gold jumps forward, ripping Bar off me. My omega fights, thrashing against Gold, but he’s torn off me. I roll to my side and curl up into a tight ball. The urge to unfold and find the oranges to make him mine rolls through me. A vicious snarl tears from my lips. I tighten my hands into fists, ignoring the way my nails cut into my palms.
“Ah, baby. What have you gone and done to yourself?” I hear Jet murmur.
I whimper and curl up even tighter.
“So we’re going to take care of you now, okay? Just Acton and I. We’ll help you tamp this down again.”
I’m scooped up, and the smell of pine replaces the orange, and I turn my face into it. This is mine, too. I breathe deep, descending into a red mist. Possessive, hot, red.
Mine.
The orange comes back, strong and bitter. I jerk my head up and fight to wrestle control back from my wild alpha side. Barren blocks the way, his face as dark and violent as I’ve ever seen it. His chest rises and falls quickly, fists clenched, legs parted. Like he’s ready to fight. But that’s not right.
“She’s mine to take care of,” Bar growls.
“Omega,” Jet snaps. “You don’t understand-“
“She won’t bite me.” He says confidently, more confident than I would. “But she’s mine. I won’t let anyone take what’s mine.”
Wait- What?
Jet pauses. I can almost feel him thinking.
“What are you-“ I ask, but Bar turns his eyes on me and pulls me out of Jet’s arms.
“She needs me, not you.” Barren growls fiercely. Possessiveness that sings to my own out-of-control nature. That matches it.
What is he doing? I don’t understand. I shake my head, reaching for Jet and struggling in Bars’ hold.
“Don’t you want me?”
I freeze, hearing the hurt in that single sentence. It flares to life, stirring up all my own memories. Instincts takes over. I look up at him and grip his chin, waiting until he looks at me. “Every minute of every day since we met, but I don’t want to hurt you. I’m dangerous.” Those words pain me to say. I hate them. My voice is a rough rasp.
Bar’s eyes are burning black pools. “So are we. You won’t hurt me, Scarlet, because you won’t let yourself hurt me. Please, let me take care of you?”
This is wrong. So wrong, but I can’t say no to him. I glance at Jet, avoiding Acton and Gold’s eyes.
He shrugs. Behind him, I see Taylor in the shadows. He’s watching, thinking. I see the threat in his eyes. I wait because what Taylor says, I will follow to the letter. But he turns and walks away. For better or worse, giving me his blessing.
“Jet will come with us,” Bar growls softly and buries his face in my hair.
I pause and then close my eyes, hating myself so damn much for being cruel, for knowing that it can’t be Jet. “No, it has to be Gold.”
I can feel the tension, but Gold moves towards us reluctantly.
Barren carries me upstairs. He pauses by the stairs and then keeps going along the second floor. I’m relieved and disappointed he didn’t take me up there. But more relieved.
The bedroom he opens is as dark as the nest, but it’s got a blue hue to it. Barren goes straight to the bed and drops me down on it.
I scramble backwards and pause when I see his eyes.
Hooded, sexy, intent. He reaches up and pulls off his top. I can’t help myself. My eyes drift down, taking in all the lean muscles and toned body.
“You’re holding back, Scar.”
I shake my head, a wordless denial, a lie.
