Chapter 17

Ifind it slightly conspicuous that Laken doesn't fight me at all as I carry her to my bedroom. She also doesn't say a word about the thumbprint lock that I place her down in front of.

"We'll need to key this for you too," I say, scanning my thumb and entering the code to add an additional user. I've had this feature memorized since purchasing the device, and never once have I trusted anyone enough to give them access to my bedroom. "I'll need the thumb of your dominant hand."

"Will I get it back?" She laughs, holding out her hand.

"Cute." I hold her right thumb to the scanner. The lights blink, and the system beeps to acknowledge she's been successfully added. "This is the pack bedroom." It's also my room, but I avoid reiterating that information. I swing the door open and extend an arm for her to go first.

Laken walks in but stops several feet inside the dark room.

I flip on the track lighting before closing the door behind me.

Tanner has been the focus of her attention all day long. It seemed intelligent to separate them prior to her becoming too attached. Which is clearly why I invited her into my personal space, when I never allow anyone inside my bedroom.

"Whoa, super minimalist," Laken whispers, spinning in a circle as she takes in my room.

"I dislike clutter," I acknowledge, clasping my hands in front of my waist.

I'm feeling vulnerable, and I don't like it.

The little omega steps closer to my bed. It's larger than a normal king, with a gray padded headboard and black comforter. The sheets are charcoal to match the luxurious head and footboards. It's an unnecessarily large amount of space for just me, but I am extremely tall. It makes it possible for me to stretch out without my head bumping the headboard or my feet hanging off the end.

She turns to face me, taking her time to study the dressers and wall storage. Everything here has a place, and I return all items to their home after using them.

I frown, studying the drop of blood escaping the cut on her cheek. "Come along. It's time we clean that up."

My fingers wrap in hers, and I don't allow myself to question why I enjoy physical contact when it's with her.

She allows me to drag her toward the bathroom. Flipping on the light switch, I guide her to the spacious countertop.

"Wow, you don't even have clutter in the bathroom." She smiles at me in the mirror. Her still-bleeding cut seems to open farther at the movement.

My hands land on her waist, lifting her and placing her down on the counter.

I generally enjoy watching others bleed. However, that does not apply to Laken.

"I should have some QuikClot around here somewhere." I bend and begin pulling open the drawers one after another.

My movements become more frantic as I realize it's not here.

I used the last of it before we left for Boston, and my head hangs.

It's been one disaster after another since Maverick and Gunner popped the trunk she was trapped in. My actions haven't helped anything, and it fills my stomach with an unfamiliar sensation.

"Are you okay?" she asks, patting the top of my forearm that rests next to her thigh.

"I'm supposed to be taking care of you," I growl, sounding unreasonably angry.

She's still bleeding.

Perhaps I need to take her to the doctor, so they can check her clotting factor.

An alpha's saliva has healing properties to clean and close our bite. My hands land on her face, tilting her face until her cheek points toward the ceiling.

"I'm going to lick your cut."

"What?" Her hands wrap around my forearms. "People don't go around licking other people's wounds. I feel like you should have learned that in kindergarten."

"My saliva can heal my bite, that would lead me to believe it can mend other minor wounds."

She pushes against my arms, struggling backward on the counter. "Get some peroxide like a normal person."

"There's nothing normal about me. The sooner you learn that, the better off we'll both be," I growl, flicking my tongue over the scratch.

"You seriously just licked me." She goes from pushing me away to holding on to me for dear life. Her eyes are striking as she stares up at me. "Did it work?"

I nod, savoring the flavor of her blood on my tongue. The unnatural urge to bite her washes over me out of nowhere.

Laken's eyes widen as she studies my face. "You're looking a little feral."

Awkwardly clearing my throat, I release her face and squat down to locate a small butterfly bandage.

"I believe it did work." Once I locate the specific one I've been searching for, I handle placing it on her cheek before stretching down to close the drawer.

"Not to sound spoiled, but do you plan to do the ones on my ankle too?" She laughs, running her fingers over my cheek as I look up at her from my bent position. "They probably need new bandages. I'm not asking you to lick my legs."

I nod. "I'll handle those as well."

The cabinet has a large first aid kit, and I collect that to assess her other wounds.

I open the kit, look for the items I'll need, and refocus on her after collecting them.

My heart races as my hand wraps around her calf. I tease my thumb over her skin, and my teeth ache, urging me to plunge them into her soft flesh.

Her blondish-brown hair falls around her face as her eyes sparkle.

She stretches forward, grabbing a handful of my shirt. "Are you single?"

"What?"

"Do you have any romantic partners I need to know about?" Her eyes narrow as her head tilts. "I wasn't fond of seeing another omega in your home."

"I wasn't fond of having her here," I deadpan, shaking out of her grip to grab the shears.

Tanner tied the bandages like he has no prior first aid training. I'll need to ask Ramirez to give him a refresher course if he plans to stick around. I remove the old wrapping and quickly clean the wound.

"You never answered my question," Laken says with a huff. "Are you single?"

I frown, carefully dabbing the cream over the healing cut on her ankle.

Why is she asking me about my personal life? I'm attempting to focus on taking care of her injuries.

She moves swiftly, stretching a hand over and pinching my nipple.

"Hey," I growl, my eyes flying up to hers.

"It's a simple yes or no question."

"I have no romantic partners."

"Fuck buddies?" she asks, narrowing her eyes. "Friends you occasionally fall into bed with?"

I scoff. "No."

"Liar," she huffs.

I release her ankle and stand to my full height, looming over her, even as she sits on top of the counter.

My palms land next to her hips.

"I have no reason to lie," I say, and my mouth feels dangerously close to hers.

"Why did you run away from me this morning?" Her pupils are huge as she licks her pink lips.

"Excuse me?" I ask absently as I stare at her plush mouth.

"You ran away. I'd like to know why."

"Was Tanner not up to your standards?" I counter. "I thought you liked him. You seemed comfortable?—"

She leans forward, staring directly into my eyes as she erases even more of the space between us. "Are you attracted to me?"

It takes every ounce of focus I possess to not rear back.

I believe she should know the answer to that question, making me wonder why she's asking it in the first place.

"You're beautiful."

Her mouth parts slightly, and she moves a hand to my chest. "I'm sure you've heard it your entire life. You're stupidly handsome. Seriously, you look like you belong on the cover of some men's high-fashion magazine or on a runway in Paris. I'm attracted to you too. What I can't handle is another alpha playing games."

She must be able to feel how fast my heart races, considering her fingers rest directly over it.

I'm excellent at strategy when it comes to manipulating an opponent's choices.

What I lack is the ability to form close personal relationships.

I'm strange.

People find my honesty abrasive and off-putting. Add in that I miss social cues more often than I pick them up, and it's difficult for me to form meaningful relationships.

When I am being sincere, people often think I'm being sarcastic. When I do miss something and ask for clarification, jokes are made that I don't comprehend.

It's maddening.

It's why I long ago gave up on fitting in.

However, I would gain no satisfaction from playing games with Laken's heart, meaning I would never intentionally hurt her.

"When a person opens up to you about their past trauma." Laken pats my chest. "You can take that opportunity to offer reassurance or to let the other person down gently if you aren't interested." She squints. "Be exceptionally tender if you're going with the second option. I mean, I was just kidnapped. Kinda twice, if you think about it."

"You're not my prisoner."

"Good to know," she says with a lopsided smile. "Do you want to add anything about the rest of what I said?"

"My basement is empty," I inform her, barely holding back the urge to press my lips to hers. "I have plenty of space for anyone who has hurt you." I smirk to cover how unsettled I'm feeling. "Give me their names, if you'd like me to make them regret their poor life choices."

"I know you're joking, but that's still ridiculously hot." She smiles up at me from under her lashes, and my cock stirs, desperate to make a fool of me.

It's concerning how drawn to her I am.

The fluttering in my chest only gets stronger as I appreciate the fullness of her cheeks as she grins.

I think I'll work harder in the future to encourage additional smiles from her.

I've never paid much attention to physical appearance. It's certainly never played a factor in attraction—mostly because I don't think I've ever felt true desire for someone.

Until now.

It's not just her physical attributes, either. Her scent deeply influences my system. I've never been led around by my cock, but at the moment, I'm dangerously close to acting without thought.

My head tilts as I pick up the sounds of someone banging on my bedroom door.

I sigh heavily. "Apparently, they can't be left to figure out anything on their own."

Maverick and Gunner have stayed here before. They should be able to parcel out which rooms I intended for them to stay in now.

That means it's Tanner with a death wish.

"What?" I growl, ripping the door open. All three men stand in a semi-circle.

"Should we just take over the rooms we had last time?" Gunner asks, tilting his head to peek into my room.

"Yes," I say, moving to close the door.

"What about me?" Tanner asks. "I'm beat."

"The room across the hall is empty. That will do for now." I slam the door in their faces before Nova or Haze can barrel in to leave a trail of dog fur.

I turn around to find Laken sitting primly on the edge of my bed.

My eyebrows rise.

"Do you need to finish bandaging my ankles?" she asks.

I shake my head. "It might be time to give them a little air, so they don't stay moist."

She laughs, making her hair fall around her face. "God, that's a terrible word."

"I'm afraid the remaining room choices are limited, but?—"

She smiles. "You thought you'd make up for last night by offering to share your bed with me?"

"I was going to offer you the nest," I clarify, trying to avoid staring at her legs as the dress she's wearing rides up around her thighs. Prior to meeting Laken, I thought of myself as an utmost gentleman, but simply seeing her soft skin on display makes me question everything I thought I knew.

"My instincts won't handle it well if it smells like another omega."

"No omega has stepped foot inside that nest." Nor in this bedroom, for that matter.

"So, you want me to sleep in there…by myself?"

My eyes narrow as I try to determine if she would rather sleep with Tanner. "Do you normally sleep in your nest in the weeks before your heat hits?"

She stands and slowly approaches.

There's something about the sway of her hips or possibly the way her breasts jiggle, since she's not wearing a bra, that seems to hypnotize my mind.

"If we're not careful, I think we'll go back and forth asking questions and never giving any real answers because we're both too stubborn to say how we feel."

I meet her eyes. "I have trouble communicating."

"So do I." She nods. "I have some traits that fall in line with ADHD. And a bonus side of anxiety that occasionally manifests as OCD."

My heart races because I also have a fair number of compulsive behaviors myself.

"How about we just answer truthfully from here on out?" she offers. "I can accept your bluntness, as long as you're honest."

"I will end up inadvertently hurting your feelings."

"Let me worry about that part." She smiles softly, and it changes her entire face. "To answer your question about where I sleep before my heat hits, I live in a one-bedroom apartment that doesn't have a separate nest. I've also never had a real heat before. In the past, I've always restarted a new pack of suppressants, so I only get a few days of breakthrough symptoms."

"Truly?" My hand slides around her lower back.

"The first time my heat tried to start, they sedated me because of my age." She shivers. "I still have vague memories. It was hell. I never want to go that route again."

"Then, you won't." I find myself bending to nuzzle my cheek to hers.

She clutches my hips even tighter. "I think, because it's uncharted territory, a full-blown heat makes me nervous. I'm a little afraid to be alone in case it sneaks up faster than it should. If you aren't up for company in your giant, pack-size bed, then I'll be happy to sleep on the couch."

I growl.

No way is that happening.

Maverick and Gunner are here, and if she started to perfume…

They would inevitably be drawn to the scent.

I would have to kill them if they touched her.

"You'll sleep in my bed."

"I'd love to. Do you have something I can sleep in? Or am I relegated to this Target dress for nightwear too?"

"I'll find you something. And I'll call Vale tomorrow. She can come shopping with us in town."

Laken's lips push together as she squints up at me.

I frown.

She continues to glare.

I continue to wonder where the hell I went wrong this time. "It's late. All the shops are closed. We don't have twenty-four-hour stores here. It's too rural."

Her shoulders rise and fall as she takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "That makes perfect sense. Is Vale another of your female houseguests?"

I nod. "She was at one point. Right after she delivered her daughter Aurora, there was an attack by Lucien at the Assurance compound. They intended to claim a bounty Lucien had put in place for Kate. Their mission was unsuccessful, but Vale's home was damaged too greatly for her pack to continue living there." A smile crosses my face. That was clear and concise. I shared information and stepped outside of my comfort zone. Laken's forehead wrinkles, and I quickly run through if there's anything important I may have left out. "I have also never been romantically involved with Vale."

Laken's hold on my waist releases slightly. I fight the urge to rub away the ache that has set in from her vicious little fingers.

"Okay, great. Could you point me to some pajamas?"

Was she jealous at the thought of Vale?

I like the idea that she's slightly territorial about me because I certainly am about her.

"Yes, of course." I lend Laken one of my favorite T-shirts, and she changes as I set the alarm and cameras to night mode.

Maverick and Gunner know the deal.

Nova and Haze can roam the house without setting off the alarm, but if the mutts need a bathroom visit before morning, they'll have to call, so I can shut off the alarm.

I spin away from the armoire that houses my security setup.

My knees get a little weak when I spot Laken. She's bent over the edge of the bed, pulling back the comforter.

I may be considerably taller than she is, but I'm also skinny. My shirt covers her bare ass, but not by much.

I planned to purchase bras and underwear for her tomorrow.

Sparrow did the best she could in Boston, but she missed out on most of the necessities. I'm still not sure if that was an oversight or if she was punishing me.

Seeing the crease under Laken's ass cheek as she fluffs the pillow makes my cock throb.

I'm not sure when it grew so uncontrollable, but here we fucking are.

Clearing my throat, I work on stripping down to my boxer briefs and aim for the bed.

"Would you feel more comfortable if I found you a pair of sweats to wear?"

Laken jolts, spinning to face me.

The look on her face isn't unfamiliar.

I don't feel overly boastful, admitting that both men and women frequently hit on me.

I long ago came to terms with the fact I'm physically attractive. However, I've never been anything outside of annoyed by their sultry glances.

The way the little omega licks her lips as she studies my chest and abs does not bother me in the least.

"No, I'm good," she says in a breathy tone that makes my balls ache.

Her gaze slides down to my dick. I'm pretty sure I should feel slightly objectified, but my cock seems to grow and thicken under her perusal.

Jesus Christ.

This is going to be a long night.

"Climb in." I gesture to the bed.

"Yes, sir." She spins around, planting her hands on the mattress and crawling up in a way that has her entire ass showing.

My fascination is split half between the incredible show and the way yes, sir sounded slipping from her luscious lips.

I've spent a lot of time trying to determine what to do with her.

She saw me and my men at work…but even that's an excuse.

I just decided, one way or another, I'm going to keep her.

I'll text our tech specialist in the morning. He has experience with marriage certificates, and I'm going to need one falsified immediately.