8. Apollo

We were too close.

The moment I stepped into the heat suite and saw her lying on the bed like a mannequin, we'd been too close.

Or was it the moment I shook her hand, or looked into her eyes, or the moment we caught her scent and collectively sighed in relief because we'd found our omega?

She purred non-stop in the car until we reached the club, wrapped in Odin's arms, buried into him like a content cat.

And now she was curled around me.

We tucked her into our bed as soon as we got her into our flat. Even though I'd fought Zeus over bringing her here, and frustration buzzed through our bond from both me and Odin that we'd given in to Zeus's demands, it was the right decision. She belonged with us.

The three of us barely fit on the bed, and adding in an extra omega, no matter how tiny, made it a tight fit. We wrapped ourselves around her and clung to each other. She burrowed into my chest, her back to me as Odin held her tight in front, her hand clasped around his neck.

She refused to let him go. Even when we tried to part them, she gave a light growl in her sleep, and the shy smile and satisfaction that burst from Odin was so beautiful that we had to leave them both.

Zeus pressed against my back, his deep snores vibrating through me, bringing a grin to my face. It was perfect in every single way, just how our pack should be.

I just wish it could stay this way forever.

Nuzzling her hair, I drew in a quick hit of her heady scent. She groaned softly and shifted in her sleep, her ass pushing back into my already hard cock with a sigh from both of us.

I didn't want to wake her, not yet. Not when I could have these precious few moments to myself, surrounded by Zeus and Odin, and feel how strongly we were already connected to her.

Everyone knew how powerful a scent match was, how it snapped into place instantly. It could come at any time from anywhere. There had been stories of people catching one scent on a train and going back there, day after day for months, driven mad by that briefest hint, never resting until they found their mate. There were people who travelled for years, searching but never finding them, and people who knew before they presented that they belonged together.

And here was our omega, safe in our arms.

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes tight. It would be easier if this were a dream. Then, when we woke up, we wouldn't have to face the consequences. Because, if anyone found out we'd brought her to our pack house, even for a night, we were done for.

She had signed a contract. She was the official property of the Knottinghill Group. Or, as Michael said, she was his property. We shouldn't have touched her, let alone bring her back to our pack house, but it was too late now.

Lying there, watching her sleep, I was filled with hope and despair. Because her face when we found her, the agony beating off of her was too much to bear. It was our duty as her alphas to take care of her and protect her. And all we had done was stand by, even when she first told Michael she wanted us.

When Zeus woke from his nightmares, we'd talk about running away, how the four of us could find a house in the middle of nowhere and live happily together. We'd surprise her by showing up to her room one night with a car packed and ready, plane tickets, a beautiful beach location, or mountains, or forest. North or south, desert or tundra, wherever she wanted, as long as we could be together.

Though, even at the height of his rut, Zeus knew that was all a dream.

We were her bodyguards, and we were still protecting her. It just so happened that tonight it was from our bed.

But Michael wouldn't see it that way.

We weren't bound by contracts; we could leave whenever we wanted. We stayed because Michael protected us. He found us and saved us, exactly the same as Candy.

If we didn't fuck her, and just took her back to her rooms at Club Heat now, maybe we'd be safe. But the moment we all woke up, it would be over. Zeus wouldn't be able to resist her, and I didn't want to. Even though she had slipped into post-heat, she still smelled like a buffet, and we needed to feast.

There was a slight rumble from her stomach, and I grinned as I nuzzled her again.

I wanted to enjoy this as much as possible before it was all ripped away from us.

I might not be able to save her from her contract, but I could at least save her from hunger.

Pressing my lips to her hair, I eased myself backwards into Zeus's hard chest and quickly crawled away from him before he grabbed me in a pincer hold. He was a massive cuddler, and he liked to hold on tight.

His hand missed me, finding Candy instead. He shuffled closer, caging her in against Odin. My two mates sandwiching our lovely omega. I just prayed it would be a quiet night for him, that he had dreams rather than nightmares.

I quietly crept over to our bedside table, picking up my phone and taking a shot. I wanted something to commemorate the peace before we had to return to reality.

I gave them one last lingering look before I turned and headed to the kitchen, already looking forward to their reactions when they finally woke up.