Chapter 8

chapter 8

. . .

Carmen

M y mouth was dry as I tried to find an answer. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and I was scared to move on from my past rejection.

“Logan,” I said slowly, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I appreciate your offer to be my alpha, but I really don’t want to ruin our friendship if we take it there.”

“A relationship built on friendship is always a beautiful thing,” he said, his brows furrowed as he studied me. “Is it Tyler holding you back?”

My throat tightened at the mention of Tyler's name, but I had to make things clear once and for all.

“No, it has nothing to do with him,” I said quickly. “I love the friendship we have, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with you or anything.”

“Be honest with yourself. Are you just waiting for Tyler to claim you?”

“No, I’m not waiting on him. Not in a million years,” I said, sighing under the pressure Logan was applying. My breaths were coming harder, and the room suddenly felt stiflingly warm. I slipped out from under the blankets and pulled on a jacket. “I need some fresh air. I’m going for a walk outside.”

“Snow’s coming down pretty hard right now,” Logan warned. “It might not be the best time.”

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted, zipping up my jacket. Then I quickly put on mittens and a hat. “I’ll just walk down the block and come right back, I promise. I just need to clear my mind and figure things out.”

“I’m sorry if I made things awkward or anything,” Logan said quickly as he followed me out of the room. He sounded sincere, and I looked up at him as my heart ached. There was longing in his gaze—a longing I couldn’t fill.

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it once I was at the front door. His hand felt gigantic and warm, but I needed a moment alone.

He opened the door. “Don’t be long. Are you sure you don’t want me to walk with you?”

“Yes,” I said. “My life has literally turned upside down, and I need to figure it out.”

“Alright,” he sighed, looking at the pelting snow outside. “I’m coming out there if you’re not back in ten minutes.”

As I stepped outside, the snowflakes transformed into icy pellets, hitting my skin with stinging force as I walked down the driveway and onto the sidewalk.

My mind raced with thoughts of Logan’s offer and the implications of having him as my alpha. I couldn’t comprehend the mere idea of him knotting me—his massive member throbbing and expanding inside of me. The pros were that if we did get together, it would be a good thing, and I’d have all the protection I needed. But at the same time, I was scared just in case Tyler was supposed to be my mate. The difference between Tyler and Logan was how I felt around each of them. Tyler evoked those feelings in me instantly since high school— the butterflies each time he touched my hand or looked at me, the feeling of being weak in the knees.

Looking around, I soon realized I had walked much farther from home than I intended.

The snow was falling steadily, and the silence around me felt almost oppressive, broken only by the crunch of my boots.

All the houses suddenly looked the same.

Oh shit .

Panic rose in my chest as I searched my pocket for my phone, only to groan in frustration when I found it missing. Oh my god, I left it at the house.

No, it’s okay. I’ll just find my way back , I comforted myself.

My teeth chattered as I shivered in the cold, my lips growing dry and cracked. I continued walking, desperate to find my way back, but it felt like I was walking in circles, seeing the same types of houses.

Was I really going to die out here?

I had to find the house no matter what, or else I was screwed. I thought about my family. My sisters would care if I went missing, and Logan would probably care, too.

The blizzard intensified, obscuring my vision until all I could see were snow flurries swirling around me.

My boots sank into the deepening snow, and the flakes clung to my eyelashes, making it even harder to see. I fought the exhaustion creeping over me, trying to stay awake. To my horror, the snow came up above my knees now.

My body was getting tired.

I needed to climb up a driveway and knock on anyone’s door. Suddenly, my trembling legs gave out from exhaustion as I collapsed onto the snow just to rest for a little while.

Tyler

Where was Carmen?

My binoculars were sitting on the dashboard of my security van after I observed Carmen and her platonic alpha friend talking at the door.

And then, for some reason, he let her walk out alone. What the fuck was that about? I thought she went to get the mail or something, but it was taking far too long, and it had already been seven minutes.

An uneasy feeling settled in my gut. I clenched my jaw and turned to Jaxon, whose arms were crossed, trying to stay warm.

“Have any of you seen Carmen return?” I asked while chewing on an energy bar, trying to maintain some semblance of calm.

“Nothing,” he replied, his breath visible in the freezing air. We had shut off the van to save on gas without any warning that a snowstorm was coming. Axel shook his head in agreement, his gaze never leaving the house.

My worry for Carmen consumed me, growing with each passing moment.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and Logan stepped out with his pack in their shifted wolf form. Something happened to Carmen .

“We need to go,” said Jaxon, sitting up immediately.

“Fuck, she’ll know we’ve been watching her this whole time,” I said, breathing hard.

“She could fucking die out there,” Jaxon said harshly. “Every minute that’s passing by…”

Axel nodded in agreement. “She won’t survive long in this weather.”

Jaxon sighed, frustrated. “The snow’s getting worse. She could be lost out there. We need to go after her, too. ”

Eventually, my instincts won out, and I knew we couldn’t wait any longer. “We’re going after her.”

We quickly stripped off our clothes and shifted into our wolf forms. I used my powerful hind legs to shut the door behind us before leading my pack out into the blizzard.

Our vision blurred as the snow lashed against our faces, making it nearly impossible to see.

“ Stay together ,” I commanded my pack telepathically.

The storm was rough, and the search was agonizingly slow because of how deep the snow was. But we were driven by the need to find Carmen and bring her to safety.

I sniffed the air, searching for her scent.

Finally, after slipping and sliding over numerous obstacles, I spotted her lying motionless in the snow, shivering and nearly buried beneath a blanket of white.

She had fallen asleep in the snow, and my heart leaped with panic.

“Oh fuck,” said Axel replied.

“We're going to surround her. She needs our warmth.”

My pack and I quickly surrounded her, using our warm bodies to provide her with much-needed heat. I draped myself over her as Axel and Jaxon pressed against her on both sides. As we pressed against her trembling form, I prayed that it would be enough to wake her.

Carmen

As I slowly regained consciousness, my body felt heavy and trapped.

The warmth surrounding me was comforting, but I felt something cold against my nose. Opening my eyes, I discovered heavy, warm fur on top of me and to my sides. It was like a very heavy blanket but hot as hell.

Then I smelled something familiar, like a long-forgotten memory.

“Ty…Tyler, is that you?” I stammered, my teeth chattering from the cold. I stirred, and the heavy weight on top of me shifted. I struggled to make sense of the situation, trying to reconcile my anger toward him with the familiar scent of his skin.

Wait, what the hell was he doing here with his pack?

My mind buzzed with conflicting emotions as I quickly stood between the three wolves while the wind whipped across my face.

Tyler nudged my ankle with his snout, and I swallowed. I hated him with my entire being, but I was dying out here.

Breathing hard, I looked around, realizing I didn’t have many options, so I climbed onto Tyler’s back. I never thought I’d feel grateful and resentful at the same time.

He raced through the streets while I clung to his back, feeling his muscles and tendons flex underneath me. Being this close to him made my face burn, and not just from the wind.

How could he still have this effect on me? I felt nothing but contempt toward him, yet being this close was eliciting even more emotions than I cared to admit.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of the house with his pack, and I was so grateful to see the house again, which had clearly been under my nose this entire time.

I climbed off his back—my body still ice-cold and trembling, making it a chore.

The three wolves shifted back, and Tyler immediately turned to me while naked, catching me leaning against a car and shivering.

“You’re still cold,” he said. “We need to get inside the house. ”

I tried to speak, but my jaw was locked tight with cold. Oh wow, he was built . I couldn’t help but lower my gaze to his navel.

“You’re not okay,” he said gruffly, scooping me up in his very warm arms as I tried to protest. He quickly jogged to the front door of the house, completely naked. “Open the door, Jaxon. Don’t bother knocking.”

Thankfully, it was unlocked as Tyler quickly carried me inside, cradling me like a fragile treasure. He set me down on the couch. The moment we were all inside, the alphas towered over me, concern etched on their faces. I wondered where Logan and his pack were, but then I remembered him saying he would look for me after ten minutes if I didn’t show up.

He was probably out there looking for me.

“Get her clothes off,” Tyler ordered gruffly. “She might get hypothermia.”

“Wait, what?!” I tried to protest, my teeth chattering violently from the cold. “That’s crazy… I can’t.”

“Trust us, Carmen,” Jaxon said, his voice surprisingly gentle as he knelt before me naked. “We need to warm you up quickly, or you could be in real danger. We would need to take you to a hospital to get checked.”

Hating hospitals, I nodded, and Jaxon started removing my icy jacket while Axel hurried to take off my shoes, socks, and pants.

“This too,” said Axel, tugging on my bra. I swallowed; it was indeed close to my skin. I couldn’t even feel my hands anymore.

“Here,” said Tyler, lifting me by the waist and setting me down on the living room rug. “Get the fire going, Axel.”

Tyler immediately positioned himself behind me, pulling me flush against his broad chest. His skin felt like a furnace, and I couldn’t help but lean in for more of that delicious warmth as I trembled .

Jaxon settled himself in front of me, pressing his firm, warm body against my breasts. “Skin to skin, baby.”

“You’re shivering; relax, honey,” Tyler whispered into my ear. I could feel both alphas’ heat seeping into me, chasing away the bone-deep chill.

“Damn it,” Jaxon muttered, his warm breath brushing against my skin. “She’s barely breathing. What the hell was she thinking, going out in this storm?”

“Maybe she just wanted some fresh air,” Axel interjected as he turned on the electric fireplace. The glow of the flames illuminated the room, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

I would have laughed if I weren’t so cold and exhausted. My body felt heavy and numb, and I struggled to form a response. All I could do was press closer to Tyler and Jaxon, silently begging for more of their life-saving warmth.

As the heat from their bodies began to thaw me, my mind wandered to dangerous territory.

I could feel Jaxon’s erection pressing against the outside of my pussy, making me shiver for entirely different reasons. I hadn’t worn underwear during my adventures outside, and I started to realize how exposed I was between these alphas.

If I dared to spread my legs even an inch, he would be able to penetrate me without any resistance. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Tyler’s growing arousal, his erection nudging between my ass cheeks.

Tyler

I focused on Carmen's shivering form, gently rubbing her arms to encourage blood flow. The heat from our pressed bodies was intensifying, and I couldn’t help but feel my arousal growing along with it .

As I pulled her closer, I buried my face in her soft hair, breathing in the scent that clung to her despite the cold. It was maddening, and I struggled to stifle the desire building inside me. My priority was to ensure her safety, but damn if she didn’t make it difficult.

“You’re getting warmer. I can feel it,” I said.

“It’s not too bad anymore,” she whispered, her breath hitching in her throat as I took her hand resting at her side.

“Good,” I growled, starting to purr. I needed to infuse the calming vibrations of my purr so she could feel completely relaxed with us.

I felt her heartbeat gradually return to normal, her once icy hand slowly warming as I wrapped mine around it. Her well-being was all that mattered, even though my own body was betraying me, my erection growing harder by the minute. Her juicy ass pressing against my dick made it challenging to think straight.

And it wasn’t lost on me that she had walked outside without underwear. Jealousy stabbed through me at the thought of her sleeping with her platonic alpha friend.

Suddenly, the door crashed open—an icy gust of wind swirling into the room. Logan stormed in, his eyes blazing with fury, and I sighed, annoyed that he had to ruin our moment.

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, his voice sharp and accusatory.