Chapter 15 We’ve come this far

Haven’s joy is fucking infectious.

Who would have thought that a dinner out with my pack and her best friend would be enough to light her up like fireworks on the Fourth of July? But it is.

She’s so fucking different from how I imagined. So sweet and down to earth. So caring. The image of her cupping Creed’s face and telling him he’s safe with her is forever burned into my memory.

She meant it. We all know she did. She has no intention of hurting any of us, and honestly, I can’t imagine her even thinking nasty thoughts about us.

She’s just too fucking good.

And that’s the rub, isn’t it?

Creed’s right. He’s been right from the beginning. Haven doesn’t deserve what we’re doing to her. The more time we spend with her, the clearer that becomes, but it’s not as though we can stop. Not when we’ve come this far.

Haven is the way to make Frederick Bell hurt the way we did, the way we do . He loves her, dotes on her. That much is clear from every interview where he discusses the joys and trials of being a single father but reassures the world that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

And it’s not like Haven is going to suffer the same fate as Janie. We aren’t complete monsters. She’ll just… undergo a change to her reputation and through her, so will her father.

It’s only the first blow of many against him, so why the hell do I feel so fucking guilty about it?

The rest of my pack does too. Jude and Tic broadcast it loud and clear through our pack bond, and Creed isn’t quiet about it either, though his side of the bond is closed all the time now. Like he can’t bear to feel us, be a part of us while we’re on this course of action.

I can’t blame him. I really, really fucking can’t.

Especially after what I witnessed in the alley at the restaurant. He finally gave in and was caught in the act. I imagine his guilt is eating at him.

By the time Creed and Haven returned to the table, Haven’s mouth looking red and swollen, her lipstick freshly applied, and her long dark hair pulled into a new ponytail, the food had arrived.

We ate and drank and pretended like we didn’t know what they’d gotten up to in the time away from us. Haven and Ren both got a little tipsy, and leaned on each other as we left, heading to our next destination: The Market.

I know most omegas like this club, because there’s a strict no harassment policy in place. Any alpha gets a little too handsy with an omega, a little too aggressive (or vice versa as some omegas can be a little territorial, but that’s not usually the case), then security steps in. They’re trained to recognize the signs.

I don’t think it’s strictly necessary for us to come here tonight, seeing as we’re with Haven and Ren, but I get that they feel comfortable here. Which is what’s important.

“I’m not sure I can go through with this,” Tic finally voices what I’ve been feeling from him for the last few days. Ever since we made Haven fall apart for us in the park.

“Not you too,” I groan, tipping my head back against the booth. We’re not in the VIP area tonight. I’d wanted to be, but our girl wanted to dance and it’s easier to keep an eye on her from here, right next to the dance floor, than from the balcony above.

Jude leans his elbows on the table and shakes his head. “Come on, brother. You know this isn’t right.” He slides his gaze over to Creed, who came back from the alley with Haven smelling like sex. “And I don’t think big brother is going to let us do it. He’s made his feelings clear.”

I arch a brow at Creed, who just glares back at me in response.

“Okay, so say we don’t go through with it.” I know it sounds like I’m agreeing and maybe I am, but I can’t just let it go either. “We lose the emotional pain. Sure his career and finances will suffer but-”

“You don’t think he’ll get emotional about having everything he worked for ripped away?” Creed growls out. “Really?”

I lick my lips. “No, he will. But Haven will really hurt him, the way we hurt after-”

“Janie is dead,” Creed says bluntly, making the rest of us flinch. “She’s dead, and she doesn’t give a fuck about what we’re doing. Even if she did, I can’t imagine she would want us to hurt another omega in order to get revenge. She was vicious, but not that kind of vicious.”

He’s right. Everything he just said is right. But it doesn’t make it easier for me to swallow. I failed Janie all those years ago. As her alpha, her prime, it was my job to keep her safe. I didn’t.

What the hell kind of alpha does it make me if I fail her again all these years later, when we’re so fucking close to getting everything we’ve planned?

Tic slides a look in Creed’s direction before looking back at me. “While I don’t agree with Creed’s delivery, I do agree with the sentiment. Janie isn’t in a position to care about anything we do. If she was, she wouldn’t want us to hurt Haven for her.”

Jude nods and I let out a frustrated breath. “So what? That’s it? We just call everything off? Everything we’ve worked for?”

“None of us are saying that, Hale,” Tic says calmly. “We have plenty of other methods to make Bell hurt.”

I want to argue. Like fuck do I want to argue. I want to have a fucking shouting match with them right now, hash everything out well and truly, but we can’t do that here. Not while it’s Haven’s birthday and we’re at a club full of people.

Not when Haven and Ren are dancing up to the table, hands stretched out toward us in invitation. Unsurprisingly, Jude’s the first to move, sliding out of the booth to scoop Haven over his shoulder while she squeals.

“We’re not done talking about this,” I growl.

He pauses and looks over his shoulder at me. “We’re done for tonight.” It’s rare that Jude draws a line in the sand. He’s happy to let me lead. He stays out of the way when Creed and I butt heads. So he must really be done with this, at least for tonight.

Haven pushes up, hands braced on Jude’s ass to look at me through strands of her silky brown hair. “Everything okay?” The concern on her face is clear and the last thing I want is her being anxious at her own birthday celebration, so I smile and reach out, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“Yeah, mouse, everything’s fine. Nothing for you to worry about.”

The smile she gives me could light up the entire world. “Oh good. Will you come dance with me?”

Tic and Creed are already sliding out of the booth, echoing Jude’s sentiment with their actions. I sigh and nod. “How can I resist?”

Haven giggles as I stand as well, and then flops her head back down, but I notice she doesn’t drop her hands from Jude’s ass.

“You gonna keep hold of me the whole way to the dance floor, button?”

“Well, I have to hold on to something to keep from falling. Your bubble butt is as good as anything.”

“Bubble butt!” I bark out a laugh as Jude growls and sinks his teeth into her hip. She squeals and jerks at the contact, but Jude’s got a firm grip on her and doesn’t let her fall. In the next instant, Haven’s looking at me again. Beaming.

“You’re so pretty, Hale.”

I arch a brow at her as we make it to the edge of the dance floor. “I’ve been called a lot of things, little mouse, but pretty isn’t one of them.”

Jude flips her up and over his shoulder, setting her on her feet. He keeps a hand on her to hold her steady until she gets her balance and she tosses him a grateful smile before looking at me again.

“But you are pretty.” The tip of her pointer finger brushes over my still smiling mouth. “So pretty when you smile, but freaking gorgeous when you laugh. You should laugh more.”

There’s no reason for her words to hit me so hard in my chest, but they do. I used to laugh a lot. I used to play and have fun. But look at where that got me.

Ten years of heartbreak and revenge.

“I laugh,” I protest as Creed slides in behind her, hands gripping her waist to start her swaying to the music. She melts against him, one hand covering his, the other reaching up to loop around the back of his neck. This pushes her tits out, almost in offer to me. I move forward, wanting to feel all that soft flesh with my hand, my mouth, but Creed growls at me, clutching her to him possessively.

Apparently, what happened in the alley turned him into a bit of a caveman.

I arch a brow and hold my hands up. If he wants to keep Haven tucked against his body and growl at anyone who gets too close, I’ll let him. It’s only going to help us out in the long run. Besides, I’ve got a hell of a lot more points than he does. My boy needs to play catch up.

Creed glares at me, and spins Haven in his arms, palming her ass with one hand, and winding her ponytail around his fingers with the others, using it to tilt her face up to his.

I grin as I watch them kiss.

Grin as I slip my phone from my pocket and snap a picture, getting Haven’s birthmark on her shoulder in the shot.

Grin as I start bobbing to the music.

Haven catches sight of me and bursts out laughing. I laugh too. I’m not a good dancer. Not this kind of dancing, at least. I can waltz and foxtrot with the best of them, but dancing to a song better suited to grinding alone? Well, that just makes me look awkward.

Still, I don’t stop.

I tell myself it’s because things are finally going my way. No matter what my pack said in that booth about not wanting to use Haven, they’ve all continued to do just that. Even Creed.

Yeah, it’s totally that, and not that every time Haven looks at me, she beams and giggles. It’s not the happiness on her face that warms me from the inside.

Not at all.

It’s after midnight, closer to one a.m. when we make it back to the pack house. We dropped Ren off first, even though she said she could just take a cab or a ride share. All of our alpha instincts prickled at the idea of letting her make her own way home, and Haven flatly refused to let her, so we drove for ten minutes in the opposite direction, dropping Ren in front of her slightly rundown townhouse and waiting until she made it through the locked front doors.

Haven snuggled closer to Tic when he asked about the security in Ren’s building, and muttered about how she was so glad he cared about her best friend’s safety, before she drifted off, eyes fluttering closed.

Tic and Jude help Haven up the stairs to get her ready for bed, and as soon as she’s safely out of earshot, Creed is on me. Hands fisted in my shirt, shoving me back until I collide with a wall.

“You’re going to delete that video,” Creed hisses at me, pulling me forward and then slamming my back against the wall again. It’s a demand, an order, not a request.

I laugh at him. “Not likely. Jude’s probably already watched the whole thing and fucked his hand to it, then added your points for you.”

He growls and draws one of his hands back. I brace for the hit, one that I rightly deserve. After all, I recorded Haven and Creed out in that alley, watched as she kneeled for him, took him in her mouth, got aroused beyond reason when I realized she has no fucking gag reflex and can take a cock in her throat like a champ.

Creed saw me.

He saw me with my phone pointed at them, and he didn’t stop, didn’t tell me to leave. I took that as a sign of his acceptance, his agreement. About fucking time, too.

“Everything okay?” Haven’s voice, shaky with fear, halts the descent of his fist. His eyes close as his fingers tighten on my shirt. I twist my head to find her standing down the hall, face washed, pajamas on. Though her pjs are actually one of my t-shirts.

Fuck. She looks good.

“Yeah, baby girl,” Creed answers, opening his eyes to pin me with a glare. “Everything’s fine. Hale and I just need to have a little chat.”

Ha, no chance of that, asshole.

There’s no way I’m going to stay here and let Creed beat the shit out of me. Even if I deserve it.

“Nah, we don’t.” I reach up and untangle his fingers from me, then slip from between the wall and the fuming alpha, stalking toward our pretty little omega. “We’ve already said everything we need to.”

Haven tilts her head back to meet my eyes before looking over my shoulder at Creed. “You sure?”

“Yep.” There’s a furrow in her brow I don’t like, a worry and fear in her gaze I dislike even more, which must be why I say, “Wanna sleep with me tonight?”

Those gray eyes of hers widen in surprise, but then she gives me this gorgeous smile, one that hits me in my chest too damn close to my heart. “Really?”

Apparently, Haven hasn’t enjoyed sleeping alone in our house. Not if the way she’s bouncing on her toes in excitement is any sign.

“Really,” I confirm, booping the end of her nose. Who the hell am I?

“I’ve never slept with anyone,” she admits. “I might be bad at it.”

I laugh and turn her toward the stairs, swatting her ass to get her moving and ignore Creed fuming behind us altogether. “I doubt that.”

Haven’s eyes twinkle as she looks at me over her shoulder. “You never know. I might snore, or starfish. I bet I starfish.”

She doesn’t. I know because I’ve peeked in on her a few times during the night, and Haven Bell sleeps curled on her side, with her hands tucked under her chin, silent as the fucking grave. I had to check she was breathing the first few times.

“You can starfish all over me if you want, mouse.”

She laughs, and my chest warms. “I’m gonna hold you to that. That means you can’t get mad if you wake up with me splayed on top of you.” Just the idea of that is enough to get me hard. Waking up with her soft little body draped over my chest, her pussy nestled on top of my morning wood, all hot and wet and willing. I have a feeling sleepy morning sex with her would be a thing of beauty.

I press myself into her back, letting her feel my erection. Her footsteps falter, and I catch her by her elbows, holding her in place so I can grind my cock into her ass. “I like the idea of that very much, omega,” I grit out into her ear. “Very fucking much.”

She whimpers and, my god, my cock gets even fucking harder.

I slide my hand onto her belly. And then down lower, until I’m cupping between her legs, using my grip there to guide her forward, down the hall and into my bedroom, all the while pressing into her back.

She’s completely flushed by the time we reach it, chest heaving with every breath. The faint scent of her arousal reaches my nose and, not for the first time, I wish she wouldn’t take suppressants. The drugs Tic slips into her coffee every morning help to counterbalance them, but we don’t want to do too much too fast. She’d be bound to notice if she suddenly started perfuming heavily. So we’ve been steadily increasing the dosage over the last week. Of course, that’s all going to stop once she returns to her father.

I wonder if she would keep taking it herself if we told her it was a supplement, something to keep her healthy.

Tic is almost obsessive about making sure she gets the right nutrients now, so it would stand to reason he’d want that to continue when she’s no longer here with us.

I make a mental note to ask him about it in the morning, and to come up with a way to convince Haven to take them.

But for now, I push the thought aside and sweep my hands up the front of her shirt, cupping her breasts in my palms. She arches back into me, a moan falling from her lips. She’s so warm and soft, her skin like silk. In all honesty, I could spend fucking hours just touching her, running the tips of my fingers over her, mapping every inch of her body. But that’s not necessarily something we can use, and it won’t get me any points.

I shift both of us, turning Haven so she’s facing the camera she’ll never see and tug my shirt up and over her head. Her hair cascades down her back, a silky chocolate brown that makes my mouth water. Which is weird. I’ve never gotten turned on by the color of someone’s hair. Until her.

I trail kisses over her shoulders, across her birthmark as my fingers toy with the elastic of her sleep shorts. “May I?”

She gives a sharp short nod and I push the fabric down, letting it pool at her feet. Haven kicks it away and then turns to look up at me, completely bare, pink nipples hard and pointing right at me, lower lips glistening with slick. She’s fucking beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

She bites her lower lip and drops her eyes, arms creeping over her stomach and breasts. “No,” I growl, hands snapping out to curl around her wrists. “No, mouse, you don’t hide yourself from me. Not one single fucking inch, you hear me?”

She looks up at me from beneath her lashes. “It’s just… I’ve never been totally naked with someone before. No one’s seen me like this.”

Aw, fuck . That does something to my heart and I’m not sure I like it. “I see you, mouse.”

Her lips tip up into a small smile. “You do.” She reaches out and plucks at my shirt. “Can I see you?”

I don’t hesitate to reach one hand behind my head and yank my shirt off, dropping it carelessly to the ground. Haven watches me, chest flushing a deeper shade of pink as she takes in my chest, the swirls of ink covering it. One hand drifts up and bushes over the bit of metal in my nipple. “Did that hurt?”

“Yes,” the sound comes out strained, because holy fuck just her little hand on my bare skin, flicking that barbell has my cock weeping, angry it’s not already inside her. “But it feels really fucking good now.”

She giggles and strokes over it again. That sound has me lurching forward, grabbing her up by her thighs, lifting her until she crashes against me, bare skin on bare skin. She squeaks and wraps her arms around me. “Kiss me,” I demand and she does, dropping her head to flick her tongue in my mouth.

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of kissing Haven Bell. Her taste, her scent, the soft feel of her silky tongue against mine, the scrape of her teeth over my lip as she sucks it into her mouth.

I carry her over to the bed, our mouths melding the entire time, her fingers tight in my hair, angling me how she wants me. I allow it for the moment, that moment of control, because as soon as she’s on her back, I’m taking it back. Taking her.

I kneel on the bed before bending at the waist, letting her land softly. Her arms slide from around my shoulders as I sit back on my heels, taking in her naked beauty, splayed across the mattress. “So pretty, little mouse,” I murmur, stroking a singled finger from between her breasts all the way down to her little clit, already swollen with arousal, with need. For me.

Her hips jump, and she moans when I circle that needy little bead. “I think I’m gonna have to taste you, omega. Gonna need to put my mouth right here,” I press down and she gasps, “And eat you all up. You want that?”

She nods, looking at me with heavy lust drenched eyes. “Yes, Hale. Please.”

“Please what?” I ask, eyes roaming over her body, idly squeezing my cock through my jeans.

She spreads her legs wider, giving me a better view of her drenched pussy. My fingers tighten around my dick in response. “Eat me.” She slides her hand between her legs and uses two fingers to spilt her lips in offer. And I’m lost.

I fall on her like a starving man on a buffet, literally eating at her pussy, her fingers still holding herself wide for me, until I grunt because they’re just in my fucking way. Nipping at her clit, I pull her hand from between us and slide it onto my head, into my hair.

Haven’s legs tighten around me. But I leave her slick, drenched cunt to bite her thigh. Hard. With a cry, she lifts her head to glare at me. “What the fuck?”

“Keep these legs open for me, omega. I mean it. Keep them spread nice a wide, no trying to shut me out.”

She nods her understanding, and I return to my feast with a grunt. Licking. Sucking. Biting. Haven’s head falls back on the pillow and I slide one hand up to play with her perfect breasts as I eat. And eat. And eat.

“Fuck, Hale,” she moans, tugging at my hair. “That’s so good. So, so good.”

I grunt my agreement, hands scooping under her ass to tip her hips up, give me a better angle to devour her. She fists the sheet with her other hand and drapes her legs over my shoulders like it’s the most fucking natural thing in the world.

She told us she’d only been with one other person before us, and I believed her. There’s no reason for her to have lied, and besides, every time we touch her, stroke her, taste her, she seems genuinely surprised by her responses, by how good it feels. It’s clear that the male omega who took her virginity had no clue what to do with it.

“Please,” she gasps. “Please. Please. Please.”

I lift my eyes to see her expression as she begs, to see the little furrow between her brows and the wrinkle in her nose as she comes to grips with the pleasure I’m giving her. She looks fucking beautiful. Flushed cheeks, swollen lips, hair a dark halo on my pillow.

I pull my mouth away from her slit and nip at her thighs, the juncture of her hip, her red and dripping outer lips. Everywhere but where she really wants me. “Please what, little mouse?”

Her head thrashes and her fingers tighten on my hair, trying to direct me back where she wants me, but I resist. “Tell me. Say the words.” I need to hear them. Both for myself and for the cameras recording.

I know my pack thinks we shouldn’t do this, use her in this way, but I can’t seem to let it go. If anything changes, if they change their mind, then I want to have everything we need.

Nevermind that I doubt that will happen. More likely, Jude will delete everything and Haven will never even know.

“Please, alpha, make me come.”

I nip at her thigh again. “You want to gush all over my face, omega? Drown me in your slick?”

She nods frantically. “Yes. Yes, please.”

“Fucking good. Give it to me.” I dive back in, this time bracing her weight with one hand while my other circles her entrance. Her hips buck frantically as best as she can, stomach muscles contracting with each thrust, trying to get me to slip inside.

I let her sweat a little, let her frustration grow and grow, sucking, licking, biting at her clit until tears stream out of her eyes, and she’s muttering a constant litany of begging words, of pleas.

She comes when I finally give her what she needs. Two fingers thrust to the knuckle inside her tight, grasping channel and she fucking explodes, screaming my name to the ceiling, entire body taut with pleasure. I fuck her through it, hard and fast, slick pouring over my palm to soak the bed, my tongue flicking over her clit constantly, even though I know she’s gotta be sensitive as fuck.

Fingers push at my head, try to get me off her, but my little mouse should know by now, I don’t take orders; I give them. And right now I’m wordlessly ordering her body to give me another one.

“No, Hale. I can’t. Alpha, please stop. It’s too much.”

I don’t stop. Why would I? I know she can give me another one, and I fucking want it. Her inner muscles contract, trying to suck me deeper, and since I’m already knuckle deep in her, I add another finger.

“Oh, fuck,” Haven whimpers as I stretch her out. “Oh, fuck. I can’t. I can’t. Hale, please.” Her nails dig into my shoulders, my scalp, and I welcome that bite of pain. It makes my cock twitch and leak, pre-cum soaking through my boxers into my jeans.

I don’t lift my mouth from her, don’t slow the thrusting of my fingers inside her. Every movement, every caress of my tongue and my lips are a demand. Come for me. Come for me. Give it to me. Give me what I want. Come for me, omega. Fucking come.

Haven’s gray eyes widen in surprise as the discomfort she was feeling morphs into stunning pleasure, her second orgasm hits hard and fast and she screams my name again, louder, longer, a wail that I’m sure will reverberate through these walls for fucking years to come.

I yank my fingers from inside her and latch my mouth over her opening, swallowing down every drop of the fresh wave of slick she gives me. Sweet, spicy, smoky. Fucking perfect. When the gush subsides, I lick all around her lips, her clit, her thighs, gathering as much of her as I can on my tongue.

I don’t know that I’ll ever get enough of her taste. Enough of her.

I push the trickle of guilt that arouses to the side. I’m doing what needs to be done, and it’s a bonus that I’m enjoying it. A bonus that she enjoys it too.

Haven’s hands slip from my shoulders bonelessly to flop on the mattress, body flushed and lungs heaving.

I kiss my way up her body, stretching out on top of her in a plank. Her thighs part in instinct, bracketing my hips. Holding most of my weight off her, I duck my head and take her lips in a kiss.

“Mm. My little mouse isn’t so quiet after all. Love to hear you scream, baby.” I drop my weight on top of her, nestled my cock between her wet folds, her slick soaking into the fabric covering my cock. She moans and arches up into me, the little pebbles of her nipples scraping through the hair on my chest. “What do you need now, baby?”

She looks up at me with those wide gray eyes of hers, cheeks flushed with her orgasm, breasts heaving with every breath she takes and says the three sweetest words I’ll ever hear from her lips, “Fuck me, please.”