27. Meggie

27

Meggie

I wake up on the couch in Ellis's arms and panic. What was I thinking? No, I know what I was thinking. I've been so turned on ever since I moved into this house that I've been walking around like a kettle about to whistle.

Last night, I was weak. Exhausted. Sore. So tired of fighting the attraction I feel for all of them. And Ellis… he made me feel strong. Powerful. Wanted. He made me feel connected. Like I'm not alone.

I want that. I want him .

Daniel is the only other man I've ever been with and he never made me feel like that. We were young, only freshmen in college when we got together, awkward and fumbling. He had just designated as an alpha, and I still thought I was a beta, though I should have known by the way my body seemed to wake up any time an alpha was around. Omegas are always drawn to alphas, just like alphas are drawn to them.

Ellis stretches and relaxes his grip on me. The movement stirs a whiff of my scent into the air. Shit! This is why last night was a stupid idea.

The scent isn't strong. I doubt most people would smell it, but this is a house full of alphas. And at least one of them has an extra sensitive sense of smell. I need to get everything cleaned up before Harrison wakes up.

Okay, first things first. The strongest scent is coming from where my slick soaked through the couch. It's dry now, but the smell is still there. I slip carefully away from Ellis and quickly pull my clothes back on. Tiptoeing up to my room, I grab a spray bottle of my favorite deodorizer and rush back downstairs, hoping I don't run into anyone on the way.

Thankfully, the house is still quiet, and Ellis is still asleep. I try to be careful as I spray down the upholstery, but some of the spray hits Ellis's leg, and he rolls over, yawning. "Morning, sunshine."

Before he can ask what I'm doing, I shove the bottle of deodorizer under the couch and tug on his hands. "Come on."

I've got to get him in the shower and get both of us clean before anyone wakes up.

"What are you two doing out here?" McQuinn's voice startles me so much I jump and scream. He smirks. "Did you have fun last night?"

Shit. Shit! Shit, shit, shit!

Nils walks up behind McQuinn, taking in the scene with a mug of hot coffee in his hands. Ellis stands up and wraps his arms around me from behind. "It was one of the best nights of my life."

Why does he have to be all sweet right now? It doesn't help that both McQuinn and Nils are looking at me like they want to devour me. Their scents grow stronger, and I know they're turned on. I can't avoid remembering how I caught them in the shower. Nils bent over and looking at me with so much intensity. McQuinn never taking his eyes off me as he stroked his pack mate. Nils's cum dripping down the glass of the shower. McQuinn's palm hitting the glass. The way he cursed and said my name.

I clench my thighs as the area between my legs grows wet. Not helping my need to hide my scent.

Nils sniffs, and his head tilts to the side.

No, no, no! I need to get out of here. "Well, um, nice to see you. Good morning. We're just gonna…" I spin, grab Ellis's hand, and drag him behind me towards the stairs.

Ellis whispers in my ear, "You don't need to be embarrassed, sunshine. The guys are fine with it. In fact, I bet they'd be more than happy to join next time."

"Next time." My voice wavers. I can't think about the possibility of next time when there shouldn't have been a first time.

But I wouldn't take back last night. Ellis isn't the only one who thought it was unforgettable. It was one of the best nights of my life, too.

"You don't have to run." Ellis chuckles as I pull him forward.

Shower. I just need to get us to the shower so I can drench us both in scent neutralizers.

But when we reach the bottom of the stairs, Dante and Harrison are coming down. The pack alpha exudes power and confidence. His eyes capture mine, trapping me like a mouse under a cup. My heart pounds. My ears buzz.

My scent is too faint, and he's too far away to catch it… right? I hope.

Ripping my gaze away from him, I change directions, rushing towards the back of the house, past McQuinn and Nils, pulling open the sliding glass door, and yanking Ellis towards the pool. He could resist at any time. I'm not strong enough to move him, but he goes along with me, clearly curious what I'm doing. I'm acting crazy, but I don't care. This is too important. I can't let them find out.

When we reach the pool's edge, I don't hesitate. I push Ellis in and jump in after him. Fully clothed.

He surfaces, laughing hard. "If you wanted a morning swim, sunshine, you could have just asked."

Wiping the water from his face, he swims towards me until he has me pinned against the edge of the pool.

Feeling more relaxed now that my scent is washing away, drowned out by the chlorine, I teasingly turn his own words from last night around on him. "I just want to play."

"Well, in that case…" He ducks under the water and grabs the band of my shorts with his teeth. I tug on his hair in protest, and he releases his hold, rising back to the surface.

"Ellis!" I shove him. "You can't just strip me in the pool."

"I thought you wanted to play." He fake pouts.

"I didn't—I mean, I wasn't—"

"Shh, it's okay, Megs." He tucks my wet hair behind my ear. "Why didn't you want them to smell what we did?"

I drop my head back against the side of the pool. "You caught that, huh?"

"Seemed pretty obvious when the first thing you did after waking up was spray down the couch and pull me into the pool."

"I just… um…" I glance around and see Dante and the rest of the guys watching from the window, then blurt out, "I didn't want you to get in trouble with your bonded."

Ellis scrunches his eyebrows, looking almost hurt. "Do you really think I would do that without Dante knowing? Meggie, not only did he give his consent, but he felt everything I felt through the bond last night. He knew exactly what was going on."

Shit, I should have known that. Clearly, I'm not thinking straight. I look over my shoulder again and my gaze catches on Dante's. "Are you sure he's okay with it? He doesn't look very happy."

"He's just jealous."

"Ellis! I don't want him to be jealous of me."

"He's not jealous of you, sunshine." Ellis brings his lips to the place where my jaw meets my ear. "He's jealous of me."

I swallow and suck my lips between my teeth. "It doesn't seem like he likes me very much."

"Oh, believe me, he does." Ellis drops his forehead to mine and sighs. "He just… you should talk to him. It's not my story to tell."

I nod slowly, looking back at Dante again. I don't notice Ellis slipping under the water until he yanks on my ankles and pulls me down with him. He wraps his arms around me and captures my lips. Hidden beneath the surface of the pool, the kiss is playful and romantic. Just like Ellis. I let myself give into it. There's no risk of perfuming here. It'll all wash away. Hidden, just like we are.