28. Dante

28

Dante

I know exactly what Ellis is doing under the water. I can feel his arousal, his playful desire. It's lighter than it was last night, but still nearly overpowering.

I thought maybe if he got together with her, he'd get it out of his system. But as I laid in bed last night and felt every emotion of his tugging at the bond, I knew that won't happen. Ellis cares about Meggie. A lot. Maybe almost as much as he cares about me. And that's terrifying.

What's even more terrifying is how much I'm starting to care for her, too. It took all of my self-control to stay in my bed last night and not join Ellis. His emotions were so clear, but I didn't know exactly what they were doing, and it killed me. I wanted to know. I wanted to participate.

Feeling my mix of fear and arousal, Ellis breaks the surface of the water and waves me over, wanting me to join them in the pool.

But I know Meggie isn't ready for both of us. She's a little jumpy around the pack when we're not practicing. She's most comfortable with Ellis, so it seems right to let him test the waters first. But fuck, it's hard to stand here with a raging hard-on and do nothing.

"What the hell is going on?" Oz says, rubbing his eyes. The last of my pack mates joins the rest of us at the window. "Is that Meggie and Ellis?"

"Yeah." The amusement in McQuinn's voice matches the amusement my bonded is feeling as he swims towards Meggie and pulls her into another kiss before tugging her under the water again.

"Ellis? Really?" Oz grumbles. "He's the one who got her first?"

"Hey." I slap him upside the head. "That's my bonded you're talking about."

Oz holds up his palms. "Nothing against Ellis, man. He's just not usually the one to get the girls." He tilts his head. "And don't you two have a no one outside the pack agreement?"

Harrison surprises us all by saying, "Meggie's pack."

"But only until the Olympics, right?" Oz looks at our pack alpha for confirmation.

He doesn't reply, just walks over to the kitchen and starts pulling eggs and fruit out of the fridge. Nils follows him, the two of them talking too quietly for me to hear as they start breakfast.

"Well, if she gave in to Ellis, maybe she'll finally be more receptive to—"

I stick my arm out and stop Oz from opening the sliding glass door. "Go help with breakfast."

For a moment, I think he might fight me on it, but a low growl builds in my chest, and he backs down. McQuinn laughs. "Looks like Dante's staking his claim."

"Shut up." I pull open the door and step outside, glaring at both of them as I close it. I'm not sure what's come over me. The possessive feeling in my chest is something I've only ever felt about Ellis. The thought of Meggie being with someone else and not with me, feels unbearable. It drives me to the pool without a second thought.

"You coming in?" Ellis splashes my bare feet.

I glare at him. "No. You're getting out. Harrison's making breakfast."

Ellis gives me a long look. I return a silent nod. He swims over to Meggie and whispers something in her ear, then gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before climbing out of the pool. I stop him as he walks past and pull him into a rough kiss, feeling the role reversal between us. When he was training with Meggie, he would come home so turned on he'd demand my attention with a force that shocked me. Now, I'm the one needing the release I can't get from the source I want.

When we break away, Ellis and I both immediately look to Meggie. She's out of the pool now, with a towel held in front of her, staring like she can't look away.

"Go talk to her," Ellis whispers. "She's worried you're not okay with this."

"You know I am." Barely. But I am.

"I also know why you're not happy about it, even if you're okay with it." He kisses me again, quick this time. "You'll feel better if you talk. You both will."

With that, he walks back into the house. I take a step towards Meggie, but stop when she takes a step back. "Can we talk?"

Her nod is tentative as she wraps the towel around herself and sits down on one of the lounge chairs by the pool, waiting for me.

I sit on the chair across from her and lean forward with my elbows on my knees, my gaze on the ground. "It's okay with me if you want to be with Ellis."

"We didn't…" She takes a deep breath. "It wasn't what you think."

"I know you only fooled around."

"Oh."

"I also know he wants to do more. And… I'm okay with that."

"You don't sound very convincing."

I finally look up at her and find her chewing on her bottom lip. I want to pull it away from her teeth. Suck it into my mouth. Replace her teeth with mine.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Huh?"

"Why does it feel like you're lying when you say you're okay with Ellis and I being together? Not that we will be. Last night was a one time thing." She sounds almost like she truly means it.

I drop my head to my hands. She needs to know.

"My mom was a beta." My voice shakes. I've only ever told this story to Ellis. "She was bonded to four alphas. But then…"

She puts her hand on my thigh, encouraging me to go on. I sit up and cover her hand with mine, seeking her warmth.

"They were happy. I don't remember much from that time, because I was really young, but I remember being happy. I remember my mom smiling all the time." Pausing, I think of how my mom lost that smile.

"What happened?" Meggie's voice is soft.

"They met an omega. A scent match."

She sucks in a breath, and I know she can sense where this is going.

"Their omega didn't like my mom. Or me."

Her hand tightens on my leg.

"She made life miserable for us, and then gave her alphas an ultimatum to choose between her and us." I let out a breath, my thumb making circles on the soft skin at her wrist. "You know how omegas and alphas can be. It's more than attraction, it's… biology. It's inescapable. Their omega could give them things my mom couldn't. She could take their knots. Her scent was irresistible to them. My mom didn't stand a chance."

"They kicked her out? After bonding her?"

I nod. "It nearly killed her. Being ripped from a bonded like that. She still feels them. Knows every time they fuck. Spirals into depression every time their omega goes into heat. She remarried eventually. A beta. Good guy. But... it's still hard for her."

Meggie moves from the seat across from me to sit by my side. "How old were you when it all happened?"

"Six." I pick at a loose string at the bottom of the towel wrapped around her. "I haven't seen them since."

"That's horrible. I'm so sorry."

"I promised myself I would never do that to someone else. I would never let a female beta into our pack, not until after we had an omega, and only if the omega wanted her there."

I'm smart enough to know that I'm capable of the same heartlessness my father showed. I'm an alpha. There are things I can't fight. But I can make choices now to keep others from getting hurt by me in the future.

Meggie stares at our entwined hands for a long time, saying nothing.

The sliding door opens behind us, and McQuinn calls out, "Breakfast," before shutting the door again.

I stand, but Meggie pulls me back down. "Wait. I'm not… you should know…" Clearly frustrated, she groans and tugs her hair. "I'm not looking for a bond. I don't want… I just… I like you all."

"Shhh." I bring a finger to her lips and then move my palm slowly along her jaw and into her wet hair. "I know. And we like you. Ellis especially." Her lips curl, and I know she's probably thinking of last night. "I have no problem with you being together. I just don't want either of you to get hurt."

Her eyes meet mine. "What about you?"

The air around us shifts. My scent grows thick and heavy. Grass, stirred up by the wind, wet with morning dew. Meggie leans closer, red lips inches from mine, her breath a warm welcoming breeze.

"I don't want to hurt you," I whisper.

"What do you want?"

"You shouldn't ask me that."

"You're right. I shouldn't. But… I need to know."

"I want to taste you. Touch you. Make you so aroused that I'll finally get to smell that scent you work so hard to keep hidden." She pulls back, but I tug her closer, losing myself to the attraction I've tried to hold back. "I'm so jealous that Ellis got to kiss these lips." I brush my thumb across her bottom lip and she shivers, barely suppressing a whimper. "Do you know how hard I was last night, thinking about what you were doing? Feeling it through the bond? Meggie, you drive me crazy. I'm so fucking lost to you."

"Kiss me," she says, barely loud enough to hear.

I cup her cheeks and crash my lips into hers. Hungry. Desperate. A dam demolished, a flood of want and need. I tilt her head and demand entry. She dissolves into a moaning, gasping, beautiful mess. Climbing into my lap like she can't get close enough, she whines and whimpers. Sounds unlike any I've ever heard before. Sounds I didn't think a beta could make. But she's proving me wrong.

"Breakfast." Harrison's voice breaks through the desire consuming me.

Meggie recoils, hand flying to her mouth as her gaze swings between me and Harrison. Then she bolts, running to the outdoor bathroom on the other side of the pool.

I almost go after her, but Harrison's hard look stops me. There's an alpha challenge in his gaze. Power pouring off of him. Not sure what that's about. But it feels protective. Maybe he just doesn't want us bothering her if she wants to be alone.

I drop my head in submission and join my pack inside, hoping I didn't just ruin everything. Meggie looked so shocked when she pulled away from me, like she couldn't believe what we'd just done. Like she never wanted to do it again.