Chapter 9

Nine

LACY

T onight was going to be a self-care night. Today's events had rattled me too much. I was tired of it, so I sat in my bubbly bathtub, enjoying the peace. Grabbing my red waterproof vibrator, I slowly rubbed it over my thighs as I leaned back in the tub.

Once again, being around the pack for hours had turned me on a lot, and I needed relief. I've never masturbated for two days in a row, and I wondered what was happening to me. I justified it by the stressful day I went through. I leaned back in the tub, enjoying the bubbles that rose to my chin. The air was foggy with the hot bath, and the scent of my body wash mixed with my ginger scent filled the air.

Even though I used the strongest body wash, it wasn't enough to erase my natural smell. My skin tingled with the vibrating toy between my thighs, and my body grew warmer with arousal. I pressed the toy against my pussy, pressing it's rubber ear inside my pussy. It didn't go all the way in, but just enough so I could feel something there. The toy vibrated under the water against my clitoris, and my breathing came out in harsh gasps the closer I got to my orgasm. I thought about all the bodyguards and how close their bodies were to mine in the limo. I thought about Ryder watching me masturbate, and my face heated, but my pussy clenched.

I shivered around the toy as I came thinking about him.

Damn .

I came down slowly from my high, spent and trembling as I lay in the tub, letting my toy drop to the bottom. My pussy clenched from the aftershocks, and I wished I had an alpha's knot to relieve me. Staying a virgin was much harder now that I was constantly around alphas and deltas. And they were hot as hell on top of that. After Jordan, I never dated anyone but instead focused on my dream of singing. But now…I was starting to re-think my entire life.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a crash coming from downstairs.

I stilled in the water, listening intently. Maybe an animal knocked over my flower vase, even though I had no pets. A squirrel must have gotten in. But when I heard footsteps shuffling around downstairs, my heart stopped. Heart pounding hard, I slowly stood up from the bathtub, stark naked and trying not to make a noise. I grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my chest. I needed to barricade myself in my room and get to my phone.

Heart-racing, I ran from the bathroom and went into my room. I slammed my bedroom door shut and locked it with pruney fingers. The footsteps started running up the stairs after figuring out where I was.

Fuck .

Breathing hard through my nose, I swiped my phone from my bed with shaking hands. I tried dialing Ryder's number, but my fingers were wet. Rubbing my hands on my towel, I tried again.

Harsh knocking sounded at the door, and I instantly dropped my phone, which slipped from my wet hands.

"Get out of my house!" I screamed. Silence on the other side.

I watched in horror as the person tried jiggling the doorknob. Oh, hell no . Picking up my phone from the floor, I ran to the walk-in closet and shut the door. I sat in front of the door, leaning my back against it as I tried to dial Ryder's number again. My vision was blurry from my panic, and my hands wouldn't stop shaking as I held the phone to my ear.

Ryder answered on the first ring.

"Yes?"

"There's someone in my house," I whispered shakily, trying to speak above the noise of the banging at the door. "I'm in my bedroom, and he's trying to get in. Please come."

"I'm already halfway to your house," he said in a firm voice. "Get inside your closet."

"Okay, I am," I said.

"Wrap a bunch of clothes around your arm in case they come at you with a knife," he ordered.

I scrambled around my closet, pulling glittery dresses off the racks in my panic. I tried to wrap them around my arms, but then I heard the banging at the door get even louder. I kept dropping the clothes and picking them up again.

Louder rattling as he fiddled with the doorknob. I tried to wrap the clothes around my arms as best I could. I scrambled to pick up the phone.

"Okay, I did it," I said as the glitter scratched my arms.

"Good girl. It's in case you have to lift your arm to block off a knife attack," he said.

"Okay," I whispered.

"Stay on the line with me, Lacy. Don't hang up," he said, and I heard him bark commands to his pack while I stayed on the line with him. I sat huddled in the closet for what seemed like an eternity. I closed my eyes, listening to the banging and the shaking of the doorknob.

Emotions ran through me, especially rage. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Leave!" I screamed again, clutching the phone tight in my hands. "You jackass!"

"Don't antagonize him. I'm almost there."

Just then, I heard my bedroom door crash open.

My heart raced through the roof as I sat there, trying to breathe quietly. I was a dead omega tonight.

That was all there was to it.

I envisioned my parents crying over my stabbed body and my brother losing his mind with grief. Tears flowed down my cheeks. I waited for the killer to burst into the closet, and I braced myself, pressing my back against the door.

I sat up straighter, trying to hear what was going on. Then I heard my front door slam open and footsteps running upstairs.

"Lacy," shouted Ryder's voice.

Sighing hugely in relief, I unwrapped the clothes from my arms and stood up on shaky legs. I was scared to open the closet door if the stalker was still lurking there. So I stood there trembling until Ryder opened the door. At the sight of his face, tears of relief ran down my face.

I threw myself at him, hugging him around the waist.

He pressed his nose to my neck and purred deeply into me. Low rumbles of his purr vibrated through my body, calming every nerve inside me.

"Where is he?" I said in a low voice, still unable to let go of Ryder. I wanted to rub my face in his chest and drink in his calming presence.

"We didn't see anyone," he said, lifting his face from my neck, and the purring stopped.

"That means he's still out there," I said, panicking. "He was just here! I swear."

"I believe you, Lacy. I heard everything on the phone. My pack is looking all over and doing a thorough search of your home," said Ryder. "As of right now, it's unsafe for you to continue to live here."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"You can come with us to a secure location," he said.

My pulse was racing, and I tried to think of any way to stay. I needed to be in my home for comfort and anything else I needed. I hated sleeping elsewhere.

"How about- if you and your pack stayed with me?" I offered, swallowing hard as I watched him contemplate my offer.

He gazed at me with a thoughtful expression, his eyes drifting to my barely covered breasts, which were halfway covered in a towel.

I suddenly realized I was perfuming at this moment. Like a lot.

I didn't even have a chance to put on my scent-blocker lotion, and I stood embarrassed before him. I quietly hoped he wouldn't notice my smell.

But the way his nostrils flared showed that he did notice.

God, I smelled awful. Who wanted to smell like a bitter-smelling vegetable?

"That can work," he said finally.

We stood awkwardly for a moment as we looked at each other. Ryder's eyes darkened as he gazed at my body, and I let out a soft cough.

"Well, I better put some clothes on," I said.

"Put on your scent blocker, too," he said, and I knew my face was bright red from the warmth creeping up my cheeks. He hated my scent.

It felt like a ton of bricks crashing into my chest, and I could barely breathe from how ashamed I was.

"I know my scent is gross," I said awkwardly, staring at my bare feet. "But no need to be so rude." My eyes burned with impending tears threatening to fall. I've always been embarrassed like hell about my scent. My worst fears were coming true. Maybe it was why Jordan broke up with me.

He tilted my chin up with his finger. I wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Your scent is the complete opposite of gross," he said. "In fact, I'm holding back from completely rutting you."

What? I was so confused. My pulse was racing again now, but from arousal instead of fear.

"I smell…like ginger," I said timidly, watching as he raked my body with his gaze. My chest rose and fell rapidly as he pinned me under his gaze. His finger underneath my chin seared through my skin like a matchstick. The warmth of him near and close caused me to nearly lose it- just like in the limo.

"Then it's the best-smelling one I've ever come across," he growled, pulling his finger away from my face. "I will tell my pack of our arrangements. Put that scent blocker on immediately before you send me and the rest of the men into a rut. Before I bend you over that bed and rip that towel off. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I whispered, breathing hard.

He closed my bedroom door on his way out, and I let out another sigh. Being around him was like a storm waiting to happen. Our bodies gravitated to each other like fate, and it was something I hadn't felt with anyone before. I would have been willing if he bent me over the bed and rutted me.

The thought of it made my pussy tremble.

As I spread the scent-blocker lotion all over my body, I imagined that happening over and over again. I imagined him bending me over the bed roughly as his callused finger probed my pussy. Then, his knot stretching me to the limit. Flutters of desire roiled around my belly. God, I wanted it even though I just met him.

But he was my bodyguard.

We had to be professional- especially now that he and his pack were living with me. They were the best team they had, and I felt safe with them. The speedy response time after I called them was exactly what I needed, and I didn't want to lose them over a knot.

A knot that would feel so fucking amazing.