17. NEPHELINE

17

NEPHELINE

The night continues as the pack members introduce themselves and bow their heads in respect to myself and Mateo. It's a refreshing feeling to be included even if it is a little overwhelming. When I shift in my chair for the umpteenth time, uncomfortable from the crest burned into my chest, Mateo decides it is time to return to the house. I'm both anxious to show off the new art and to snuggle into my Beta's arms, wanting to take back every last memory I lost.

One of the Alphas, Levi, brings over his Omega, the one who asked about Calista earlier. The Omega—Quaid—apologizes profusely but I just smile, loving the way he leans into his Alpha. Mateo wraps an arm around my waist, dragging his nose along my cheek. "Quaid here makes the most delicious dinners and his pies are to die for. Maybe he'll make one for you."

The Omega clears his throat before producing a small container, his eyes wide as if I would be disgusted at his offering. I pry open the lid and grin at the few slices of cherry pie sitting inside. "You made this? Fuck yes. I mean, thank you." My Alphas and Levi burst out laughing as I clutch the container to my chest. "I can't wait to try it."

We entertain the pack as long as it takes for goodbyes before I'm all but trampling over Mateo to make it out of the diner. Asani catches me around the waist just as I step outside to keep me from taking off. "Want to explain what happened in there?"

"Not out here."

Mateo raises an eyebrow as we begin the walk back to the house. "You'd tell me if you were pregnant, right?" Every one of my Alphas glances down and stares at my belly as if it's all of a sudden rounded out with pups. I slap his arm, growling with distaste at the notion.

"No, I'm not pregnant. That's not… the magic is doing funny things, okay? You remember how our crest used to be something given by magic rather than something we tattooed on? Well, I got mine." Asani hums a response, ushering me to continue. I don't really know what to say though. It still tingles but it's no longer painful.

River jumps in but he only makes it worse. "The damn thing takes up the entire space between her collarbone and those pretty tits of hers. It's absolutely gorgeous."

I sigh and start walking a little faster but that does nothing. I'm short and petite like most Omegas and have since put on weight being with my Alphas. I'm the picture-perfect, plump individual with fuller cheeks and a little meat on my hips. Clutching the dish tighter to my chest, I block out the whispers of my Alphas as they discuss pack dynamics and going forward.

I should listen. I know I should but for just a little while longer, I want to play into the Omega my mates have said I'm allowed to be.

The moment we reach the house, I scramble to the living room to check on a sleeping Darius, my Beta's lips pursed in the most adorable pout. His fingers are curled tightly into my nest's blankets, his face scrunched up. When I lean down to press a kiss to his cheek, he relaxes, a soft purr rumbling through his chest.

I ignore my Alphas' shocked expressions as I search for Maverick and find him sitting in one of the armchairs on the other side of my nest. His smile widens when I silently climb into his lap and hold up the container.

"Didn't think you were serious, kitten."

"Why would I not want to go on a date with you, Mave?"

He shrugs and then bobs his head to my Alphas currently settling around the living room. "How was the dinner?"

"It's going to take some getting used to. Everyone kept calling me Luna instead of Nepheline and… it's just so much more real now than it used to be. Also," I shuffle off his lap and hand him the container before pulling off my shirt. "Mother Nature decided it was time to give me a crest of my own."

Maverick's eyes widen as he reaches up to run his fingers along the intricate design. "You announced you were this pack's Luna and truly meant it. Nepheline, this is gorgeous." He slowly turns me around once he has had his fill, my Alphas enraptured by the new crest. "It has every prevalent pack in these parts. The Nightshades. The Redstones. The Sapphires. The pack of the Forbidden."

My Alphas move closer, each one touching parts of me as they drink in the picture I now carry on my chest. They're staring at me with a mixture of awe and desire as Mateo finally tears me away to drag me into a kiss. He's claiming me in front of the others, not as a taunt but as a way to show that I truly am the Luna of our packs.

What I don't understand is the blue in my crest. Darius is not the next in line for the leader, as far as I know, which means that I would never receive his official crest. I don't address it as I stand back, a smile playing on my lips when I crawl back into Maverick's lap. I crack open the container, frowning when I realize I don't have a fork. One is quickly produced, Remi kissing my forehead before shuffling my other mates from the room.

As much as I want to explore this new crest and what it means, I also need a few moments to decompress. I wiggle into the right spot before sectioning off a small piece of pie and feeding it to Maverick. His arms tighten around me as he accepts the bite, a moan of appreciation pulling from his throat that slowly morphs into his Alpha purr.

Each bite makes him purr louder. I feel like I'm surrounded by a warm motor, his Alpha caressing my Omega until I'm wiggling for more than just pie. Maverick tugs the container from my hands and places it on the table beside the chair before kissing me. He tastes like cherries and cinnamon, my Alpha consuming me with his presence. Heat bleeds through me even as I try to stave it off, slick coating my panties and ruining the moment.

"You're not ready. I'm sorry." I try to slip off Maverick's lap but his hold tightens as he rises to his feet. It isn't until after he carries me down the hall and sits me on the sink in the bathroom that he speaks.

"You keep telling me that I'm allowed to be happy, that I'm allowed to have you. It's hard believing that you won't just disappear before my eyes like my family did. That there are more people here to protect you than just me." Maverick steps closer, spreading my legs so that he can close the distance between us. His lips attach to my jaw, little nips and licks before he helps me out of my bra. "I'm not ready to be with all of your Alphas, Nepheline but with you? I want this. I want in."

I may be overstepping or pushing Maverick too fast but I need him. "Then show me." Another gush of slick soaks through my panties when his expression turns to pure hunger and desire. The growl that tears from his throat rivals any of the wolves of this pack as he shreds discards my pants. I yelp in surprise as my panties are torn away, Maverick shedding his own clothes before carrying me into the shower.

I don't even register the water turning on as Maverick's heated kisses turn passionate in a way that completely consumes any rational thought. Outside of this house, every last thing is falling apart. But here, I am cared for and loved and cherished. Maverick's hands roam up and down my torso as his kisses deepen. My lips will be thoroughly bruised tomorrow but I don't care. This is the first time that Maverick is touching me and I crave more of it.

I'm hoping that tomorrow he handles me the same way the others do, constantly seeking me out for kisses and hugs and everything else.

"You smell like your Alphas. Even your Beta. God, it's like a drug." He stuffs his head into the crook of my neck, taking a long hard sniff as I run my fingers through his hair. The water has turned his slight waves into a sodden mess but it's soft beneath my touch. Maverick's hands move south before wrapping around the back of my thighs and hoisting me up so that my legs can wrap around his waist. He grinds himself against me, his cock sliding through my folds.

Slick coats his cock as I hold onto his shoulders, panting for a release that I hope he'll give me. My body trembles with need, my Omega preening for relief. "Mave, please. I need-"

"Kitten, I've got you. Fuck, I've wanted this far longer than I should have." Maverick surges forward, my back arching toward him as I scream out. The sound echoes through the bathroom as my fingers dig into his back. His kisses turn almost feral as he dominates my mouth. When he pulls back and thrusts into my pussy again, I howl with a mixture of pleasure and blinding need.

Maverick fucks me like an animal but I don't feel like I'm manhandled. In his own way, my Alpha is making love to me, my body, and my wolf. He doesn't have an animal but there is something else, something that is just as fierce. I cling to him as he spears into me like his life depends on it, his knot fluttering at the edge of my pussy. I buck toward him, trying to suck him in deeper until I feel the base of his cock start to swell.

Greedily, I work his knot inside of me, Maverick grunting as my pussy swallows it whole. "Shit, Nepheline, I-"

His face contorts in pure ecstasy as a guttural, wholly Alpha sound comes from his throat. His entire body stills before his grip on my thighs tighten and he starts to fuck into me despite not being able to pull out. My pussy clenches around his cock and his knot, strangling it as an orgasm barrels through me. Maverick is still rocking his hips against mine at an impossible pace, snarling into my shoulder until he explodes inside of me.

I yell through another orgasm, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I cling to Maverick, dazed and confused by the overwhelming sensation. We stay there for several moments, locked together, as I run my hands through his hair, kissing his head to calm him. "Mave-"

"You threw me into a rut. I'm sorry. I didn't think… are you hurt?"

I smile down at him as he meets my gaze, terror flitting through his expression. "No, and I want this again. I want you to lose control with me. Again." I kiss his nose. "And again." I kiss one cheek. "And again." I kiss the other cheek. "But maybe just don't knot me in the shower next time." A giggle falls from my lips because Maverick wasn't going to knot me. If I hadn't thrust myself forward at the right moment, we wouldn't be lodged together beneath the warm spray. "Was this too much?" Between knotting me and my claw marks in his back, this was a big step for him.

"Not even close." He grabs one of my hands and turns it so my palm is facing up before kissing it. "I am happy to carry your marks. I might not heal the same way but to know they were from you? I'm honored."

His knot doesn't stay lodged for long, Maverick continuing to kiss and touch as he washes me off. I do the same for him, exploring his body and memorizing every last scar and wound inflicted. "Do you miss it? Being a Bounty Hunter and working with Wyatt and Jade?" I run my fingers over a particularly nasty gash across his abdomen, Maverick taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

"A little, yes. We've spoken once or twice in the last week since I left but I feel more at home here. Like I was searching for something while bringing down those wolves."

"And you found it?"

"Yes, kitten. I think I did."

A grin takes over my face as he finishes rinsing me off and then wraps a large towel around me. "And Asani?" Maverick's entire face turns a beautiful shade of pink. "He kissed you, didn't he?"

"In time, Nepheline. Right now, I think a few of your other Alphas need you close. As far as dates go, this one was pretty special."

I narrow my gaze at him from the comfort of my fluffy towel. "I fed you some pie and then we fucked." It isn't meant to be so crass but that's how it sounds. I wanted it to be more romantic. Maverick laughs as he turns me around to face the mirror and then fumbles in one of the drawers. Seconds later, I feel the prongs of a comb running through my wet hair.

He catches my startled look in my reflection. "Kitten, you are not the only one who likes to care for people. Now, I would say that the last hour was a lot more romantic than just that. My Omega fed me sweets and then I got to show her how much I love her. This is a night I will always remember." The brushing stops for him long enough to run his fingers along my left shoulder. "And one day, I'll add my bite next to your Alpha's so that I've officially claimed you."

"You're already mine, Maverick."

"I know, kitten. I think I've always been yours."