14. Leo

Chapter fourteen

Leo

R ian and I take Belle down for breakfast the next morning.

Last night had been absolutely amazing, and I can still taste her sweet skin on my tongue.

Her sweat had tasted fantastic, and my Alpha almost lost control, wanting to claim her right there in her shower.

But I reined him in, telling him to be patient.

The time will come when we can finally bond her into the pack.

Yet, for now, we will take things easy.

I want the moment to be special.

It's what Belle deserves.

We don't waste any time making her breakfast, and Rian and I are of one mind again when it comes to Belle and her needs.

We did the same thing in the shower, knowing exactly where she needed us to touch her to relieve the aches and pains, and now we're going to do the same for her stomach.

The moment her stomach growled, I kicked myself into action and carried her down the stairs.

I wouldn't even let her walk herself down.

Her heat is just around the corner, and I'll be damned if anyone gets within an inch of her again.

Belle is mine.

And I will happily slay all her enemies.

Jeremy arrives just as we're laying down the plates.

Even though I refused to let her do any work, Belle still insisted on helping us set the table, and now she lays down plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast right along with Rian.

Seeing them together is like a small glimpse into heaven.

Our two Omegas complement each other, and I hate that I have to hide them both from the world.

For most of my adult life, I have dreamed of having just one Omega.

But now that I have two, I want to scream it from the rooftop of our house.

Just as the four of us settle down to eat, Troy graces us with his presence, and I growl at the slick bastard as he takes a seat.

At least he had the sense to pick a chair far away from Belle, choosing to sit by Jeremy instead, and I relax, taking that moment to study him.

He's looking much healthier today, and it appears he's finally over his guilt.

Troy had looked the worst out of the four of us while Belle was away, and it filled me with a dark satisfaction to see those circles under his eyes and the cold, shivering sweats.

But now he's back to his chipper self and I hate that it bugs me.

He's my pack brother. But right now, I can't stand him.

I'm not sure if things will ever go back to normal between us.

All I care about is Belle at the moment.

God, I hope he heard everything last night.

I hope he heard her screaming and groaning until he was blue in the balls.

Troy's eyes fall briefly on Belle, and that's when I spy the desire.

His pupils blow out, and then his nostrils flare as his Alpha gets a good sniff of her next.

Belle is ripe for her first heat, and there's no missing the candied smell of her caramel as it seeps from her pores.

Meanwhile, the Omega is tense the whole time he stares her down, and I hear her heart pounding next.

It doesn't pound in fear, though.

It pounds in need.

She wants Troy too, and fuck this…

Fuck Troy.

I finally snap my teeth as Troy gazes at her for much longer than I'm comfortable with, and then he looks around at me in mock surprise, raising an aggravating eyebrow.

Rian sighs, glancing at me. "Leo, take it easy... Everything's all right now."

"No, it is not," I growl through clenched teeth, never taking my burning eyes off Troy.

Troy ignores me and reaches for the jug of fresh orange juice, and no more alcohol for breakfast.

It seems Troy is turning a new leaf.

Well, it's going to take a lot of leaves for him to earn my trust again.

Belle doesn't look up from her plate of eggs and bacon, seeming to lose her appetite ever since Troy walked into the room, and now I grab her fork, bringing a scoop of eggs to her mouth.

I alternate between Rian and Belle, but Rian shoves me away, telling me to focus on the blue-eyed female instead.

"She needs it more than me right now…" he says internally.

He's right.

The poor thing is still nervous in Troy's presence.

We eat in silence for a while, and I sigh, shaking my head.

It shouldn't be this way…

Pack breakfasts should be a lively affair.

Every now and then, Troy's eyes fall back on Belle, and I know he is jealous that I get to be the one to feed her.

So, when I press the tines of the fork to her sensual lips, there's no missing his silent growl.

Was that a challenge just now?

My gaze lands on Jeremy next, and I double-take when I spy his taut face.

He's thinking about everything Gryphon told us back at his office, but it seems the governor has everything under control.

Well, for now.

But it's obvious that something is brewing on the horizon, and we must be vigilant.

It comes to my attention then that Troy has no idea what happened back at the prison.

He wasn't privy to our discussion with Gryphon after all, but who cares?

As I said, he made his bed.

Troy finishes his breakfast and then casts his gaze around the table. "I think it's time we all had a pack meeting."

Everyone halts.

He's right. We do.

I'm just too stubborn to admit it to him.

Before I can make some snarky remark, Troy holds up a palm, "Look, I know things are tense between us Leo, but I am still a part of this pack. The governor told you some things while you were gone, and I want to know. Besides, Jay gave it away. He's far grimmer than usual."

Jeremy drops his fork next, pinching between his eyes.

He really does look grim, and he needs to relax a little.

For starters, he could join us for Belle's next shower…

I smirk at Troy. "Why? Feeling left out were we?"

Rian sighs. "Don't, Leo..."

I'm still chuckling to myself as I go to feed Belle again, but then I spy the same disappointment in her eyes too, and stop.

I really am making a fool of myself.

Rian glances at Troy, trying his best not to look directly into the Alpha's eyes.

"All right. We will talk. Just… let us eat first. These moments are so rare, and I would like to indulge a little longer."

Troy has nothing but love in his eyes for the Omega, and that's when he nods, sipping his coffee.

His eyes flick back to Belle, and his soft expression never wavers.

Belle glances away quickly, returning to her food, and I guess that settles it.

We're having a pack discussion after breakfast.