34. Archer

34

Sawyer with another pack.

What the fuck?

The fury tearing through me is new and unprecedented. I hadn't realized I'd already mentally included him in our pack until now. Asking him was supposed to be a technicality—not because I assume that every man or woman I desire is automatically ours, but because I could see the desire in his eyes, feel the connection between us.

Nobody told me we were out of time.

I want to put my fist through a fucking wall, but I can't, because Brinlee is with us, and she's looking at me like I'm a rogue space-bear, or some other monster from the sci-fi books Roman enjoys. I need to tone this feeling down, calm myself.

Roman is right. Kyrian is right. Tonight, we should focus on Brinlee. Make her feel safe. Get to know her. Talk. Fucking cuddle together on the sofa.

All the good stuff.

Yeah, I'm a top alpha, I love rough sex and taking control of situations, I love running the bar with an iron fist, but I also like to hold my mates and take care of them. Cuddling is an aspect of that.

I also cook. I'm pretty decent at it, too.

Shocked, yet?

You shouldn't be, because stereotypes suck. I refuse to be cast in a rigid mold. I am who I am, and I am who I am partly because of my mates, and partly because I want to enjoy life, not to get ripped away in the current of hormones governing my alpha body and brain.

Kyrian unlocks the apartment door, Roman ushers Brinlee inside, and I bring up the rear, locking up behind us. I take safety very seriously.

Roman leads her to our living room and starts making a sort of nest for her there, piling up some cushions around her. She's not an omega, but I guess everyone finds the idea of a nest comforting.

That thought, of course, brings me back to Sawyer, our omega.

Our to-be omega.

Roman bustles off to make his famed hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, while Kyrian has claimed the other end of the sofa, eyeing the cushions between him and Brinlee like he wants to murder them. The man is so fucking intense sometimes.

I know I shouldn't consider Sawyer's answer as a given. Especially after what Brinlee told us, but man, I had my fucking heart set on these two, and neither is a sure bet at this point.

Yet I know she's ours as I stalk to the sofa and she gives me a faint smile. Her face, her smile, her colors, her shape… it all draws me to her, and when I sink down beside her, her scent wraps around me and won't let go.

It's a struggle not to haul her against me, to pretend I'm not hard as a rock for her right now.

"Want to watch a movie?" I also struggle with small talk, because what comes out is a growl, and what I want to say is, Let's fuck, you're mine.

Yeah, great small talk.

"Sure." Her smile seems more real now.

"Got one in mind?"

She shakes her head. "A documentary?"

I blink. "Really?"

"I don't think I can focus on anything right now," she explains. "I like having the TV on. Background noise relaxes me."

"Right. That makes sense." I choose a House Hunters episode and set the volume on low, then abandon the remote on the low coffee table and lean back, draping my arm over the back of the sofa. "This good?"

A nod. She seems to relax, following my example and leaning back. She lets her purse slide from her lap to her side.

"Here we go," Roman announces, entering with a tray bearing four tall mugs, topped with marshmallows and cookies. "Four hot Roman chocolates."

"Roman?" She blinks.

"Romanesque? They're my invention." He winks and places the tray on the table. "Make space for me." And he plops himself between Brinlee and Kyrian, throwing the cushions to the floor.

"That's my spot," Kyrian grumbles.

"You're sitting, like, four feet away from her. Not my fault if you don't seize the day," Roman replies.

"Fuck." Kyrian's cheeks color. He's been acting so weird lately.

But then Roman slings an arm around him. "Or do you want me in your lap?"

"Fuck off." Kyrian smirks and seems to relax. "I'll have in you my lap later, grasshopper, have no doubt about it."

Roman chuckles.

Jesus, we're all so wound up, aren't we? This business of deciding to expand the pack, to add these two people, it's stressful.

Then again, having Brinlee here, beside me, is both a delight and a torture. She sips at her hot chocolate and licks her lips, and my boner is demanding to come out and meet her.

Hi, I'm Archer's dick. Want to go out for drinks with me? Actually, how about we fuck instead?

My dick has no manners and no patience.

Truth is, I'm having some trouble, too.

"So… a delta, huh?" I don't even pretend to watch the documentary. All my attention is on the pretty girl curled up on our sofa. She's still dressed in her stage costume, and it's such a fuck-me attire that I have difficulty looking away. She's always been pretty, since the first time I laid eyes on her, but this side of her is driving me crazy. "Into numbers and sciences, are you?"

"No." Her small, red mouth compresses into an unhappy line. "They say Delta people are more likely to excel in sciences, math, physics… not me."

"No worries, my pretty." Roman elbows her lightly in the side. "We're not clones. We each have our own talents and preferences."

She smiles. "True."

"You're an amazing dancer."

"I love dancing," she says softly. "Performing. Sometimes I think… it's my way to escape from reality. That, and books."

"Why would you need to escape reality?" Kyrian growls. "Is everything okay at home?"

She shakes her head, looks down at her half-empty mug. "We all need to escape sometimes."

"She's right," Roman says. "Which is why books are so great, Ky. You should give them a try."

"I watch movies," Kyrian mutters. "Same thing. And I play videogames. Hey, Brinlee, do you play videogames?"

"Sometimes. I'm kind of old-fashioned. I prefer reading."

"Fuck," Kyrian says.

"Another book fan," Roman crows. "Don't mind Ky, he's anti-bookist. It's his hobby, slamming books."

"No, it's not," Kyrian says. "Shut your trap, Ro?—"

"Kids," I bark. "You'll scare our delta off."

"You did a fine job of that on your own in the car," Kyrian snarls, "so knock it off."

I glare at him over her head. He glares right back. Heat flares between us, and I want to slam him into the wall and make him submit, fuck his mouth.

But after a long moment, he grunts and turns his gaze away.

Backing down.

Not as satisfying as the other option, but it will have to do for now.

"Guys," she says unexpectedly in the resounding silence. "Maybe I should go."

"What? Why?" Roman puts down his mug. "Was my hot chocolate so bad?"

That makes her snicker. Good sign. "I loved your chocolate."

"Is it me?" Kyrian asks. "I scared you off."

"No, you didn't." And she turns to me as I open my mouth to ask the same question. "Neither did you."

"Then why?" I make my voice soft. "I promise we won't touch you."

"But I want you to," she whispers.

I blink. This girl keeps surprising me. "What?"

"It's like with Sawyer last night. I want you," she whispers. "And I should go, because sleeping with you is a terrible idea."

"Why?" Roman leans closer to her. "I mean, I can see why. We want you with us, not just for tonight, but you don't know us, you may think we'll take advantage of you, ask for?—"

"Because you think I'm a good catch," she says, eyes shimmering. "And you treat me nicely, and want to ask me into your pack, but you'll be disappointed. I have nothing to offer you. I'm nobody."

Now the silence has gone from resounding to stunned. It stuffs my ears like cotton, even as a deep emotion starts to well inside of me. It feels like anger, but it's not directed at her, or my mates.

It's directed at whoever made her feel this way.

"You," I say softly, "have nothing to offer us? What the fuck?"

She shrinks back a little, but there's nowhere to go. She's stuck between us.

"Arch," Roman starts, lifting a hand, probably to shut me up. "Let me?—"

"Who the fuck told you such stupidities?" I continue, ignoring him. "That you're nobody. That you have nothing to offer. That we'll be disappointed?"

She swallows hard. "It doesn't matter. I?—"

"The fuck it doesn't matter!"

"Arch!" It's Kyrian now, glowering at me. "Calm your tits, dammit!"

And yeah, she's shaking, face pale, eyes wide. A tear rolls down her cheek. "I should go?—"

"Please." I take a deep, calming breath. Dare reach for her hand. "Listen to me, and then you're free to go wherever you like. Listen, because this is the truth: you have so much to offer. Just your presence brightens up our lives. Your smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Your dancing is incredible. Your laughter makes me happy. And above all, girl… All of us have a lot to offer—to the right people, the people who appreciate us."

"But," she whispers, "my debts, and my life?—"

"Debts can be paid back. Your life is your own. We won't rush you. Take your time to think, but we want you with us. We really like you, and not only because we are scent-matched. We like you and Sawyer, and you like one another. If you two like us back… then this is what a pack is for: to be with the people you choose. A found family. A family who appreciates you."

Her mouth trembles. A tiny sound escapes her. And then more tears roll down her cheeks.

Oh, shit. What have I done?

"You made her cry," Kyrian accuses.

I groan. "Fuck. I'm sorry. I…"

"No." She blindly grabs for my hand. "No, that was… that was…"

"Stupid?" Kyrian offers, the asshole.

"Perfect. I loved it," she says. "Loved it so much. The bit about the found family."

"It's important to us," I say, carefully not looking at Kyrian. "Not all of us had a happy childhood. Not all of us fit in with the people we grew up with. All three of us understand that and want that. Which is why we want you."

She takes a shuddery breath. "Kiss me," she whispers. "Please, kiss me. I want you, too."

We should hold back. I should hold back—for all the reasons cited earlier. We don't want to rush her, we want her to get to know us, we want to get to know her, too. And tonight was mostly about keeping her safe, giving her a safe haven, showing her that it's not just about sex. That we want the real thing. A relationship. A life with her.

But we've been hard for her since we met her, and hearing her ask for our kisses is just too much. Too fucking much for us to take and resist.

And it's me she's looking at, talking to, so I take the lead. Sliding my hand through her wild hair, cradling her head, I bow over her and take her mouth.

Her lips are soft and sweet, with a lingering waxy aftertaste from her lipstick—which she managed to mostly eat by chewing on her lips on the way here. Her natural taste is a kick to my nuts. Not only sweet but also spiced. Not an omega's taste—not sure why I expected that—but a true delta's. I'd heard about that—that they taste differently—but I'd never kissed one until now.

Different from most people I've been attracted to—but perfectly hot and gorgeous, she melts against me, opening her mouth to me, and fuck yeah, when our tongues collide and writhe, it's fucking awesome.

It makes me even harder, so hard my dick is screaming at me to be let out and join in the fun.

When we finally come up for air, Roman grabs her chin and turns her toward him. She falls into another kiss as I watch, my dick throbbing, trying to bore a hole through my pants.

And then it's Kyrian's turn, Brinlee climbing over Roman to get to him—actually crawling over Roman who gasps and curses as she obviously settles on top of his hard-on—to cup Kyrian's face and pull him down to kiss him. She shifts on Roman's lap, making him moan, and her scent changes to one of arousal.

Spicy chili and sweet peaches, and fuck, this girl… Spicy, all right. I knew it when I saw her performing on the stage and giving us a lap dance at the club, I just knew that under that quiet wallflower, bookworm exterior hid a naked flame.

Finally, she breaks the kiss with Kyrian who looks half-stunned and then ravenous, turns back to Roman, and slides her hands into his short hair, tugging his head back so she can kiss him again.

Holy shit…

She's barely done with him when I haul her back to me, needing to touch her. I bury my face in her neck, drawing in her natural perfume, running my hands over her arms, but then she produces a hurt sound that has me pulling back to look into her eyes.

"What is it?" I demand. "What's wrong?"

She clutches at me. "I'm afraid."

"Of me?"

"Of falling."

I'm not sure what she's still so scared of. What she's still hiding. But I know one thing…

"We're here. Fly, girl, and if you fall, we'll catch you. I promise."

We're kissing again. She's climbing on top of me now, and I know why Roman kept groaning. She feels so fucking good, pressing down on my hard-on, and my dick is ecstatic.

Yeah, finally, yeah…

"Brin," I manage between kisses, "what do you want? Nothing has to happen, but please answer me, so I can tell my dick what to expect."

She laughs quietly. "Tell your dick I'd love to meet."

"God fuck, yeah." I try to control myself. "Are you sure? We don't have to do anything. We can take care of you, pleasure you."

"That would be our pleasure," Roman says with a chuckle.

"Damn right," Kyrian agrees.

She's panting softly, her cheeks and the top of her tits flushed pink. "I want… sex." She swallows, licks her lips. "Yesterday with Sawyer was my first time. I know," she lifts a hand when I open my mouth to speak, "that most girls my age aren't virgins. And well, I'm not one either, not anymore. I loved it with Sawyer, and…and I'd love to try it with you, too."

"We'll have plenty of opportunities," I say.

She shakes her head, a sad expression entering her eyes. Why does it feel like she thinks we'll never do this again? It's like a goodbye act.

But the guys' eyes are shining with interest, and maybe I'm reading too much into this. She wants sex, and why not? She had a taste of it with Sawyer and wants more. Until she gets to know us better, she won't trust whatever I tell her, so I'd better show her—with my dick who is really pleased with this development—how well I can take care of her.

"Well," I say, "we don't fool around without precautions, not until you're part of our pack."

"Arch," Roman starts but I silence him with a look.

Why beat about the bush? We want her with us. what almost happened tonight at the club only drove that point home.

"Ky, grab a pack of condoms from the nightstand," I say. "We gotta suit up."

"Holy shit," Roman breathes, "girl, you're plunging into this head-first, aren't you? Lost your V-card yesterday, and today you wanna try it with a pack?"

"Now who's scaring her?" I growl, wrapping my arms around her, and she giggles, that girlish sound I love hearing from her, because despite being so young, the look in her eyes is sometimes ancient.

"It's Roman's hot chocolate," she says between giggles. "The Romanesque. Got me drunk."

"Did you add brandy to it, Ro?"

"Nope."

Kyrian is back, and a package falls beside me. "Here you go."

I frown down at it. "Who bought banana flavor?"

"Banana flavor?" Kyrian scowls. "Not me. I hate banana."

"Yeah, you. You bought the condoms last," Roman says, laughing. "Can't you read, man?"

"Fuck you." Kyrian's look of shock and hurt draws my attention. No, not hurt. Devastation. What the hell is going on with him? Is this about the condoms?

But then I have my arms full of flushed, aroused, pretty girl, and who cares about flavors anyway?

Let's play…