20. Erin

Chapter twenty

Erin

On the last day of the River Festival, we arrive bright and early. Last night, Locke and I were so tired, we simply fell asleep. But I woke up with him buried inside me. That room had an air of desperation. He’d fucked me for a long time in a lot of positions, making me feel things I’ve never felt before.

I catch memories of him; me lying on my back, him pushing up into me, while I grab the pillows and hold on, gasping and moaning.

It was a hundred percent the best way to wake up ever. I’ve wondered why Shane, Bray, and Finn are staying so distant, but when I’d asked Locke, he told me that he’d asked them to. Locke had been cautious, but he’d explained the more sexual stuff we’d done together, the faster he felt his heat coming. And he didn’t want to go into heat with the town so full of strangers, during a busy time when his alphas are needed.

I’d been amused but too tired to really think too much about it. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t spot him straight away.

“Erin!”

I lift my head sharply. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Locke is intently staring at the man moving quickly towards us. It’s a dangerous fixation, and he’s already identified the man as a threat before I even saw him.

“Erin, I found you at last.”

Dezzi is fatter than I remember him. He’s still very, very attractive, but I don’t see that now. All I see is an alpha who thought fucking me would help get him a partner position. I stare at him, and there is nothing there. No attraction, none of the excitement or the affection. It’s gone. I find his smile smarmy and his looks average compared to Locke, Bray, Shane, and Finn. His clothes are three quarters of his appeal. There’s nothing left, not anger, none of the rage. I feel nothing but irritation that he’s here near my omega.

“How's the wife? Or ex-wife,” I say with a flash of teeth and temper.

The fucker pouts, folding his arms over his expensive grey suit. His slicked back hair isn’t even moving in the breeze.

“Don’t be like that, Erin. Petty doesn’t look good on you.” He doesn’t even look at Locke, not until the scent of omega floods the surrounding air.

His eyes gleam, but I snarl, almost jumping between the two of them. I grab Dezzi’s arm and drag him away from Locke, who is standing there staring at me, absolutely rigid with rage.

I’m a bit nervous over how deadly he looks right now.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss at my ex.

“I got your message.”

“What message?” I snap, confused but keeping an eye on Locke, who is vibrating with fury.

Dezzi puts a hand on my shoulder suddenly and leans in close, but I shove hard at his chest. It doesn’t move him at all, and all I can see is red.

“Don’t touch me!” I hiss at him.

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” Locke snarls with so much venom that I almost forget myself. What the fuck?

“What? You got an omega? He’s yours? Well, we can share.” He smiles at Locke, and I mentally hope Bray, Finn, and Shane stay elsewhere for the next few minutes. Otherwise, I’ll be brushing up on getting murderers off.

Locke snarls louder.

I reach out and wrap my hand around Locke’s wrist. His blue-green eyes look like chips of gemstones. His face is an icy mask. I’ve never seen anyone look so stunningly hot. Not the time, Erin.

“I didn’t send you a message,” I say loudly. “Dezzi, I told you we were done four months ago when your wife came to me to ask me politely to stop sleeping with you.”

“Oh, don’t bring that up.” Dezzi heaves an exasperated sigh. “Here we go, again.”

I let out my own growl at his cynical groan. “Can you go back into the hole you came out of and stay there?”

“You sent the damn message. The invitation for a week of sex. To get back together.”

I scoff. “I would never, ever have sent that. Listen carefully, I helped your wife screw you, and it’s on my damn highlight reel.”

“Yes, and I’m very mad about that, but-”

“There’s no but!” I screech. “I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. I wouldn’t touch you if you were the last dick on Earth. Go away! I didn’t send the message. I don’t want you.”

Dezzi glares at me. “The only reason I’m here is because you’re such a superb fuck, Erin. Our bosses want you to apologise, they have a big case-”

Locke lunges, breaking out of my hold and grabbing my ex’s shirt. They’re toe to toe, but Dezzi starts to laugh.

Locke looks at him and leans in close to whisper.

The alpha’s expression goes slack, his chin trembles, and finally, the light in his eyes fades. He nods his head sharply, looks in my direction.

“Sorry, Erin. I promise I will never see you again.” His voice comes out strained like he’s fighting himself.

Locke lets go of his shirt and glares until the alpha turns and runs, actually runs, away.

“What did you do?” I ask, stunned stupid.

Locke turns on me and grabs my wrist. He drags me down a side street and then into the car park behind the diner, where he slams me up against the wall.

“You belong to me!” Locke hisses.

I blink at him. I’m a strange combination of exhilarated and intoxicated. This is the single hottest thing that has ever happened to me! It’s like one of my aunt’s romance novels. My stomach jumps, my skin shivers, I’m a tongue-tied mess. Turn me round and fuck me up against the wall!

“You belong to me. You’re my alpha,” Locke snarls and punches the bricks near my head. “I won’t let them take you away. No one gets to have you.”

I inhale the potent vanilla. It's stronger than I’ve ever smelt it. It wraps around me and chains me to this omega. I know I’ll never ever smell anything as good as he smells. This is my perfection. This omega who is so mad, so mad that someone tried to take me from him.

He is my equal, my dream, my hope.

I lean forward and kiss him, our lips cling, and then I pull back.

“I didn’t message him. I didn’t want him. Locke, wherever you go, and no matter what happens, you are my omega. That is a truth that is written into my heart and burned into my soul.”

Locke exhales roughly, and I see the moment the rage lets go of him.

How did he manage to get Dezzi to turn away?

But then Bray is there, checking over us both. Frantically searching for injuries. His eyes are wide with panic as his hands travel over my face and then Locke’s. Bray pulls me tight against his chest, hugging me hard and exhaling harshly, before he lets me go and turns to Locke.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Locke turns and kisses Bray, too. “You’re mine.”

“Yes, I know, but are you okay?” Bray says with no hesitation. That calms Locke even more than what I said.

Locke sags and puts a hand over his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out.”

I hug him and kiss the only part of his face I can see, his chin. “It was hot.”

“Hot? Really?”

“Totally hot,” I confirm.

Finn stomps around the corner and sees us, his relief is obvious as he pauses and scans us. I get all melty inside as the beta’s rage dissipates and concern takes its place. Shane is a moment behind him, and he doesn’t show anything, just stalks over to me and tilts my chin up with one finger. Our eyes meet and hold. No words are exchanged.

“Are you two okay?” Finn says harshly.

“Sure, we’re fine.” I beam at Finn. “Locke chased my ex off.”

Shane laughs as he steps out of Finn’s way. Locke draws himself up, but whatever righteous anger he had evaporates when Shane picks him up and spins him around.

“You’re incredible.”

Bray touches my cheek. “Erin, are you all right?”

There’s so much concern in his voice that it just melts me.

“I’m fine, I’m just shocked. He said he received a message from me, but the last time I tried to contact him was to send him divorce papers for his wife.”

Bray hums and glances at Finn. Something passes in their expressions, but I don’t know what it is.

“What? What was that look for?” I snap, looking between them both.

“Nothing, it’s just, I had one of my ex-fuck buddies try to hit me up, saying she got a text from me.”

“And a girl that I am not interested in showed me an email I’d supposedly sent to her professing my adoration. Luckily, she knew it was a hoax,” Finn says in a low voice.

I glance around. “Who is messing with us?”

“I have no idea, but it’s weird.”

Shane brings Locke back and wraps his arms around him from behind.

“So, are we cool to resume the activities for the day? Finn is going to play tourist today.”

Finn sighs. “I’m going to try.”

“We’re going to help you,” Shane says in his deep rumble voice.

“Let's enjoy the last day of this festival. I want it over with,” I say with a wink at Locke. “And then the heat party can begin.”

Locke gulps and swallows hard.