17. Jasmine

The next few days pass in a hazy blur. Even though there's a lot to do to settle Violet into the residence, my chest feels light, and my head is much quieter than usual. Xavier greases the wheels of our respective school boards so we can resume our studies online. He sets us up in Erik's office, since he has another one down on the club level. To my surprise, Violet has already bonded with the big alpha, and is more than happy to claim his desk with her textbooks, sparkly pens, and colored sticky notes. I keep waiting for her to exhibit some sign of trauma, but she seems perfectly adjusted to the fact we now live atop the most infamous alpha club in the city.

Chewie, of course, goes a long way to helping Violet find her feet. Kelly's mate gave her an official Seeing Dog training guide, and she carries it everywhere, spouting puppy facts whenever there's a lull in the conversation. Chewie still sleeps in his training crate, but Violet's only request has been that we sleep in the same room, so I've moved the three of us into the suite next to Casper's. I was a little disappointed, especially after the toe-curling night with Xavier, but Casper manages to find a quiet corner or an empty closet whenever I need him.

And I'm needy all the time. I'm not sure if it was Xavier's massage or the steamy threesome in Casper's bed, but they seem to have unlocked something inside me.

If my head is quieter and my burdens lighter, my sex drive is through the roof. Even the simplest things turn me on, like watching Xavier roll up his sleeves as he sits down to dinner, or Casper leaning back on his forearms when we flop on the patch of grass on the terrace. I'm suddenly acutely aware of Erik's knuckles and mesmerized by the way Declan runs his fingers through his hair. Their smiles seem to light something up inside me, even when they're not directed my way. And there's nothing more fascinating than watching them lean into each other, shoulders brushing and voices low and rumbling. Every time they touch it's like phantom fingers stroking my body, and a couple of times I've had to leave the dining table, the scent of my arousal stronger than Kelly's sugary desserts.

I'm sitting at Erik's desk early on Friday morning, trying to convince myself to finish a paper on hydrocolloids. I'm not sure how my focus drifts away from the topic of edible foam, but I suddenly find myself loading up my favorite porn site. I squirm a little, since I'm sitting in Erik's chair and my sister's sparkly pens are within reach, but it's like my brain is no longer in charge of my hand. And then I'm navigating to a section of the website I've never visited before.

The first threesome is two girls and a guy, and I click away with a huff. The next features a pretty male omega with a pair of beefy alphas, and I pause to watch for a moment. It makes heat pool in my belly, but I click through a few more until I find what I'm looking for – both a male and a female omega with a big, intimidating looking alpha. It's marked as one of the most watched videos on the platform and I can quickly see why. The omegas, who are both blonde and curvy, are perched on the alpha's thick thighs as they exchange hot, open-mouthed kisses. The possessive heat in the alpha's eyes is only matched by his rumbling purr, his fingers drenched in their slick as they writhe on his hands.

And every time the omegas come up for air, they rub up against the alpha, their hands stroking and squeezing his growing knot.

"What are you doing up so early, sweetheart?" Erik asks from the doorway, and I slap the laptop closed so fast, I nearly break my fingers. He's dressed in his usual work clothes – a dark henley, cargo pants, and heavy military boots – and all the heat between my thighs suddenly floods to my cheeks.

"I'm studying." I try to give him my most innocent smile. "Writing a really fascinating paper on food texture and stability in modern cuisine."

"Uh-huh. Does sound interesting." The guys have been really encouraging about continuing my studies and I expect him to just nod and leave me to it. But instead, Erik steps into the room and closes the door. "Don't stop studying on my account."

I blink at him. I didn't get a chance to shut the website down, and I'm certain if I open my laptop, the room will be flooded with the undeniable sounds of threesome porn. "I was just thinking I'd take a break, actually. Is anyone else up?"

"Not yet." He crosses to the desk and comes around to lean at my side, his hand scratching at his chin. "And just so you know, you're on the house server right now. I have no idea what hydrocolloids are, but I recognize hot porn when I see it."

"Oh, God!" I groan, dropping my head into my hands. "Seriously?"

"Yep. Now stand up." When I just stare at him, he scoops me up and drops into the chair, settling me back on his lap. The contrast from cool leather to hot male is so shocking, I have to bite back a whimper. "So, tell me what you like about this," he says as he opens the laptop, the video starting right where I left off. As the threesome writhe and moan with ecstasy, I give him a duh look, and he smirks. "I mean, is it just the dynamic or are you attracted to their looks?"

I shake my head, since I couldn't pick the actors out of a lineup if I was asked. "It's not them. I mean, I'm not watching them because they're my type, or anything. I like the dynamic obviously, but mostly I'm watching because of the alpha's knot. I've never seen one outside of porn."

"Huh." I can feel Erik staring at the side of my face, but I keep my eyes glued to the screen. "Well, I guess this is kind of educational, then."

I roll my eyes, but it isn't long before they drift back to the alpha. The male omega is now on his knees, kissing and licking his knot while the female omega lowers herself onto his impressive erection. She sinks down until she brushes the base of his shaft, then rises slowly back up again, making them all moan. "Is it normal?"

Erik shifts slightly under me. "The knot?" At my nod, he grunts. "Well, he's not an uber. You can tell because his knot goes down at the end. It doesn't work that way for us."

I choose to focus on the first part of his statement. "You've watched this video before, then?"

He smirks. "Well, I spend a lot of my time sitting in dark rooms with computer screens."

It's my turn to squirm a little, because the alpha is now working his knot inside the female. For someone who's only played around with a vibrator, it looks like a hell of a lot of work. Not that I wouldn't give it my best try... "So, your knots never go down? Isn't that…uncomfortable?"

Erik's massive shoulders move in a shrug. "You get used to it. And it's more swollen than hard, if that makes sense. It only gets really sensitive during sex."

The omega is now locked onto the knot, but I'm barely looking at the screen. "Can I see it? Yours, I mean. Or would that be too weird?"

"Weird isn't the word I'm thinking of." He peers down at me, his chocolate eyes cautious. "You sure? Xavier said you're taking it slow and not to rush you into anything."

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised they've talked about me. For every bouquet of flowers they've given Casper, there's been a matching one for me. Casper insists they're courting me too, despite the fact I'm the pack companion and not their official omega.

"Casper's mostly just giving me orgasms," I tell Erik, wanting to make it clear that slow doesn't mean glacial. "But I've kissed Xavier while Casper ate me out, and I watched Xavier give Casper a handjob."

Erik blinks at me. "Right. Explains the threesome videos, I guess." He chuffs a laugh, rubbing the scruff on his chin. "Well, if you really want to see it…"

I nod and stand, but he pushes the laptop back and perches me on the edge of the desk. He's so big I still have to look up at him, but my gaze is fixed on his waist as he opens his belt and unbuttons his cargoes. He's wearing black boxers, and he shoves them down with brutal efficiency until he can unsheathe his cock. He handles himself like he does this kind of thing every day, but I can feel my eyes grow wide as I take it in. "That's only half hard?" I ask, sounding breathless to my own ears.

His shaft flexes, the bulbous head lifting towards his navel. "Well, it started out that way. But I think you've got its attention."

"Uh-huh." And the longer I stare, the bigger it grows, the thickening scent of his musk making my mouth water. His knot is a thick band of muscle cradled in the shadow of his boxers, and my fingers twitch to free it. "Can I touch it?"

"Shit. Yeah, of course." He flaps a hand, looking slightly shocked by my eagerness. "Do whatever you want. This is all blowing my mind, to be honest."

I smirk a bit at that, my confidence lifting at his ragged tone. There's just enough room for me to kneel between his desk and the chair and I grip his thighs as I go down. He grunts, his eyes fixed on me as I lean forward and breathe in his scent. It's heady and enticing, and I'm not surprised to feel a trickle of slick in my panties. I'm pretty sure he can smell me too, but he keeps his hands on his thighs, tilting his hips to give me better access.

I'm here for the knot, but I can't resist staring at his straining cock. The head is a dusky red, the slit wide and wet as I brush it with my finger. It flexes towards his abs, and I trace the thick vein down the side, feeling the heat under the silky skin. Erik makes a small sound as I reach the bottom of the shaft where his knot has grown even thicker. It's a pretty shade of violet, hairless and smooth, and I press my fingers to the throbbing muscle.

Maybe it won't be easy for me to take a knot like this, given I'm not a natural omega. But after seeing Erik's, I'm determined to try.

I give the bulbous head another stroke, moisture welling at the tip and coating the shaft. I glance up at him, suddenly shy. "Can I taste it? Just to see if I like it?"

My finger is already halfway to my mouth when he groans out my name. I stare at the bead on my finger, glistening and fragrant, then flick to his eyes. They're hooded to near slits, but wild and heated as they watch me, and I feel a jolt of power as I take my first taste of him. It's potent and musky, salty with an edge of sweetness, and I immediately want more. "It tastes like a bordelaise sauce."

Erik gives a barking laugh, leaning back in the chair with a masculine smirk. "Then you like my meat."

I roll my eyes at him but can't resist leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his knot. It's so hot against my mouth, I gasp, my tongue darting out to brush against the sizzling flesh. His breath rushes out in a whoosh, his stomach muscles clenching when I glance up the wide, hard planes of his body. But my shyness is back, and Erik seems to sense it, leaning down to smooth my hair away from my face. "When you're ready, I want to show you what I can do with this knot."

I'm tempted to tell him I'm ready now, but he's forcing his erection back into his boxers and easing up his zipper. He doesn't bother with his belt, drawing me up to lean against his thigh. When I'm perched on the ridge of muscle, he cups my cheek, searching my face. "You're not freaked out?"

He sounds genuinely worried, and I bite my lip at the warm glow in my chest. "No. I liked it. Plus, it looks a lot prettier than the ones I've seen in porn."

He rumbles another laugh, the sound like distant thunder in his broad chest. It seems perfectly natural to tilt my head back for his kiss. His lips are thinner than Casper's, but there's something hypnotic about the way they slide back and forth over mine. It's less of a kiss, I realize, than a caress. And when he pulls back, his mouth curves up in a smug smile. I wonder if he can taste himself on my lips. "You can look at my pretty dick whenever you want, sweetheart."

I snort, but if there's a better way to be introduced to your first uber knot, I can't imagine what it is. "So, what else do you watch on your screens in your dark rooms?"

He jerks a finger at my laptop, and while he buttons his pants, I pull it back across the desk towards us. He settles me more securely on his lap then angles the keyboard his way, his fingers flying over the keys. The screen darkens, then a dozen black boxes appear, some with video and others with lines of scrawling code. "This is just a snapshot," he tells me. "You'll have to visit the office downstairs to see the full setup."

"Still, that's a lot of cameras," I murmur, leaning forward. "What are you looking for?"

"Different things. These are from the club last night." He points to three boxes clustered at the top of the screen. The film is grainy, but I can easily make out the busy club, full of alphas in formal suits. They're drinking and smoking, some playing poker while others are watching a trio of women perform a burlesque routine. There's nothing offensive on the video, but I still like the feel of Erik's warm palm on my back. "We have physical eyes on the floor as well as the surveillance feeds, and then I do random checks the next day. We don't tolerate any bullshit, and the performers are paid well and are never touched, period."

I nod, running my fingers lightly over his forearm. He wouldn't go to all the trouble of saving omegas from tasting events only to abuse them in his own club. "It doesn't look as bad as I thought."

"Well, we've had a few months to clean it up. It's not always so PG, but they watch their manners for the most part. And we have a one-strike policy. If they fuck up, they're out, and their membership is done."

There aren't a lot of alphas strong enough to police their own designation, but I have no doubt Erik keeps the members in line. And while I despise alphas who use their dominance to hurt others, all I get from Erik's scent is his desire to protect.

He clicks the mouse, and a report comes up on the screen. "This is a sitrep from the guys on surveillance last night. We're keeping an ear out for any chatter about Jackson and Violet." He scans it quickly and gives a quiet grunt. "Still no noticeable fallout."

I'm relieved, but I know my dad too well to really relax. It's possible he's so wrapped up in his company he doesn't even care that both of his daughters are missing. But it's equally possible that he's just keeping things quiet, hoping to get Violet back before anyone notices. Our father is all about image, and as the head of a pharmaceutical company, he has a board to manipulate and government officials to placate. I'm certain that even with Jackson gone, he has a team out on the streets searching for us.

"And Kayden?" I ask, even though I'd happily go to my grave never uttering his name again. "Any news on him?"

"We tracked him to the airport a few days ago. We know he took a commercial flight to Boston, but we lost him in the city. We're watching his place and a few of his businesses until he reappears."

"Like a damn rash," I mutter, but I perk up at the idea of Kayden leaving the state. Maybe he's looking to move his business out of the city now the Volks are cleaning house.

Erik clicks the mouse again, this time bringing up a weather report. His arm snakes around my waist, his lips dropping to my cheek. I shiver as his warm breath feathers across my skin. "While all's quiet out there, how about we grab Casper and go for a swim?"

I turn and narrow my eyes at him. "And you're really going to swim? Casper said you just use the pool as an excuse to lure us to the terrace and into the gym."

He grins and I can't help myself. I just have to trace the curve of his lips, especially when he starts to laugh. It transforms his face from stoic and deadly to boyish and heart-stopping. There's even an impish dimple winking at me from his left cheek. "Nothing like working up a sweat before cooling off with a refreshing dip."

I groan, more from the way he's nibbling on my fingers than the thought of watching Erik work out. Life is full of hardships, right?

"Okay, but you have to break the bad news to Casper."