77. Chapter Seventy-Seven

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Arrow

E veryone's in a much better mood after Beth's friends leave, and our girl admits that we're fated to be together. It doesn't matter that we've agreed the restaurant renovations should come first. We're all so relieved that Beth wants to be with us.

Jack can't stop smiling, Gio is flirting and fussing over her, and clearly all Enzo can think about now is the hottest part of becoming mated. It's usually easy to get his attention, but he's been staring at Beth, undressing her with his eyes for practically the whole meal today.

No one even notices when I get up to grab a soda out of the fridge in the kitchen.

I poke around in the fridge until I find a can of lemonade.

I'm about to crack it open and head back through to the dining room when I realize I can feel something in the room. It washes over me like rain, but it's energy. I start to look around, thinking for a second that Enzo must have entered the kitchen while I was hunting for a soda, then I realize two things at the same time.

One, it's not Enzo.

Two, it's not in the room.

The overpowering energy that's drenching me is coming from outside.

It's powerful and consuming, and very, very Alpha.

Oh, holy fuck, it's him.

My fifth mate.

I can feel it, and I can't resist it.

I set the can of soda down on the counter, and I move toward the back door.

Enzo has left his key in the lock, as usual. I turn it and the door pops open.

A spark of excitement burns through me as I move out into the alley.

The first breath I take is almost chokingly sweet.

My perfume! It's back, and it's stronger than it's been in weeks.

I'm still an Omega. Thank God!

It takes a minute to remember why I came out here, and by the time the answer hits me, the sweet intoxication of anticipatory arousal is threatening to overwhelm my senses.

My slick is coming in thick and fast, soaking my underwear.

I haven't even laid eyes on him, and I want him.

I scan the alley, knowing he's here, somewhere.

When I turn to the right, he jumps down in front of me, making me jerk back.

I blink and glance upward to see he must have dropped from the fire escape's ladder.

When I look back at him, I have the same heated physical reaction I had when I met each of my previous mates, and I can see my own lustful thoughts reflected in his eyes.

There's a hint of shock under the desire, but it's not enough to stop him from moving closer and running a hand over my throat. He's feeling for my marks, so he knows I already have Alphas.

When the tips of his fingers brush the first mark hidden under my hair, I let out a soft moan.

"Sneaky," he murmurs, his sultry voice only adding to the throbbing that's starting inside my pants. "What kind of Alpha doesn't put his mark on his Omega's throat, where everyone can see it and know he's spoken for?"

"The considerate kind," I manage to answer, while his fingers make me shiver.

"This is what you wanted?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

He makes it sound like a bad thing. "Marks are private. I don't want strangers staring at them."

"Strangers would stare at you no matter what," he murmurs.

There's something dangerous about the way he's looking at me now, as if he can barely keep from putting his teeth on my skin, and if I give him the chance, he might just mark me, whether I agree to that mark's placement or not.

Part of me is aroused by this.

The other part isn't as dead against having his mark on my throat as it should be.

I'm impaired right now, and I know it. I just can't bring myself to care.

All I want is for him to claim me.

Whoever the hell he is.

He leans in and I hold my breath.

I'm not going to stop him. I don't want to.

My legs start to shake as his lips brush my skin, and he groans, low and needy.

He nips at my skin with razor sharp teeth that are ready to sink in.

"Oh my God," I murmur, my hands going to his arms to steady myself.

He runs his tongue over my neck, moaning softly as his other hand moves from my mark down the front of my body and straight into my pants.

I gasp in a breath.

He scrapes the tips of his fangs over my skin, softly enough that he can't accidentally mark me.

I know it's not going to happen by accident. This Alpha knows what he wants, and he won't shy away from taking it. He's doing it slowly for a reason, teasing me to make me want what he wants. I don't hate it, and I definitely don't hate the way his hand seizes my cock.

It's all so new and exciting … and I probably shouldn't be letting any of it happen.

At least, not like this.

It might be how things happened with Gio and Enzo when we met, but now I have them and Jack to consider when I make decisions. Knowing this guy is meant to be ours doesn't change that.

Unfortunately, I think I might be going into heat.

It's not the first time, and it won't be the last, but it's practically impossible to turn down an Alpha I have a connection with when my body starts to make me crave a good, hard knotting.

"I don't know what my Alphas will think about this," I murmur, making a weak attempt at stopping whatever's about to happen, even as my body starts to bead with sweat.

Oh, I'm definitely going into heat.

I'm so fucking screwed.

He lifts his head slowly from my neck. "Every Alpha wants their mate to be happy, more than anything else. They want you to have everything you want. I want you to have everything you want. So, tell me, what do you want?"

He watches me patiently, removing his hand from my pants and crossing his arms.

He has the prettiest eyes. Dark blue with silvery flecks.

I gaze back at him, trying to pull my heat under control before I do something I might regret.

He leans in and whispers, "You need me, I can feel it."

I do. I need him.

My stomach is starting to clench.

I'll be in serious pain if I don't get knotted soon.

"I'm ready to claim you if you're ready to be claimed. All you need to do is say yes, and I can ease your heat." He brushes his lips against my throat. "I'll only mark you once you're sure about where you want me to do it, but you need my knot, and you can't wait."

He's right. I can't wait.

I can't risk passing out from the pain of an untended heat.

Even if I rushed right back into the dining room now, there might not be time for one of my Alphas to understand my predicament and help me before it gets so bad that I'm in danger of passing out and never waking back up again.

"I need to be claimed," I admit. "And it has to be now."

He smiles back at me. "Right here? Or do you want to drag me inside for this?"

Hm, let me see.

Do I want fucked up against the wall in the alley, where it smells like trash?

Or in Enzo's spotlessly clean kitchen?

There's no contest.

"Come inside."