Pack Fever: Omegaverse Romance, page 7
“I-I can’t believe this,” he murmurs, a slight shake in his body, and suddenly, the confident Alpha looks taken aback, startled. As if fighting an invisible beast, he rips himself away from me, his shirt torn from my grip.
Stumbling back, he pauses by the railing near the steps, gasping for air.
“Shit man,” he murmurs, his voice darkening, moving over to Jasper. “Not only have you brought a hunted Omega into our home, but one who’s on the verge of going into full-blown heat.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Jasper answers. “She’s in trouble, and we can’t exactly throw her out on the streets.”
Silence blinks between us.
I stare at them, hating how I’m made to sound like a burden. Well, fuck them! I don’t need them, my mom, or anyone.
“Hey, sorry to break up the bromance going on, but I don’t want your help or anything. I appreciate you helping me with enforcers, but that’s where we end. Now, show me the way out.” I move toward the steps, my heart colliding into my ribcage with fear, with an urgency to escape.
Jasper’s in front of me in an instant, blocking my path, hands in his pocket, as though blocking the stairs is something he does every day.
“You’re not going anywhere, little mouse. You’re being hunted, plus you’re showing signs of going into heat. So, do you really want to be out there alone for any Alpha to find you? With us, you’re safe.”
His words tether me back from the edge of the staircase.
“Who said I was alone?” I say, lifting my chin.
“How about you tell us what’s going on? Seth told us Nexus took you from Nocturne club. Did you escape from them? Is that why they’re chasing you?”
Safe? Am I really safe?
He arches an eyebrow.
Meeting Alphas I feel a connection with isn’t supposed to go like this. I thought about it my whole life, of that instant connection, that addiction, and my pack engulfing me with wanting me when we finally met. Promising me the world.
Maybe the issue is that I’m thinking these guys are my pack… but they aren’t. Reed made that clear.
Right now, I have the intense attraction, the hunger that has me burning up, but where’s the part where the Alphas swoop me off my feet and say, ‘you are ours forever’ without hesitation? Jasper’s adorable and caring, but is that just his conscience speaking? I’m not sure what to make of my feelings, or that deep down in my heart, a desperate part of me wishes my dream would just come real. To finally be given a damn chance in life to find happiness.
Instead, Reed’s chuckling from across the hallway.
“Let her go if she wants. I mean, she’ll only stifle our creativity, and she probably doesn’t appreciate real music when she hears it.”
His words sting, and I shoot him a glare, aware he’s getting me back for my comment about their rock band singing pop, but I won’t let him crawl under my skin. I remember the way he reacted after inhaling my scent, and I know he felt what I had felt between us. So, if he wants to reject me, that’s fine. I don’t need them.
I meet Reed’s stare, my chest torn, my head furious at him, and my insides turning into a carnal pleasure carnival in their presence. That part I dislike.
Jasper’s not moving out of my way. As much as I can demand to be released, maybe staying a bit longer isn’t such a bad idea. At least until the enforcers leave the area, as I have no doubt they’d pay the women’s center a visit.
“Well, I guess I could stay for a bit,” I concede, holding Reed’s sarcastic gaze, wanting to make him suffer if I can.
“Perfect,” Jasper answers.
The grin he offers me leaves me breathless. How does he do that, stare at me like I’m the only person he sees in the world?
“Then you’re coming with us tonight to a party.”
I flinch. “Wait, what party? I thought—”
“Who’s coming to the party?” A familiar, deep, raspy voice from the man ascending the steps steals the rest of my words. The moment I lay eyes on him, the sunlight on his face, I instantly know who he is… My heart’s in my throat, and I feel like I might pass out.
It’s the lead singer of Fever—Seth Striker—returning to join us.
Suddenly, it’s as if the room shifts, gravity tilting toward him, and every nerve in my body’s jumping. He’s the frontman, the face I’ve seen plastered across billboards and music covers.
I’m standing there, staring as Seth struts up the steps in tight leather pants that hug those strong legs and goes down to heavy boots. He’s in an off-white Henley top that follows the curves of so many muscles, and he’s wearing leather bands around his wrists. When the sunlight from a window behind him hits him, it reveals the flaming fire tattoo below his ear, hidden moments earlier by tousled, messy, chocolate-copper hair.
His face is absurdly handsome, with a strong jawline and a sinful mouth. He carries the kind of look I expect from a model gracing the pages of a high-end fashion magazine. The kind where their models are sculptured as if they live at the gym.
Get it together, Danica. Shit, it’s Seth!
I know I’m fangirling on the inside. I feel the fire blazing; the excitement drumming in my chest, and I’m convinced my mouth’s hanging open.
Swallowing back and shoving down the ridiculous girl who wants to giggle at seeing Seth Striker, I glance away. Only to have my sights land on Reed. He’s leaning against the wall, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as if he sees me momentarily dazzled by Seth’s presence.
I snap out of it just as quickly, taking in a sharp breath and driving my hands into the pockets of my jeans, as though it’s just another normal day.
“Apparently, me,” I answer just as Seth pauses feet from me, taking in all of me.
I tremble under his gaze and shift around on my feet, having no idea how to stand anymore. His stare is like having every bit of me exposed.
I fight the embarrassing inferno climbing up my neck. Part of me is flooded with raw nerves, another part with something I’m trying to ignore.
“I was just telling your friends that I was on my way out,” I explain, my voice shakier than I intended. “But they insisted I stay.”
He runs his hand through his hair, a gesture I’ve seen him do in so many photos and videos. My heart skips a beat that I’m swooning, and I hate myself for having so little control.
Jasper strides over to Seth, leaving me in the wake of his scent of chocolate and blueberries and not even realizing the impact he has on me, how my toes curl in my shoes. How the desire he ignites within me means it’s dangerous to be around them.
“Danica’s not going anywhere,” Jasper states, leaning a bent elbow against the railing near Seth. “Not while she has enforcers on her tail. I also think she’s alone and about to go into heat. And you know me, I can’t let her go back out there as she’ll be in trouble.”
The two men exchange a deep, knowing stare.
I adore that Jasper is on my side, even though I hate that he already knows too much about me.
“Heat?” Seth repeats, his attention narrowing on me once more, and this time, it’s a bit terrifying. “Where’s your family, Danica? Or did you escape from Nexus? How did you end up in the town of Haven?”
I blink, trying to corral my messed-up thoughts. How in the world do I even begin to explain? Before I can voice a single word, Reed’s on the move, crossing the hallway. He takes a wide berth from me, most likely not wanting to pick up on my scent. Jerk.
“Oh, she’s gonna take a while to respond,” he says with a chuckle. “She’s currently fangirling hard. Apparently, she’s a fan, though she won’t admit it.” Then to me, he continues, “You’re drooling a bit.” He touches the side of his mouth in mock concern.
“Asshole.”
“Call me when we’re heading out,” he calls out as he disappears downstairs.
Left alone with Jasper and Seth, I’m struggling to hold on to my composure. Jasper’s scent from striding so close to me still throws me off balance, and the threat of my heat coming scares me. Especially being out here with three Alphas who just happen to be Fever!
Seth’s gaze is steady on me as he waits for my response. There’s no softness in his expression, more like judgment. Like Reed, Seth clearly sees me as a burden who’s interrupted their precious time and life.
Well, I’ll be out of their hair soon enough… Giving the enforcers a bit of time not to find me and vanishing out of town is a must. Then the whole dealing with three Alphas will be over.
“Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now,” I begin, half-hearted in my enthusiasm. “I really have no reason to lie to you, especially if you’re being true to your word to help me for a bit and not report me to Nexus. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“We fucking hate Nexus,” Jasper says, frowning.
His comment has me more than intrigued.
Seth just studies me, eyes unflinching, and for a fleeting moment, it almost feels as though he’s recognizing someone he hasn’t seen in ages. While me… I’m wrestling with the urge to swoon each time our gazes meet. I shove the fangirl down inside me. I won’t let it be shown that Reed was spot on.
These guys are just Alphas, after all.
“I was being taken to the Nexus facility early because I apparently can’t follow their ridiculous rules,” I start off. “I was with three of my friends when the Nexus bus we were in lost control and crashed into a tree. After that, we got separated, and I wasn’t sticking around to be recaptured. I slipped down the hillside and knocked my head pretty good. Then I found this town.” I give a nonchalant shrug, yet the memory is still fresh, the fear that my friends are somewhere in trouble. However, they’re just as savvy, and I know they’ll find a way to survive… just like I’m doing.
“Come,” Seth murmurs. “Let’s take a seat somewhere more comfortable, and we can chat.” There’s something almost familiar about his voice, soothing, as though my body is reaching out to something we want over and over.
Before I can answer, he closes the distance between us, his hand on mine.
His touch is like an electric shock. His scent envelopes me instantly, a powerful smell of ginger and oak that sends my senses into overdrive. My knees buckle slightly, and I’m struck immediately by a familiarity of who’s standing in front of me.
A whine brushes over my throat at the intensity of his scent, at the need my body has for him. My balance wavers while I find a smirk playing on his lips—a knowing, triumphant tilt that suggests he’s been fully aware of who I am from the moment he laid eyes on me.
“It’s you,” I whisper as reality slams into me.
That grin widens, displaying a row of perfect teeth, and I find myself annoyed by how his attractiveness doesn’t falter, even with that smug grin.
“Hello, Danica. You remember me now?” he asks playfully. “The Alpha who you tricked into taking your virginity.”
His words hang heavily in the air, and for a second, I’m stunned.
I try to speak, but nothing comes out. The man in the mask… He may have been covered up, but the more I listen to that voice, the more I realize who I hooked up with the night at Nocturne.
His assertion, bold and unapologetic, and mannerism, locks me on the spot. The truth is that I let the lead singer of Fever finger me at a club and bring me to orgasm, being my first. And yes, his fingers were tainted with my blood, but his reaction infuriates the hell out of me.
“I didn’t trick you. You were very eager to stick your hand down my pants,” I finally sputter, lifting my chin high and noticing Jasper lifting his eyebrows in Seth’s direction. My face burns with embarrassment while he’s wearing that damn self-satisfied smirk again. “That’s how I remember our night went.”
“Oh,” Jasper blurts in. “So, she’s the girl you were telling us about at the club?”
“You told others?” My cheeks burn hotter.
“We share everything,” Seth admits.
“Well, come to think of it, how can I forget the arrogant guy who assumed he had a say over what I did with my body,” I snap back.
He barks a laugh. “I like how fierce you are. Now shall we go and talk, or would you rather stand here, so we can keep sparring?”
I grit my teeth, wondering if staying here is such a smart decision when I have one Alpha interested in helping me, one who wants me gone, and the big shot staring at me with his arrogant gaze.
Chapter
Six
JASPER
My mind’s blown!
Danica came into our lives today like wildfire and engulfed everything. And I fucking embrace it, having longed for a new dynamic in our pack.
Don’t get me wrong… the three of us have weathered our fair share of chaos and fought battles both off and on the stage, but this… this is something else.
The little mouse is tiny, fierce, and has caught each of us off guard. As much as Seth loves to be in charge, I can tell even he’s thrown off by her arrival. The way he’d spoken to us about her from the other night at Nocturne, I’d have sworn he was going to set up a manhunt to save her from the enforcers because he’d found his Omega. Yet now, he’s playing hard to get because it scares him to make a commitment.
I know the guy… and Reed’s even worse. That guy swore he’d be a bachelor for life and not end up divorced and miserable like his parents. I always assumed when he met the right Omega, he’d change his mind. But seems he’s more fucking stubborn than I anticipated.
My thoughts fly back to Danica, my pulse on fire, her scent filling my senses. My cock has been hard since first meeting her earlier today, and now it’s impossible to get her out of my head.
So, she escaped the enforcers’ clutches. Fuck, yeah, that impresses me majorly.
Maybe Danica is the disruption we need.
We’ve made a life out of music. We depend on each other like family and use this home and each other to ground ourselves. Yet, as far as I’m concerned, there’s something still missing in our life—or maybe someone… an Omega to complete our family.
We’ve met Omegas before at events where desperate parents bring their daughters in the hope we’ll make a connection. It’s insane how far people will go to be matched with us. Regardless, I haven’t been drawn to any other Omegas like I am to Danica, and it’s more than arousal. I admire her fierceness and that she’s not a pushover.
The issue of her having Nexus on her tail is damn alarming because as much as I detest them for controlling who Alphas can be with, they can make anyone’s life hell… including a popular rock band, if we break their rules.
However, she’s in trouble, that’s clear, and I’ve never been one to let fear stop me. As a pack, we protect our own… I just have to convince Seth and Reed of this. I can’t stop remembering the fright on her face, despite her words and how ready she was to bolt from us earlier.
Tensing, I keep searching the rooms for Reed when I finally track him down. I figure a small chat might shed light on what he truly thinks we should do about Danica. Of course, I’m curious to see what he thought of her. It’s not often that something startles Reed. Watching him push her aside shouldn’t surprise me. He’s a black-and-white kind of person and will put you in your place, instantly knowing if he likes or dislikes someone.
Except… I know he doesn’t dislike her, despite his words. I saw the way he studied her, the longing in his gaze, how quickly he got away from her.
He’s currently in the bathroom, the sound of the shower running. Except why the fuck is he having a shower in the middle of the day? Just as I’m about to bang on the door and demand answers, I hear it—the unmistakable grunt of him jerking off.
I chuckle to myself, getting the answer from his actions alone. He can’t control himself, and I find it hilarious.
Seizing the opportunity to tease him, I knock sharply on the bathroom door.
“I see that Danica got to you!” I call out, then break into a laugh.
A chorus of curses comes back to me, and I throw myself down on his bed. I stretch out, making myself comfortable as I wait for him to finish. It isn’t long before Reed emerges from the bathroom, wearing only low-hanging jeans, his hair still damp as he roughly dries it with a towel. He throws me a snarl that’s all teeth and annoyance.
“What the hell do you want, Jasper?” he snarls. “Ever heard of privacy?”
I chuckle, pushing myself up from the bed, sitting on the edge.
“Just here for a friendly chat, man.” Reed and I have been through hell and back, especially when Seth went off the rails with his addictions. Something we had to unite over to help him before we lost him. The band almost imploded, but if there was any silver lining, it brought Reed and me closer.
“I know why you’re here,” he says gruffly, throwing the towel onto the bed with a dismissive flick of his wrist. “And I’m not interested in settling down. But, hey, no one said you can’t take an Omega.”
He pulls on a black shirt from our last tour with our Fever logo with flames behind it, trying to act like none of this phases him. He’s not kidding anyone, especially when I catch the tension in his shoulders. Then there’s his out-of-the-blue anger at Danica.
“There’s a problem with that,” I say, waiting for his reaction.
He glances my way, his expression guarded. “What problem?”
“If she’s going to be only mine, I sure as fuck don’t want you jerking off in the shower thinking about her.” I give him a pointed look and a grin that’s impossible to suppress.
He shrugs casually. “You’re projecting your own jealousy, my friend. She’s all yours and Seth’s if he wants a piece.” His voice is cool, detached, and there’s an edge to it that anyone else would believe.
I stand, eyeing him. “So, you’re going to step back, huh?”
“I have enough on my plate without adding an Omega to the mix,” he explains, casually running his fingers through his still-wet hair.
