Tension surged through the bond as we made our way to the van the following afternoon. Cam led the way, grasping one of the guns he got from the cabin. Ben walked beside me, a steadying hand on my arm, while Theo pulled up the rear.
The past day had been a dream. We’d stayed in bed pretty much the whole time, tending to our new bonds, sleeping, and, well, other things. My cheeks flamed as I remembered the downright filthy things my alphas had done to me. Ben’s grip on my arm tightened as my arousal shot down the bond.
“Did you not get enough, precious?” he tugged me closer to his side so my body was flush against his.
I hummed noncommittally because, if I was honest, the answer was no.
“Or is your leg hurting? Do you need more magic cum?” he asked, his tone almost hopeful.
Theo had shared his theory, and Ben had been especially delighted by the idea.
“You two, focus,” Cam growled, quickly glancing back at us.
I shot Ben a dirty look, but he just cupped my ass as we kept walking. My omega had settled down significantly since bonding, but my alphas were growing more… feral, for lack of better words, as we prepared to head into a dangerous situation.
When we got to the van, Ben pulled me flush to his body behind a tree while Cam and Theo crept forward to ensure the coast was clear.
“All set,” Theo said, jogging back to us, grabbing my hand to kiss my bond mark.
“I can drive,” I said as we approached the van.
“No!” all three of my alphas exclaimed at once.
I snorted, rolling my eyes. My driving wasn’t that bad.
“It will look suspicious if someone sees you in the driver’s seat. It’s safer for you to ride in the back,” Cam said, pulling me into his arms.
I pursed my lips, skeptical that their concern was just about the risk of getting caught, but I nodded, letting Cam boost me into the back of the van before he followed me in.
I whimpered and sweat trickled down my back as the van doors closed shut, trapping us in darkness. My hands automatically went to the doors, trying to claw them open. Cam quickly pulled me close to his chest, surrounding me with his solid heat. My heart pounded as my mind went to the days I’d been kept in the dark cell.
“Don’t like the dark,” I said, clenching my jaw.
“Shit,” he muttered. “I should have thought of that. We can figure out a way for you to hide in the front without being seen, but I’ve got you, sweetheart. It’s just the two of us here. Safe, cozy…”
The van pulled away and hit a pothole, and the metal floor beneath us shook so hard Cam had to brace himself to keep us from tumbling over.
“Cozy?” I asked incredulously.
Cam snorted. “Yeah, that was a little too far. I can signal them to stop so we can switch spots.”
I clenched my fists, holding his shirt and forcing myself to take long, slow breaths.
“I can do it,” I whispered.
“That’s a good girl,” he said. “Nothing bad’s going to happen in this darkness.”
I nodded, relaxing into his tight hold.
“Your alpha is going to hold you tight and stroke that sweet pussy, so you relax. And before you know it, we’ll be there.”
Ohhh… maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
I didn’t protest as Cam lowered us to the floor, positioning me between his legs with my back flush to his chest. His fingers hovered at the edge of my leggings, pausing there as if asking my permission. I gripped his wrist and pushed him towards my core. The scent of my perfume hung heavy in the air and Cam groaned, gripping my hair as he tilted my head back with a sting and licked at his bond mark.
“So fucking responsive and perfect for me,” he murmured, and a delicious shiver went through me.
“All four missions will take place simultaneously, starting tonight at ten o’clock. We need to time everything perfectly so that none of the guards have a chance to warn the other facilities,” Cam said as he instructed the three Alliance alphas assigned to our team.
They had introduced themselves as Grant, River, and Oliver. They looked to be in their early twenties, all still having a slight boyishness to their faces, and were taking in Cam’s every word with gazes filled with admiration.
I also couldn’t keep my eyes from Cam, but for a different reason. He had pulled on tactical gear that highlighted his every muscle, especially when he crossed his arms like he was now.
We were in a small warehouse that could only be described as creepy. Single bare bulbs hung from the ceiling, casting irregular shadows across the main room as the sun set outside, and the scent of mildew seemed to have baked its way into the cinderblock walls.
“Ben will take point on communication. He is in charge of surveillance for our mission at the Western Facility and Pack Roan’s mission at the Southern Facility. Another operative will monitor the missions at the Eastern and Northern Facilities. If everyone can get the gear they need, we’ll meet back here to look over the schematics Ben obtained.”
We all nodded, but before I could join the others in the supply room, Theo grabbed my arm.
“Stop perfuming,” he said, his voice a low growl as he crowded my body with his. “Or I’ll be forced to do something about it.”
I inhaled sharply, momentarily forgetting my fear about the mission and why we were here. Fuck. We needed to get it together if this was going to be successful.
“I need to put on de-scenter,” I said, slowly moving away from Theo.
He scowled. “Hate the smell of that shit on you.”
Theo was riding the edge of turning feral—there was a cold command in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. I wondered if I should be concerned, but my omega found it incredibly hot.
“I know,” I said in what I hoped was a soothing tone. “But I can’t be a distraction.”
“You’re always a distraction,” Theo huffed, running his hand through his hair and breaking eye contact. He breathed through his mouth as he got a bottle of de-scenter from his supply bag and handed it to me.
I sprayed it on, wrinkling my nose at the familiar metallic scent until I couldn’t scent my own perfume anymore.
“How’s that?” I asked.
“Bloody awful,” Theo said, stepping closer. “But better.”
His pupils weren’t nearly as dilated as before, and I gave him a soft smile.
“I’m not sure they think I belong here,” I said softly, nodding at the other alphas. They kept throwing me furtive glances that set me on edge.
“Did they say anything?” Theo asked in a growl, turning to face the three alphas.
“No, they didn’t,” I said quickly, grabbing Theo’s hand before he barged over there.
“You do belong here, angel,” he said, turning back to me.
I could feel he was being genuine, but there was also trepidation in the bond.
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you okay with me being part of this mission?”
He opened his mouth and then hesitated.
“Theo,” I whined.
“My alpha thinks I should lock you in that room until everything’s over so you’ll be safe,” he said, nodding at the weapons room. “But I know that if I did, you would just break the lock and come out guns blazing.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Just because I want to protect you doesn’t mean I don’t think you’re capable, and you’ve proven you’re more capable than all of us combined.”
I blushed. “Not sure about that,” I said, pressing my face into his chest.
“I also don’t want to be separated from you,” he said, squeezing my ass. “We need to get you some protective gear, though.”
He tilted his finger under my chin, placing a feather-soft kiss on my lips before bringing me over to the clothing racks.
“There aren’t any uniforms your size,” Grant said from the other side of the clothing rack. His arm brushed mine as he fished out the tactical gear. He walked around the rack and held up a uniform in front of my body, invading my space. Pink stained his cheeks, and I realized that perhaps my perfume had been more than a distraction to just my mates.
I stiffened, immediately assuming he was critiquing me for being too big for an omega. But then I looked at the gear and realized it was all massive alpha-size. Huh. First time in my life, I was too small for something.
“We’ll figure something out,” Theo growled, pulling me back behind his body. A slight growl in his tone had Grant ducking his head, and warmth pooled in my stomach at his overprotectiveness.
Grant gave Theo a curt nod before heading to the corner of the main room with Oliver and River, where a table was set up with the facility schematics Ben had gotten from Charlie.
“Here, beautiful. Try on this vest,” Ben said, slipping the smallest bulletproof vest over me and tightening the straps as much as they could go. It didn’t fit perfectly, but my boobs held it in place well enough.
“Why don’t you get Cam to give you a weapon?” Theo suggested.
“Okay,” I said, tugging his skin-tight shirt back from his neck enough to press a kiss to his bond mark. I grinned as he groaned quietly, arousal shooting through the bond. Theo turned to make sure none of the other alphas were looking before he smacked my ass and sent me on my way to Cam.
I entered the weapons room with a pep in my step. It didn’t matter if the other alphas didn’t think an omega had any business on this mission. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for my intel. I had earned my place on this team and would be there to help the other omegas.
Cam smiled widely as he glanced over his shoulder, the bond alerting him to my presence. I took a moment to admire his ass before he turned around and pulled me to his side.
“Theo says I need a weapon,” I said, fighting the urge to undress him immediately.
Cam looked down at the guns laid out on the table and then back at me.
“Maybe… a taser?” he suggested.
“Why not a gun?” I asked, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
“Oh, well…” Cam hedged, clearly remembering my disastrous time at the shooting range but not wanting to hurt my feelings. He glanced around the room as if looking for someone to rescue him from this situation.
“I’ll have you know—I shot a guard when Genevieve and I escaped,” I said, pressing my finger to his chest. “So basically, I’m an expert gun shooter person now.”
I’d meant for my statement to land as funny or teasing, but I should have known better. I felt a pang of Cam’s agony through the bond, mixed with regret and pride. He pulled me flush with his chest, arms holding me tight.
“You did that?”
I nodded, an unexpected wave of emotion flooding me.
“Fuck. So proud of you, baby girl.” He held me close and a lump rose in my throat. “Did you feel okay after? You didn’t feel guilty, right? Because you did the right thing.”
I tightened my hold on Cam. How did he know that moment had haunted my dreams?
“I got him in the side. Genevieve said he would probably be fine,” I responded, my voice hitching.
“You did exactly what you needed to get yourself to safety. And then you saved us.” His voice was hoarse with emotion. “But don’t think I didn’t notice how much you left out when you told us what happened when we were apart.”
I met his gaze, biting my lip guiltily.
“When this is over, you’ll tell us everything.”
It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway.
We stood there for a while longer and I reveled in his scent, in the feel of his warm chest against mine, only pulling away slightly when Ben walked into the room.
“Everything alright?” Ben asked, coming up behind me and placing a kiss on my cheek. “We’re waiting on both of you before we start.”
“Our omega is a badass,” Cam said proudly. My insides melted at the smile on his face.
“Already knew that,” Ben said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
Cam framed my face with his hands and kissed me. I licked into his mouth, craving his sweet taste. With a groan, Cam forced himself to pull away, but not before he placed a hot kiss on his bond mark high on my neck.
“You can have a gun if you want to, sweetheart.”
Ben choked on a laugh. “She can?”
I elbowed him disapprovingly. He grunted even though I knew I’d probably hurt my elbow more than his side.
“Thanks, alpha,” I said to Cam. “I’ll just do a taser if we have one.” The thought of picking up a gun again gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.
He nodded and picked out a taser and a stun gun from the shelf, showing me how to use each of them before strapping the taser to my waist and the stun gun to a holster on my thigh. His hands lingered much longer than they needed to as he adjusted the thigh holster, his fingers brushing against my mound. A gush of slick soaked my thick, scent-canceling underwear and my hips jerked towards his hand.
Ben buried his face in my neck and let out a frustrated huff when the bulletproof vest prevented him from grabbing my tits.
Cam stood, running his hand over his face.
“You’re too fucking hot for your own good,” he growled at me. “Get anything else you need quickly, and then join us.”
He stomped out of the room and if I hadn’t been able to feel his sexual frustration through the bond, I would have been concerned I had made him angry. But now, I just smirked. It was a heady feeling to torment my alphas just with my presence.
Ben spun me around to face him. “What did you do to convince him to give you a gun? Blow job?”
I snorted. “I told him I shot one of Glen’s guards.”
Ben’s teasing smile dropped from his face, but I had reached my limit for emotional moments, so I decided to confess. “I might not have quite done it on purpose.”
Ben’s mouth twitched, his eyes dancing with laughter.
“Don’t tell Cam, though,” I said sternly. “I still want him to think I’m a badass.”
“Well, that’s easily done, because you are, precious.”
He pulled me in for a kiss, his hand moving automatically to cup the bond mark on my breast before scowling at the vest again.
“I think your bond mark was all a ploy for you to have an excuse to cop a feel anytime you want,” I muttered in between kisses.
“Never needed an excuse,” Ben responded cheekily, planting one more kiss on my lips before taking a handgun off the table and holstering it at his side. “You ready to kick some ass, Ms. Badass?”
“Yes,” I said, bouncing up on the balls of my feet, bolstered by his confidence in me.
