Book TRK
Chapter 37
The spicy aroma of Ivy’s heat saturates the air, teasing my senses with every breath I draw from where I’m slouching on the worn leather sofa in the common room. Even above all the other scents in here, it’s like a siren’s call tugging at the most primal corners of my brain.
And I can’t fucking shake it.
My fingers drum an agitated rhythm against the sofa cushion, every muscle coiled tight as a wire. I should be out patrolling the perimeter, burning off this excess energy before it drives me insane. But Thane ordered me to stay put, to keep close in case Ivy needs anything.
Like his own personal guard dog.
Fucker.
As if reading my mind, Plague emerges from the hallway leading to the infirmary. His gaze flicks to me, those strange golden lenses glinting in the low light.
‘Restless, Whiskey?’ he asks, his voice echoing in that creepy mask of his. Does he deliberately try to sound like a haunted vintage radio or does it come naturally?
I shoot him a scathing look, lip curling into a sneer. ‘Don’t you have somewhere else to be, Doc? Like guarding the perimeter and fucking your chemistry lab tubes to pass the time?’
‘Chemistry lab tubes?’ He tilts his head. ‘Beakers? Flasks? You should know it wouldn’t fit—’
‘Whatever,’ I mutter. ‘Go back to work.’
His chuckle is a hollow, unsettling sound that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. ‘Guarding the perimeter is Valek’s job for the moment. I’ve been reassigned to watch over our omega.’
A flare of irrational jealousy hits me. The thought of him alone with Ivy while she’s like this, so vulnerable and intoxicatingly fertile…
I shove the feeling down with a grunt, pushing to my feet and pacing a tight circle around the worn coffee table. ‘Yeah, well, don’t go sampling the goods again, Doc,’ I growl, unable to keep the edge from my tone. ‘You’ve already had your turn.’
Plague spreads his hands in a placating gesture, the black leather of his gloves creaking faintly. ‘Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson. Thane made his stance on the matter quite clear.’
I snort at that, unable to resist a mocking grin. ‘Yeah, he threatened to kick your ass, didn’t he?’
That rasping chuckle again, dry and devoid of any real humor. ‘Among other things.’
The words hang between us, heavy with implication. My gaze drifts to the shadows lingering in the hollow of his throat, just visible above the high collar of that stupid getup. Are those bruises mottling his pale skin, or just tricks of the light?
Either way, it’s clear Thane wasn’t fucking around when it came to Plague’s little indiscretion.
Good. He deserved whatever punishment the boss meted out, the smug son of a bitch.
So why does the idea of Thane kicking his ass piss me off when it should fill me with satisfaction? As furious as I was when I found out he’d touched Ivy, when Thane had him pinned against that wall, it was all I could do not to intervene.
I shake the thought off, telling myself it’s only because kicking that sanctimonious bitch’s ass is my job, if anyone’s.
A low growl rumbles up from my chest before I can stop it, the sound vibrating through the stillness. Plague stills, head tilting slightly as that eerie golden gaze bores into me.
‘Easy there, Whiskey,’ he murmurs, holding up one placating hand. ‘No need to get all worked up on my account.’
Problem is, the growl wasn’t directed at him. But there’s no way in hell I’m gonna tell him that. I open my mouth for a blistering retort, only to freeze as the scent of vanilla and spice and honey suddenly intensifies tenfold.
Ivy’s heat slams into me like a physical force, that rich, heady aroma flooding my senses until it’s all I can taste, all I can breathe.
My gaze snaps to the hallway, nostrils flaring as Ivy emerges into the common room. She moves with a slow, sinuous grace, every line of that lithe body radiating sensuality. The thin cotton shift she wears does little to conceal the soft curves beneath, the soft swell of her breasts shifting with each breath.
Plague sucks in a sharp inhale, the harsh rasp cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. I can practically taste the spike of desire bleeding into his typically sterile scent.
Ivy pauses in the center of the room, those sharp eyes drifting over each of us in turn. Her gaze is heavy-lidded, blue-green pupils blown wide with the fever still raging through her slim frame.
Then her lips curve in the barest ghost of an utterly sinful smile.
‘I’ve made my decision.’
Thane and Valek materialize from the shadows like devils, their expressions unreadable as they take in the scene. But she doesn’t so much as flinch at their sudden appearance, just meets each of their gazes in turn with that same burning intensity.
For once, we’re all waiting for her to speak. For her command.
‘Well?’ Valek finally growls, arms crossing over that broad chest. ‘Don’t keep us in suspense, little rabbit.’
Ivy arches one slender brow, that teasing curve of her lips never wavering. ‘I want all four of you.’
I blink, momentarily stunned into silence. Did she just…?
Valek barks out a harsh laugh, shaking his head slowly. ‘Sorry, little one,’ he rumbles, lips peeling back in a wolfish grin. ‘But the last time I tried to share a lover, someone ended up dead. And I’m fresh out of body bags at the moment.’
Ivy’s eyes glitter with quiet challenge. ‘If I can’t have all of you at the same time, then I guess you’ll just have to wait your turn,’ she says coolly, pinning him with a look that would have any alpha on his knees.
My heart stutters in my chest, blood pounding in my ears.
Is she serious?
She wants all of us?
My gaze flicks to Thane, searching for any hint of outrage or rejection on those overly stoic features. But he just stands there, arms loose at his sides as he regards Ivy with a strange sort of reverence. Like she’s our own personal goddess.
Fuck, maybe she is.
‘Well?’ he rumbles after a charged beat, gaze flicking between Valek, Plague, and me. ‘You heard the lady.’
I swallow hard, mouth suddenly dry as a desert. ‘You’re… you’re serious about this?’ I ask, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.
Thane arches one brow, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of that hard mouth. ‘Are you saying you’re not interested, Whiskey?’
My gaze snaps back to Ivy, drinking in the graceful line of her throat as she tips her head back in a silent challenge.
Fuck me, she’s stunning.
A temptress in the flesh, all delicate curves that fill out more each day and smoldering eyes. Who in their right mind would turn down an invitation like that?
Not fucking me.
I give a low chuckle, shaking my head slowly. ‘Nah, boss,’ I say, unable to resist flashing her a wolfish grin of my own. ‘I’m in if you are.’
Thane nods once, something like approval flickering in those dark depths. Then he turns his attention back to Ivy, a strange sort of tenderness softening the harsh lines of his features.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
‘There’s an upstairs master suite that should give you plenty of space,’ he says gruffly. ‘Why don’t you head up and get settled, make yourself a proper nest?’
Ivy blinks at him, something unreadable flickering behind that heated stare. For a beat, she looks almost… vulnerable, the weight of our combined focus pinning her in place.
Then the moment passes, that sultry confidence reasserting itself as she gives a slow nod. ‘Alright,’ she murmurs, already turning for the stairs with that same sensual sway to her hips.
I can’t resist watching her go, drinking in the gentle curves of that graceful form. Valek lets out a low whistle the moment she disappears, shaking his head slowly.
‘Well, boys,’ he rumbles, a look of envy in his gaze. ‘Looks like we’ve got ourselves one hell of a night ahead of us. Plague and I can keep watch while you take first shift.’
‘Only fair, I suppose,’ Plague mutters, even though I can hear the bitterness in his voice.
Serves him right.
Even if in the back of my mind, I think if I have to share Ivy with anyone, I’d rather it be him.
I shoot him a sidelong look, adrenaline thrumming through my veins. Valek is right—this is going to be one for the record books, no doubt about it.
But there’s something weird swirling beneath the surface, too. A bone-deep instinct that has me itching to stake my claim, to wrap Ivy in the protective circle of my arms and shield her.
To make her mine in a way that goes deeper than flesh and lust.
With a grunt, I shake off the intrusive thought and follow in Thane’s footsteps, already stripping out of my own gear. One thing at a time.
First, we’ve got an omega to satisfy.