“I could barely get a signal on my phone, and I was going to try walking back to the house I’d passed a mile or two back and see if I could use their phone or their Wi-Fi to call for a tow. But then a car passed me and pulled over. A stranger, who just so happened to be best friends with a mechanic in the next town over,” she goes on, speaking more to herself than to me at this point.
I flip the pancakes, giving them a little pat with my spatula. I definitely don’t miss the way Delilah’s eyes flick down to the stove, her cheeks turning a little pink before she turns away. God, what I wouldn’t give to be able to read her mind. What sort of fantasies hide behind those innocent eyes? What hidden desires would reveal themselves to me, so I could help them become reality?
Naked Memaw, Naked Memaw, Naked Memaw. Nope. Gotta keep it together. At least for a few more minutes.
Delilah clears her throat softly before shifting slightly in place, dropping her leg until her thighs press tight together. Seems like I’m not the only one having a hard time.
“And yeah, the alpha, Roman, gave me a lift into town where I met Isaac, the mechanic at the dealership where they both worked. I didn’t meet Alex until after my second date with Roman,” she says, picking at a loose thread on the hem of her shirt.
Something protective, almost possessive, swells in my chest at the mention of Delilah going on dates with other alphas. I know logically they’re gone and in the past, but my instincts don’t give a damn.
“They treat you right?” I ask gruffly.
If she notices a shift in my tone, Delilah doesn’t mention it, only nodding.
“Yeah, they were good to me. We weren’t rich, but we were comfortable with just their incomes, so I didn’t have to get a job. Keeping up the house kept me plenty busy, I would have had to quit when I got pregnant anyway, so—”
“Would have had to?” I snap, turning to look up at her with mybrow furrowed.
She doesn’t look at me and seems to get a little smaller with each heartbeat of silence that stretches between us. But I let her sit. I have a fairly decent idea what she’s going to say, but I want it to come out of her mouth.
“They were sort of…traditional, I guess. I was the pack omega, so I stayed at home. I took care of them and the house. They didn’t mistreat me or anything like that. But there were certain expectations of me, and one of them was being a stay-at-home omega and mother. But that didn’t bother me or anything. It’s how I was raised, too,” Delilah rambles, still not looking at me.
I let out a deep sigh, turning back to the stove to remove the pancakes and bacon from their respective pans before turning the range off entirely. Guilt eats a hole in my belly, blocking out almost everything else as I think back to the last few weeks. She’s been working herself to the bone, not because she wanted to, or even because we told her to, but that’s what she’s been trained to do. It was so easy for her, because she’s done it before. For years, with her old pack and even beyond that if I’m understanding her right.
“I’m sorry,” I say at last, stepping forward toward the fridge, gently parting Delilah’s knees with my shoulders.
Delilah blinks down at me, her brow twitching down over her eyes. “What for?” she asks.
“For the way you’ve been treated since we found you. If we’d known…if I’d known what your life was like before the facility, I would have spoken up,” I say, looking her in the eyes so she can see how much I mean every word I’m saying.
“It’s okay—”
“No, it’s not. You’re not a maid, or a servant, or a slave to your pack, Delilah. That’s not what omegas are meant to be,” I cut across her dismissive words, reaching up to take her hips in my hands and pull her toward the edge, toward me.
Delilah gasps but doesn’t stop me, leaning back slightly to balance on her arms as she looks down at me. The blush is back, and I grin to myself. Guilt still eats away at me for how I let her be treated, but I’m more determined than ever to make up for it with interest.
“Omegas are meant to be worshiped and cherished. And I plan to do just that.”
Chapter forty-one
Phantom’sice-blueeyesblazewith desire as they stare up at me from between my thighs, the hunger in their depths making my belly flutter. I’m balanced perfectly on the edge of the fridge, Phantom’s body preventing the freezer door from opening under me as he steps even closer, forcing my legs wide to accommodate him.
“You’ve been such a good girl, staying up here for me. And good girls get rewards, don’t they?”
I let out a choked exhale as he practically purrs the question, his accent lending a musical quality to his filthy words. I nod absently, too transfixedto do anything else. Phantom hums as he nips his way up the insides of my thighs, alternating legs until they’re both shaking with anticipation.
“You’ve made quite the mess of your panties, baby doll,” Phantom murmurs with a little chuckle.
I flush and look away, closing my eyes so I don’t have to see his smirk or the twinkle in his eyes. It’s been so long since an alpha touched me, and being surrounded by his salt and sea scent with no way to move away or get relief, I’ll be surprised if I haven’t left a wet spot where I’ve been sitting.
But I don’t have a chance to think more about my embarrassment as Phantom’s mouth drops down to cover my cotton-covered slit, kissing and sucking on me through the fabric. My stomach swoops with the sudden burst of pleasure, my toes curling.
“I knew you’d be sweet, but fuckin’ hell, baby doll,” Phantom groans, words punctuated with kisses.
My head falls back as he focuses his attention right at the apex of my core, teeth clamping down enough for me to feel it, a moan trying to escape before I clamp my lips together. But as I do, Phantom turns his head and bites down on my inner thigh, harder than before. I jump and look down at him, breathing hard but meeting his narrowed eyes.
“Don’t you dare try to hide your sounds from me again, d’ya understand me?” he snaps, his accent a little thicker.