Page 69 of The Reluctant Alpha

“Bed?” Danny mumbled, still clinging tight. Rhys groaned and covered his ears, bringing some humor to the tense atmosphere before we all disappeared to our rooms.

Danny

Bayer led me back to his rooms, my legs shaky with leftover adrenaline. The moment the door closed behind us, he pulled me into his arms again, burying his face in my neck and inhaling deeply.

"I was so scared," he murmured against my skin. "When I realized it was a diversion..."

"I'm okay," I assured him, running my hands up and down his broad back. "We all are. Rhys sensed it before it could get through the barrier."

Bayer lifted his head, his amber eyes intense in the dim light of the bedroom. "It had your scent, Danny. It's been to your mother's house."

A chill ran through me at the reminder. "My mom—"

"She’s safe with your aunt, but we have gammas watching the house. Shane hasn’t been home once."

A jolt of guilt ran through me when I remembered my brother. I hadn’t seen him since I crashed my car, but then we hadn’t been close for years. I rose on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to Bayer’s with an urgency that surprised even me.

Bayer responded instantly, his arms tightening around me as he deepened the kiss. There was nothing gentle about it—this was raw and primal, teeth and tongues and breathless hunger.

"I need you," I gasped when we broke apart. "Right now."

"Danny," he groaned, his hands sliding down to grip my hips. "You don't have to—"

"I want to," I insisted, tugging at his shirt. "Please, Bayer. I need to feel you. All of you."

His resistance crumbled visibly, desire darkening his eyes to molten gold. He lifted me as if I weighed nothing, carrying me to the bed and laying me down with unexpected gentleness given the urgency thrumming between us.

"Let me see you," he whispered, helping me out of my shirt.

I reached for him as he stripped off his own clothes, needing his warmth, his strength, the solid reality of him to chase away the shadows of fear. When he finally covered my body, skin against heated skin, I sighed in relief, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You're safe," he murmured, pressing kisses along my jaw, my throat, the sensitive spot behind my ear that made me shiver. "I've got you."

"I know," I whispered back, arching into his touch as his hands explored my body with care. "I trust you."

Those three words seemed to affect him more deeply than any declaration of love might have. His movements stilled for a moment, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that took my breath away.

"Danny," he said, my name a breath on his lips.

I reached up to touch his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw, the curve of his mouth. "I mean it. I trust you, Bayer. With everything."

The words hung between us, weighted with meaning beyond their simplicity. Bayer's eyes shimmered, and he lowered his head to capture my lips in a kiss that was achingly tender. Unlike our desperation moments before, this was slow, deliberate—a promise rather than a claim.

His hands moved over my body carefully, finding all the places that made me gasp and arch beneath him. When his fingers finally slipped between my legs, I was already embarrassingly ready for him, slick and wanting in a way that still surprised me.

"Is this an omega thing?" I breathed against his mouth. "Being so..."

"Responsive?" Bayer supplied, his voice rough with desire as his fingers worked magic against my most sensitive places. "Partly. But I think it's mostly a Danny thing."

I would have laughed if I hadn't been so desperate for more. "Please," I whispered, my hips rising to meet his touch. "I need you inside me."

Bayer groaned, positioning himself between my thighs. "Are you sure? After everything today—"

"Especially after everything today," I insisted, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him closer. "Life's too short and too weird to waste time."

That earned me a genuine smile, a flash of tenderness. Then he was pressing forward, filling me with exquisite slowness until I felt so full. The bond between us hummed with satisfaction, amplifying every sensation.

"Mine," Bayer rumbled, his thrusts deep and measured. "My mate. My omega."