Absolute Devotion (An Omega’s Preference #3)

6. Zahria

six

ZAHRIA

Nala is asleep by the time we have to leave, her adorable snores making me want to call the chief and tell him he’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Unfortunately, closing this investigation is just as important as making sure our Omega is safe. Tonight was a step in the right direction, and I’ll fantasize about her taste on my lips until the moment I get to taste her again.

“You need help with that?” I joke, gesturing to the bulge Xylo is unsuccessfully trying to hide as my Beta struggles into a new pair of pants. He glares at me stepping out of the bathroom as I run a hand through my curls, trying to get them to behave. They never do but it was worth the few minutes of effort. I fix the straps on my bra, about to snatch the pants I left on the chair when the temperature in the room heats a few degrees. When his nostrils flare, Xylo stalking across the room, I know I've made a grave mistake. "Xylo, babe, we don't have time for—"

He chuckles, easily wrapping an arm around my back and hoisting me up against the wall. "We have 30 minutes which is enough time for me to fuck you and take another shower. No, you don't get to back out of this now, Ria. Our Omega accepted us tonight while you tasted her. I can still smell her on your skin," he purrs, licking a stripe up my chin and over my lips. Xylo isn't always feral but adding the heat scent of our Omega definitely helps.

I shudder beneath his touch, quickly deciding that we need a way to release the pent-up energy before stepping into the precinct. Chief Hart isn't going to enjoy Xylo sporting a tent in his pants and my inability to keep from focusing on it. "'Mmm, shirt off, Beta. You don't have a lot of time."

A growl tears from his throat as he pins me against the hall and reaches behind him with one hand to tear his shirt over his head. The tattoos along his broad shoulders ripple with the movement as I eagerly wrap my lips around my bite on his chest. Xylo rocks against me, both of us finding shallow relief with Nala's lavender scent between us. It's going to be torture as she learns to trust us but if that means more moments with my Beta, I'll take it.

"I'm not going to be gentle, Ria. Fuck, some part of me just wants to bundle Nala up and drag her back here."

"You're not the only one, babe. Give me all that pent-up energy, alright?" I tap the edge of his chin, running my fingers through his soft beard as I wait for him to lean into his instincts. He's trying to hold back his emotions, to show that none of our circumstances bother him but I don't want that. "Xylo, let go. You know you won't break me."

Those seem to be the magic words as he digs two fingers into the waistband of my panties and rips it from my skin. I hiss as the lace snaps, reaching between us to drag his cock from his briefs. Xylo doesn't wait as he surges forward, nearly splitting me in half as he pushes inside me. His head falls to my shoulder, my pussy strangling his cock that has him biting into my shoulder. The bite ramps up my need and although it won't be permanent, our bond strengthens.

"I'll never get used to the way your pussy squeezes me like that. It's like I'm being strangled, Ria." A guttural groan follows his words as he pulls out and then thrusts back in.

"Call it my Alpha charm, Xylo," I retort. Because it kind of is. Where an Alpha male has a knot, an Alpha female's pussy does it exactly what it feels like—strangles a cock or in a sense locks down the male they are fucking. With an Omega male, the lock would last just as long as a knot but with my Beta, I just get to torture him with my biological makeup.

Xylo doesn't find it as humorous as I do as he begins pounding into me, releasing his frustration from the last two weeks. A horrific case brought us together, the very same one that is still keeping us apart. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, one of my hands sifting into his hair to tug him back far enough for a kiss. His hands are digging into the underside of my thighs as he punishes us both with his cock seconds before he roars through his release.

I lock down on him, my Beta snarling as I dip my head to suck on the bite on his chest. And that's all it takes as my body shudders with an orgasm of my own, the both of us joined here, Nala's scent smothered between us. The fantasies of having her beneath us or between us as she takes her pleasure is one I can't wait to indulge in.

Xylo is still rocking against me, his cock pulling against the way my pussy is locked down on him until it slips free, our combined release gathering between my thighs. "I'm already for a second round. Ria—"

A smirk plays on my lips as I push against his chest, my Beta placing my feet on the ground. There's going to be bruises along the back of my thighs but I like the claiming marks. "It's because our Omega is preparing for a heat, which in turn is affecting us. She's going to need us but what that looks like, I have no idea. So, we're just going to be ready." I smile up at him, hating how tortured his expression is. He fears her rejection but I know her hesitant nature has nothing to do with us personally. "And now, I need another shower because I'm not going to meet Chief Hart with your cum slipping down my legs."

Xylo raises an eyebrow, reaching for me but I slap his hands away. A shower that includes my Beta isn't going to be quick.

We head down the sidewalk, freshly showered, again, when Bear joins us on my other side, pale blue eyes staring at me in the dimming sunlight. “The chief called you too?” I ask.

A smile plays on his lips as he nods, his wild expression morphing into concern as he remembers where we were earlier. “Nala’s okay, though, right? You didn’t see the way she pulled away from me at the school. I didn't want to call her and scare her.”

It's times like these that I'm not sure how I missed that Bear wasn't an Alpha. This softer side of him when his wild scent softens feeds into that Omega side. I'd think it wasn't adorable if Bear wasn't larger than Xylo.

“She will be, Bear. It’s something to do with the academy. She’s not ready to talk about it but she feels awful if that’s any consolation. I swear no one has loved our Omega in years.” Her uncertainty and confusion as she came on Xylo’s fingers and then on my tongue is a painful realization of what she’s been missing. Even Omegas that don’t have mates or packs they are part of still experiment and have fun during college.

Nala doesn’t seem to have any of that.

Bear sighs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me into his side. “I’m just glad she’s okay. It’s really not me, right?” I shake my head and he relaxes even more. “The chief said this meeting was important after I showed him what I found. I didn’t know for sure but it seems like a few Alphas is hanging around Emsboro and the surrounding towns. They’ve just moved in, single, and with very few prospects. All renting, no property to their name, and paying in cash.”

Xylo pauses our walk to the station, turning to face his brother. “Seriously? I thought there were just a few stragglers lurking from POCA. Not another organization.”

“Brother, it’s not another organization. I don’t know what it is. It’s like they’re waiting for someone or something to happen. They're all in Canes Lake, a few towns over or I wouldn’t have let you guys leave Nala’s place.” He drags a hand through his hair, staring at the both of us before continuing. “All I know is that it’s not good, which is why the chief wanted this meeting tonight and not tomorrow morning.”

I straighten my shoulders and pick up my pace to catch up, not at all surprised when the chief is waiting on the steps to usher us inside. I am, however, shocked by the Alpha sitting at the table as we step into the chief’s office, a man even larger than Bear which is a feat in and of itself. The power emanating from this man and the heaviness of his scent has me wanting to submit but I keep my stance beside Xylo and Bear.

Unfortunately, Bear isn’t as subtle, a sloppy grin playing on his face as he stares forward. It would be just my luck that the Zeta is attracted to our newest addition to the task force. The Alpha’s jaw pulls tight, stormy gray eyes observing the three of us. The chief steps up to me and pats my shoulder before introducing us. “This is Detective Montgomery Tanner, my nephew and one of the best detectives I know. He’s been working on a few other cases that might prove helpful with this task force before we hand it over to the Feds.”

I would pitch a fit if Montgomery's name didn't speak for itself. I've seen Detective Tanner in more than one news article and his accomplishments are a mile long. “Wait, the Feds?” I glare at Chief Hart, wondering when all these decisions were made in the last week. We always knew he was bringing someone else in to round out our expertise but he never mentioned passing off this case to a higher authority. The more I think about it, though, a small town like this doesn’t have the resources.

“Take a seat for a minute, will you? This is time-sensitive. Two weeks ago, you three brought me information on POCA and what was left of it. Montgomery has done the same, albeit with other stories of Alphas being jailed for stealing or trying to steal Omegas. There have also been reports of missing Omegas as well. In the last few days, I was contacted by the FBI, saying that this was part of a much larger scope. That the information we’ve pulled together is just part of the problem. POCA might be falling apart but that hasn’t stopped some of their operatives from trying to find special Omegas and deal them across the country on their own.”

Twin growls tear from Bear and Xylo’s throat as I just slip down in my seat. “Chief Hart, are you telling me there’s an Omega selling ring? Because that’s bullshit. People would report missing Omegas.”

Montgomery cuts in, leaning forward to address the three of us. “Not if they’re taking them from Omega Centers and other establishments where the Omegas are always underreported.”

“Why would Alphas be piling up around here, though? There’s no Omega Center for at least twenty miles. There’s something else, isn’t there?” I glance between the men in this room, feeling wildly out of my comfort zone. Montgomery and Chief Hart are the only ones that seem to know anything but that doesn’t make it any better. “Alright, let’s stop beating around the bush and giving us pieces of information. You brought Montgomery in here—family or not—to help with this fact-finding mission before we hand this case over to the Feds because they’re better equipped to handle it. Great. What am I missing?”

Chief Hart sighs as he stands, pacing a small path by the door. “That we have a week to figure it out before the FBI barges in and takes over. The reason no one knows about any of this is because they come in, wipe out all the information, patch up the problem, and keep going. They do it for a lot of things—drug rings, prostitution, etc but I don’t want this swept under the rug. I want people to be vigilant. I want everyone to know about the problem and to understand just how bad it is. I want to know what the endgame is so I can protect Emsboro from this happening again.”

We all nod, agreeing with his statements. If I’m going to carve out a life here in Emsboro with the brothers and Nala, I need to know that we’re safe. “Okay, so what now?”

“I’ve set up a meeting place for you all as Bear is not officially employed at the station. There’s no need to raise suspicion when it’ll only get in the way. Montgomery will be staying there for the time being and you can debrief me from there. We need to gather any and all information within a week or it’s out of my hands.” Chief Hart sends me a small smile. “I know how important this case is to you and your Omega. Protecting her is important but don’t do something you’ll regret that will take you away from her.” He’s talking about some of the more risky options I've chosen over the years that are clearly in my file. Options I will never choose again now that I have someone precious who needs my protection.

The chief leaves, Montgomery still observing the three of us. His gaze is intense, his large bulk almost terrifying if I hadn’t been through ranger school and the police academy. As long as he doesn’t try to throw his weight around, I’ll be just fine. His nostrils flare as he continues to stare, his expression changing from stoic to confusion. “I wasn’t aware you were mated, Zahria.”

“I wasn’t aware it mattered.”

The way his demeanor shifts concerns me. Nala briefly let on that she’s scared of how powerful her scent is. Montgomery isn’t clamoring to find the owner of the lemon lavender scent hanging on my skin but that doesn’t mean anything. If he tries something with her, I’ll be forced to step in. When none of us speak for several minutes, I say my goodbyes and speed out onto the sidewalk before dialing Nala.

“Alpha?” She mutters, her voice rough with sleep. My entire body warms at the endearment she’s never uttered before. She hasn’t so much as given us a nickname so calling me ‘Alpha’ is everything. I cradle the phone by my ear, listening to her small, agitated puffs of breath. “Alpha, is everything okay? Why… you left and I didn’t…”

“Just checking in on you, sweetheart. We had to leave to work on the investigation but you’re okay? I was thinking about coming back if you wanted that.” Xylo stops behind me, Bear pressed close against my side. Apparently, they also feel that something is off with Montgomery’s reaction.

“Mmm, ‘m okay. Don’t come. I need to sleep and if you come, I won’t sleep.”

I can imagine the beautiful blush on her cheeks as she throws her blanket over her head. “Sleep well. We’re just a phone call away, alright?”

“Yes, Alpha.” She doesn’t hang up right away, those soft puffs of air becoming snores and I have to resist the urge to stay on the line and hear her sleep. When I finally hang up, the three of us aren’t any better off. Bear will most likely end up prowling around her apartment at some point while Xylo and I distract ourselves with coffee and paperwork.