The Light in Us

9. Fox

9

Fox

T eddy sighs as he tosses the last of the applications onto the table. He blows out a breath. “That’s it, then. Four to interview.”

None of them really stood out.

I stop fighting the urge and tug him into my lap. My omega settles back against me as I breathe him in. “I’ll do the interviews with you.”

Teddy twists, his lips brushing my cheek as they twitch into a teasing smile. “ Not a good idea, Fox.”

Murmurs of agreement from the rest of our pack. Rowan tilts so I can see his face, his eyebrows raised. His eyes glitter with a mixture of amusement and fury at the memory. “Last time, you threw someone through a window .”

I have no regrets. “He was pretending to be a beta to get close to Teddy. And we were on the ground floor.”

Although I wouldn’t have stopped if we’d been on the roof of the damn building.

If I hadn’t caught Teddy’s distress through the bond, I might not have gotten there in time to pull him off. Just the memory of it, of the panic soaking the room, makes my scent thicken, and Teddy starts running his fingers through my hair, calming me as my hands tighten on him.

“I thought I was bad,” Wilder mutters. “It took weeks to keep that shit out of the press, you know.”

“I’ll do it. I’ll do the interviews with Teddy,” Rowan offers, and my body tightens further. Something which might be a growl rumbles in my throat.

“ No . Absolutely not.”

Teddy sighs. “Fox will genuinely have a meltdown if we’re both in there. Zeke, you’re it, my lamb. If you don’t mind staying with me?”

“Of course not.” Zeke nods. “You know I won’t let anyone get close, Fox.”

My eyes close as I rest my forehead against Teddy’s arm. “Good choice.”

“I make excellent decisions,” Teddy says smartly. He wriggles on my lap. “That’s why I’m the boss.”

Something thuds against his head, and he twists to glare at Wilder. “Throw another damn croissant at my head, Wilder Quill, and I’ll perfume on your pillow. Ass first . Right after I fire you.”

Wilder pales. “You wouldn’t .”

Amusement fills my chest.

Teddy angles his head, his voice angelic. “Wouldn’t I what? Fire you, or rub my ass on your pillow? Sleep with one eye open, sweetpea .”

He wouldn’t do either. We all know it, even Wilder. But he drops the croissant in his hand to the plate anyway, flicking his fingers free of crumbs to get rid of the evidence. “Yes, boss. You need me for anything else before I go? I’ve got an advertising meeting with the social team to get to.”

Teddy leans forward. Completely comfortable on my lap, he snags a folder from beneath the application pile and pulls it toward him, switching into focused work-mode as effortlessly as breathing. “We’ve got the quarterly acquisitions meeting on Monday, so we can go through most things then. Fox, you wanted to talk about Wordsmith, right? Now, or Monday?”

The mention of our biggest adversaries – and all-around assholes – makes my teeth snap together. “Monday is fine to go over the details. I asked Em to put it on the agenda. But just so you know, they tried to poach another one of ours. Adelaide Fedor. Made her feel damn uncomfortable, too.”

Teddy stiffens on my lap. “ Bastards . I’ll call Addy today. Is she okay?”

Slowly, I nod. “Apparently, Shaun Smith went to her office, got a little too close. Nothing technically reportable, but enough that she wanted us to know. That’s the third one of ours Wordsmith has targeted in the last month.”

Teddy is frowning. “Can we get legal on it?”

Zeke stirs, the irritation in his voice bleeding out in a sudden spike of spiced cardamom. “I called them this morning. They’re looking into what we can do – and Addy is happy to talk to them – but it doesn’t look likely that we’ll be able to take any direct action against them. They’re snakes, never do enough to make anything stick. And it’s not illegal for them to approach authors working with us.”

I tap my finger on the table, directing my question to Teddy. “But they’re targeting the omegas, trying to intimidate them. Is anyone showing signs of refusing to resign their contract with us?”

He and some of his beta acquisition editors manage the omega authors under our imprint for exactly this reason. I can feel the tension in his body, my hand rising to massage his neck. “Nobody yet, but a couple have gone quiet. I’ll check in with them. Fuck, I hate those assholes.”

“We all hate those assholes.” Wilder downs the rest of his coffee. “They’re hemorrhaging their own authors, by all accounts. Nobody wants to work with them.”

“Their last quarterly profit was down thirty per cent.” Teddy nods. “They’re going to crash and burn.”

“Unless they can force omegas to work with them, lock them into contracts.” And then threaten them with legal action if they try to leave. Wordsmith represents the worst of the publishing business.

But Teddy shakes his head. “I’ll make some calls today. I’ll speak to anyone they might approach – see who’s already been spoken to. Our authors trust me. If I tell them to be careful, they will be.”

For many of them, having an omega at the helm is why they chose to sign with Ink & Quill in the first place. There aren’t many omega CEO’s around. It’s a sign they can trust us not to take advantage of them.

Teddy sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not worried about Wordsmith coming close to catching up with us financially. But I am worried about the people they’ve trapped into working with them.”

I rub at his back. “We’ll help anyone who comes to us.”

“Damned straight we will.” He flows off my lap in favor of pacing, his hands behind his back. Agitation makes his scent deepen, a knife edge from perfuming. “Any signs of them trying to sabotage us directly?”

My hand tightens on my chair. “Not yet. But we need to double-check those interview names before they get anywhere near you, and I’m going to tighten measures at Reception for walk-ins. Just in case they try the same thing again.”

“That, I can do.” Rowan’s voice is hard, but his eyes are soft as he watches Teddy.

Who waves a hand, distracted with his own thoughts. “We don’t know that Wordsmith was definitely behind what happened before.”

“It was them.” Zeke’s voice rumbles, anger underscoring his words. “I have no doubts.”

I nod in agreement. They saw a small pack attempting to build a rival publishing company and tried to destroy us by sending in an alpha to attack our damn omega .

They wanted to hit us where it would hurt the most.

They’re lucky all I did was throw him through a window.

And now… my gut tightens. We’ve outgrown them tenfold since then.

My voice raises just enough that my pack all straighten in their seats, even Zeke and Wilder. “I want you all to be careful. Flag anything suspicious. Wordsmith felt threatened before, when we were only a start-up. And now they’re drowning. That makes them potentially dangerous, if they have nothing to lose.”

Teddy taps his lips, his eyes narrowing at the command in my voice. “They have bigger problems in their own company to fix before they bother with ours. They’re trying to fill the gap with more authors, and they’re targeting the ones who won’t argue with their shitty demands.”

The ones they can bully.

I hold his gaze. “My order stands. You’ll be careful.”

The dominance rings out in my voice, and his golden cheeks darken, a mixture of irritation and desire. “ Fox .”

“No.” My voice stays hard. “This isn’t an Ink & Quill issue, Teddy.”

And therefore, not something he has the authority to make the call on. “This is a pack issue, and therefore it’s on me. They’re making this personal. I’m not risking you.”

Our gazes lock for a moment, before he drops his eyes. His neck tilts to the side, gifting me with an irresistible stretch of flawless golden skin. “Fine. Damn it, you sexy asshole. Hitting me with all your bend-over vibes.”

My eyes don’t move from his neck. Around me, the others shift. Wilder and Zeke murmur to themselves, their amusement filling the air. Wilder fiddles with the coffee machine, taking his damn time as I hold my omega still through sheer will alone, barely breathing.

When Rowan shifts, I twist. “ Stay .”

The tension in the room skyrockets into the stratosphere.

“Jesus,” Wilder mutters. When I glance at him, a clear directive in my eyes, he fans himself. “I’m ready to bend over myself.”

“ Wilder .”

“Going.” He smartly slips through the door, Zeke following him with a silent wave. I wait, and the audible sound of the lock clicking into place echoes behind them.

Leaving me alone with my beta and my omega. Teddy is almost vibrating, his perfume pulsing from him in waves that fill my nose. “Fox...,”

The longing in his voice… my knot thickens just hearing it. “You don’t get to put yourself in danger.”

He’s almost panting, his need clear, glazing his bronze eyes. “I’m not in danger here.”

“You could be.” I turn, pinning my gaze on Rowan. “And you. You’re not a substitute , Ro. What the hell makes you think I’d be any happier with you in that room? Both of you, unprotected ?”

I growl the last word, and Rowan shifts from his seat. He makes sure I can still see Teddy, can see both of them as he kneels down in front of my chair. His hands grip my thighs, steadying me. Soothing me.

My muscles are quivering beneath his touch. I didn’t realize how much the thought of them being in danger affected me.

“Fox,” Rowan’s voice is steady as he leans forward. His hand spreads across my chest, feeling the thump of my heartbeat. “We’re fine. Teddy is fine. Nothing is going to get to us, okay? The Wordsmith pack are just a bunch of assholes burning through their daddy’s money. Stop worrying.”

Slowly, I nod. Rowan’s fingers spread, tangling into my shirt, twisting the material as my muscles coil.

And I lunge from my seat.

I crowd Rowan back against the table. My hand is already tearing through his shirt, spreading over his olive skin, tracing the intricate black ink of his tattoos as he pants, his toned stomach flexing beneath my hands. I reach out, beckoning. “ Teddy .”

But Teddy is already there, his mouth nuzzling against my back as he presses heated kisses that burn through my shirt.

My bark rings out. “Clothes off.”

My eyes latch on the clock above our heads. It’s not even nine on Monday fucking morning.

No wonder Wilder looked so smug. I owe the fucker fifty bucks. He bet me that I couldn’t last until Wednesday.

Something in my chest loosens as they obey. Rowan snags Teddy, drawing him around until I can cage them both. I don’t give them any space, watching as Teddy yanks Rowan’s shirt open. Rowan’s fingers are nimble on Teddy’s tie, their eyes flickering between me and each other. Teddy’s scent, melted chocolate, sticky marshmallow, bursts on my tongue, underscored by the sweet cherry of the gum Rowan is addicted to, and that smoky, almost leather-like scent of ink that follows him everywhere.

They smell like home.

They both pause when I reach out and grip their necks. “Mine.”

Gods. This feeling – this need for them – it never gets any easier to manage, even after years of learning every part of them. Of learning to be what they need.

But it goes both ways. And they know me, both of them. Know when I need them, when I need to lean on them… and when I need them to lean on me.

And when I need to work off this punishing need for them that hounds my every damn step.

Teddy’s hands move to his trousers, unbuckling his belt. His lips quirk up. “I have a meeting in twenty minutes. And I’m stealing Rowan to take with me. Alpha .”

His breath catches as the purr ripples in my throat. “Then I’d better make it quick, boss . No knotting today.”

He pouts, plump lips begging for a kiss. “But—,”

“No buts,” Rowan interjects. “Fox is right. You don’t have time.”

Not when Teddy’s reaction to being knotted is so… interesting .

My eyes flit between them. Rowan’s pants are already open, but he casually leans back against the table, his legs spread and his hands slid into his pockets as if I can’t see his cock stiffening, begging for my attention since he didn’t bother with underwear under his dark jeans. It jumps when I lick my lips.

Rowan wraps his elegant fingers around it, tugging. His thumb swipes through a bead of pre-cum, and Teddy moans, desperation lacing his words. “Oh, I volunteer as tribute. Please .”

But he stays still. They both stay still, waiting.

For me.

I drag it out for a few seconds longer, aware of our time ticking away, before I nod in permission. “On the table, then.”

Rowan pulls himself up and over the wood until he’s lying on his back. I press Teddy over him, watching as their lips connect, licking and nipping at each other’s mouths until I can’t watch anymore.

My own cock is rock-hard, swollen and thick, my knot already growing as I reach for Teddy’s hips and drag him back. “Suck his cock, Teddy. And I want to hear you enjoying it.”

“Fuck.” Rowan throws his head back, banging against the table as Teddy’s mouth seals around his cock and draws on it. The sound is wet, almost obscene, as Teddy moans around him, pushing his hips back in silent request.

My fingers find him first. Testing, just to make sure. But he’s slick and hot against my hand. “Oh, Theodore. Your ass is begging for a knot. Begging for my fucking knot.”

A choked plea. Teddy pulls up on his tiptoes. I’m swimming in his scent now, drowning in chocolate as I slide my cock through the slick already building. “Needy little omega, wanting his alpha’s knot, sucking at me so desperately.”

Teddy tears his mouth away from a gasping Rowan. “I swear to God, Fox—,”

I drag my nails down his back as he cries out, drinking in his voice before I notch the head of my cock to his tight, yet soft opening and thrust.

He takes me, takes every fucking inch of me as I fill him to the hilt, teasing him with my knot before I pull back and slam into him again.

Rowan’s gasps, Teddy’s moans, they fill my ears like a beautiful symphony as I fuck my omega and he sucks off our beta, the three of us moving in harmony that can only be learned through familiarity until the tendons in Rowan’s neck tighten and he presses Teddy’s head down with a bellow, his hips lifting as he fucks his mouth through his release and Teddy takes every drop with audible swallows that push me to fuck him harder.

Teddy’s ass squeezes and grips me, pulling on my cock, seeking my knot.

“Please.” Teddy tears his mouth from Rowan, who takes us both in with glazed eyes. He licks his lips as he stares over his shoulder. “Fox. I need it.”

I yank my cock free, watching his ass flutter. “You need my knot? You know what’ll happen.”

He whines for me then, lifting himself up. He’s dripping for me, almost presenting as he drops his forehead to Rowan’s thigh and Ro runs his fingers through his hair in a gentle caress. “I don’t care. I need it more than I need coffee .”

The half-laugh catches in my throat. “You’re going to be late for your meeting.”

“Don’t care,” he snaps petulantly. “The whole damn office knows we’re in here fucking anyway.”

Not since I soundproofed the walls last month, but he doesn’t know that. I enjoy the way he struts about the office too much afterward to ruin the fun.

My hand reaches out, tangling with Rowan’s as I slam forward, burying myself inside my omega with a roar as my other hand grips Teddy’s hips, shooting ropes of thick cum into him. “Take it all, then, Theodore. You can carry my scent on you for the rest of the day. Walk around smelling like your alpha so everyone here knows exactly who you fucking belong to.”

He almost screams, writhing against my cock as I pin him down for my knot, heavy and aching. “You wanted it. Take it .”

Biology takes over, Teddy going limp beneath me as I push my knot into him with a deep grunt, feeling it twist and thicken as it seals into place. My hands stroke over his sweat-slicked back, steadying him as low whimpers fall from his lips. “Hush, now.”

He told me once that to be knotted was a combination of sheer pleasure and exquisite pain. That it felt like ownership, like a branding. I stay still as Rowan shifts down until Teddy’s head is pillowed on his stomach, our legs brushing together as he scrapes bronze strands from Teddy’s face affectionately. I stay where I am, pressing into my omega. Holding his legs in place, to stop them collapsing.

“Oh, you gave him the good stuff.” Rowan’s green eyes are dancing, satisfaction and heat running through them. “He’s out like a light, Fox.”

Frowning, I lean forward, cupping his cheek. “Shit.”

Because our omega is softly snoring , a contented smile on his… and my knot buried inside his ass. Rowan starts to shake with his laughter as he keeps stroking Teddy’s forehead.

“Don’t laugh.” But my own amusement lightens my chest, along with affection. “I did warn him.”

The shaking grows harder, a muffled snort slipping out. “Every time, he thinks he can handle it.”

I glance down at where our bodies are connected, satisfaction thrumming through me as my eyes trace up, landing on Teddy’s bite mark. My bonding mark is barely visible from this angle, a silvery circle of scars that glint at me as they disappear over the junction of his neck.

Mine.

Rowan is already twisting his neck to show me what he knows I want to see. His own bonding mark shines back at me, the sight of the tattooed stars that line it settling something in my chest.

“Better?” he asks lightly. His own satisfaction, his calmness, washes through me, a fainter echo than what I get from Teddy, but more than enough.

I nod.

“Good.” Perfectly at ease, he settles back, still cradling Teddy’s head as he naps between us. “This Wordsmith thing… they’re going down, Fox. It’s only a matter of time. Teddy is right. They won’t be looking at us when their own house is burning.”

My chest feels tight as I take them both in.

I hope he’s right.

Between us, Teddy starts to stir. His eyes blink open as he yawns. A grin pulls at his mouth as he shifts, feeling my knot nestled inside him. It’s showing no sign of deflating just yet – especially as I watch him cuddle shamelessly into Rowan, their lips brushing.

He grins at me over his shoulder, more than aware of what watching the two of them together does to me. “I hate audit meetings anyway. This is a much better use of my Monday morning. Excellent work.”

I glance at Rowan, my lips quirking. Teddy swallows as I press into him, my hips rotating as my knot starts to soften. “What time does the audit meeting finish?”

Rowan barely hides his laughter. “Ten.”

I flash a smile at them both. “Then we’ve got another forty-five minutes. Swap places.”

And Wilder can shove his fifty bucks up his ass. Worth it.