Pack Origin (A Blissful Omegaverse, #0.5)

by Kate King

She huffed, rolling her eyes. “You’re the worst.” I leaned over and threw an arm over her waist, tugging her closer. “I know.”

Sleeping next to her when she was tired and projecting her feelings was like taking an extra-strength dose of melatonin, which was good, because otherwise it was almost impossible not to think about touching her.

Sometimes I was glad Bliss was a beta, if only because she couldn’t smell how much I wanted her.

In reality, we’d always find a way to do whatever she needed. Because every single one of us was in love with her, and every decision started and ended with Bliss.

Killian: Miss me? Rafe: She just saw you, Asshole.

Nox: Bliss, where are you? Ares: What the hell does that mean? Nox: She’s not in algebra. Rafe: What the fuck? Me: I just got called into guidance. Please try not to hulk out.

Her comment had a very “hello, fellow kids” vibe.

“Don’t tell me you’re prissy all of a sudden?” “There’s ‘prissy,’ and then there’s ‘oh my God that smells disgusting.’ Don’t judge.”

I slapped the back of my hand against his entirely too firm stomach and glared up at him. He made a satisfying oomph sound, making me smirk, even if he was faking it for my benefit.

“Come on, B. You don’t gotta play that way.” His homey scent overpowered me, blocking out the reeking garbage as he wrapped one of his heavy arms around me in a bear hug, ...

“Let go of me!” “Make me.” His threat was completely undermined by the laugh in his voice and the way he stood primed to attack me.

Killian ran his hand up and down my arm as the lights from the cop car disappeared. He grinned down at me and shook his honey-brown hair out of his deep brown eyes, only for it to flop back in place, skimming the tops of sharp cheekbones.

Rafe glanced down at me, taking in my rigid posture, and slipped his fingers below my jaw. “Relax. We’ve got this.”

I entwined my fingers with his, swinging our arms as we walked. “Whatever. The guys are waiting.”

I raked my fingers absently through the tips of his copper-brown hair while flipping through the book with the other.

He leaned into my touch like a cat, and a soft rumbling sound came from his chest. I snatched my hand away. Nox’s arm wrapped around my middle and dragged me over his lap to sit beside him. He kept my legs draped over his, and I rested my head in the crook of his arm to hide my flaming face.

“It’s fine, Bliss, I’m a guy. Cut me some slack.” “Mmmhmm.” That was the problem though. Lately I didn’t want to cut them slack—any of them. The last year had been filled with barely there touches and not so accidental grazes, but nothing ever came of it, and it couldn’t.

His pale blue eyes and white-blond hair would have made him look almost angelic if his smirk wasn’t so self-satisfied. Clearly, he’d heard me. “Alright, Love?”

He plopped down on Nox’s left, pulling my legs into his lap and running his fingers over my calves.

I tilted my head, searching Rafe’s face across the fire. His hooded gaze branded me, making my skin heat. I licked my dry lips. He never looked at me like that…at least, not that I’d noticed.

Ares growled, and my eyes flashed to him, as though I’d been summoned…or something. His eyes went dark, and I had a sudden, almost uncontrollable urge to stand and go over there. The air tasted different, like iron and wool.

“C’mere, Little Wolf.” Nox reached for me again and picked me up easily, placing me on his lap. My back tucked in against his chest, and his chin rested on my shoulder.

The longer I was away from my guys, the more miserable I became. It was a deep ache that grew each day we were apart, and no amount of pretending could hide it forever.

Every time I came back, my guys were waiting for me. My family. My pack. The thought of being permanently separated from them made my heart twist in my chest. Not after all of these years and everything we’d been through. They wiped my tears when I scraped my knees, beat up school bullies, and loved me when no one else would.

We were family, and family took care of each other.

I made a high-pitched noise when they both pressed into me. Warm energy coursed through my center, and Nox’s hand clamped around my thigh, holding me still. I slammed my mouth shut—oh my God, what the hell was that?

Nox’s soft growl rumbled against my side as his nose traced a line of my neck. “You smell good, Bliss. Almost like…I’m not sure. But I like it.”

I squirmed in my seat. The distinctive feel of his alpha bark ran up my spine. “No fair. No coercion.” He just smiled and shrugged. Ass.

“Your turn, Love.”

I stood from the couch and wavered on my feet. Nox reached out to steady me, his fingers practically spanning my entire waist.

When I didn’t budge, he stood up and stepped closer until there was barely an inch between us. His head dipped down, black eyes searched mine, and his tongue wet his bottom lip. Heat flooded me. I wanted this. I’d wanted this for a while now.

Rafe ripped away from me, and a pained whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it. I didn’t want the kiss to end. My body practically ached to continue. Rafe’s hands slid across my jaw, cupping my face, and his fingers trembled as he held me. His gaze glued to me, eyes flipping back and forth between mine before he shook his head and stepped back.

A tinge of worry pinched at my chest, but that was stupid. I was their beta. This was the natural progression. Just not yet.

I walked back to my spot on the couch. Neither Nox nor Killian touched me, no more hand holding or slow circles on my arm. Rafe kept his eyes on his shoes, while Ares studied me, his brows pinched together and his mouth tight. What the hell did we just do?

“Oh, right. ’Cause you’re with a different girl every night? Can’t wait to explain that to Bliss.” Killian’s honey-brown eyes drained of all playfulness. “Don’t even start, man. It’s been over a year, and you know it.”

Never able to resist a smart-ass comment, Killian turned his smirk toward Ares. “Oh sorry, didn’t realize you’d become a monk. Hypocrite.” Ares raised one eyebrow at Kill across the room. “You have no idea what I do. Bliss does, so shut the fuck up.”

About a year ago, we all started noticing Bliss making excuses to leave every time a girl was around us. Which was often. At first, we were just less obvious about our hookups, but even the idea we were hurting her had us all stopping completely. It didn’t take a genius to know we were all just filling space, waiting for her.

“I dared her to kiss you.” Ares punched him in the arm. Hard. “You weren’t supposed to maul her.”

“Bullshit.” I glared at him. “At least try to lie better.” He rolled his eyes. “No, I’m good.”

Ares’ icy-blue gaze bored into mine. His voice was low and serious, as if he was proposing a bank robbery instead of dating our girl. Might as well have been. “What if we lay it out for Bliss? Just tell her now and see what happens.”

I should leave and cool the hell off, but I couldn’t ignore the magnetic pull coming from Bliss’ room. No one calmed me like she did. It wasn’t my turn to sleep with her tonight, but I didn’t care. Whoever’s turn it was was going to need to share or swap.

We all wanted her. And we all knew we wanted her. She was the only one too blind to see it.

“I thought you’d be here.” Her lips tipped up in a tentative smile, and she stretched her legs out in front of her. “You’ve always been the first to find me.”

I lowered myself down beside her, close enough to feel her pressed against my side. The chill of her pajama pants seeped into my thigh. Her arms were covered in goosebumps, and she vibrated with a slight tremble. Fuck, she was freezing. I pulled my hoodie off with one hand and pulled it over her head. My chest rumbled silently, pleased at the sight of her engulfed in my clothes, and wrapped my arm around her.

“How long have you been up here?” I asked, tucking her shivering body closer to my side. She shrugged against me. “Not long.” Liar. Bliss came up here whenever she was thinking too hard, letting worry take over. She thought she needed s...

I laid us both flat and tucked her against my chest, staring up at the stars like we’d done a thousand nights before.

She shuddered against me. “I don’t like that one.” “You don’t like any of them. The Greeks told miserable stories.”

I kept my voice low, resting my head on hers.

She stiffened in my arms, but I didn’t let her pull away. Moments passed before she answered. “I don’t want anything to change.” It was my turn to stiffen. The idea that she wanted to stay friends forever didn’t sit well with me, and I knew it wouldn’t sit well with the guys. I pushed out my next words, knowing the guys would kill me if I screwed this up. “I think you know things are changing. You felt it, same as us.”

She tilted her head until she met my gaze. “They could separate us.” I grabbed her chin and stared down with every ounce of surety I felt. “Never.”