The Beta: Part Three (The Beta, #3)

by Avanne Michaels

I'm not expected to be a needy omega every second of my life, but when I do feel like a needy omega someone is always there to take care of me.

We're asleep, but still locked together by my knot when Jasper comes in and lays behind me so that I'm pressed between him and Talia. “Go back to sleep,” he whispers, and wraps his arm around my waist and tucks it between me and Talia.

Sleeping between them actually is my favorite thing in the world. It's better than anything else. I usually try to stay awake for as long as I can just to feel the cocoon they create around me, but I'm a lost cause tonight. It probably takes me less than a minute to doze off.

He grins and crosses his heart, “I promise not to touch her candy stash.” I laugh again because he's such a liar. I'm going to have to hide this bag.

When you left them, they weren't well. It got a little better over time, but they never let you go.

They'll be back soon. I can't wait for you to meet him. He's so beautiful.” I may or may not still gush over Jasper on occasion.

These are all wonderful things. And they all need to pack up their leftovers and get the fuck out of here.

A scream sounds in the background and it abruptly cuts off. “Jesus, Jasper. Fuck.” “What happened?” I don't want to panic, I can still feel Jasper through the bond, and I don't think that was him screaming. Pride blooms through Talia's bond and it's apparent in her voice, “Jasper hung some prick across the banister by their guts. That was hot. We are winning.” “There's my girl,” Alex croons.

“Of course you think it's hot. I'm killing people too, you know.” Trent is grunting between words. “I've been watching the whole time. You're hot, too. Two on the left.”

I don't think he's well. I don't think he'll be okay for quite a while.”

Our poor, wounded alpha might be a little overwhelmed.

“It's fine. Please, please don't stop. Will you do that again? What you just did? With both of you?” I laugh and go back to giving Jasper sloppy, wet kisses with Nathan throbbing and leaking between our mouths. Nathan is making the most delicious sounds, letting out a string of curses when I lower my hand to play with his balls.

Describe it for me while I suck your cock.” “Oh god, Talia. Please. I can't. Don't. I can't take it.” Then he makes a noise that's a cross between a huff and a gasp. “You don't want me to suck your cock?” Maybe I'm mean, but playing with Nathan like this with Jasper, teasing him, is probably one of the most fun things I've ever done.

And,” he pushes away from the table and holds a hand out to me, “If you don't mind, I'd like to have you in my arms for a minute. This morning and today scared the hell out of me.” I smile and go over to stand between his legs. He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head against my chest.

Trent is standing on my dresser, carefully not crushing my things. He does that, climbs the actual furniture when he's anxious. The more upset he is, the higher he needs to climb.

“She's so...tiny. And mad. You haven't known me long enough to be mad at me, little baby.” Kaleb cooing at an angry infant is one of the better things I've witnessed. He's going to be absolutely foolish over them. We all are.

It takes a moment, but I realize that he's checking her pulse; and that scares me more than anything.

the screaming burritos

I'll help Talia do anything she ever asks for help with. She's finally, finally, starting to lean on us more. It's just small things, like it has been since she came back home, but it's a lot more of them. And for her to ask me to help her change the bedding, of all things, is a big fucking deal.

She leans on Reid most when she's upset. It used to hurt my feelings, but over time I started to kind of understand why she leans on him. He's quiet. He doesn't ask anything of her, outside of the odd request to eat some fucking food when she's being decimated by three adorable leeches. He just seems to know what needs to be done and does it.

Then he really had a change of heart when he found out I was also Talia's alpha. It's a little jarring for me to be the possession, the acquired party.

The babies are downstairs with Devon and Kaleb. Devon likes to show them things even though they're too small to understand anything but his scent and the sound of his voice. Today's adventure is the garage. He's very excited about it.

"You're my alpha, Corso. And I'm your omega." His hips buck and he hisses curses I don't understand. "I knew you were. I always knew. Ours, Talia. You're our omega."

“What? What’s wrong?” He’s looking from side to side, like there’s a threat in the room. The gentle pull feels just a bit tighter. “I don’t know how it’s possible. It shouldn’t be possible. There’s no way, right? I mean, how could there be?” I reach up to rub Devon’s mark and when I bring my hand down to look at it, there’s the thinnest smear of blood on my fingers. “Did you taste blood when you bit me, Jasper?”

“No, I’m not hurt. But,” I take a breath and look back and forth between him and Corso, "Omegas can’t mark people. Not even mated omegas. It’s impossible.”

“You can feel how hard Talia is thinking? Really feel it, or you’re just feeling how it makes you feel? Because those are two different things.” “I know the difference between my feelings and hers, Corso.” He’s full of snark and confidence until he realizes what he just said. Then he’s grabbing my shoulders and staring into my face with wide eyes. “This isn’t possible.” I nod slowly, but I’m smiling.

That world doesn't know about the girls, yet. Only Dutch, and he seems to be very satisfied with his position as the public star of our family; not that we go out in public very much.

Devon throws down the cloth. “Yeah, I could go for a sandwich. I’m starving.” Jasper looks at me, I smirk at him, and Devon’s eyebrows knit together. Then we turn devious, predatory gazes on our poor, confused alpha and give the same order. “Run.”