AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Archer arranges us on the chaise, setting aside the bag of pastries and stack of papers in his other hand. He gathers me into his chest, purring. “You don’t need to thank me, sweetheart,” he murmurs. His hand comes up to cup the back of my head, and he flashes a small smile, fingering the two buns on either side of my crown. “I like these.”
I chuckle. “They were for Ronan this morning. He likes the space buns.” Gives him something to grip while I’m on my knees for him.
Archer raises a brow, teasingly solemn. “Dirty old man.”
“Mm,” I confirm dryly. “So very dirty.”
Archer’s hand skims down my back, settling over the waistband of my panties. The scent of ginger thickens into a haze of spice, sending a dizzy rush through my blood.
“Can’t say I blame the guy,” he mutters. “You always look so damn beautiful.”
Of the three of them, Archer has spent the most one-on-one time with me, but he’s also been the least sexual. The current is always there, between us. Shifting and churning. He’s just such a complete gentleman.
For the first time, it occurs to me how much he’s holding back. He may be a doctor and a scholar, but he’s certainly no less alpha than the others. I can feel the strain in his muscles while he anchors me securely into his side. He has better self-control than Ronan or Theo, but he still wants me every bit as much.
Why is that so ridiculously sexy?
I snuggle closer, knowing my perfume must be stronger than it was a moment ago. Archer stiffens for a moment before he clears his throat and reaches to the side.
“I brought you some new research today,” he reports, voice gravelly. “About omega purrs and barks.”
Shock derails my dirty thoughts. “Omega barks?”
Archer’s smile is fond. He loves teaching me things. I suspect he just loves sharing knowledge in general, but there seems to be some particular appeal to guiding me, specifically.
His free palm smooths down the back of my neck. “Yes. Omegas can bark, too. In very special circumstances, and usually only if one of their alphas or children are in danger.”
I deflate a little bit, taking the study from him. “Oh.”
He hears my disappointment and taps the pages clutched in my hand. “The barks may be rare, but they’re also more powerful than any alpha’s. The second an omega uses his or her bark, anyone within earshot will immediately listen—alpha, beta; doesn’t matter. It’s fascinating.”
It really is. I flip through the first few pages until I happen upon the segment on purring.
That one, I knew about. Remi once explained that omegas will sometimes purr for their alphas if they’re particularly distressed or injured. I imagine it probably comes in handy for cooling tempers.
Archer watches me carefully, his eyes tracing the way my teeth sink into my lower lip. “You know,” he starts, his voice low and cautious, “If there’s ever anything you have questions about, you can ask me. I won’t tell the others what we discuss. I promise.”
Shit.
Has he finally figured out just how little I know about being an omega?
I stare into his kind eyes, waiting for the disappointment. Or, at the very least, irritation. But compassion swells in his dark irises. He brushes his lips along my brow.
“Ask me,” he whispers. “I want you to.”
I press my lips into a tight line, considering. If I reveal how clueless I am, won’t he be appalled? If I don’t, will I ever get such a perfect opportunity to ask him questions again?
His purr deepens. A clear ploy to relax me.
A very effective ploy, it turns out. “I… I guess I’ve been wondering about?—”
Bonding.
The word is right there, balanced on the tip of my tongue. But I chicken out and substitute the very first thought that comes to mind.
“—double-penetration.”
Oh. My. God.
