"Now tell me," he growled against her throat, nipping her skin with his teeth, making her mewl. "Tell me what you want, or I'm sleeping in the garage tonight."
Just for good measure, he ripped open the front of his coat and shoved his hand under the shirt she'd borrowed from his closet, stroking her hard little nipple.
Faith screamed, her body going rigid.
"That," she cried. "I want that."
"What else?"
He gave her a moment to think about it, ripping open the shirt. Buttons flew, getting lost in the snow. He moved down her body and flicked her nipple with his tongue, then started making slow circles, tugging gently with his lips. She bucked under him like a wild mare, her hands in his hair, pulling so hard Troy figured that clumps of it were going to end up in the snow too.
He didn't care.
"Tell me," he said, shoving his hand between her legs and biting her gently for emphasis.
Faith went off, slick coursing through her clothes and swamping his hand, desperately trying to force his fingers toward her opening. "Now, now," she pleaded.
"' Now' isn't what I'm looking for," Troy said, and even though he thought his cock might fall off if it didn't get some attention soon, he stepped back, holding Faith in place with a single hand on her chest. "If you don't say it, you can spend your evening by yourself."
Faith's eyes rolled up, and tears streamed from her eyes, her teeth gritted with frustration, her hands making fists at her sides. Troy breathed deep of the sharp frustration that pierced the dense fog of her need.
He almost felt sorry for her.
"Your….mouth," she stammered, her teeth starting to chatter. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look at him. "On my…down there."
Troy raised an eyebrow, feeling like the devil she'd accused him of being. "Where?" he asked innocently, kneeling in the snow and taking one of her calves in his hand, bare underneath the coat. He kissed her smooth skin just below her knee. "Here?"
He felt her twist, shaking her head emphatically. "No, no. Not there."
"Here?" He lifted one booted foot in his hand and kissed her above its fur-trimmed top.
"No!" She kicked, nearly giving him a black eye, and Troy grinned to himself. "Damn it, Troy. I don't have the words."
Of course she didn't.
There was no way the people who had taught her that pleasure was sin had taken the time to name the most intimate parts of her.
He set her foot down hard in the snow, spreading her legs. Now she was lying up against the rock, her back arched, hands splayed on the cold granite. He shoved up her shirt just to enjoy the sight of slick coursing out of her. Her pussy lips were swollen and inflamed, begging for what she couldn't bring herself to say.
"This is your pussy," he said, running his fingers along the outside of her lips, before teasing her with a kiss. "And this—" He flicked the tip of his tongue over the sensitive nub hidden between. "—is your clit."
Faith tangled her finger in his hair and pulled him closer.
"Yes. That," she panted. "That's what I want."
Her words became unintelligible cries as Troy did as his little omega begged him to, letting his own instincts take over, plunging with her into the sea of their raging need. He licked and tongued and drank deep of her essence, coating his face with slick, sliding his fingers inside her and finding that glorious place that sent her rocketing to new heights.
She was coming in seconds, one wave after another, screaming herself hoarse. When he thought she was probably bruised black and blue from the hard rock, he paused with the intention of switching places.
But the moment he lifted his face, Faith grabbed him around the neck and hollered against his ear. "No, no, don't you stop now, fuck me, Troy, fuck me with that giant cock—"
Troy couldn't believe what was coming out of his dainty little omega's mouth—but his cock could, and it wasn't willing to wait another second. Troy picked Faith up and, backing up against the rock, slid her down onto him in one savage move.
Instantly, she began grinding on him, driving him deeper inside her. She set her hands against his chest and dug her knees more tightly against her thighs for leverage and rode him like a bucking bronco.
Troy's knot was already stirring as he watched Faith's face contorted with ecstasy. He couldn't believe it was happening so fast—but for once, he was willing to let go of the pleasure of building toward orgasm, the exquisite escalation of sensation, higher and higher toward the inevitable crest.
Because his omega was already almost there.
Troy had never felt so much at one time—his cock like steel, his balls on fire, his heart thundering, and emotions locking him to this woman like a vise. He said her name, and then he yelled it, the forest echoing with it as Faith jammed herself hard against him, ramming him all the way inside her in a velvet blackout as her head fell forward.
And then—sudden, sharp, exquisite pain as she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, tearing his flesh, spilling his blood. She clamped her jaw and thrust one more time, and his knot swelled, filling her completely, and Troy's vision went black as his instincts obliterated his reason.
He bit her back.
He tasted her blood as Faith released him and screamed, her entire body convulsing with her orgasm, and then he was coming too, shooting his hot load into her, filling her, claiming her, owning her. She threw her head back and stayed with him, wave after wave, and then she fell limp against him, utterly spent.
Troy held her, their bodies joined with sweat and slick and blood, feeling his knot slowly ease and her heartbeat gradually return to normal. He pulled his coat more tightly around her, the pain in his shoulder giving way to a muffled ache, willing to lie here on this rock, on his land, as long as it made her happy.
Faith was his.
Totally. Completely.
Forever.
Chapter Fourteen
It was hard to wrap her mind around "forever."
But Faith had been working on it for a few weeks now, ever since the day she'd claimed Troy, and he had claimed her back.
The bite marks had faded in a few days' time, thanks to the natural healing powers that came with her omega nature. But the implications of what she had done…those were taking longer to grasp.
When Faith had first come here to rescue her sister, she'd known her mission could be fatal, that she might not survive an attempt to bring her back. And she had accepted that, because her faith had taught her that salvation awaited the pious, no matter what obstacles they faced on earth.
But her confidence had been the result of blind acceptance. She'd never had the opportunity to examine her family's beliefs or question the ones that didn't make sense.
Now Faith wasn't sure what she believed in anymore, but over time, things were slowly falling into place.
Forever now meant waking up with the same man she went to sleep with at night, every morning for the rest of her life.
It meant trusting that Troy would always protect her, no matter what.
It meant that she was part of a cycle that—God willing (and yes, she still believed in God)—would include pups who would grow up here, carrying on the traditions that Troy and she would teach them, handing them down generation upon generation.
As she made room for this new reality in her heart, the memories of stealing her parents' van, crossing over the boundary, and threatening a bunch of terrifying alphas faded into history, like a story she'd once been told.
That day, Faith had tried to impose her will on a world she didn't understand. But forever didn't require the application of will or demand any action. It was forgiving and infinite, offering time to adapt and room to grow and tolerance for doubt.
For someone like Faith, who had grown up being force-fed dogma masquerading as truth, forever was terrifying.
But apparently, she was strong enough to face this new kind of fear.
Especially with Troy by her side.
Even when he wasn't literal
ly at her side, like now.
Faith was alone behind the wheel of her parent's van, driving down the Central Road, on her way to Evander's Bar. Troy was directly behind her in his truck, but she could still feel his presence close by.
It had been like that ever since the night she'd claimed him. No matter how far she wandered on her walks around their property as he worked, she could still feel his presence. Even when she was by herself, she wasn't alone.
It was strangely comforting, knowing that she would never face the future by herself again. That this sense of security would never go away. That there was nothing she could do or say, no invisible line she could accidentally step over, that would cause Troy to abandon her.
He would never deny her. Never disown her. Never discard her, the way her parents had discarded Hope, the way they most likely had discarded Faith as well.
That kind of stability allowed Faith to face this new kind of forever without fear.
Even though Troy had spent the last couple of weeks repairing the van, Faith was still careful not to push the old vehicle too hard, slowing to a crawl as she took the turn into the bar's parking lot.
Though when she looked up and saw Ty standing on the porch with a scowl on his face and his arms crossed, Faith was more than a little tempted to plow into the trash cans again.
"So, you can drive after all," the alpha grumbled as Faith got out of the van, though the gruffness of his tone didn't match the amusement in his eyes.
"You're never going to shut up about that, are you?" Troy said, coming over to join her.
Ty shrugged. "Probably not."
"Don't worry about him," Mia said, coming out onto the porch in a sheepskin jacket with her baby cradled in her arms. "Griping about how you trashed the place gives him something to do all day."
Faith smiled at the sight of her new friend. Hope had been right: the group of omegas living here in the Boundarylands were a special breed of women. They'd done more to help her navigate her new life in the last few weeks than the Church of the Beta Way had offered in her whole life.
"I don't know how many times I can tell you I'm sorry," Faith said lightly as she walked up the now familiar steps. "But come on, Ty, it's a couple of dents in a few trash cans."
Ty's scowl deepened. "Don't forget the bullet hole in the side of the building."
Faith couldn't help but smile at the reminder. "Okay, that one I'm not sorry about," she teased. "You know how stuffy the bar can get when it's crowded. If anything, I helped you ventilate the place."
Ty gave up the ruse and laughed, faint lines bracketing his mouth. Faith had learned that it didn't take too much to make him laugh, especially when his mate was around. "Your driver's already waiting inside."
Faith gripped the keys in her hand a little tighter and nodded her thanks before heading for the door with Troy.
Hope was waiting for her, seated next to Maddox at the bar. Her face lit up just as it did every time she saw Faith, but Maddox wore his usual threatening expression. Unlike Ty's, his didn't hold even a trace of amusement.
Faith and Maddox still hadn't warmed up to each other despite meeting several times now. They both made an effort for Hope's sake, but it seemed they were destined to never get along.
Faith knew that it was probably because they both felt possessive of Hope. In a bond as tight as the one between an alpha and his omega, there was little room for other claims on their affections. After all, there was no way in hell that Faith would be willing to share Troy's affections with anyone else.
But that didn't mean that she was about to let her sister go—not after she'd fought so hard to find her.
Faith was learning that the Boundarylands were a difficult place for divided loyalties.
Still, she and Maddox had worked their way up to being cordial with each other. That was a promising start.
She ignored Maddox's frown as Hope got up from her barstool and wrapped her arms around Faith. "You sure you want to do this?" Hope asked.
Faith nodded. "Positive."
Hope held her at arms' length, gazing at her searchingly. "It won't change anything, you know. They won't acknowledge the gesture, and they won't come here looking for you. They've probably already made up some story about you meeting a terrible end, just like they did with me."
Faith nodded. She agreed with everything her sister said.
But it didn't change a thing.
"It's the right thing to do," she said simply.
"Oh, Little Bird," Hope sighed. "You always were the good one."
Faith couldn't help but smile. She very much doubted that anyone other than her sister thought of her that way anymore—not Ty, or Maddox, or her parents back at home.
But goodness had little to do with what other people thought.
The Boundarylands had taught Faith that as well.
Faith squeezed her sister's hand before releasing it and addressing the lone beta sitting at the end of the bar.
"Are you Travis?"
The man glanced nervously at Troy before looking back down at his beer. "Yep."
Faith could tell that the man was unnerved by having to deal with an alpha-omega couple. It was clear that he didn't fully understand the protocol.
And why would he? Despite Mia's presence behind the bar, and the occasional visits from the other omegas, couples were still very much in the minority here at Evander's.
Faith longed to reassure the poor beta that it was fine, that she was new at this too. But she had a feeling that such a gesture would only make things worse.
So instead, she simply placed the keys to the van next to him on the bar, along with a plain white envelope filled with cash.
"Thank you for doing this," she said formally. "My parents' address is in the envelope along with your payment."
"Happy to do it," the beta said without meeting her eyes. "Thanks for the job."
"You're very welcome."
"We had better not find out you ran off with the cash and the van," Troy warned. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because you're outside the Boundarylands, we won't know what you're doing."
The man paled. "N-No. Of course not," he sputtered, scooping up the envelope and keys. "I'll get going right now, sir."
Faith said nothing as the frightened beta scurried out the door, but the moment he was gone, she turned to Troy.
"Was that really necessary? Did you honestly think that poor man was going to try to cheat us?"
"Not really…but now I'm certain he won't." Troy grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder. "As long as we're here, let's get a couple of drinks. Are you up for a game of pool?"
Faith's mood lifted at the suggestion. There had been a billiard table at her church's community center, and since it was one of the few games the girls were allowed to play, she'd spent many hours mastering her technique.
"I'd love to," she said. "Though I should warn you, I'm pretty good."
"Is that right?" Troy said. "You wouldn't want to bet on that, would you?"
"I would, but unfortunately I don't have any money with me."
A devilish sparkle lit up Troy's eyes. "Oh, we don't have to play for money. I can think of lots of things you can give me when I win."
Faith matched his smile with her own. Oh, her alpha was in for a surprise—it wasn't every day that he got to test his skills against the billiards champion of the Church of the Beta Way.
And she too could think of a few things worth playing for.
Chapter Fifteen
Troy really needed to stop betting on pool. Either that, or he needed to start taking lessons from Zeke.
But what he was absolutely determined to never again do was lose to his omega.
The woman was a damned hustler. Sure, she'd told him she was good, but how was he supposed to believe a little slip of a woman with the face of an angel could play like Earl Strickland?
Not only that, but Faith didn't mess around when it came to collecting on the bet.
/> None of which mattered when he had to go face the pack of alphas gathered in front of his house, all of whom had heard about his mortifying loss. Troy ran his palm over his face, lurking just inside his garage, out of sight. He was never going to live this down if he lived to be a hundred.
"I just don't get why I'm here," he heard Maddox grumble.
"We're here for Faith," Hope whispered back…as if keeping her voice down mattered with this crowd. There was no such thing as a private moment with this many alphas around.
"I get that's why you're here," Maddox said. "But why the hell do I have to be?"
"Because it's my sister's wedding day, and you are her brother-in-law," Hope said in a tone that made it clear she didn't want to hear another word about it.
Unfortunately for Hope, the other alphas weren't as easily cowed by her.
"What I don't get is why there has to be this stupid ceremony at all," an alpha named Kian said. "They've both already claimed each other. What's the point?"
"The point is that Faith wants it," his mate answered in a tone as stern as Hope's.
Troy peered around the corner. It was even worse than he'd expected— the omegas had dressed up for the occasion, wearing their best clothes under their coats, and sprigs of holly in their hair. Naturally, the alphas were dressed like it was any other day.
Oh, they were going to have his ass for this. Honestly, Troy was amazed that any of them had agreed to come out to this little circus today. Ordinarily, he would have refused to participate in such a ridiculous event…but a bet was a bet. And this was what Faith had demanded as her reward for beating him.
"But why would anyone want this?" Kian persisted.
"Because lots of girls dream of their wedding day," Paige answered. "It's all about the dress and the flowers and the rings."
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