Forbidden: Part One – Chapter 56

It was a risk to let Josie drive, and even my post-orgasmic bliss couldn’t entirely fend off my anxiety as I walked towards the garage. The likelihood of us getting pulled over in the mountains is essentially non-existent. This will make Josie happy. I want my mate to be happy, so she’ll let me fuck her against the wall again.

Sam jogged over to me as I unlocked the car.

“How much do you care about your car?” he asked in a low voice.

I raised my eyebrows. A massive grin spread across his face as he glanced over his shoulder to where Josie and Gerald were laughing.

“Because Josie is a terrible driver.”

“Er…” I said, my heart clenching. “How bad are we talking here?”

“Oh, truly horrendous,” Sam responded cheerfully. “I’m not saying omegas shouldn’t be allowed to drive, but Josie definitely shouldn’t be able to.”

“But you’re the one who taught her!” I sputtered. “And suggested this!”

Sam’s smile broadened. “I know, but… well, you’ll see. She’s quite confident in her skills. I’m just saying, if you have a least favorite car, I would go with that one.” He winked at me before jogging back over to the group. He kissed Gerald on the cheek and laughed at something Josie said.

“It’s just a car,” I muttered to myself, eyeing the flawless black and chrome finish on my Range Rover. Beyond the safety of my car, Sam’s comments made me worried about Josie’s safety. He must be exaggerating—I couldn’t imagine my sweet, reserved omega being an unsafe driver.

I pulled out of the garage so everyone could get in more easily.

“Wait, there’s not enough room for all of us,” Josie said, her lip jutting out in a pout.

“I need to stay behind and get some work done,” Gerald said, wrapping his arm around Josie’s shoulders. She was so much more comfortable with physical touch now, something that filled me with warmth and satisfaction. Ben and Cam both looked at her with tenderness.

“Drive carefully, please,” Gerald said with a wink.

“I’m a great driver,” Josie responded, flouncing her hair.

“Uh huh,” Gerald said, “I’ve heard the stories.”

Josie pushed his arm off her playfully. “Sam is a very unreliable source,” she said as she strode towards the car.

I opened the passenger’s side door for her.

“Should I be concerned?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Josie rolled her eyes. “Sam likes to exaggerate. I’m a great driver.”

She leaned in for a kiss, and my anxieties melted as her soft curves pressed against mine. I reluctantly pulled away and lifted her into the car. Everyone else piled in and we got on the road. I would drive until we were in a secluded spot in the mountains where our mate could drive without the fear of being caught.

“We are going to die,” Cam muttered from the backseat.

I would have teased him for his reaction—this was an alpha who had undertaken dangerous missions and seen death and mayhem in his years of military service—but I was too busy gripping my seat, hanging on for dear life as every muscle in my body vibrated with tension.

“Wow, look how pretty the sunset is,” Josie exclaimed as we flew over the crest of a hill, revealing the picturesque mountain view at the exact moment our stomachs bottomed out. The car swerved as Josie turned her head to take in the pink and orange sky.

I leaned over to grab the steering wheel and straighten us out so we didn’t go careening off a fucking cliff.

“Angel, why don’t we switch off now? That way, you can take in the views more easily,” I suggested in a strained voice.

“Nice try,” Sam coughed from the backseat.

I glared back at him. He had a shit-eating grin on his face. Why the fuck hadn’t he taught her how to drive more safely? Yeah, like you’re saying anything to correct her. I rolled my eyes at myself. While I was reasonably confident we would all die in a fiery crash after rolling off a cliff, I didn’t want to tamp down Josie’s joy. She was beaming, her bright cupcake scent saturating the car.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this turned on while fearing for my life,” Ben muttered, shifting in his seat. His brow furrowed slightly, possibly from the last nausea-inducing switchback, before he added, “Oh my god. Is this my new kink?”

“No, no, it’s not,” Cam grunted. “No kinks that put our mate at risk.” He raised his voice and added, “Baby girl, could we maybe slow down just a touch?”

I smirked at Cam’s gentle tone, so in contrast with the commands he used to bark out as a military officer.

“But it’s so much more fun to go fast,” Josie said, bouncing up and down in her seat.

“Josie-girl, you’re scaring the fuck out of your alphas,” Sam called out.

“What?” Josie asked, her face falling.

The three of us all turned towards Sam with furious expressions. If our mate wanted to kill us all in a car crash, she could do that, damn it, and no one was going to make her feel bad about it.

Sam chuckled at our expressions, completely unphased.

Josie turned to look at us, causing the car to swerve dangerously close to the edge of the mountain. I let out a strangled noise as I grabbed the wheel again.

“You’re doing a great job, love. These roads can just be treacherous,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. Josie’s face brightened a bit.

“That’s true. I could see it being hard for some people to drive on these roads, especially if they’re scared of heights,” she responded.

We flew over the next hill with so much speed we were practically airborne for a moment. Cam swore loudly.

“Oh, Cam, are you afraid of heights?” Josie asked sweetly, clearly concerned.

“Newly developed fear,” he grunted.

“Why don’t you take this right turn here so we can trade-off? We’ll want to get back before it gets too late,” I said.

“Yes, that’s a great idea, Theo,” Ben said loudly. “I’m sure everyone will be ready to eat dinner soon.”

“Oh, okay,” Josie said, slight disappointment coloring her voice.

I sighed. Maybe we should let her drive for a few more minutes?

She took the right turn I had pointed out so aggressively that the back wheels slid out from under us, kicking up a cloud of dust. She pulled over onto the side of the road with a stop so abrupt we were all thrown against our seat belts. Then again, maybe not.

“That was so much fun,” Josie squealed. “I was worried I would be a little rusty since it’s been so long, but I’ve still got it.”

“Oh, yes,” Sam said dryly. “Your driving skills haven’t changed a bit.”

“I’ll sit in the back so one of you can have more space up front,” she offered, hopping out of the car and closing the door behind her.

“I swear to god I’m all for removing the Designation Laws restricting omegas except for this one,” Cam said.

Sam snorted. “I dare you to say that in front of her.”

The three of us were fucking cowards because there was no way we would tell Josie she was the worst driver I had ever seen. I wouldn’t trust her to drive a car in a video game.

Josie opened the back door. “Who’s moving up front?”

“I will,” Sam said, getting out of the car and giving Josie a hug. “Glad we’re all still alive after that,” he said with a wink.

Josie scowled at him before hopping up into the backseat.

“I’ll sit in the middle,” she said, crawling over Ben, who squeezed her ass.

Cam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, breathing in her scent.

“You smell a little stressed,” she said, pressing her face into Cam’s neck. He just grunted in response.

I slipped into the driver’s seat and exhaled. I wasn’t sure how we would convince Josie she should never drive again, but we would have to think of something.

“I’m a good driver, right? Sam always used to tell me I was awful and that there was a reason omegas were banned from driving. Isn’t that terrible?”

“Yes, terrible thing to say, Sam,” Ben choked out, covering his face so Josie couldn’t see his smile.

“You think I’m a good driver, right Theo?”

I hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Josie gasped and I saw her face transform into the cutest fucking pout in the rearview mirror.

“You think I’m a bad driver!” she shouted, crossing her arms as she looked at the three of us.

“Your skills might be better suited for a racecar track,” Cam said, stroking her hair.

“Or a car chase in a movie,” Ben said with a chuckle. “We still love you, even though you did just try to murder us all.”

Josie huffed, but I could tell by her scent she wasn’t too upset. Sam looked positively gleeful as he turned back to Josie.

“I’m vindicated,” he said.

“The only thing this has proven is that alphas are total wimps. I bet Clementine, Westin, and Poppy would appreciate my driving.”

“I’m sure they would,” Cam said, tilting Josie’s face so she was looking at him. “But let’s not test out the theory, okay?” He pulled her in for a kiss before she had a chance to protest.

I smiled and pulled back out onto the road and headed home.