Soren
“I’ll get it!” I’m on my feet in a flash and running for the medical kit on the table. I’ve been taking these tests for so long, I could grab the gear with my eyes closed, but my hands are shaking so hard I have to stop and take a breath. When Emily gives another pained whimper, I give myself a mental kick in the pants.
This isn’t about you, Sorry!
It’s an echo I hear far too often, but I thrust it aside with a growl. Now is definitely not the time to start wrestling with the voices in my head.
When I slide back to my knees with the kit in hand, Emily’s arms are wrapped around her middle and her forehead is pressed to the glass. It’s a pose I recognise, and I shoot a furious glance up at the two-way mirror. “Can we get a little help down here?”
I rip open the kit, but I’m not surprised when Finn and Lang appear in seconds. While Emily was completing her observation, they were no doubt spying on every interaction between us. “Open the door. I need to help her.”
“We’ve got a test here,” Finn says as Langston drops to his knees, his hand touching Emily’s back as he tries to coax her off the glass. She makes another pained little sound, and my fingers form a fist around the swab I’m clutching.
Finn, of course, notices the gesture, and I can feel his dominance leaking into the air, testing my emotions. “Seriously? You think I’d hurt her?”
Finn doesn’t deny it, his wolf-grey eyes holding mine. “This is new territory for us, . We have to be careful.”
Which is as close as he’ll come to saying he doesn’t trust me. Not that I’ve given him much reason to, resisting their treatments and letting my despair overwhelm me after months of little to no progress. But if he can’t tell the difference between that nightmarish state and how I’m feeling now, he’s not half the alpha I think he is. “I’m not in a rut, but I’ll be pretty pissed off if you don’t let me help her, Finn.”
He just watches as Lang dips the swab into the vial and the liquid turns a violent shade of red. He’s only performed the oral test, but anyone with half an olfactory system can tell Emily’s in heat.
An omega heat, when yesterday she was all beta.
“Let me out.” I can’t resist thumping the glass, and when Finn gives me another of his searing looks, I huff. “If she’s switched because of me, then she’s my responsibility.”
“She’s all our responsibility,” Langston argues, climbing back to his feet. Of all the guys in our messed-up pack, the professor is the one I’m closest to, but all that could change depending on how things play out. Is he feeling bad because he brought her here, or because of what he plans to do next? “We’ve all had a hand in this, . And we all need to agree on the next steps.”
“Then get Creed in here.” The words spring from my mouth with relative ease, but I don’t miss the way Lang’s eyes widen. I suppose it’s to be expected since the last time I saw my mate, I tried to tear his throat out with my teeth. “You said all , so where is he?”
Finn glances up and I realise he’s staring into one of the many cameras that dot the ceiling. “You really want him here?”
“He has as much reason to be a part of this as you do.” I stop and think about that, knowing that if things play out the way I want, Creed will need to be right at the center of things. “In fact, he’ll probably argue that he has more skin in the game than you do.”
Finn is a blank slate most of the time, but the tiny lines around his mouth tell me I’ve hit my mark. Yes, he’s the most dominant alpha in the room but that doesn’t mean he’s calling the shots in this specific situation.
“, stop trying to piss off Finn,” a familiar voice says, and I bristle, but there’s no stopping the flutter in my damn chest. I have a new sympathy for Pavlov’s dogs as Creed strides into view, looking every inch the hulking badarse in his signature black suit. Lang wears pinstripes like he’s on the way to a fashion shoot, but our soldier alpha in his civilian uniform is a droolworthy sight. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I bite back a retort as he drops to a knee and sweeps Emily into his arms. Right. So that throaty croon isn’t for me, after all. I try to brush it off, but my gaze is glued to his face as he cradles her to his chest, and thighs bunching, settles on one of the visitor chairs. I fight a smile as the plastic creaks under his weight, but when his dark eyes meet mine, I shift my focus to Emily. I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into it, but she seems more than comfortable on his lap, which raises all sorts of interesting questions. Exactly how close are these two, and how do I worm my way into whatever is going on there?
With an obscene amount of effort, I tear my attention away from them and focus on the other two alphas. “Will one of you arseholes let me out, please?” When they exchange a long look, I slap my palms against the glass and scowl at Finn. He might not be calling all the shots, but this is his facility, so he’s technically the one with the keys. “Don’t act like I’m the threat here. If I so much as twitch in a way you don’t like, you’ll have me eating concrete, right?”
Finn opens his mouth - no doubt to insist I jump through another dozen hoops before he’ll parole me – when Creed’s voice slides down my spine like a warm caress. “I’ll vouch for him.”
Yes, it makes me weak at the knees, but I still whip a scowl in his direction. “Oh, so you think you have me under your thumb, do you, Alpha? Your little mate to order around and put in his place?”
“No,” Creed says slowly, his big hand stroking Emily’s hair, “but I’ve watched more than fifteen hundred hours of surveillance footage of that room. And this is the calmest I’ve ever seen you.”
Emily is peeking at me from under her silky lashes, and I roll my eyes and mouth ‘stalker’ at her. She smiles, but it’s a wobbly one, and I give Creed a beseeching look. “I’ll behave. I promise.”
“Let him out, Finn.”
There’s not a door in the glass wall, but the bathroom connects to a utility room, and beyond that, a passage that comes out where they’re standing. I zip around grabbing a few things, then bolt into the bathroom, giving myself a quick once-over in the mirror. I’m flushed and wild-eyed, but it’s a good kind of crazy, and I bite back a grin as I hurry out to meet them.
Of course, that means I’m not prepared for the full assault on the senses that greets me. Without the glass to dilute their scents, the small room is teaming with pheromones, the alpha in me rising to the surface in response. But it’s the sweet perfume coming from Emily that lures me forward like a siren’s song. She’s sitting up on Creed’s lap as she watches me approach, and behind the stark pain in her eyes, I can see a need I recognise only too well.
I drop to my knees, conscious of Creed’s dark eyes on me as I hover just out of reach. “You’re in heat, Emily. I know that’s what the test said, but the reality is different to what you’ve probably read, especially for your first time.”
She gives a jerky nod, and I bite back a moan at the way it sends her perfume fanning against my face. My guess is she has only a couple of hours before she’ll be deep in a heat haze. “There’s some stuff we need to discuss, but the first thing is to get you somewhere safe. Do you want to go home?” I have zero knowledge of where that is, but by her slight flinch I’m guessing it’s not going to work. “There are a few options. We could get you to an omega tending facility, where they specialise in first-time heats.” I glance at Finn for confirmation. “And there are rooms here, right? I mean, better than the fishbowl behind me.”
“Whatever you need, we can make it happen,” Finn agrees, moving forward to stand at my shoulder. “But I’d also like you to consider a third option. Our packhouse.”
If I wasn’t already on my knees, the surprise would’ve put me on my arse. “The beach house? You kept it?”
Creed makes a low sound, but it’s Lang who touches me, gripping my shoulder. “Of course, we kept it. Why wouldn’t we?”
Because up until a few hours ago, the likelihood of using it for its intended purpose was close to zero. The guys bought it about six months ago when I was at a really low point. It was their way of telling me we still had a future as a pack, but it had been nearly impossible to see myself ever leaving the facility. Instead of a promise, it had felt like just another thing in my life that would be forever out of reach.
“I’m just surprised,” I admit. “You guys spend so much time here…”
“Because you’re here,” Creed interrupts me. “Like you said, we’re all in this together. That means none of us are going to rest until we’re all home safe.”
I flick a glance at Emily, who’s staring up at my mate like every word out of his mouth is a balm to her soul. “What do you think, Emily? I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve seen photos, and it looks pretty cool. It has a big, wraparound verandah and a bunch of fruit trees in the back. Plus, it has a private beach.” I wag my brows at her. “Perfect for skinny-dipping.”
Lang shoots me an amused glance and picks up the thread. “It’s definitely secluded, and there’s plenty of room to spread out. You’d have your own suite, sweetheart. This is a safe space, nothing more.”
She looks between us, then wets her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Could Derek come?”
Thankfully, she’s asking Lang, so she misses the flash of jealousy on my face. I have no idea who this guy is, but the note of longing in her voice is pretty self-explanatory.
“We can collect him on the way,” Finn says with an ease that makes me immediately suspicious. Whoever Derek is, he’s obviously already part of Finn’s plan.
“That would be great.” Emily says with obvious relief, and it’s a blur of phone calls and arrangements after that. Finn disappears to sort something out, while Creed hands Emily off to Lang.
I frown at them both, but Creed pulls me into a rough hug, his huge arms almost squeezing the life out of me. “Jesus, . I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”
I wait for my alpha dominance to kick in, but I’m pretty sure he just melted my backbone. “Me, too,” I admit, my voice muffled against his chest. There’s no scent better in the world than the one that surrounds me right now. “And I’m sorry for…”
I try to pull back to touch my bite mark, but he just claps a hand on my cheek and tilts my face up to his. “Nothing. Everything that’s happened has led us here, and I don’t regret a single minute of it.”
I blink, because an intense Creed is a lot to take in, especially since we haven’t been in eyeshot of each other for months. I thought I’d worked up a bit of immunity, but one hard cuddle and I’m back to full addiction. “Same for me, I guess, except for all the crippling pain and feral mood swings.” He chuckles and I can’t resist sliding a hand over his chest, just to feel the vibration against my palm. “But we can talk later, right? Emily is the priority now.”
“Agreed,” he says in that same rumble that earned him my teeth in his skin. This time he lets me lean back, but only so he can steal a hard, filthy kiss. “We look after Emily, but unless you tell me you’re off-limits, , I’m locking our bond down as soon as I get a chance.”
“My multitasking mate,” I murmur, but there’s a smile on my face as we head to the door.
We end up taking a giant stretch Hummer that would look ridiculous if it didn’t suit Creed down to his shiny size-thirteen boots. It’s almost painful watching him give up the driver’s seat to one of his security guys, but Emily’s in no state to be left right now. So, even though the SUV is as big as a tank, we all cram into the rear, with Emily and me in the middle, and Lang and Creed flanking our sides. Finn settles opposite us, his lean frame somehow dominating the empty seat.
Emily is smooshed up against my side, her body fever-hot where it presses against mine. Her hair has slipped out of its bun, and I can’t resist brushing my fingers through the red-gold curls as she hums into my shoulder. She’s wearing a silky blouse that’s as light as air, but her black trousers are made from a thick cotton, and she’s already squirming in discomfort. When she turns and pants into my neck, I can barely swallow the growl rising in my throat.
The truth is, she needs to get knotted, and preferably by more than one alpha. If like most omegas, she’d presented in her teens, she’d have all the toys and instruction to fight back the worst of the haze, but no one raised as a beta could be prepared for this. Until she gets some relief, the pain will only grow, her body driving her to find a worthy mate who will knot her and mark her with their claim. I just hope like hell my guys have laid the groundwork for a pretty hardcore conversation when the time comes.
“We’re pulling up to Derek’s place,” Lang tells her, and I can feel Emily’s sigh of relief in my bones. The haze is already upon her, and in my current state, the need to soothe her is almost overwhelming.
Which is why I give her boyfriend a huge smile as he climbs into the car. Damn, he’s a big boy. Not quite as muscled as my mate, but with the frame of a rugby player and hands and feet like shovels. He’s wearing a dark hoodie and faded jeans, and for a moment it’s like looking at a weird mash up of Creed and Finn. But then his gaze settles on Emily, and the adoration in his eyes makes his wholesome face unforgettable.
“Em. Are you okay? Come here.”
He doesn’t settle beside Finn, choosing instead to insert himself between his girlfriend and her professor. Lang takes the hint and moves down a little, but Emily makes a ragged sound of protest. “Don’t go! Can we just… squish together a bit?”
If I get any closer to Creed I’ll be wearing his tattoos, but I just give her hand a soothing squeeze. “Of course. No one is going anywhere.”
Derek quickly backs me up by scooping Em into his lap. “We’re all here, sweetheart. You can rest for a bit, okay?” She burrows into his shoulder with a relieved hum and with a dark glance at my alphas, he settles his apple green gaze on me. “Derek Summers. And you are?”
“ Hill,” I tell him, sticking out my hand and watching it disappear into his paw.
Despite his size, his grip is surprisingly gentle, and he looks me over carefully before giving a slight nod. “Finn said you’re working on the project with Emily.”
I’m tempted to leave it at that, but one thing I know about a heat is that all your secrets tend to come tumbling out. “I kind of am the project. Plus, I’m probably the reason she’s an omega right now.”
I wait for something to spark in those vibrant green eyes – confusion, anger, shock – but he just arches a brow at me. “You’re a switch?”
“I’m not sure exactly what I am,” I reply, since despite a year of tests, the jury is still out on what to call me. “But I presented as an omega at sixteen, underwent a designation manipulation process at twenty, and now I swing between heats and ruts. Quite violently, if it’s a bad day.”
I flick a glance at Finn, expecting a look of reproach for spilling my secrets, but he’s watching Derek with a laser focus. For his part, Emily’s boyfriend is staring at me with a sympathy that makes my heart beat faster. “I’m sorry you’re going through that. It sounds rough.”
“Thank you.”
I’m not sure what else to say, and my brows shoot up when he holds my gaze and murmurs, “I don’t feel very equipped to help her here. I’ve downloaded everything I can find on late-presenting omegas, but I’m guessing I’ve barely scratched the surface. What if I fuck it up?”
How adorable is it that the guy finds out his girlfriend has switched and immediately puts together a Heat 101 manual?
But the raw worry in his voice kicks my protective instincts into gear. “You won’t. What she needs right now is to be taken care of, and you’re clearly an expert at that. You just might need… a helping hand, so to speak.”
Derek’s gaze flicks to the alphas around us, slowly taking their measure. “You mean knots.”
It sounds like he’s talking about a cross between taxes and emergency dental work, and I bite back a smile. “Among other things, but yes. Knots will help ease her pain.”
His brow furrows, his arms tightening around his girlfriend, but he gives me a determined nod. “Okay, then I’ll follow your cue.”
“ My cue?” I’m pretty sure I’ve never looked so surprised. “But I just told you my history…”
He cuts me off with a shake of his head. “Are you going to hurt her?”
“Never.”
I couldn’t, I realise as I stare at Emily’s strained face. In fact, I think I’d protect her with everything in me.
“Then it sounds like you’re the best person here to tell us exactly what she needs.”