Chapter 13 Faye
THIRTEEN
Faye
A white-hot spike of agony skewers my stomach as I sink deeper into the cool water. I hoped a bath would alleviate the crippling tightening in the base of my belly and bring down my fever, but it’s made no difference. I whimper, gripping the sides of the tub for support.
Gram’s urgent knocking on the bathroom door brings me back to reality.
“Faye?” Panic fills her voice as she calls to me. “Is everything okay in there? What’s going on?”
“I think…” I grit my teeth, battling to get my words out. “I think I’m going into heat.”
I’m sixteen. A common age for a designation to naturally present itself.
Mom was an omega too, but initial designations are never guaranteed.
Scientists still argue over which genes and environmental factors have an influence on how a person presents.
Although it hasn’t come as a surprise, a wave of dread still sweeps through me at the confirmation.
“Remember what I taught you, Hedgey,” Gram coaches. She’s prepared me for this moment. “Do those breathing techniques.”
“We’re not far now, Faye.” Ren’s voice pulls me from my memories.
I can tell he’s concerned by how tightly he’s holding me.
Another alpha bolts in our direction, his wild mop of red hair bobbing around in the breeze. Holy hell, Laz can move.
His eyes widen when he sees me.
“Fuck.” Laz stops in front of us. “I could smell her from down the street. It’s a good thing it’s the middle of the day and most alphas aren’t home.”
I shiver at the thought. Although SVU have very strict policies around omega safety, alphas can be unpredictable.
One scent of an omegas perfume (especially when it’s so potent during heat) could be enough to send an alpha into a rut, where they’d lose all sense of reason and be driven by their innate desire to claim, which can have dangerous consequences for everyone.
“Not helping, Laz,” Ren utters through gritted teeth. “Just get on her other side to mask her scent, okay?”
Laz puts his arm around my shoulder, trapping me between them.
“Do you always smell so good, Faye, or are you just pleased to see me?” Laz jokes.
He’s only trying to lighten the mood, but it’s not helping. My eyes well up with tears, both from embarrassment and the pain.
“Shit!” Laz obviously notices. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Faye. I was only joking.”
I snivel. As well as being embarrassed, I feel pathetic for being emotional and not having a handle on things. I never prepared for this, and every time I see my housemate’s brother, I’m in a mess.
“Stop talking before you put your foot in your mouth again,” Ren snaps at him while I swipe at my wet cheeks.
“I really am sorry, Faye.” Laz’s amber eyes blaze with sincerity. “I don’t know when to shut up sometimes—”
“I said, stop talking!” Ren growls.
They steer me past countless pack houses.
It’s not as inviting as OV. Although they are equally big, the houses here are uniform and white, cookie-cutter with no personality.
Some have basketball hoops or soccer nets in the driveway.
If Sabs were here, she’d come up with a witty quip about how stereotypically alpha it is. Which reminds me…
“The Stellas,” I murmur. “I need to text them.”
I quickly send a few fire emoji’s to our Stella group chat to let them know.
“We need to hurry,” Ren reminds me. “You can text them properly when we’re inside.”
Panic grips my chest. “Where’s my purse?”
“Don’t worry, Damon’s already on his way to the library fetch it,” Ren says. “We’ll have everything you need at our place.”
“Including snacks.” Clearly, Laz is incapable of not talking. “Lots of snacks.” He waits for my reaction, his fearful expression telling me he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing again.
“Snacks sound good,” I agree. “Chocolate. Lots of chocolate.”
Laz grins, showcasing the laugh lines around his mouth. “Chocolate it is, then, honeybee!”
I’m not sure why he’s given me that nickname, but I kinda like it.
“We’re here.” Passing two flashy sports cars, Ren guides me up the steps of the biggest mansion on the street. There’s a plaque on the door that says, “Silverwood” and a steel wolf's head knocker on the massive door.
I inhale deeply as soon as we’re over the threshold. The Silverwood Pack house smells better than anything I’ve ever smelled before.
“Ren,” I can’t help but moan. “I need—”
A rumbling voice cuts me off. “We’ve got a nest ready for you, Faye.
” The source of the deep, sexy timbre emerges from the room to my right.
He’s tall—even taller than Damon—with bulging muscles and wide shoulders that make the doorframe look like it belongs in a doll’s house.
He has short, light ash brown-colored hair and a sharp jawline that would put a superhero to shame. “Follow me.”
“This is Cole, our pack leader,” Ren says. “You can trust him.”
I’ll be damned if Cole isn’t every bit as irresistible as the rest of them. His commanding tone makes me want to drop to the floor and demand more from him than a nest.
“Come on, Faye.” Ren encourages me by tracing small circles on my back. “Let’s get you comfortable, baby.” He looks pointedly at Laz. “Get the snacks.”
Without a word, Laz sprints off. Even though he’s a goofball, I instantly feel like something’s missing the moment he leaves and want him back again.
As Ren and I follow Cole into their living room, I bask in his scent.
Cole smells of stability, like an ancient forest that has stood the test of time.
It’s a smoky cedar mixed with crisp linen and freshly cracked pepper.
Somehow, his scent completes them, providing the perfect complement to Damon’s dark and dangerous aroma that reminds me of a well-aged whiskey, Ren’s peaceful parchment essence, and Laz’s larger-than-life sex on legs cinnamon deliciousness.
“We did the best we could with the time we had, but most importantly, you need to know that you’re safe here.
” Cole’s tongue darts out, moistening his plump lips.
“We’re here to help however we can. I always make sure we have heat patches on hand, just in case.
” He pulls a packet from his pocket. “If you want one—”
Before he can finish his sentence, I snatch the patches from his hands. I tear off the wrappers then stick two on the sides of my neck over my scent glands. It’s double the recommended dose, but I don’t care.
Heat patches are similar in appearance to Band-Aids. They release a hormone that’s quickly absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream to stop a heat in its tracks. They aren’t always effective, but if you catch a heat early enough, they can at least help things die down a little.
“I need…” I hide my face with my hands. What do I need? A knot? To be devoured and claimed by their entire pack? Eventually, I settle on, “Relief.”
This heat is more overpowering than anything I’ve ever experienced
“Come on.” Ren gently steers me over to the sofa. “Let’s get you comfortable.”
Although it’s hard to focus on anything but the pulsing between my legs, it’s impossible not to feel grateful for the makeshift nest they’ve created for me.
It’s like a blanket fort. They piled up pillows and duvets on one of their giant, white sofas then a hung sheet from the ceiling above it to create a tent.
Their pool table and pinball machine have been shoved against the wall.
“I’m sorry, but this is the best we could do with the time we had.” Cole looks around sheepishly. “We weren’t expecting an omega, and our bedding is all we had.”
“Hey, I hung the lights!” Laz points proudly at a string of fairy lights that have been haphazardly hung over the huge wall-mounted television with the grace of a drunk Christmas elf.
It’s lacking an omega’s touch, but I’m still moved by the effort they’ve put in. And their combined smell… I want to bathe in it.
I kick off my shoes then dive onto the cushions, wrapping myself up in the nearest blanket. Mm, cedar.
Cole’s jaw tenses as he watches me. What must he think? I don’t have time to ponder that as a sharp jab to my stomach has me yowling in pain. I clutch the blanket tighter, burying my face in it.
“What can we do?” Ren kneels in front of me, concern creating a crinkle between his eyes.
“It won’t be long until the heat patches start working,” Cole says, reading the instructions on the back of the packet. “Worst case scenario, it could be a few hours.”
I groan. “I don’t know if I can deal with this for a few hours.”
“Tell us what to do,” Ren pleads.
“Knot,” I moan. “I need a knot.”
I never expected that my physical and emotional desire would be so overwhelming that it voids out all rational thought. Right now, my body would give anything for these alphas to fuck me.
Damon enters the room, holding a grocery bag. His scent alone is enough for me to perfume. Damon freezes as the smell of my slick engulfs him. He drops the bag, spilling its contents onto the floor.
“I have to go,” he growls before storming out and slamming the door behind him.
His rejection stings. I hurriedly swipe at my eyes when tears come once again. How many times am I going to be brought to tears today?
“Deep breaths,” Ren encourages. “In and out.”
Laz bumbles back into the room, hugging a punch-sized bowl full of M&M’s, Sour Patch Kids, and popcorn.
“I don’t know if this is enough?” Laz looks helpless. “Will it do, Faye?”
“There’s enough sugar in there to give her a heart attack.” Cole glowers in disapproval. “At least Damon had some sense.” He grabs a few protein bars from the mound of mess.
I pout. “No healthy stuff!”
“She knows she wants,” Ren shrugs.
“Chocolate and knots,” I murmur, rubbing my cheek into what I think is Laz’s pillow.
“We can give you one of those things.” Laz smiles. “Chocolate first.”