Forty-Nine
FORTY-NINE
Mia
“ZALEN? CAN I talk to you?” It was six o’clock on the morning of the day when Luca’s heat might reasonably be expected to start, and I’d had maybe three hours total of restless and broken sleep.
Now, I was about to bother Luca’s alpha with something that I was one hundred percent sure he’d be happier not dealing with—especially given how haggard he looked these days. The dark circles and worry lines accenting his rich, brown eyes were totally understandable. It felt like it had been one thing after another these past several weeks, and the only bright spot had been the successful rescue of Princess.
“Morning, Mia,” Zalen said. “You’re up early. Is everything okay?”
Was it, hell.
“Nothing new has happened, if that’s what you’re asking,” I told him, stepping fully into the kitchen in Luca’s rumpled T-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. Belatedly, I realized that the shirt was so big on me that it probably looked like I wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.
Stellar .
Sure enough, Zalen’s eyes flickered down to thigh level for the barest instant before his attention moved firmly back to my face.
“Is this about your heat?” His tone was admirably neutral. Inviting, without pressing. “Or... about Luca’s?”
“Kind of both, actually,” I admitted. “So, I ordered a blocker pill from a decidedly suspect-looking Mexican site. But I need to make plans in case it’s not the real deal... and I know I should have done this ages ago, but—”
“We’ve all had a lot on our plates,” Zalen finished for me. “Plus, it’s not as though you’ve had a lot of time to line up contingency plans.”
“Yeah,” I said on a shaky exhale.
Zalen got up and grabbed a mug from the cabinet over the coffee maker, filling it up for me. The rich, floral fruitiness of Pacamara Limited Edition wafted toward me, overpowering the alpha’s scent of lime and vanilla mixed with my own nervous perfume.
I remembered, with a sudden pang, Zalen’s thoughtful housewarming gift to me when I’d first arrived. Something inside me loosened incrementally.
He set the mug down on the corner of the breakfast bar, a silent invitation. I accepted it wordlessly, slinking in and taking a stool. The mug was warm against my palms as I wrapped my hands around it.
“Unfortunately, the options are the same,” Zalen said. “Hire a rent-a-pack, negotiate an informal arrangement with alphas you know—and by that, I mean us —or lock yourself in a room with a strong door and tough it out. Are you leaning in a particular direction?”
Still so neutral. Perversely, I almost wished he would do something impulsive, just so I wouldn’t feel like the only one going crazy.
I fiddled with the handle of the coffee mug, breaking eye contact. “I don’t feel like it’s fair of me to ask you and Byron. Not with my heat coming right on the heels of Luca’s.”
There was a beat of silence.
“Mia, look at me.”
It wasn’t remotely a bark... almost the opposite, actually. Yet my eyes jerked up immediately.
Zalen gave a slow nod. “Listen. Your heat is not an inconvenience . Or, well, I suppose it is, to you. But it isn’t to me. Not yours, not Luca’s, not any omega’s. Heat can be one of the most beautiful things in the world. Even when it’s not an ideal situation, it’s every alpha’s responsibility to make sure that an omega in heat has everything they need—no exceptions.”
My breath caught fast.
I would not cry.
I would not cry, damn it .
A pathetic whimper tore free of my throat before I could stamp on it.
“Oh, Mia.” Zalen sounded unutterably sad. “I haven’t done a very good job with any of this, have I. Is it all right if I hold you for a minute?”
I gave a tight nod, not daring to speak for fear of what other sounds might come out of my mouth. Zalen rose and came around to my side of the breakfast bar. A moment later, I was enveloped in strong arms and the scent of the tropics after a rainfall. Helplessly, I scrunched my eyes shut and buried my face in Zalen’s shoulder. He said nothing, but a low purr vibrated beneath my cheek.
“Erm...” said a voice from the hallway.
I barely resisted the startled urge to shove myself free, as though I’d been caught doing something scandalous in a Regency romance novel. Instead, I pulled back more slowly, Zalen’s arms immediately loosening as I put space between us.
My cheeks were burning as I turned to face Byron’s raised eyebrow. The other alpha stood with his arms crossed, leaning a shoulder casually against the kitchen entryway. Unlike Zalen, he was dressed for the office, the picture of professionalism except for his loose tie and the undone top button beneath it.
“Something going on here I should know about?” he asked, the layer of dry humor in the words almost covering the tension beneath.
“Mia’s heat is due to start not long after Luca’s ends,” Zalen said, unperturbed.
“I don’t think anyone in the house is unaware of that ,” Byron shot back. “And that includes the cat.”
I threw him a dirty look. It slid right off, like oil on Teflon.
“And I believe she was about to ask if we’d help her out in the event that her emergency blocker pill ends up being a dud,” Zalen continued, as though he hadn’t spoken. “Is that right, Mia? I don’t want to put words in your mouth.”
I swallowed hard. “Um, yes, that’s right. I mean, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Byron’s raised eyebrow twitched. “Another three to five days of nonstop sex? Oh, please, no... anything but that.”
“He means yes,” Zalen translated. “Byron, we may have to trade off that week. Alternating days.”
Byron pushed off the wall and waved that away dismissively. “Emiel can handle things at the project. And Luca will probably be back to work by then. You know what he’s like.”
Zalen caught my eye and murmured, “Bad at being taken care of,” by way of explanation. In a more normal tone, he added, “You’ll have to forgive us for talking logistics. That part’s nothing you need to worry about.”
He thought I was going to be offended by the realities of having to be away from their jobs unexpectedly for almost two weeks? Seriously ?
“Believe me, I get it,” I said. “Things at the restaurant are going to be a nightmare if this pill doesn’t work. Which reminds me, Nat needs to know what’s going on, in case that happens. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Of course not,” Zalen said.
At the same time, Byron snorted derisively. “As long as you’re not planning on slinking back to him for your heat, tell him anything you want. Hell, give him a blow-by-blow account.”
Gah . I did not need or appreciate the inappropriate burst of heat that came in the wake of that suggestion. Fucking hormones .
I cleared my throat. “Okay, good. I’ll, um, give you his cell number, Zalen... so you’ll have it in case anything comes up.”
“Oh, I imagine several things will be coming up nicely,” Byron said.
Zalen gave him a flat stare. “Or else your pill will be exactly what you expect it to be, Mia, and all of this will be moot. Either way, we’ll make sure everything works out smoothly.”
I nodded, daring to hope it would be true.
“Oh,” I said. “There’s one more thing, actually. This is a bit awkward, but... Luca asked if I’d be there with him for his heat. And I can’t just bail out on work—not when I might have to miss next week, too—but I thought, maybe I could come by when I’m off? Like, in the mornings before I have to get ready? Just to, y’know, lend moral support.”
“Of course you can,” Zalen said. “Who’s allowed in the heat nest and who isn’t is Luca’s call, not ours. Just knock first and let us know it’s you, please. Even on dampeners, things can get a little intense.”
“That’s one word,” Byron said.
“Okay, thanks,” I said, even though the echo of that unsettled, panicky feeling from last night had returned. “Guess I should leave you to it and try to get another couple hours of sleep. Someone’s staying here for Luca today, right? You know, in case—”
“I’m on heat watch today, yes,” Zalen said. “So, I’ll be around if you need anything. Get me that phone number whenever you have a minute.”
I forced a smile and promised I would, draining my coffee cup before realizing that would probably sabotage my plans for a pre-work nap. Now, I just had to psych myself up to ask Luca if he’d be okay with me popping in and out of his heat nest around my work schedule. Followed by informing Nat of what I was mentally calling the Contingency Plan.
This day was going to be a real barrel of laughs, I could tell already.