Chapter 2
2
BEN
Devyn wears her emotions on her face, especially during her Heat.
Even when she’s asleep.
There’s a little furrow on her brow, one that’s caused by guilt—and no matter what I do, I won’t be able to assuage it.
I know she feels terrible for calling me an Alpha; she’s never done that before.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s natural and only proves my point.
She needs to find her pack.
But that’s also not my call—I can’t force her to find Alphas, and I’m not about to go look for them on my own.
Once Devyn is breathing deeply, I slowly move her off me and sit up in the nest, running a hand through my hair.
I need to prepare for when she wakes up again.
The damn crease is still on her brow, and I try to wipe it away with my fingers. She hums in her sleep, but it still doesn’t go away.
My girlfriend is the most stubborn creature on earth.
She’s also the kindest and most loving, but sometimes she’s more complicated to solve than my cases at the detective agency.
Getting Devyn to see reason can be like trying to guess the combination to a safe.
It’s just not going to fucking happen.
I run my fingers through a tangled blonde curl, studying her face as she sleeps. The blanket has slid off her shoulder to reveal her mating gland, red and raised from my teasing.
She would welcome my mating bite without a second thought—she would be elated to be tied to me permanently.
But not until we complete the pack.
Her stomach gurgles in her sleep, and that’s when I remember she still hasn’t eaten.
All that’s in her stomach is coffee.
“Shit,” I hiss.
We got so wrapped up in activities that I forgot to make her eat before we even started.
I head to the door and open it, finding an entire roll-away food cart with different covered plates. A wicker basket is on the floor next to it, full of toiletries and self-care items.
And next to that is a giant mustached cat, looking up at me expectantly.
“ Mrow. ”
“Sorry, buddy, I can’t let you in right now,” I tell him, giving him a quick rub on the head. He closes his green eyes in bliss. “Come back later.”
I grab the basket with one hand and push the food cart in with the other, closing the door behind me.
Devyn stirs awake, sighs, and sits up in bed. The blankets fall off her, and she gives me a sleepy, loopy smile. “Hi,” she purrs, watching as I move the food tray to the foot of the bed. “I’m hungry.”
I quirk my lip. “I’m aware,” I say, uncovering one plate to reveal a plethora of cheeses, fruits, crackers, and meats. Fresh-baked bread is under the second plate, and the aroma makes my mouth water. “There’s a ton of food here, Dev. You’ve got to eat before your Heat goes into overdrive again.”
She doesn’t need to be told twice. Naked, she scoots to the edge of the bed, and I sit next to her.
“You’re dressed again,” she huffs, nuzzling into me.
I chuckle. “Just my pants. My shirt is still off.”
“You should be naked all the time,” she declares. “You putting on clothes is a disservice to my eyes.”
I burst out laughing as I reach for a piece of bread. “Is that so? Babe, I’m literally eating. What if I spill food on my dick?”
She gives me a wicked grin and raises her eyebrows. “What if you do?”
I love this girl.
Devyn brings an energy and passion to my life that I’ve never had before. I’ve been fine with my life, sure. I thought I was happy before.
But Devyn…she’s goodness, light, and brilliance.
Devyn makes my world better.
The day I met her, I knew she was special. Her friend had gone missing, and I had helped organize a search party. That same day she gave me a five-minute monologue about how macadamia milk was much better than the two-percent milk I put in my coffee.
I didn’t ask her out then. The timing would have been wrong for many reasons. I thought she would say no because I’m a Beta. I had never considered an Omega before, but with Devyn, I just knew .
I was lucky enough to be her friend first. To be her partner is an honor.
She’s my ball of light. My beautiful, chaotic, stubborn girl.
“Stop staring at me,” she says, shoving a piece of bread into her mouth. “You’re being weird.”
But her eyes sparkle, and I know she loves the attention.
“I love you,” I tell her, and she smiles around the mouthful of bread.
After she devours more than half of the food, I run her a bath and dig through the basket that Harper dropped off for us. It was part of the Heat package that the inn offers, which includes a generous supply of blankets for nesting, unlimited laundry services, and twenty-four-hour food.
In the basket, I find a jar of a bath soak, which I pour into the tub. But before I can look through the rest, Devyn grabs it from me and digs through it herself.
“Oh, my god!” she cries. “There’s a stuffed Wilson in here!”
She holds out a plush cat, almost identical to the resident feline at the inn. She places it aside and pulls out a small, dark bag. “Oh, it’s a sample of coffee! It’s from…oh…”
Her face flushes, and I look at the label.
Con Coffee.
I recognize that name. The owner, Connor, is working with April to carry their coffee at the café, and rumor has it that Devyn has a crush on him.
And by rumor, I mean April and Skylar have told me countless times.
I’ve tried to bring it up before; Devyn just stammers and changes the subject.
I just wish I knew exactly why.
I want her to have a pack, and it’s clear she wants one, too.
“Baby,” I say gently, and she looks up at me, her beautiful face flushed.
“Anything you want,” I tell her softly. “You can have anything you want.”
She nods in understanding and breathes deeply. “I know,” she whispers. Her pupils are wide, her lips parted, and her sweetness fills the air.
Good thing that bath is almost ready.
“I mean it,” I continue. “Anything, and any one .”
Her scent increases, and her breathing quickens.
Just tell me why you’re scared, I want to say. Just tell me. I won’t leave. I just need to know so we can do this together.
But now’s not the time. Especially when my cock is straining in my pants.
The idea of being with that Alpha made her aroused, and in turn, it made my cock hard as a rock.
When Devyn finally has her pack, it will be spectacular.
I help her into the clawfoot bathtub and join her in it, the hot water soothing my muscles. She presses her back against my chest, and I squeeze some of the floral body wash into my hands to wash her. She sighs at my touch, and goosebumps trail up her arms as I take care of her.
“Thank you, Ben,” she whispers.
“Thank you ,” I tell her. “For being with me. For letting me love you.”
I’m sure I sound ridiculous. Before Devyn, I never found myself blurting out declarations of love, but everything changed with her.
But judging by her gasp, she doesn’t find my words ridiculous.
“You make me want to live,” I continue, running my thumb over a tight area of muscle in her shoulder blade. “Not just exist—but really live. I wish I could be as passionate as you, Dev.”
“I’m not that great,” she murmurs, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“You are,” I say. “Respect your elders, Dev. Listen to their sage advice.” I nip at her mating gland, and she lets out a cross between a laugh and a moan.
“Gross,” she murmurs, but her breath hitches as I suck at the delicate spot that I’ve already tortured more than enough.
I could bite her now.
She would encourage it.
But we should wait until she finds her pack.
“I’m sorry,” she blurts out suddenly, and I freeze my movements.
“For what?”
“For—” She splashes at the water haphazardly, then motions to herself. “For what I called you. I’m sorry.”
She has no reason to be sorry. She has no reason to be insecure .
Why can’t she see that?
“It’s perfectly natural,” I assure her. “It happens. You can call me anything you want, Dev. You’re in Heat.”
“But…I’ve never done that before. And I did it on our anniversary.” Her voice is barely a whisper, and I pull her closer until she’s completely flush against me in the water.
Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. She expects an Alpha during her Heat. It’s literally biology.
Am I insecure about it myself a bit? Yes, but she doesn’t need to know that.
This isn’t about me. This is about her, and what she needs.
“Like I said,” I murmur, pressing a gentle kiss to her ear. “It doesn’t matter. I promise, Dev. Just let me take care of you.”
She heaves out a deep sigh and relaxes completely against me. “I suppose,” she grumbles, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“What’s the ballpark for how long we have until you need to be back in your nest?”
“Hmm.” She gathers some of the bubbles in the water and swishes them around. “Probably five minutes ago,” she says innocently.
I sigh.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” I murmur, hurrying to finish cleaning us both off.
* * *
We spend the rest of the week in bed, and we get through one of her most intense Heats together. I feed her, cuddle her, and take advantage of the laundry service the inn offers.
Devyn calls me Alpha three more times during the week.
As we say goodbye to Aurora and pet Wilson for the final time, I can’t ignore the worries that swirl in my head.
It’s clear Devyn needs a pack, and if she won’t budge, I’m not sure what to do.