Chapter 8
Camden
Ibecame aware of my surroundings. I was warm, and the bed smelled like Maxwell.
I tried to roll over, but I felt like I’d been dropped from a cliff.
I knew that feeling quite well, and I wasn’t surprised.
I’d been claimed by my mate. He and I had had sex.
Lots of sex. And it was better than I could have imagined. Now, I was paying for it though.
I lifted my head and immediately let it fall back to the soft pillow below me.
Even without looking to my right, I knew I was alone in the room.
I heard the shower in the bathroom, but I really didn’t know if I had the energy to get up and join my mate.
I needed to anyway, though, because it was Monday morning, and we needed to go to work.
Didn’t we? I honestly couldn’t say, so I tossed the blanket back and took a deep breath.
Why was I exhausted? True, we’d not gotten a whole lot of sleep last night or Friday night either. But this was different. This was more.
I rolled to my side and somehow managed to move to where I was sitting upright. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and pushed up onto my feet. I felt like I weighed a ton. My head was throbbing, and it was a serious effort to get my legs to work. One foot in front of the other, I told myself.
“Maxwell?” I called out, hoping he could hear me.
I felt as if I were about to fall over. The bathroom door was almost closed, and the bedroom was dark, so I was under the impression he was trying not to wake me.
When I didn’t get an answer, I figured he simply didn’t hear me. “Maxwell?” I said through our bond.
Maxwell appeared in front of me suddenly, and he was wearing low-hanging sweats that looked entirely too delectable on his body. He grabbed me and quickly swung me up into his arms. “What are you doing up? You should still be in bed.”
“I feel like I was dropped from a cliff.”
“That’s understandable. Your heat lasted six days. Are they always that long or intense? I honestly expected you to sleep for most of the day.”
Maxwell had carried me into the bathroom, and immediately, the lights dimmed. It hadn’t been the shower running, but there was water running in the tub. It was steaming and honestly smelled amazing.
“Oh, is the bath for me?”
“I was going to see if you wanted a soak in the tub, yes. But I figured I could carry you into it to soak while you slept like I did two days ago. Although you didn’t exactly stay asleep.”
I tried to smile. Instead, I just fell against him. “I’m so tired.”
“As you should be. Do you need the toilet before we get in?”
I shook my head. I probably should need to go to the bathroom, but honestly, I just felt out of sorts. “I’ll try after. Right now, I’m not so sure about things.”
Maxwell grinned at me as he continued to carry me toward the tub. He stepped in without hesitation, and when he lowered us to the tub, I saw a bare leg beside me. I shouldn’t have been surprised. My mate was a warlock, and he could be dressed or undressed with just a thought.
I winced a bit at the sting in a particular place, but after a moment, it seemed to calm. “What’s in the water?” I asked.
“Soothing oil. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was or where it comes from.
It’s something that Master Edison puts in a gift to all newly mated couples.
It’s soothing and helps with aches and certain pains for both alphas and omegas.
I was going to hold you to soak in it if you didn’t wake up for the bath. ”
I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed being held by Maxwell. “What day is it?” I asked. “You said my heat lasted six days, but I don’t remember it hitting. That isn’t unusual though. In the past, I had to track my heats closely because they would just hit me like a brick wall stops a truck.”
“Monday morning around four is when you woke and were very obviously in heat. It only increased from there. I thought around day four it had peaked and was going to end, but it held on for two more days.” Maxwell cupped some water and brought it up to my chest and let it fall.
“Today is Sunday, but it’s still very early, which is why I was surprised you were up. ”
I yawned. “I’m not normally up so quickly after a heat.
I usually need a couple of days to recover.
But they normally only last about three days.
” I rolled my head to the side and enjoyed lounging against Maxwell in the tub as it continued to fill.
“This tub is amazing. I thought the shower was running, but it was your little waterfall.” I felt Maxwell’s chest move as he chuckled.
“Thank you. It was something I changed when I moved in. The tub that was here wasn’t terrible, but I wanted something more. I like a shower just fine, but I do enjoy soaking in the tub. It’s relaxing, and I’ve found it to be beneficial for stress relief and cleaning the mind.”
I turned my head and leaned to the side a bit, trying to look up at Maxwell, but it was no use. I just couldn’t turn in that direction. “Is the position that stressful? Should I be worried?”
Maxwell kissed my hair. The water filling the tub suddenly stopped, and his arms seemed to wrap around me just a bit tighter for a moment.
“For the most part, no, the position isn’t stressful or an issue.
There are times when it can be a lot to deal with.
There have been a few rescue missions that have resulted in some seriously hurt alphas and omegas.
Despite having magical abilities, not all of them can be saved.
Some it’s simply better that they couldn’t.
Others, you see them struggling to try and move on and past everything, but their demons seem to still have a tight grip on them,” Maxwell said quietly.
I tried to remember recent assignments from Maxwell’s memories, but apparently, I was a shit mate because I couldn’t remember much from those first memories after we first claimed one another.
Then I went into heat, and all I really remembered now was Maxwell and several of the different positions we were in over the past few days.
“I’m a terrible mate. I can’t remember all of your patients.”
Maxwell’s arms tightened again, and he kissed the side of my head once more. “You have been an amazing and loving One thus far. And quite adventurous, I’d say.”
I snorted. I knew exactly what he was referring to; it wasn’t a secret between us. I liked just about all things when it came to sex. “We can continue to explore sexual pleasures for certain. But is there anything I can do to help with the stress from work?”
“You just being here with me going forward is going to be a help. I take care of the patients, you’re going to be there doing the same, and at the end of the day, we’ll come home when we can, and if needed, we can talk about how things affected us.”
“I think I’m probably completely in over my head,” I told him. “I’ve only ever delivered babies and helped set severely broken bones so they would heal properly.”
Another kiss from Maxwell had me closing my eyes and relaxing even more. “You will be amazing,” he said. “I helped heal the physical wounds. Castiel, Garin, and Pierce do the really difficult parts with addressing the mental wounds. I’m not sure how they do it sometimes.”
I reached up and placed my hand on Maxwell’s arm. “I would hope that they have an amazing and understanding mate to support and reassure them.”
“Hawthorne is the only one who isn’t mated, and he works mostly with younger children.
He hasn’t been with the council for long, and as far as I know, he’s not been in the same positions as the others as of yet.
Thankfully, there haven’t been any young children that have been rescued.
I do know he works with some of the younger omegas, and there have been a few teenagers that were rescued, but as far as I know, not too many in recent times. ”
I shook my head. “I can’t imagine. I mean, I’m obviously going to see this in the future, aren’t I?”
“Possibly. The council is still actively searching for certain questionable characters that have been linked to trafficking.”
That made sense. “I know it will never happen, because bad apples emerge continually, but I hope that the council is able to at least stop a lot of them.” I had lived a very sheltered life.
I knew this. I was also incredibly fortunate in that I had a caring family that, despite all of their issues, had always been incredibly protective of me and my brothers.
“How are you feeling?” Maxwell asked, suddenly changing the subject.
“I was actually just going to ask you about how things went. I don’t really remember much. Well, lots of sex, and I have fuzzy images of you taking care of me in other ways. Feeding me with small bits of food, maybe taking a shower?”
“I did all of those things, yes.”
“Thank you,” I told him. “I’ve never had someone to take care of me during a heat like that. Of course, I’ve had others who would make sure I was fed and things, but beyond that, I always have had to go at them on my own.”
“I cannot imagine that,” Maxwell said. “I know that as a warlock, not presenting until I meet my One is immensely beneficial. Omegas have had such a disadvantage for so long though.”
Did we though? “How so? We know from the very beginning who our mate is going to be. Male omegas are going to have an alpha or sire, for the most part. I know there are a few instances where there are alpha-alpha pairings, but I’ve never heard of an omega-omega one.
We have access to suppressors though, which help tremendously.
If they don’t stop our heats completely, they make them to where they are very minimal.
I haven’t suffered too many heats in my lifetime.
I know some who have, but I was very fortunate in that my family had access to suppressors and were willing to do whatever it took to help. ”