Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Gael
“I’ll text him instead, he’ll be up shortly,” I promise the wild-eyed omega.
I edge a bit closer to her, hoping she can scent me. It’ll help. I start to purr as I pick up my phone to text Mads. He’s the one with the business degree, the one who does all the PR stuff for Fenrir.
He can explain this little quirk to a terrified witch omega, right? I mean, that’s gotta be easier than dealing with one of the three original werewolves, surely?
The little omega sits still, her long-sleeved black shirt looking rumpled and damp. She fiddles with a thick ring on her first finger, cane over her lap.
“Can I get you something more comfortable to wear from your suitcase? Or maybe something to eat?” I offer.
Alphas are supposed to protect. Pamper. Defend. Love.
An almost-in-heat omega has me in full nurturing mode. She smells so fucking good. Like apples, wine, and musk. I inhale deeply again.
“Um, thanks, no. Not hungry. And I don’t need to change, I’m leaving. Soon. Right?” Her voice and shoulders rise as she speaks, clearly uneasy.
Poor thing. I bet she’s nervous, around alphas she doesn’t know, right before her very first heat. I cringe internally. This is a train wreck.
The door opens, saving me from that particular conversation. Maddox strides in, wearing just gym shorts.
“Hey, you’re awake.” He smiles gently at her as he sits on the end of the bed.
Eli slips in, in a tank top and loose sweats; he must have been in the gym too. I shake my head as he flips his cap backward. He always wears that thing.
“She needs to know,” I say flatly as Eli comes to sit next to me.
Adira shrinks back a bit, probably unknowingly overwhelmed by three alphas’ scents.
Mads runs a hand through his black hair. A nervous tell of his.
“Listen, omega, I know this?—”
“Witch. I’m a witch,” she interrupts.
Not a damn ounce of proper omega behavior or attitude in this one, I think with a smirk, amused for reasons I don’t fully understand.
Mads continues, unbothered, “—will be difficult for you, but there is a fairly recent discovery that witches can be omegas.”
She blinks, and Maddox meets her stare evenly.
“So,” he says, raising his eyebrows, “have you been around a lot of shifters recently?”
“No, I—” she stops, looking away, “Maybe?” She twists the ring again. “I was at a business conference. It was witchcraft related, so a lot of demons and humans…”
Mads slides closer. “Lots of demons can be shifters.” He inhales deeply. My eyes drop to his cock even as he puts a hand into his lap to hide his erection.
“Well,” he adds, “whether or not it was the convention, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is you’re about to be in heat.”
“Heat?” she asks in a wobbly voice.
I clear my throat. “The nearest heat clinic is about eight hours south. We don’t think it’s a good idea to transport you that far, not knowing how fast it’s going to hit.”
Her heart-shaped face turns to me slowly. “Heat?” she asks again, big eyes pleading.
“Yeah, pup,” Eli says softly, “Heat. It’s when an omega can get pregnant.”
“Fuck that!”
I bite down a chuckle. There’s that spitfire.
“It’s more than that,” Maddox offers, “But we have…” he seems to search for the right word, “...birth control.”
Her head shakes. “I’m not having sex with you!”
I frown. “You want to though,” I say plainly.
Her rich eyes lock on mine, a look of shock on her face. “I certainly do not!”
I do chuckle this time. “Ye certainly do, we can all smell ye cunt.”
Maddox shoots me a look even as the nerves bubble within me.
This is not going well.
“Regardless,” he redirects, “your body will need it. Require it. You’ll be… rather senseless.”
“Senseless?” she repeats in a tiny voice.
The three of us share a look.
The quiet stretches a moment. I look at her, in the middle of our huge nest, the one we keep clean and ready, should we ever find an omega meant to be ours.
Eventually, she looks at each of us. “Get out.” She glares at us, face hard. “Get out!”
We stand and slowly do as she ordered, though all of us are lax to leave her.
When we shut the door to the suite, we all stand quietly. She might not realize how sensitive our ears are.
Sure enough, we listen to her dig around in her bag before flopping back into the nest. Shortly, we hear, “Myla?”
The sister.
“I’m alright, I’m alright.” A pause. “Long story. Say, have you heard anything about witches and omegas?”
Mads points to Eli and then the ground, indicating he stay, and make sure she’s not planning an escape or something daft. Elias nods, and Maddox waves me to follow him.
When we get to the kitchen, he collapses in a chair, head in his hands.
“Coulda went better,” I chirp, headed to the fridge. I grab us both protein shakes. We’re gonna need the energy. The first heat is… a lot. Poor thing. I cringe. “We need to give her… some details.”
I sit across from Mads just as the front door opens. Corbin slips in, his coveralls tied around his trim waist, a ripped band shirt showing. His long brown hair is tied back and his incredible gray eyes land on mine.
“S’wrong?” he asks as he heads right for the fridge. For being such a badass, he’s awfully in tune with all of our emotions.
Julian walks in from the library. “Glad you could join us.”
Corbin wipes his face with the back of his arm. “Sorry. That ‘68 has been a real bitch. What’s going on?”
“Oh, you know, just an omega. About to go into heat. No emergency contacts, so she’s our responsibility.”
“Fuck,” Corbin swears, eyes sliding sideways. “I’m busy as shit right now! I got a list a mile fucking lo?—”
“Corbin.” Mads voice is sharp, the only member of the pack who can reprimand him. “I don’t give a fuck. This is a witch omega. She didn’t know. It’s her first heat. We have entirely bigger problems than your clients.”
Corbin cringes. “Fuck,” he says again, frown deepening. “What a fuckin’ disaster.”
“Grab something to eat,” I direct.
Eli tromps down the stairs. “They just talked. She seems… resigned?”
“She’s not gonna do anything stupid, is she?” Jules asks.
Eli shrugs and grabs some tortilla chips. “I don’t know. I think she’s in there Smoogling heats.”
“Alright,” Maddox says as he stands. “Game plan: all of us need to go on PMLA: heat exemption. At least one of us is in there at all times until the heat hits, trying to get her more comfortable with us. All of you, go grab a lightly dirty shirt to put in the nest so she’s at least learning our scents. ”
Corbin tugs off the one he’s in and tosses it to Mads. “Going back out, text me if you need me,” he mutters as he turns to the front door.
I frown and chug my drink. “Who’s coming with me?” I ask as I head to grab a juice and an apple from the fridge.
“Me,” Eli says firmly.
“I’m going to do some digging,” Jules offers, “that is, as soon as I get a quick run in. Her scent is driving my wolf crazy.”
“Good call,” Maddox rumbles. “You guys alright if we’re in fur and her heat hits?” He looks nervous, though. If he’s suggesting leaving an omega’s side, he must really be rubbed the wrong way.
I nod, trying to reassure him, even if I am personally hoping she doesn’t go into heat while they are gone. “Three alphas? We’ll be fine, even if she is a hell cat.”