Chapter 23
Revea
“Anyone else warm?” I’m midway through a full head of highlights, showing Serena how I foil, when I ask.
My modest cardigan is gone, my hair’s tied up, and I’m still too hot.
My client shakes her head, gaze on her phone, but Serena looks at me a little strangely.
I arch a brow. “What?”
“You have been really busy today. Maybe that’s why you feel hot?”
“And you’re not?”
She shakes her head. “Maybe you’re coming down with something?”
I groan. “No, no.” I add another foil, paint on the colour. “I can’t be ill. Not now. I’ll just finish this and grab some painkillers.”
In the reflection, Serena studies me, and I see why.
I’m clearly flushed, cheeks practically fuchsia.
My chest’s a little pink too. But I have been running around all day.
Updating the scanner with my staff, briefing them on the plan for the week, making notes of anything not yet handled, colours we’re running low on, and even before that, I was. .. exercising.
All day, I’ve been getting wicked flashbacks of this morning. I’ll be curling someone’s hair, painting on colour, and I’m suddenly back in my office riding Sylvan.
And now I’m even hotter.
Speaking of hot...
My eyes are constantly drawn to the two alphas lingering somewhere in the background. They’re wearing their normal uniform: black compression t-shirts, padded Nexus vests, combat pants, and boots. But I swear everything looks tighter.
Their arms are bigger, chests broader, groins bulging—
What the fuck. Why am I looking there?!
Only this morning, I had an orgasm, the first one not administered by myself in… a while. Shouldn’t that sate my horniness, not trigger it?
After washing out another client’s colour, I dab a cold towel over my forehead and cheeks. Margret will have to do the blow-out, maybe even style it.
At least Gary and Max seem to be fitting in well. Margret’s already adopted them after the baby photos earlier, and they’ve spent the afternoon quietly walking the floor like they’ve always been part of the place.
A few more hours and my head’s feeling fuzzy, beads of sweat trickling down my spine. Thankfully, my staff step in to handle anything involving heat or hot tools, helping me power through the day.
It’s finally the evening. I’ve said most of my goodbyes, reminding them to text if they need anything, and now it’s just Margret and the twins.
“You’ll have such a good time!” she says, pulling me in for a tight hug. She jumps back. “Oh my lord, you’re on fire!” She presses the back of her hand to my forehead. “Revea, you’re boiling. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, just a busy day. I’ll take a cold shower tonight and be back to normal.”
Her gaze narrows as she listens, clearly not believing me. Then her brows shoot up as she leans in to whisper, “Your heat isn’t...”
“Don’t be crazy.” I laugh, shaking my head. “My heats are like clockwork. I wouldn’t schedule a convention when that’s due, come on, Mags.”
“You’re right, I know. Just… take care of yourself, okay? You haven’t stopped all day, and the flight tomorrow will be gruelling, then getting to the hotel with all your things, and you’ll be alone…”
“I’ll be fine, Mum.” I smirk.
She scoffs, but gives me a small smile.
“And thanks for looking after the place while I’m gone. I wouldn’t trust anyone but you.”
She pulls me in for another crushing hug, murmuring, “And thank you for trusting me.”
I keep my smile in place until the second she leaves, then I’m racing to my office and searching online for my symptoms.
“No.” I keep scrolling. The words ‘heat’ and ‘spike’ appear over and over. “…Compatible alphas… scenting… No, no fucking way.”
I’ve never had a heat spike in my life, but the more I look, the more I realise that’s exactly what this is.
Was I already having a heat spike with Syl this morning? Is that why I’ve been so hot? Is that why I didn’t give a fuck about what we did in my office?
“How to get rid of a heat spike?” I say as I type.
An omega during a heat spike will need to consume alpha semen to reset their biological needs...
“Fuck,” I hiss.
“What?”
I freeze, slowly looking up.
Luc is at my door.
Alpha.
Oh no.
I’d left it open during my rush, and now he’s right there, wearing that slutty little t-shirt, with those large hands tucked into the side of his vest, with a sexy grin in place like he owns the building and everything in it.
Alpha.
“Nothing,” I squeak, closing every single tab as I clear my throat. “You and Val heading off?”
“Yeah, soon. Val’s just doing a last sweep now Margret’s gone.”
“Great, good. That’s… really good. Thanks.”
He leans against the doorframe, glancing around my office. “Gary and Max seemed to settle in alright today. Think Gary spent half the afternoon showing the staff baby photos.”
I nod quickly, hoping that’s the correct response, while my omega screams that we need to jump on him.
“Margret definitely likes ’em,” he continues with a grin. “Val and I will nip in while you’re away, but it’s looking pretty good.”
“Mmm,” I hum, trying to look normal while clenching my seat so hard I know they’ll be indents from my nails.
His brows furrow as he steps closer. “You okay, Revea?”
Alpha. There.
“Yep.” I nod with a tight, closed-lip smile. “Gary and Max are great. Just got… a lot of things to deal with before tomorrow… like packing…”
“Oh yeah? Didn’t take you for a last-minute packer, Ve.” He smiles nice and slow, like he knows I’m lying, because I am.
And god, he looks so good.
He moves closer, the corner of his smile tugging into something darker. “You look a little flushed, omega.”
Oh, this fucker.
My eyes go wide, my omega purring, nudging even closer to the surface after his soft omega.
“I… It’s hot. I’ve been… running around all day. Really busy…” I trail off as he comes closer.
“Hmm, and I guess, after this morning with Syl, you’ve not had much time to sit down,” he says with a casual shrug. “Except on him.”
My eyes go wide. I swallow. “I— That’s not—” My cheeks burn.
He perches on the edge of my desk. I sink back in my chair.
“Not jealous at all, by the way,” he adds, brushing something off his knee before his gaze locks with mine. “Not like you’ve brushed off me and Val’s advances every time. I get it. Sylvan’s your favourite.”
My brows furrow. “Hey, that’s not true. I haven’t got a favourite. And every time you’ve tried something, there have been people in the building. Lots of people—”
“We’re alone now, omega.”
Fuck.
He leans down, our eyes almost level. “And I’m so desperate to smell this perfect scent.”
The reminder of Sylvan’s reaction to my scent, how he breathed the word perfect before begging to taste me…
My body’s reacting on its own, a cramp rippling through my stomach, deeper, lower, until I’m even hotter.
Even wetter.
Luc’s pupils explode, his fingers curling over the edge of the desk.
“Fuck.” He groans deep in his chest, eyes shut as he inhales. “Shit,” he hisses, gaze snapping to mine. “Baby, are you in heat?”
I squirm. “N-No.”
“Yeah? You sure?” His voice is lower. Eyes darker.
“Because you smell fucking heavenly.” His words end in a rumble as he stands, placing his hands on the arms of my chair.
“All hot and wet.” He licks his lips. “And your eyes.” He lowers.
“Your pretty eyes have that glassy sheen. You’re panting a little—”
“I’m not panting,” I say, breathless. “It’s just… a little… heat spike.”
It’s like I’ve dropped all my clothes and bent over from the way Luc looks.
“A heat spike,” he repeats slowly. “Did Syl trigger it?”
“I… I don’t know. It says it takes twenty-four hours from the trigger… so maybe it was… Kaiden.” I swallow. “When he—”
“—barked,” he finishes, staring down at me like he’s about to lunge.
“Is it my turn, omega?” he purrs, while… dropping to his knees.
Oh god.
That one action sends another flutter through my body.
I’m even wetter.
Hotter.
Luc groans, closing his eyes for a second. When they open again, they’re even darker, only a thin ring of brown holding on.
He pulls my chair closer, staring straight at me. On his knees.
“Bark.” His gritted-out command is enough.
It rushes through me like a lit match, igniting every nerve still untouched by the spike.
My omega rushes forth.
“Mine,” I bark. Then lunge.