37. Storm
Chapter 37
Storm
I wake to the sensation of fire in my veins. Everything burns. My skin feels too tight, my body aching with a desire so intense it steals my breath. The sheets beneath me are soaked with sweat, the air heavy with the rich scent of dark chocolate that's pouring off me in waves.
My heat is here.
Not the gentle waves of pre-heat that I've been riding for days, but the real thing—the overwhelming, all-consuming inferno that turns my body into a stranger's, that makes me crave things I've spent years pretending I don't need.
I whimper, curling into myself as another wave of cramping heat pulses through me. The nest I've built surrounds me in soft comfort, the scents of my pack embedded in the blankets and clothing offering some relief. I reach for Reed's hoodie, burying my face in the fabric, inhaling that comforting ocean and cedar scent that momentarily calms the raging desire inside me.
But it's not enough. The fabric isn't him. It doesn't have his strength, his warmth. It can't hold me, can't fill the emptiness that's spreading through me like wildfire.
"Alpha," I whimper, the word tearing from my throat before I can stop it. My pride means nothing now. Nothing matters except relief from this consuming, relentless heat.
The door to my room opens, and Fox slips inside, his honey-chamomile scent mingling with mine. He looks almost as bad as I feel—flushed, eyes dilated, movements slightly unsteady.
"Your scent," he says, his voice rough. "I could practically feel it from across the house."
He approaches the nest cautiously, waiting for my permission. Even in my heat-addled state, I appreciate the gesture.
"Come," I manage, holding out a trembling hand to him. "Please."
He climbs into the nest with me, his body radiating warmth that matches my own. When he settles beside me, I immediately curl into him, seeking the comfort of another omega who understands what I'm going through.
"It hurts," I whisper against his chest. "It's so much worse than I expected."
Fox strokes my wild curls, his touch gentle despite the tremors I can feel running through his own body. "I know," he soothes. "My first heat was terrifying. But you're not alone, Storm. We're all here for you."
I look up at him, seeing the amber flecks in his hazel eyes more pronounced with his own approaching heat.
"You're in heat too," I realize, reaching up to touch his flushed cheek.
"I felt yours," he explains, wincing slightly as a wave of his own heat ripples through him. "I wanted to check on you. Make sure you are okay."
Even in his own discomfort, he's thinking of me. My heart swells with affection for this gentle omega who has come to me despite the risk to his own stability. My heat triggered his. Yet here he is, putting my needs first.
"I need..." I trail off, unsure how to express the desperate, clawing longing inside me.
"I know," Fox says, understanding without words. "Do you want me to get one of the alphas for you?"
I shake my head. "No, I want you, Fox. I want you in my nest. Sharing my nest with me."
His honey-chamomile scent deepens with emotion as he gently brushes a damp curl from my forehead. "I'll stay. As long as I can."
I remember his past, how new this all is. "I understand... with Rook. Frankie. I want you to be happy and comfortable, too."
Fox's expression softens. "It's not that..." He trails off, but I understand what he's not saying. This is unusual for both of us, crossing boundaries most omegas would fiercely defend.
He shifts closer, his forehead touching mine in a gesture of omega solidarity that feels ancient, instinctual. "We can help each other," he agrees softly.
I nod, and another wave of heat crashes over me, more intense than before, pulling a desperate whimper from my throat. Every nerve feels raw and exposed with my longing. My body arches involuntarily, seeking relief that isn't there.
"Shhh," Fox whispers, his voice soft as he wraps around me. He kisses me tenderly, the gentle press of his lips both soothing and electrifying. I grip his shirt, twisting the fabric in my fist, desperate for more contact, more comfort, more of him. He pulls back slightly, his hazel eyes meeting mine, full of understanding and something that looks like devotion. His hands are tender as he peels off my damp tee, leaving me bare.
I reach for him, my fingers plucking at his clothes, needy and insistent. He helps me, pulling at the hem of his own shirt, his movements quick and frantic. When his skin is against mine, Fox lets out a breathless whimper, and I see that he needs this contact just as desperately.
Fox moves above me, and I kiss him, my lips trailing over every inch of his skin as though tasting and touching will somehow ease this brutal ache inside me. In this moment, we are nothing but skin and sweat and desire. He responds to every touch with soft gasps. His breath hitches each time I rock my core against his body. It's not enough, and it's everything all at once.
I feel his hard cock pressing insistently against me. He's leaking slick, and I know what he needs. I know what I need. His mouth finds mine again, and I kiss him with all the desperation of my first heat.
My fingers trail down his spine, feeling the way his body trembles under my touch. Urgent and needy. I trace the curve of his ass, where slick has already begun to pool. His breaths come faster, more erratic, and when I find his tight slick ring and press a finger inside, he gasps—high and breathy with arousal. The sound drives me wild. I push deeper, feeling him clench and pulse around me. He bucks, his hand sliding between us to find my clit, and I cry out, arching into his touch as raw pleasure rips through me.
I tilt my hips, inviting more of his touch, craving more, craving everything. My fingers move with new urgency, stretching him, teasing him, driving him closer to that place where we both can find relief. I insert another finger, and he starts to ride my hand, his movements frantic, restless, seeking.
He's gasping, whimpering so beautifully. I've never felt anything like this, never felt so out of control and so perfectly alive. Fox takes me with him, takes me apart and puts me back together as I find that spot deep inside, the place where an alpha's knot locks to a male omega. He's so slick, so wet, and when his cock finally eases into me, we both gasp at the sheer, overwhelming pleasure of it.
I know I won't last long.
Not with the way he's moving, the way he's making me feel, the way his scent and his skin and his every breath seem to melt into me.
Our scents surround us, my dark chocolate and his honey-chamomile, and I know he's as overwhelmed by it as I am. I can see it in the way he trembles, in the way his eyes glaze, in the way his concentration fractures with each slick movement of his cock.
"Storm," he gasps out, his voice raw, breaking on the single syllable of my name. There's a plea in it, an almost desperate edge, and I know exactly what he wants. What we both want.
The angle of my hand changes, and Fox's whole body shudders in response, a desperate noise tearing from his lips. He pulls me closer, and our mouths crash together.
I feel him grow harder inside me, stretching me deliciously as he thrusts deeper. His fingers work magic on my clit, and I can feel myself tightening around him, my body coiling like a spring about to release. The pressure builds, hot and insistent, and I'm racing toward that edge with Fox right beside me.
"I'm close," I pant against his neck, my fingers curling inside him, searching for that perfect spot that will send him over.
"Me too," he gasps, his rhythm faltering as he fights to hold back. "Storm, I?—"
The door opens, and the room is suddenly flooded with alpha pheromones—vanilla and sandalwood mixing with cedar and black pepper. Alexander and Jonathan stand frozen in the doorway, their eyes wide with surprise and darkening rapidly with desire.
That's all we need.
Fox and I fall over the edge in unison, crying out as pleasure crashes through us. His release floods me, hot and perfect, as my body clenches around him. My fingers curl inside him at the same moment, and he trembles violently, his body arching as he comes undone.
We cling to each other through the waves of pleasure, but even as the intensity peaks, I'm aware that it's not enough. The momentary relief is already fading, the heat still there. I need a knot. Fox feels it too—I can see it in his eyes, the way they remain dark with need despite his release.
The alphas' scents have intensified, filling the room with a potent mixture that makes my omega instincts howl with longing. I look over Fox's shoulder to find Jonathan and Alexander watching us, their expressions a mixture of shock and raw desire.
"Alpha," I beg.