Three Months Later
Tansy
I wake up a little too warm, buried deep in my nest.
A slow yawn works its way out of my chest, then I stretch slowly. Toes pointing, arms reaching up and out. But instead of the usual pleasant pull, a deep ache begins to bloom low in my belly. It's not sharp, just a steady soreness that seems to resonate right through to my core.
I feel my abs contract, not in a spasm, but in a slow, deliberate clench that holds and holds.
Uncomfortable, I try to roll, but Cass’s solid weight is at my back, familiar and grounding even in sleep.
His scent is everywhere. Deep, steady, unmistakably him.
Warren is there too, close enough that I can feel the calm, cool edge of his presence like a quiet hand on my thoughts.
Grason’s warmth presses in from the other side, all solid comfort and quiet strength, his breathing slow and even.
Someone snores softly. I’m pretty sure it’s Grason. It’s low and rhythmic and ridiculously comforting.
I smile to myself and turn my head.
Beck is inches away.
His eyes are already open, bright and blue and focused entirely on me, like he’s been waiting for me to wake up. “Good morning, gorgeous,” he whispers.
The smile that spreads across my face feels too big for my cheeks. I can’t stop it even if I wanted to. “You’re staring,” I whisper, teasing.
He doesn’t even pretend to be ashamed. “It would be weird not to stare at a stunning, naked woman lying inches from me,” he says, completely serious as his hand drifts down, warm and soft, settling on my stomach.
He traces slow, absentminded circles there, thumb brushing gentle arcs that should make me melt into him.
But instead, another wave of that deep ache ripples outward from his touch.
It's not a pleasant tingle.
It's a sharp, insistent pull that snakes down my spine, making my muscles tighten. I try to relax and sink into the solid comfort of Cass’s body behind me, but the soreness is a stubborn knot in my lower back.
It must be from last night, I think vaguely. We were all over each other for hours.
I took all my alphas’ knots many times. In a few different holes.
I’m lost in the memories of last night when another cramp hits, a sharp, twisting knot low in my belly. I gasp, my hand flying down to press against my stomach as the muscles seize. I bite my lip, trying to ride it out without making a sound.
Beck shifts beside me, his hand stilling against my side. "Hungry?" he asks, moving his hand so it rests over mine.
I don't correct him. It's easier than explaining the weird ache that's starting to feel more insistent with every passing minute.
"What's happening?" Grason mumbles, half asleep.
"The beast in Tansy’s belly is wide awake and ready to be fed," Beck announces, already shifting to sit up. He leans over me and smacks Cass's ass. "I know you're all awake." Cass shifts slightly, and Warren groans. "What do you want for breakfast?"
“Pancakes,” Grason mumbles.
Warren lets out a sleepy huff and finally pushes himself upright, rubbing a hand over his face. “We haven’t had pancakes in a while.”
“Yeah,” Beck says with a vibrant smile. “The last time we had pancakes, Grason gave us a full, unsolicited lesson in tap dancing.”
Grason groans and rolls onto his back. “You all loved it.” He sits up, stretching his arms over his head. “If you’re all very good,” he says gravely, “I might give you an encore.”
“Yes,” Warren says immediately. I can hear the smile on his face. “We’re definitely going to need an encore.”
Beck laughs, delighted.
Everyone starts to move. Blankets slip away, bodies shift and stretch, the room filling with soft movement and low conversation. The air smells like sleep and warmth and home. Cass stands, offering a hand to Beck.
I push myself up, trying to join the easy morning banter, but the second I take Warren’s hand, another cramp hits.
It's stronger this time, a deep, vise-like grip that steals my breath and sends a tremor through my entire frame.
I freeze up, gritting my teeth hard. For a beat, there's only confusion.
This is more than just being sore.
The air suddenly feels thick, charged with a sudden shift in energy.
I can feel it thrumming against my skin.
The sharp spike of concern from Warren and Cass, a wave of protective instinct so potent it's almost a physical touch.
Grason's confusion sits softer in the back of my mind, a questioning hum that drifts through their alarm.
“Omega?” Cass’s voice is deep, laced with concern. “What’s wrong?”
The teasing banter dies instantly, replaced by a sharp, collective inhale.
They’re all scenting me. Smelling the hot pain flaring up in my belly. In a flash, the air grows thick and heavy, charged with a sudden, primal shift.
Beck's easy smile vanishes, his blue eyes darkening as they lock on mine. Cass is already moving, pushing Warren aside as he rushes to me, his movements fluid and predatory. Grason is frozen, his confusion melting into a slow-dawning understanding that makes his mouth fall slightly open.
My body is shaking, a deep, uncontrollable tremor that starts in my core and makes my thighs shake violently. I can't stop it.
Panic grips me when another cramp hits, and this time it's followed by a liquid rush of heat. I feel my pussy open, a sudden, yielding clench, and then slick pours out of me in a warm, undeniable gush.
The scent of it fills the space around us, so thick even I can smell it.
"Fuck," Cass breathes, his voice a low growl. He's at my side now, his hands hovering, not touching, like he's afraid he might break me…or maybe that he won't be able to stop himself. "Tansy."
Warren is there too, kneeling in front of me, his expression serious as he reaches out and brushes a stray strand of hair from my damp forehead. "Hey," he says, his voice softer than I've ever heard it. "It's okay, baby. We've got you."
My hips roll in a slow, circular motion without my permission. A mindless hunt for friction. The ache inside me is a howling, empty thing, a hurricane of need that makes me want to beg, to scream, to rub myself all over them until the emptiness is filled.
I look from Cass's intense, burning gaze to Warren’s worried one, and then to Beck and Grason. Gray is watching me with a hunger so raw it makes my breath catch.
“What’s happening?” I whisper, confused.
Cass's hand slips under my chin, tipping my head up. He leans down close, his voice a low, steady rumble that vibrates through me. "You know what's happening, Tansy. And it’s okay. We've got you. Everything's going to be okay." His dark blue eyes hold mine as my mind struggles to catch up.
“I…am….” I swallow hard, struggling to form words. “Am I in heat?”
Cass nods slowly as my hips begin to roll in a slow, circular motion without meaning to.
The pack alpha releases my face, his touch lingering for a moment before Warren is there, leaning in and pushing me onto my back. His body trembles slightly as he hovers over me, a fine shudder running through his frame that tells me he's struggling to hold himself back.
It’s…sweet? I think.
I don’t know. Everything hurts, and I’m a little scared.
“It’s okay,” Warren whispers as he lowers his head. He kisses me so gently. It’s a stark contrast to the violent storm raging inside me.
I'm acutely aware of every painful sensation—the deep, throbbing ache, the way my swollen, slick pussy feels empty and wanting, the hard pulse of my engorged clit.
But this is the first heat I've ever had with my whole pack, and a wave of something so much bigger than pain washes over me.
It's a rush of pure, unadulterated emotion, a tidal wave of love and trust so potent it makes my eyes burn.
I know they'll take care of me.
They’ll beat back every drop of pain with their love and knots, making sure I’m safe and cared for every second.
Moving slowly, Warren positions himself between my trembling thighs, and I feel the blunt, hot head of his cock press against my slick entrance. He pushes inside me slowly, and the stretch is an instant balm to the burning emptiness.
Then he moves, rutting me with slow, deep thrusts. Each push of his hips chases away a piece of the pain, replacing it with the solid, undeniable reality of my mate’s body connected to mine.
“So pretty,” Grason whispers, his face hovering over mine, blocking out the light. He peppers my face with soft, wet kisses—my forehead, my cheeks, the tip of my nose. It's sweet, almost too sweet for the raw, animal need clawing at my insides.
I’m lifting my head to kiss him back when he leans up, shifting his body.
Before I can register what he’s doing, the head of his cock, already hard and leaking, bumps against my lips.
The sight of it, the smell of his clean, musky arousal, sends a jolt of pure, unadulterated hunger through me.
I'm suddenly starving, not just for the taste of him, but for the thought of his cum filling my mouth, for the idea of being stuffed and plugged and overflowing with their seed.
I want it everywhere.
In my pussy, in my mouth, on my skin.
I want to be covered and claimed in the most primal way possible.
Now!
I open without hesitation, my lips stretching wide as I take him in. He's thick, and the weight of him on my tongue is glorious. I'm greedy for it, sucking hard, hollowing my cheeks as I work him deeper.
Warren's steady rhythm between my thighs becomes a counterpoint to the frantic bobbing of my head.
I can feel Grason's knot already starting to balloon at the base of his cock, a firm, swelling bulge that presses against my lips, a promise of the lock to come.
I use my hands, one wrapping around his thick shaft to pump what I can't fit in my mouth, the other cupping his heavy balls, rolling them in my palm.
I gag a little as I take him too deep, the sound wet and filthy, but I don't stop. I can't.
The need is too strong.