12. Bax
Bax
I wake up either very late at night or early in the morning to whimpering and keening.
I'd probably only fallen asleep an hour or two ago.
Sleeping with my omega in the house, but not in my bed, proved difficult for me.
That's how I already thought of Cali— my omega .
It takes me a moment to remember what's happening.
Cali's in our omega suite. Her car has broken down, and we've been snowed in.
Omega. The word echos through my mind. Whimpering is the second word.
The word is like cold water. My heart races, and I panic.
The cry shatters the silence of the night, and before I can even process it, I'm out of bed and bolting through the door, moving faster than I ever thought possible.
Seth is already in the hallway, his wide eyes mirroring my fear.
Connor's door flies open, but there's no time for words.
The haunting whine rings out again, twisting my stomach in knots.
We bolt for the door, a frenzied desperation propelling us forward, yet none of us dare to lay a finger on the knob. Omega spaces are sacred and untouchable.
"Cali!" My voice cracks, ripe with panic. The silence is suffocating, broken only by a small, choked sob that echoes in the stillness. In a split second, I decide this is an emergency and open the door.
Shafts of light shine through the windows.
No curtains cover them, as we didn't want to decorate anything without an omega's instruction.
The scent hits us first. It's all sweet rain soaked slick and heat pheromones.
The thick richness is tooth achingly sweet.
Out of the corner of my eye Seth bites his knuckle to keep his growl in.
I'm so hard I'm surprised my boxers haven't ripped.
Good god it's all consuming need. I shake my head to clear it.
She's sprawled on the bed, tangled in the blankets, her beautiful auburn hair thrown wild. But it's her face that sends me bolting to her side. It's contorted with pain. The sight guts me. A low whimper escapes her lips. The sound twists my insides into knots.
"Is she…in heat?" Connor asks carefully. I understand the caution. It's rude to discuss an omega's heat without her, or if it isn't happening.
I shake my head. "It's a mini heat break.
" I read about them in the books I borrowed from the Library.
Seth's older brother also explained them to us back in college, when his pack had found their omega.
It was early in their courtship, and his pack had brought her to a family barbecue.
Suddenly, she spiked a fever and went into pain.
She became delirious, and they had to take her home to care for her.
The mini heat break was triggered by the presence of so many scent-matched alphas.
After much discussion, he later explained how to relieve a heat spike, and shared the dos and don'ts, especially regarding a new courtship.
I settle on the edge of the bed, and my gaze locks on her as she stirs. Her eyes flutter open and fill with surprise and desire. She instinctively reaches for me, fingers brushing against the fabric covering my erection. I take her hand and gently guide it away.
"Shh," My voice barely above a whisper. My purr rumbles from my chest in a desperate attempt to calm her. She recoils slightly, that heat haze flickering in her eyes. Panic claws at me. This is my only moment to reach her.
"Hey, Raindrop. Do you know what's happening?" I ask, striving for a gentle tone despite my pained worry. Her body is tense, shaking with pain, and I can only watch helplessly as the shadows close in on her. Each passing second drains her lucidity.
"Heat," she manages to croak out, her voice cracking on the word.
I nod. "It's a kind of heat. A mini heat break. Being around scent-sensitive alphas has overridden your hormones.
Her face contorts in pain, and she clutches her stomach. Making another heart-wrenching whimpering sound.
"I know this is hard," I say. "We want to help you, but we need some consent.
We're not going to go all the way. There will be no knotting or taking.
But we want to give you the pleasure you need for this to stop.
Do we have your permission to touch you?
To give you what you need?" I wish we'd discussed heats and boundaries before this happened.
I had no idea it could happen so fast. It's too late now and we can't leave her in pain. This hazy consent will have to do.
Cali rolls through another wave of pain, but still manages to nod her head, curling into a tight ball.
"I'll be right back, Raindrop," I whisper, intending to get her water. But she grabs my hand, refusing to let go. The tension in the room shifts. The guys move closer, and I can feel the charge between us.
"Do you understand the rules?" I ask Seth and Connor, my voice low and steady. They both nod, eyes sharp.
"We talked to my brother about it too," Seth confides.
Connor nods in agreement. "Just in case.
" Just in case we found an omega. The implication lingers tantalizingly in the air.
I clap Seth on the shoulder, while Connor kneels at the end of the bed, his gaze lingering on Cali with a mix of concern and something darker.
Seth takes the side opposite me, our bodies forming a protective circle around her, a blend of urgency and desire palpable between us.