Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
Riley
I’m excited to show Sage the new clothes that came for her after work today, so I hustle up the driveway with the boxes in my arms, juggling them in my attempt to get the door open. When I walk inside, they tumble straight out of my arms and my mouth falls open.
Her heightened scent all but punches me in the throat. It’s sweetened to overpowering vanilla with lavender undertones, making my mouth water like a faucet.
“Sage?” I call, glancing in the kitchen and living room, but not finding her in either.
I jog up the stairs, my heartbeat racing my feet, and I head straight for the nest. Sure enough, when I open the door, she’s tucked into a pile of blankets with her stack of library books next to her, one propped open on her lap.
“Hey,” I say, pausing in the threshold. “Are you okay? Can I come in?”
She looks up at me with a nod, cheeks flushed and eyes bleary.
“A little warm. Good. Why?”
Uhhh. I glance around, like the pillows might have some input on what’s going on, then I kneel down and put a hand to her forehead. She’s definitely got a fever. It’s then I notice she’s not wearing any clothes beneath the blankets.
“I think your heat might be starting.”
“No,” she says with a decisive shake of her head. “Still got a day. Maybe two?”
“Sage,” I say, pulling out my phone to text the group chat. “You’re burning up, your cheeks are flushed, and your scent is so sweet it’s making my mouth water.”
She looks back up at me with a frown. “I know. But it’s not here yet. Not ’til I can’t have anything touching me, and the cramps get real bad. Now is just… just pre-heat.”
I eye her warily. I’m pretty sure that’s not right, but I’m also not an omega, so I could very well be wrong.
“I’ll be right back.” Instead of texting the group, I drop a kiss on Sage’s head, then stand and leave the room to call Vee.
“Hey, Sour Patch. I’ll be home soon, just finishing up some paperwork,” she says, not giving me a chance to speak yet.
I pull the nest door closed behind me and lower my voice as I hurry down the hall.
“Cool, yeah. So. Sage says her heat doesn’t start until the cramps get bad or something?
I don’t know, she’s talking weird. Is that right?
Because,” I glance back behind me at the closed door, sure I’m not imagining things.
I rush to get the words out before I get distracted by her scent, or she comes out and hears me talking about her.
“Her scent is so sweet, mostly vanilla, and she’s definitely got a fever. And her eyes look a little loopy? But she says she still has a day at least—”
“Those fucking assholes.” Vee growls. Full-on growls, and it’s terrifying. The hairs on my arms and back of my neck stand on end and a shudder runs down my spine.
I pull the phone from my ear to stare at it in shock. Vee doesn’t get mad, and when she does, she certainly doesn’t lose her cool. I have never heard her react to anything like that before.
“This is more of their bullshit,” Vee says, a door slamming in the background. “Get in there with her, I’m on my way. I’ll call Brooks, then get Dave in to cover the farm while we’re out.”
“So… It definitely is starting then?”
“Not starting. Already started.”
I look at the phone to see she hung up on me, probably to call Brooks, then turn to stare at the nest door with wide eyes.
Already started. No alphas in sight. Omega in denial.
Shit.
I can do this. Totally.
No problem.