Chapter 22
Jace
The moment Cassian ended the call with Talia, the three of us were already moving. We’d been at the house looking at paint samples for the kitchen when she went dark, and the past hour of trying to reach her had left us all on edge.
“She said we could come,” Cassian said, already grabbing his keys. “All of us. But we need supplies first.”
“I’ll get water and food,” Hollis said, heading for the kitchen area where we’d been storing renovation supplies. “Electrolytes, protein bars, fruit.”
“I’ll drive,” I said, because sitting still felt impossible and at least driving meant I was actively getting us closer to her. “We can stop at the apothecary if needed.”
“Already called ahead,” Cassian said, his phone to his ear. “They’re putting together a heat care package. We can pick it up on the way.”
Of course he’d already thought of that. Cassian’s ability to plan three steps ahead was exactly what we needed right now, even if my alpha instincts were screaming at me to forget logistics and just get to her.
We made it to my truck in record time, Hollis climbing in back with the supplies while Cassian took the passenger seat. The apothecary run took five minutes that felt like fifty, but then we were on the road to Talia’s cottage and every alpha instinct I possessed focused on one goal.
Get to her. Make sure she’s safe. Provide whatever she needs.
The scent hit all three of us the moment we pulled into her driveway. Vanilla and honey, yes, but transformed into something richer and more potent. Brown sugar and caramelized heat, the kind of scent that bypassed rational thought and went straight to the base of my brain where instinct lived.
She was in heat. Full, undeniable, biological heat that called to every alpha cell in my body.
“Everyone stay calm,” Cassian said, but his voice had gone deeper, rougher. He was fighting the same instincts I was. “We agreed we’d follow her lead, let her tell us what she needs.”
“Right.” I forced myself to breathe through my mouth, trying to reduce the impact of her scent. “Her choice. Her heat. We’re here to help, not overwhelm.”
Hollis made a sound that might have been agreement, his hands gripping the supplies like they could anchor him.
We approached the door together, and Cassian used the spare key with hands that were steadier than mine would have been. The cottage was dim, curtains drawn against the afternoon light. Her scent was everywhere, thick enough that I could practically taste it.
“Talia?” Cassian called softly. “It’s us. All three of us. You said we could come.”
A sound from the bedroom. Not quite words, more like a whimper of need mixed with relief.
“I’ll stay back,” Cassian said quietly. “Let Jace and Hollis approach first. She’s known Jace longest, and Hollis, you have the most calming presence. I’ll organize supplies and be here if you need me.”
I wanted to argue, to say we should all go in together, but he was right. Flooding her bedroom with three alphas when she was already overwhelmed wasn’t the answer.
Hollis and I moved down the hallway together, and I found myself grateful for his presence. His pine and paper scent was grounding, a reminder that we were doing this together, that this wasn’t about competition but coordination.
We found her curled in her nest, surrounded by pillows and blankets and items that carried our scents.
My flannel from the cooking lesson. One of Hollis’s scarves.
Cassian’s reading glasses. She’d built this nest with all of us in mind, even while trying to convince herself she could handle it alone.
“Hey,” I said gently, crouching beside the bed but not touching. Not yet. “We’re here. All three of us. You’re okay.”
She looked up at me with eyes that were more pupil than hazel, her skin flushed and damp with sweat. Then her gaze shifted to Hollis, and I saw relief wash over her face.
“You came.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “All of you?”
“Of course we came,” Hollis said softly, settling on the other side of the nest. “You asked us to.”
“I tried to handle it alone,” she said, and there was shame in her voice that made my chest ache.
“You don’t have to,” I said firmly. “That’s why we’re here. That’s what pack means.”
“What do you need?” Hollis asked, the question gentle but direct. “Tell us what you need and we’ll give it to you.”
She looked between us, her gaze landing on me and staying there. Something in her expression shifted, became more focused despite the heat clouding her mind. “Jace first. I need Jace first.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, half relief and half overwhelming responsibility. She was choosing me, trusting me with this first vulnerable moment.
“Are you sure?” I asked, even though every cell in my body was screaming yes. “There’s no pressure, Talia. We’re all here for whatever you need.”
“I’m sure.” She reached for me with a trembling hand. “I need you. Please.”
Hollis stood smoothly, understanding without being told. “I’ll be right outside if you need me. Both of you.” He squeezed her hand once, then left the room with quiet grace.
I heard him in the hallway conferring with Cassian in low tones, the two of them coordinating without my needing to be part of it. That’s what we’d been practicing, this ability to work together instead of competing.
But right now, my entire world had narrowed to the omega in front of me, her scent calling to every alpha instinct I possessed.
“I’ve got you,” I said, pulling her against my chest. She was burning up, her whole body radiating heat that soaked through my shirt. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She pressed her face against my neck, breathing in my scent like she was drowning and I was air. “I tried to handle it alone.”
“I know. You’re so strong, trying to manage this by yourself.” I ran my hand down her back, feeling her shiver under my touch. “But you don’t have to anymore. Let me take care of you.”
“Vincent never cared what I needed during heat.” The words came out muffled against my skin. “He just took what he wanted.”
Rage surged through me at that admission, at the confirmation that her ex had used her most vulnerable state against her. But I pushed it down, focused on what mattered now. “I care. I care so much about what you need. And I’m going to make sure you get exactly that, okay?”
She nodded, and I felt the tension in her body start to ease slightly. Trust. She was choosing to trust me with this, with her heat and her vulnerability and her body.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked, pulling back enough to see her face.
“Yes. God, yes.”
I kissed her softly at first, tasting the salt of her sweat and something sweeter underneath. She made a small sound of frustration and deepened the kiss herself, her hands fisting in my shirt like she was afraid I’d pull away.
I wouldn’t. Not when she was finally letting me in, finally accepting that she didn’t have to face this alone.
“Need you naked,” she gasped between kisses. “Need to feel your skin.”
“Whatever you need.” I pulled back long enough to strip off my shirt, then my jeans, leaving myself in just boxers. Her eyes tracked every movement, pupils blown wide with heat and want. “Better?”
“More.” Her hands were already reaching for me, fingers hooking in the elastic waistband. “All of it. I need all of you.”
I helped her push the boxers down, kicking them aside. The cool air of the cottage hit my overheated skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat radiating from her body. Every alpha instinct I possessed roared to life at being naked with her, my cock already hard and aching.
“Your turn,” I said, fingers finding the hem of her tank top. My hands were steadier than I felt. “Can I?”
She nodded frantically, lifting her arms so I could pull it off. No bra underneath, just smooth skin flushed pink with heat, her breasts perfect and already peaked with arousal. I forced myself to meet her eyes instead of staring, though every cell in my body wanted to touch and taste and worship.
“You’re being so careful,” she said, and there was something wondering in her voice. “So gentle.”
“You deserve gentle. You deserve someone who pays attention to what you want.” I traced my fingers along her jaw, down the side of her neck where her pulse fluttered rapidly. “Tell me what you want, Talia. This is your heat, your body, your choice.”
“I want you inside me.” Her voice had gone breathy, desperate. “I want you to make this stop hurting.”
The admission that she was hurting made my chest ache. Heat could be painful when an omega’s needs went unmet, a physical ache that only an alpha could ease.
“I will. I promise I will.” I kissed her again, slower this time, trying to pour reassurance into the contact. My hand slid down her stomach to the sleep shorts she still wore, feeling her muscles quiver under my touch. “Can I take these off?”
“Yes. Please, Jace.”
I hooked my fingers in the waistband of both her shorts and underwear, sliding them down her legs in one smooth motion.
The scent of her arousal hit me like a physical blow, vanilla and honey mixed with something muskier, richer.
Slick dampened her thighs, her body preparing itself for what it needed.
My alpha instincts howled. Mine. Claim her. Bond her. Make her ours.
I breathed through my mouth, trying to maintain control. This wasn’t about my instincts. This was about her.
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, settling between her legs. The heat of her core radiated against my stomach, making my cock throb with need. “And so ready for this.”
“Been ready.” She reached up to cup my face, and I saw vulnerability beneath the heat-hazed desire. “Been wanting you for so long, Jace. Not just because of heat. Because it’s you.”
The words nearly undid me. I kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, feeling her melt against me. When I pulled back, I traced kisses down her jaw, her neck, learning the geography of her skin.