Chapter 28
Carson
“Where is he?” She whimpers, gripping her stuffed bunny with a grip so hard her knuckles turn white. Her broken voice is a knife to the chest.
“He’s on his way, Little One. He's going to be here soon.” I brush the sweaty hair from her forehead. Seeing her in pain like this is killing me. As her Alpha, I want to make it better, but I know the only thing that will fix this is Damien.
“She’s burning up. We should try to get her into the shower,” Reid says.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Addie, baby, we need to cool you down. Let’s go take a shower.”
“I don’t want one.” She shakes her head.
“Sweet Girl.” Reid kneels in her nest, cupping her cheek. “I’m going to need you to listen to your Alphas, okay? We’re trying to do what's best for you. Let’s go get cleaned up for Damien, yeah? I know he’s going to want to devour you the moment he steps through the door.”
She licks her lips, hesitating for a moment before nodding her head. “Okay.”
Tucking FooFoo into her pile of pillows, she lets us help her to her feet. Reid picks her up bridal style, carrying her toward her bathroom. I rush ahead, getting the water ready.
Her last heat was much different. Fun and wild, pure instinct and need. This one isn’t off to a good start.
I can tell Reid feels just as useless as I do. People don’t understand just how powerful a scent match bond is unless they feel it for themselves.
Maybe it will be different after she shares her first heat with Damien, but right now, her bond is running the show. She might wear his mark, but they haven’t shared this important moment together yet.
Of all the times she had to get her heat, this is the worst.
We don’t blame her, she can’t help it. We just feel bad that we can’t do more.
I know she needs us just as much as she needs him, and once he gets here, everything will be different.
“That’s it.” Reid sets her down on the bench. She looks so tired and weak. I can smell how needy she is, and I know she wants relief, but neither of us have asked if she would like us to make her feel better in that way because of how upset she is about Damien not being here.
She groans, her hand wrapping around her stomach. “I can’t stand seeing her like this.” I get to my knees in front of her. “Addie, baby, let me help you.”
“It hurts,” she whispers.
“I know, Little One. Let your Alpha take care of you, okay?”
Closing her eyes, she lets her head settle back against the wall. Grabbing the shower head, I pull it off and gently spray the cool water on her heated skin.
She sighs, her body melting, muscles relaxing.
“Feel better?”
She nods slowly. “So good.” Her voice is a little slurred.
Once her body temperature comes down, Reid and I work together to wash her down. I have a feeling this heat is going to be more intense than the last. This will be one of many showers.
I want to be excited about it, because I know she won’t always be in pain, it’s just hard when she looks so broken.
“Alpha,” she whimpers as I wash the mess of slick between her thighs. “I need you.”
Dropping the washcloth, I bring my fingers between her thighs, brushing them against her swollen clit as I use the other one to open her legs. “Do you need me to take care of you down here, baby?”
“Yes.” She nods.
Reid takes a seat next to her, gathering her in his lap. He holds open her legs, her dripping pretty pink pussy on display.
I groan, my mouth waters, cock so painfully hard.
“Eat,” Reid demands, his voice a low rumbling growl.
Don’t have to ask me twice.
I feast on her pussy until she’s soaking my face and screaming her release, her fingers digging into Reid’s arm.
It seems to settle her for now. We dry her off and bring her back to her nest. As soon as we lay her down, she’s rolling over, cuddling into her blankets, and passes out.
“I really hope he gets here soon.” Reid blows out a breath, running a hand through his damp hair, towel wrapped around his waist.
“Preferably before she wakes up. It’s fucking killing me to see her like this, man.”
“Me too.” He sits on the edge of Addie’s bed. “Last time was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Something I still think about today. I’ve been excited about being able to do it again, but now?” he shakes his head. “I just need Damien to get here.”
Checking my phone, I see a text message from Damien sent two hours ago that he was boarding the plane. “He should be here soon.”
“This would be so much easier if she were only our Omega,” he mutters.
“I know. But she’s not, and we have to deal with that. We’re doing the best we can, keeping her as comfortable as we can. That's all we can do.”
“Is it bad that I’m jealous that he’s all she wants right now?”
“No, I am too. But he’s not the only one she wants. She just needs him as well. I know if neither of us were here, she would be just as upset.”
“Nothing makes you feel less like an Alpha than seeing your Omega in pain and not being able to do anything about it.”
“It’s just this one time,” I tell him. “It won’t always be like this.”
“I need her to move in here." He looks at me. “I need her close. To see her every day. To fall asleep with her every night and wake up with her every morning. This long-distance thing is killing me. Hell, I’m so damn desperate at this point, I’d be down for Damien to be traded to our team.”
I snort out a laugh. “Alright, let’s not be too hasty. That's a little too far. First off, he would never trade from the Royal Alphas. Two, it’s just until the end of the season. Then we’ll figure out something that works best for all of us.”
“At least her best friend is here. Gives her more reason to move back.”
“She’s going to move in with us. Just not right now.”
“I know,” he grumbles. “That’s the problem.”
“Come on. Let’s try to get some sleep while we can. We’re in for a long few days.”
“I’m not sure if I can sleep,” he admits. “I’m too worried about her.”
“She’s fine, for now.” I nod my head towards her. “Come.”
He lets out a heavy sigh but gets to his feet and makes his way over to our Omega. We both lie down next to her, surrounding her with our scent. She lets out a little contented sigh, and just that alone has me feeling a little bit better.
Come on, Damien. Hurry. Our Omega needs you.
Damien
I’m really, really regretting not renting my own damn car. This Uber is so damn slow. Okay, so he’s going the speed limit, but right now is not the time to follow the rules.
“If I were to give you a hundred-dollar bill, is there any way you can get me to where I want to go faster?” I ask, my knee bobbing, nerves shot.
He looks up in the rear-view mirror and slowly shakes his head.
“Damn it,” I mutter, looking out the window. We’re five minutes away. That's it. I can hold on for five minutes, right?
But can Addie?
Checking my phone again, I reread the text Reid sent. She’s asleep. That was sent five minutes ago.
Me: Is she still sleeping?
I stare at my phone, every second feeling like an hour. I see he’s responding, but the dots on the screen keep dancing. Either he’s typing out one hell of a text message, or he got distracted.
Me: Hello?
“Answer me, damn it,” I growl under my breath, not that it’s going to make a difference if he does or not. I can’t make this car go faster.
Reid: She just woke up. Managed to get her to drink something, but she’s asking for you.
“Fuck,” I growl.
Me: Tell her I’m just down the street. I’m almost there.
It’s not until we’re pulling up to the guy’s house that I feel the weight being lifted off my shoulders.
The car isn’t even fully stopped before I’m out of there, slamming it shut. “Hey!” The guy shouts through his open window. “Watch it.”
“You know,” I shout back. “Next time, take someone up on their offer. A hundred was all I had on me, but I would have tipped you like five grand once we got here. Let that one sink in.”
I don’t hear his response, punching the code into the gate, letting myself in. I bolt for the front door, heart pounding in my chest by the time I reach it. I’m at the top of the steps when it opens, Carson standing in the doorway.
“Move.” I shove past him.
“Hello to you, too,” he mutters as I bolt up the stairs.
I’m a wild, crazed mess as I barrel my way into Addie’s room. “Addie,” I breathe out in relief when I find her curled up on Reid’s chest.
Her head pops up, pink lips parting in surprise as her big blue eyes glisten with tears. “Damien.” Her voice is cracked and broken.
“I’m here, Cupcake. I’m here.” I drop to my knees in front of her nest.
She’s off Reid and throwing herself at me in a second. Her lips are on mine, kissing me hungrily. I groan, cupping the back of her head as I kiss her back with just as much fervor. “Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry I’m late.” I groan between kisses. “But I’m here now.”
She doesn’t say anything, just keeps kissing me, clawing at my shirt.
“I think she’s long gone now. All she needed was to see you before she let herself sink into her heat,” Reid says as Addie starts sucking and nipping at my neck, grinding her bare pussy against my jean-clad thighs.
“I must say, seeing her attack you like a rabid animal is far better than seeing her in pain,” Carson says behind me.
Addie makes frustrated sounds as she pulls at my shirt.
“I think she wants you naked,” Reid says in amusement.
Huffing out a laugh, I grab for my shirt. “I haven’t showered since I was on the ice. I got dressed and came right here.”
As soon as my shirt is off, Addie lets out this feral little growl that has my cock twitching. She shoves me down on my back and leans over, licking up my chest before she starts to bite me all over.
“I don’t think our Omega seems to care,” Carson says.
“Was she like this last time?” My eyes roll back as Addie takes my nipple into her mouth and sucks hard. Huh. Didn’t know I liked that.
“She’s not as sweet and innocent as she normally is, but she wasn’t like this. I think she really needed you.”
“I’m here, baby.” I try to reassure her, but Reid is right, she’s long gone.