11. Everette
Everette
My legs wobble and tremble as I force the effort to make my way out of the nest to grab something to drink. Blackness seeps in along the edges of my vision, a woozy sensation making me trip and nearly fall. "Fuck," I mumble, reaching out for anything close by for support.
Calder's arm appears and wraps around my waist, a much-needed boon, catching me. How he's not nearly collapsing, I have no idea.
It's been six days.
Six days, Opaline has been in Heat.
"You're okay. I've got you." He guides me up towards the lounge chair stolen from another spare room, in the corner, placing a cold bottle of water in my shaking hand.
"Drink. Let me grab a hydration pack to add.
" When he comes back, he kneels next to me and I get the first good look at him in…
I… don't know how long, really. Between it all, my reality outside of Opaline has been hazy at best for a while now.
He's got bruises under his eyes, his skin and golden eyes lacking the normal glow that tends to radiate from him.
I realize now, he's not any better than Sage and I.
He's just being the leader we need, taking care of each of us, despite having nothing keeping him going either.
"Calder. You need to drink something, too, brother," I manage.
He nods distractedly, looking over into the nest where Opaline is passed out, skin still burning up and in pain, whimpering in her sleep.
"This isn't normal. It can't be." He shakes his head, concern marring his face as his gaze bounces between our resting omega and Sage, now making his way to us, stumbling and exhausted.
"Six days?…" he trails off, brows drawn.
"I've never heard of a Heat lasting this long," I add, trying to rack my brain for any tidbits of information that might possibly be useful.
Between the severe brain fog and exhaustion, I feel like I'm literally grasping at fog coming back with nothing.
The single thing I can conjure is the known fact that Heats almost always are around 3 days; sometimes as short as two and sometimes as long as four.
For it to be lasting this long with no end in sight… I swallow, squeezing my eyes closed.
"We need to call a doctor, Omega Medical, or something.
Anything. Hell, call your mom, Cald. I don't fucking know what to do.
But this isn't okay. She can't possibly be okay being in pain and under this long.
" Sage claws at his chest, also looking back at our omega anxiously, worry more than evident as he teeters slightly.
We all agree with each other. "She should be passed out for a while.
Long enough. I'm going to go make some calls.
If you feel more comfortable staying here with her, stay, of course.
But it might be beneficial if we're all on the call together.
They may have questions for each of us. I don't know what to expect. We will figure this out. I promise."
Fortunately, her temp is staying steady and hasn't risen to a dangerous range.
A small blessing. We've been staying on top of tracking it as well as her other general Heat symptoms. At the end of the day, that's what a Heat is: an illness.
Her body is doing everything it can to force offspring.
That means severe aches that drive her inner primal to beg and need an alpha's knot for relief from the pain.
So, sure, seeing to her pleasure is certainly a part of an omega's Heat.
But it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as what's happening on a biological level.
With that, and some lingering looks, we step out of the room, making our way down to the living room.
"Hey…are you? I mean, did her Heat break?
" Adrian's eyes widen, looking each of us up and down, surely seeing what shape we're in.
Jumping into motion, he practically herds us towards the large couch, getting us drinks and pulling some pre-made PB who knew?
It's just another stabbing reminder of what our omega is going through.
I see now why the haze and delirium are also side effects.
To some degree, it must be the body's way of adding another level of protection.
The sinking sensation in my stomach nearly sends me to my side at the thought.
What if it gets so bad she Drops again? Surely that can't be healthy either?
When a brawny, tattooed arm wraps around me, pulling me to a warm side, I nearly jump out of my skin.
I'm aware enough to realize he's actively seeking contact in front of our packmates.
His hand runs along my arm, soothingly, resting my weight against his side.
His care and my spiraling worries about Opaline's current state bring on a small panic and tears to my eyes that I barely have the energy to wipe away.
Having his outward, focused attention like this feels overwhelming in an already overwhelming situation.
I don't have it in me to see Calder and Sage's reaction.
Maybe they won't even notice. I close my eyes and focus on deep breaths and his signature scent, offering significant comfort when I need it so desperately.
The urge to look up into his eyes is pulling harder by the second.
"Adrian, you have your phone on you?" Calder asks.
Leaning over, he feels around for it, buried under a blanket that's drenched in his scent.
Handing it to our lead, his arm stays around me, pulling the blanket next to him across my lap.
Soft lips meet my temple, and all I can think is this is my Adrian.
This is the version of him we had lost. "Thank you," I whisper.
Wiping the stray tears that linger on my cheeks, his hand cups my face, sincerity shining through. "I've got you." I'm sure having our omega's scent drenched between the three of us, his alpha must be riding him. But surprisingly, he shows no signs.
All I see is the care and concern for his pack mates. For me.