And now I was reduced to a hormonal mess who could barely string two thoughts together without my mind begging me to run back out into that room and climb into his arms again.
This feeling, being an omega—or whatever the hell it was—felt like a betrayal of everything I’d built. My whole career was about fighting for the powerless, proving that being underestimated was an advantage because people never saw you coming. But this? This biological imperative that made me want to submit, to be protected, to be claimed—it went against every feminist principle I’d spent my adult life defending.
Except…it didn’t feel like weakness. The need burning through me wasn’t about being submissive. It was about trusting someone else. And I had never been very good at that.
I’d been attracted to Kenai immediately, even before this whole mess. In all honesty, if I had run into him in any other situation, I wouldn’t have hesitated to take him home. I would’ve threaded my fingers through that beautiful white hair while he was between my thighsagain.
My body throbbed, pain fracturing through me like I was being frozen from the inside out.
My hand was already between my thighs, toying with my clit. It only made the throbbing worse. I got rougher, pressing two fingers inside myself—something I rarely did—but I needed to come, and I wanted it on my terms.
Kenai had been phenomenal, and it was easy to think about his tongue on me again, but as I moved my fingers faster, another man entered my imagination as well.
I’d never had a threesome before. I was no stranger to casual sex, but even finding one man who didn’t make me cringe hard enough to get past it was difficult—let alone two. But with Kenai and Taimyr, it felt like more than a possibility. It feltright.
Me riding on top of Kenai, with Taimyr pressed up behind me. Could I take them both at once? The thought had me pulsingaround my fingers. What would their dynamic be like? Would Kenai praise me while Taimyr was a little more degrading? God, yes—I wanted that. I wanted them to absolutely ruin me.
My legs shook, and I was close—so very close. I tightened my thighs and fell over the edge.
It was like a balloon popping. Absolutely nothing. My orgasm came and went faster than I could blink. I wailed softly and sank to my knees in the shower.
My legs shook uncontrollably, but not from relief. I was sobbing. The ice-cold water made it worse, every droplet feeling like a caress I desperately needed but couldn’t satisfy. My skin was too tight, my body aching with an emptiness that went bone-deep. I’d made it worse. This wasn’t just arousal anymore. It was torture. A gnawing, relentless ache that made my hands shake and my vision blur. I needed them. Not wanted—needed.
I’d never felt like this before, like something essential was missing. The omega in me was screaming that the men I needed were right outside, that they could make this stop, that all I had to do was open the door. And the rational part of me was getting smaller and smaller, drowned out by the certainty that if I didn’t have them soon, I would actually break.
I should want to go home, tell them I needed to leave. But every time I even thought that, it caused an even worse pang in my chest—like being separated from them would rip out my own heart.
I turned off the water, trying to cling to the tiny part of me that was still sound of mind. My phone sat on the bathroom counter, peeking out of my robe pocket. Wrapping myself in a towel, I grabbed it, somewhat surprised to see full bars of service. A missed call from Grandma Rose appeared on the screen, followed by a text:
Where are you? Your mother said I needed to pick you up.
I hit the call-back button. Two rings, and Grandma answered.
“Sylvie, I’ve been waiting around this market for over an hour. You know I have better things to do.”
What was I supposed to say?Sorry, Grandma, I’m ditching you for a magical sexcapade all week. See you at Easter.Yeah, that would go over well—on so many levels.
I didn’t want her to worry, not that Rose was much of a worrier, but I needed an excuse that would end this conversation quickly. Luckily, I was good at detecting liars, but I was even better at being one. The key was to base the lie on the truth.
“Sorry, Grandma. Actually, I’m…” I took a steadying breath. “I’m headed back to Manhattan. Work called, and they needed me.”
“Oh.” The silence on the line was deafening. “Your mother will be disappointed.”
“I’m sorry. It really is an emergency. I’ll take more time off after Christmas when the case is?—”
“Of course you will, darling.” Another long pause. “Sylvie, are you safe?”
What sort of question was that? Probably a valid one, considering where I was. But despite everything happening to me, the one thing I knew for sure with these men was that I was safe. It didn’t make sense, but I hadn’t built a career on self-doubt.
“Yes, Grandma, everything’s fine. It’s just work?—”
“Well then. I’ll see you in the new year.” She hung up without another word.Okay then.
My heart twisted, followed by another wave of agony that made my knees shake. There was really only one thing to do. I threw on my robe, the fluffy material a small comfort.
I heard Kenai and Taimyr’s voices from the main room—their tones serious. Before I even realized what I was doing, I’dopened the bathroom door and snuck through the bedroom into the main area, keeping out of sight of the kitchen where they were both standing.
“I almost bonded her.” Kenai’s voice was quiet, almost anguished. “Tai, I couldn’t help it. It just felt so right, and I?—”
