Too fast.
The road blurs past us, gray and slick, the silence in the car thick with tension. Norah’s scent clings to Jude’s coat like awarning sign, reminding me with every breath what’s waiting for us.
The Hazel and Vine apothecary glows warm against the bleak morning, windows fogged, lights low and golden. The bell on the door chimes as we push inside, and the smell of herbs and dried flowers wraps around me immediately.
Miss Thea looks up from behind the counter. Her expression changes instantly.
“Oh,” she says softly. “It’s Norah, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Jude says. “She’s burning up.”
Miss Thea doesn’t panic. She never does. She sets her mug down carefully and gestures us closer.
“How long ago did it start?”
“This morning,” Jude answers. “Maybe earlier. We missed the signs.”
She nods slowly. “If it just started, it could still be pre-heat. But with Norah…” She trails off, thoughtful.
“With Norah, it’s never mild,” I say quietly.
Her gaze shifts to me. “Hello, Dorian.”
“Hey, Miss Thea.”
“You’ve been part of her care before.”
“Yes.”
She exhales. “Then you know.”
She moves around, pulling jars from shelves, measuring, blending.
“Different blends help different symptoms. Cooling for temperature spikes. Calming for agitation. Pain relief for muscle cramps.” She pauses and looks at Jude. “What’s her temperature?”
“Too high,” he says grimly. “I didn’t get a number. Her skin was burning.”
“You need to get the thermostat down,” Miss Thea says. “Sixty-eight. No higher. If you can safely lower her body temperature and keep it there, you might have a window.”
“A window for what?” I ask.
“For an ER doctor to intervene,” she says. “But only if the heat is controlled. They won’t touch it otherwise. Liability.” She hands me a small pouch. “This dissolves under the tongue. Slowly. It can take the edge off if it hasn’t peaked.”
“And if it has?” Jude asks.
Miss Thea meets his eyes. “Then you manage it at home. Comfort. Monitoring. No panic. You’re an Alpha. You’ve dealt with an Omega in heat before, right?”
“Claire,” he whispers. “But it was never like this.”
My chest tightens.
I knew Norah had moved on. I told myself I was okay with it. But hearing it laid out like this makes something sharp twist inside me.
It shouldn’t sting.
But it does.
“Norah has some of the worst heats I’ve seen,” Miss Thea continues. “I’ve been treating her for years. If you can keep her temperature under one hundred and one, there’s hope to slow it.”
