“I appreciate it, thanks. Paul gave me all their numbers to put in our phones a few days ago, so I’ll give him a call first while she’s still asleep. I don’t want to risk getting her hopes up if they say no, and then have to pivot and figure something else out while she’s in pain. We might need a ride over there ’cause I can’t hold her and drive at the same time…hold on, the stupid phone’s ringing.” Speak of the devil and he shall appear…or at least call you. “Hey, Teddy, Paul’s calling. I’m gonna hang up now.” He lets out an affirmative hum before I can slide my finger over the accept call button.
Paul’s voice is frantic as soon as I answer. I shouldn’t even be surprised that everyone knows it’s me on the line. “Greg, hey. Cedric just stopped at my desk. He said that Sarah was going into heat and the hotel can’t take you two. Do you need to borrow Spence’s nest?” Oh holy fucking hell, yes! “I mean, it’s not great, there aren’t a lot of blankets and pillows and stuff, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
Finally, something going our way. “If we can, please. Yes, he’s already put so much work into it, neither of us would be comfortable invading his space that way without his say-so. Um…I have another problem though. I don’t know if you can help with.”
His voice is wary now. “You know we’ll help however we can. Spence is already…” His voice trails off, like he doesn’t want to admit the big alpha’s feelings. “Yeah, let me check with them first. Just tell me what you need, other than the nest, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.” He sounds nervous about making a blanket offer like that, but I press on regardless. What other choice do I have?
“Y’see…Normally Sarah goes through her heats alone. We haven’t known each other long enough to have shared one, but usually she can take care of it with toys. That being said, she normally has suppressants that she takes to make it easier onherself. I don’t know if it’s too late to do that, or where I would even start getting some since it’s the weekend and her doctor is back in Los Angeles at the omega center. Fuck…what I’m saying is she might need more help than I can give her with my built-in equipment and toys. I’m only bringing this up because she’s asleep right now and I want to avoid her feeling bad later, or asking one of you to loan a knot to the cause if it makes you uncomfortable. I doubt it’ll be awkward at the time, but climbing a stranger and demanding they fuck you might be a bit much for even my spitfire to think about once she’s done.”
His bark of laughter is a bit of a shock, and then comes sarcasm, which I haven’t heard from him before. “Oh no, an omega who needs a knot. Whatever is a self-respecting alpha to do if she wants to take advantage of me and ruin my virtue?” He chuckles. “I can’t say the same thing for the others without asking, but I also can’t think of any unmated alpha that would turn down the offer from a girl as sweet as she is. She tries to hide it, but it’s there. So if you need a knot for the cause, I can help out. I’ll ask Spence when I call about the nest and get back to you in a couple of minutes. Don’t sweat it beta, we’ll get our girl through thi—your girl. I meant your girl. We’ll make sure she’s ok.”
He hangs up the phone without waiting for an answer and Sarah starts purring, snuggling into my chest. Her skin isn’t as red, but she still feels feverish. She says this isn’t a spike, and I believe her. So, now we wait.
Chapter 70
My face is pressed against my beta, huffing his scent to drown out the strange smells around me. They’re friendly, but not something I need in my nest. Where is my nest? We started out in a small bedroom, and it smelled familiar, but wrong. Now he has me wrapped in his arms and has been rocking me non-stop for a while. The phone ringing earlier woke me up, and I got part of the conversation. The voice on the other end was the wiry blond alpha.
He’s sweet, but not as sweet as the big one. I want to lick that one. And he said that I can use their nest. It’s not my nest, but if I can get enough of their scents in there, it’ll do. I like his slightly boozy oak scent and Moose’s football field. Hell, I’d even enjoy the professor’s roasted pecan right now. Not that he’ll let me. He’s butthurt about an omega he used to know. Or at least that’s what he told his mom on the phone. I wasn’t trying to listen…Ijust didn’t leave when I should have. He’s kind of an ass, but he still smells good, and he cares about the other two, so he can’t be all bad.
I made my beta call back so I could say hi and hear the blonde alpha’s voice again. It seemed important at the time that I try to explain that I want them all, but I'm not sure why now. Of course I want them...They smell good and they’re nice. My brain feels all fluffy, like it’s been stuffed with cotton, and everything is kind of fuzzy around the edges. I don’t like it. My beta sways back and forth and it takes my half-baked brain a few minutes to realize we’re in a moving vehicle. When did that happen? I raise my head, sniffing the air around us and realize my bestie is driving! Oh, I’ve missed him. He used to bring me snacks during my heat. It was never bad enough that he had to step in and help out physically, just like his were never bad enough that I had to help out in that way. But it was nice having him check in and make sure I was ok, and he took care of Shaggy while I was out of it.
Oh no!
Mr. Shaggbutt!
Who’s gonna feed my bun?
I thrash weakly in my beta’s arms. It’s too cozy, and I need to get free so I can think. Maybe think? There’s something…Shaggy! I need to make sure he’s taken care of! My voice comes out muffled against his chest, my words slurred, and I giggle at how drunk I sound even though I haven’t had anything in…I don’t know how long? Where are we going anyway? I know we talked about this, but then my stomach started hurting again and I told him I needed a knot. He said we were going to go see my big alpha, my Moose, and he would help me. That’s nice. I like Moose, he purrs for me and give me cuddles...and he didn’t get mad when I broke his nose on accident.
Shaggy! Shit, my brain keeps getting sidetracked. “Who’ll take care of Shaggbutt?” I barely recognize my own voice, but Greg hears and hums against my forehead.
Teddy answers from the front seat. “Don’t sweat it, Shorty. Kelly is airing out your room right now, and then she’s gonna feed Shaggy and let him loose to hop around. You worry about your heat, ok? Everything else can wait until you get feeling better.” Yeah, that sounds good. I’m not sure if I should be making any decisions like this; I feel kinda drunk right now. Not headachey, dehydrated drunk, but like overheated, thirsty, somebody stuck a slip-n-slide in my panties kind of drunk…no, wait…that’s not right either. I mean, not that last bit.
My stomach cramps hard again, startling a small shriek out of me and causing the van to swerve. A loud honk sounds behind us, and Teddy beep-beeps our own horn twice, shaking his head. “Overprotective alphas. You’ll know how it is soon enough.” But my alpha isn’t here…well, my scent match isn’t. I hope he’s not mad that I’m having my heat without him. It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose, and I did tell him it could happen. I don’t want to think about that; it makes me feel rejected and weepy.
I do havemybeta here, though. My body purrs as his arms tighten around me, my scent blooming through the car, causing Teddy to cough and roll his window down. “Fucking hell, warn a guy next time! Shit, I should have made Steve come with me since he doesn’t even like pussy…not that I like yours. Fucking hell Sarah, stop perfuming back there!” Like I can help it. I start giggling till a loud snort comes out, which at least is sobering enough to make me stop. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of my mateandbest friend. It’s not like they’d hold it against me. Teddy’s an omega, he gets it and Greg…I wanna lick Greg.
So I do.
I raise myself up enough to trace the column of his throat with my tongue, dragging a loud, ragged moan out of him. He tastes like salt and musk, and mine. Setting my teeth against where his neck meets his shoulder, I scrape over the tender skin there. So much of him is rough: his big calloused hands, the sprinkle of coarse hair across his chest, the rasp of stubble on his cheeks. But here, here it’s all soft, and sweet, and oh so markable. I know I should wait until we get to the nest, but I don’t want to. He needs to be mine now so nobody tries to take him away from me.
The van slows briefly before coming to a sudden stop and if Greg’s arms weren’t so tight around me, I’d get tossed against the front passenger seat. Teddy’s voice is raspy, his cough still leaving him in harsh little bursts. “Dammit woman, it’s like a fucking strawberry scent diffuser exploded in here. I’m dying!” I’d laugh if my cramps weren’t ramping back up again. As it is, I manage to cling to my beta as he gets us out of the van and makes his way to the front door. He waves over his shoulder at my bestie as a truck pulls up and he hops in, waving his hand in front of his face the entire time.
Pretty Boy carries me up the steps, shifting me around so he can reach out and knock on the front door. We wait impatiently—him shifting from side to side, rubbing his big hands down my back. The cool afternoon air has brought back some of my sense, but everything still feels fuzzy and wrapped in cotton.
He’s reaching out to knock again when the door opens and there stands the professor, carrying a very dog-eared paperback and wearing nothing but a pair of flannel pajama pants and small, wire-framed reading glasses. Greg’s arms tighten around me as I struggle to get free so I can go climb the tasty little alpha snack in front of me. I reach out—wanting to tell him that I need him, that he’s mine. Instead, all that comes out is a high-pitched giggle and “Slutty little glasses!”
I sound drunk. I feel drunk. None of this is helped when he glares at my beta and opens his mouth. “Greg, what the hell? Is she high?”
I’m high on life, baby!
No, wait…that’s not right either.
The pain under my abs ratchets up, feeling like barbed wire has been wrapped around my insides and twisted tighter. My breath comes out in a high, frantic whine, drawing both their attention and Al’s pupils blow wide as my scent hits him hard. He takes a step back, his hand coming up to cover his nose in a futile attempt to block it out. “What’s going on? Why the fuck did you bring her here when she’s in heat?” He sounds almost panicked and I whimper at my alpha’s distress. I wish I could make it better, but I’m barely hanging on by a thread myself right now.
My pretty beta’s voice is angry, not at me, I think, but the stress of the situation and now being questioned like this has pushed buttons I didn’t know he had. I’ve only seen him angry a few times since we met in November: at Lily’s attackers, at my family, and at the hotel manager. I’m pretty sure this is number four ’cause he looks like he’s about to throttle the professor, his voice comes out through gritted teeth. “Paul said we could come over and use the nest. He already cleared it with Spence since it’s his room. They also offered to help see her through it since she doesn’t have access to her normal suppressants to make it manageable alone. I don’t know why they didn’t tell you. That sounds like a problem the three of you need to discuss. My concern is my omega and helping her. Now, please”—I can see how much it pains him to add that word in—“if you aren’t helping, get out of the way so I can take care of her. We’ve had a really messed-up morning, and I’ll tell you about it later. I’m sorry, I’m trying to be rational here, but it’s not easy when she’s hurting.”
My stomach twists, and it’s a good thing I haven’t had any breakfast, or one of these guys would be wearing it now. I reach up, stroking Greg’s jaw, willing him to calm down. I know he’s upset, but alienating this guy won’t make it any easier. That being said, I’m tempted to barf on Al anyway in retaliation when he scoffs, pulling out his phone. He looks surprised for a moment, his thumb sliding across the screen, eyes moving rapidly. Finally, he puts it up to his ear and checks his voicemail. I can hear Paul’s voice on the other end before he hangs up, cutting the message off.
