I don’t add that she’s not thinking straight, because I’m still holding onto her comment about wanting me to knot and claim her, even though I’m fairly certain it’s just her hormones talking.
“But it’s too soon…”
And yet, here we are.
I drop a kiss on her slack lips and reach over to shake Wings awake. He snaps upright in a second, always in tune to his butterfly’s needs. “Hey, brother,” I say softly. “I think Abbie is going into heat.”
The weariness evaporates from his face like it was never there, his attention shifting quickly to Abbie. She’s still straddling my hips, and his eyes widen as he takes in my slick-coated boxers. “Wow. How do you feel, sweetheart?”
“Hot,” she says a little grumpily, then adds with a pointed look at my lap, “and horny, obviously. But my heat isn’t due for another few weeks.”
“Well, it looks like your scent match reset the clock.” He gives her a soft smile as she finally crawls off my lap and into his arms. “Damn, you smell really good, babe. I can’t wait to taste you, suppressant free.”
She makes a pleased sound, then glances at me almost defensively. “I always use some, just to take the edge off.”
It makes sense, since Wings was her only partner for her recent heats, and as a latent alpha, he wouldn’t have been able to knot her through her neediest moments.
“Will you be okay for a while?” I ask, scooting to the edge of the bed, even though every instinct is telling me to stay and press her back into the sheets. I force myself to my feet, reaching for my jeans. I think about changing my boxers, but shrug. Without a shower and a scrubbing brush, there’s no way I’m hiding her scent on my skin. “I need to let Ark know.”
“Why?” There’s a vulnerable edge to her voice that only grows more brittle as she says, “He won't want to tend me.”
I blink at her, wondering how much of this is the haze of heat and how much is her suppressed feelings for Ark bubbling to the surface. “I’m sure he would if you asked,” I say carefully, “but he needs to know for security reasons, sweetheart. We have protocols to follow.”
“Oh, right.” A darker flush stains her cheeks and she plucks at the bedsheet. “What about Bluff? Can he come see me?”
The alpha in me is already twitching at the thought, but I shake the flash of jealousy off. I’ve seen packs torn apart by assholes who couldn’t put their pride aside when it came to their omega’s needs, and I always vowed I’d never be one of them.
“I’ll do my best,” I promise her, pausing to lean down and kiss her lips. “I won’t be long, butterfly.”
“Hurry back,” she says, catching my hand.
Her fingers are still overly warm, but it feels pretty great to be holding even this small part of her. I let myself linger for a moment, then shoot Wings a loaded look. “Take care of her, brother.”
“It will definitely be my pleasure.”
I roll my eyes at the little shit, but I have to switch gears as I leave the room and find Tricks in the hall. She has a glass of water in her hands, but her eyes blow wide as she sniffs me. “Wow. Please tell me that’s not my brother you’re wearing.”
“It’s Abbie,” I reply, and she quickly loses her smirk. “I need to tell Ark. Can you get her some things from The Nesting Corner?”
She nods, balling up a fist to bounce it gently off my chest. “I knew I liked you for a reason, Pitt. Leave it with me.”
Feeling like I’ve got the omega seal of approval, I hurry down to Ark’s room at the end of the corridor. An unanswered tap tells me he’s not there, and I wonder if it’s a blessing as I head back down to his office. Is it better to sack out on your couch than be a few doors down when the love of your life goes into heat? It’s a question I hope I personally never have to answer as I enter Ark’s office and take in his drawn, gray face.
“Is she in heat?” he asks quietly, looking up from the stack of papers on his desk.
I stop short. “You can’t seriously smell her from down here.”
“I guessed it might happen.” He leans back in his chair, the leather groaning under his weight. “Scent matching is a strong trigger, according to Patch.”
“Ah.” I shuffle my feet, amazed he hasn’t been camped out by our bedroom door. Discipline is one thing, but an omega’s heat is damn near irresistible to an alpha, especially when they already feel like your own. “I think you've got some hard decisions to make, boss. She’s already asking for him.”
His gaze holds mine for a moment before he pushes himself to his feet. “Right. We better go get him, then.”
I release an anxious breath, but as he rounds the desk, I look at him curiously. “Are you on blockers?”
“It’s protocol,” he says shortly. “We’ll clear the floor out tomorrow, but for tonight, I want every unattached alpha fully dosed up.”
“Okay…” I grimace, because there’s awkward and then there’s watching your president bleed out in front of you. “She mentioned you, too, boss. Said she didn't think you’d want to tend to her, but I said you’d do it if asked.”
