If I hadn’t just been through the most intense pain of my life, I’d argue with her that I don’t need help. That I couldn’t possibly be intimate, for any reason, with anyone but my husband. The pain of that heat only lasted a few minutes, but I felt like I was going to die. I couldn’t possibly bear it for hours or days, like I’ve heard it could last.
“Layla?” Sutton rasps. The healing properties of the venom haven’t done enough for his throat, nearly ripped open by the alpha he killed. “Layla, baby.”
“Sutton.” I throw my arms over him, hugging him the best I can without causing him further injury.
“How am I not dead? Fuck, it hurts, baby.”
“Can you give us a minute?” I ask the others, and they agree, exiting the room.
“There’s good news, and there’s bad news, honey,” I tell him.
“Let me have it.”
“Turns out I am an omega.”
“Kinda knew that already.” He chuckles uncomfortably, chokes, and winces at the pain.
“But you’re something special too. You survived that alpha’s bite, and miracle of miracles, the venom started to heal your wounds.”
“Well, hell, woman, why haven’t you made one of those purple fuckers sink his teeth into me already?”
“That’s the bad news. The venom puts you into a sort of coma. While you’re conscious, I can’t go into heat, but when you’re out, I go into heat hard and fast. Sutton, the pain from the heat is like nothing else. I thought I’d die if I didn’t…”
Red-hot anger fills his cheeks, glowing brighter than the pain of his injuries.
“No. This is why we lived out there. So far away from them. To keep one of them from claiming you. And now you’re telling me you want it? You want me to lie here in a coma while one of those monsters fucks you… Owns you? You’re my fucking wife, Layla! Arrrgh!” Sutton cries out as he tries lifting himself. Blood sputters from his lips as he coughs.
In seconds, Razyr is back, but Sutton swats him off. Razyr backs away but doesn’t leave.
“Shh. Sutton, please. I know it’s not a good plan, but it’s the only plan. If you don’t let the alpha venom heal you, these injuries will kill you. For good this time.”
“I’d rather die than live to watch you leave me for one of them.” His eyes bore into Razyr.
Razyr doesn’t react, patiently waiting to do his job.
“I won’t, Sutton. They told me that an alpha can tend to my heat without claiming me.”
“You believe them? Their entire reason for being here is to claim omegas.”
“I trust the other omegas.” I take a deep breath, preparing for my next declarative. “And I trust Zayd.”
“Who the fuck is Zayd?” Sutton seethes.
“He’s the alpha who brought us here. He had every chance to claim me on the way to the Center, but I asked him not to, and he swore he wouldn’t. He didn’t, Sutton. And I trust that he won’t.”
Sutton’s muscles slackened for the first time since he woke. “I don’t like this, Layla. Not one bit.”
“I know. Neither do I. But I can’t let you die. I won’t.” I hold his face in my hands.
“And I can’t let you suffer while I heal.”
“I know. It’s not what either of us wants, but it’s what both of us need.” Tears drip from my cheeks onto Sutton’s.
Sutton nods. “I want to talk to him. Zayd.”
“I am here,” Zayd says from across the room, Strykr walking in with him.
Sutton’s nostrils flare as he huffs like an angry bull. “You take care of my Layla.”
