Page 148 of Traded

Exit—

Where am I going?

The voice shouts again, and I am… peeved.

Who is that?

It doesn’t belong here. It invades my peace with a bloom of freshness that feels out of place, because I should feel nothing at all.

But this scent makes me feel something, and I… don’t like it.

I reach for it, embrace it, claw at it with nails of rage—

My face bursts from the water on a choking, burning gasp, my hands clawing at the air and the arms holding me.

“I have you,” Lauren gasps. “Rosie,breathe.”

When I try to pull in air, a bubbling sound echoes off the tiles around us. My body thrashes, water flying everywhere before I twist and vomit across the shiny, water-filled floor of Carter’s bathroom.

“Let it out.” A hand slicks back my wet hair, another rubbing at my back. “I’m going to call for help.”

Help.

I need help.

I need—

My hand shoots out, wrapping around Lauren’s fingers. “No.”

The words don’t sound like they belong to me. My vocal chords sound like they’ve been used as a chew toy by something with very large teeth.

“You’re in heat.” Lauren tries to pry my fingers away, but I tighten them. “You need a hospital, Rosie!”

I do. The haze is already threatening again, a few precious minutes of clarity brought by the freezing cold water in Carter’s shower fading rapidly. “If you call, the NOC will ban him for heat abandonment.”

They’ll separate us. Permanently.

Lauren’s face appears. She’s pale, her pupils blown out. “Right.”

My competition. My sister wife.

Her hand slips from mine, and a sob sounds in my throat. “Please.”

Don’t call them. Don’t leave me.

“I’m not leaving you.” Her hand runs over my wet hair. “I’ll be back.”

I take a deep breath—

And hiss. “Scent.”

“I know,” she snaps. “I’ll fix it.”

“Don’t snap at me.” I throw my arm over my eyes and fight to breathe normally, trying to filter out the scent of another omega so close to me. “I’m inheat.”

“You’re a pain in the ass,” she mutters. Somehow, it helps.

Hands land on my shoulders several minutes later. “Woah. No. You can’t go back in there.”