Page 114 of Heat Lightning

We’re running out of time, my omega said, pacing back and forth, ratcheting my anxiety higher and higher. Help him! Help our mate!

Fear gripped me. “Well?” I prompted. “Will it fix it?”

The nurse glanced back and forth between us. “Yes. It’s the best solution.”

“But it’s not going to hurt him even more? It won't overtax him?”

Atlas sighed and shook his head, eyes closed. “Give me whatever you can for now,” he said to the nurse.

The omega suppressed a smirk and dug in his bag, pulling out an unmarked pill bottle. “If you break the rut soon, my guess is he will be fine. Here,” he said, handing Atlas two tablets. “In your state, these won’t last long.”

Atlas swallowed them with a grimace.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. “Thank you. You two should go now.”

The nurse nodded. “I’ll leave a note with my number. Call me if his condition worsens. Or you could just go to the hospital like normal people do.”

Mr. Marino smiled at me, small, but real. “Call me, too, please. We’ll take care of… the other thing.”

The nurse sauntered down the hall. “It sounds like you’re discussing a dead body.”

I choked. Whatever that was between them and whatever lie Mr. Marino chose to tell to cover up the actual skeleton in his closet—or trunk—was his business. Their voices faded until the snick of the front door cut them off and left me and Atlas alone.

Good riddance, my omega huffed. Now, go fix our mate!

The air grew still. The clock perched on the fireplace mantle down the hall went tick, tick, tick.

The room was dim despite the wall of windows overlooking the lake. Clouds had rolled in, shadowing the sun outside so only soft, filtered light trickled in.

His bedside lamp was on low, casting a warm halo around the room, but otherwise it was sparsely furnished. A single chair sat right up next to the glass.

Did he spend his mornings there, sipping coffee and watching the waves crash against the rocky shore?

His king-sized bed was pushed back against the far wall, covered in a dark gray duvet with cream sheets. They contrasted well with the warmth of the wooden headboard.

It was a wonderfully cozy home. One I’d like to be a part of, if he let me.

I sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand between both of mine. “Atlas,” I whispered. “You’re dying.”

“I know.”

Tick, tick, tick.

I wiped away the tears in my eyes. “Is this what you really want? To remain unbonded and die?”

“No.” He said it with such conviction my heart swelled. “But I never wanted you to make this decision out of obligation.”

His voice was raspy, but whatever the nurse had given him seemed to make his thoughts clearer. “That’s why I was trying to get more suppressants from Gwen. So we could have a real conversation about this. You deserve to choose for yourself without worrying about my life.”

Silence stretched, heavy and thick. I studied his beautiful face. It was still a novelty to see every part of him all at once. I almost felt shy looking at him unmasked, as if I’d walked in on him changing.

There were still parts of him I didn’t know, still things left to be discovered. But my omega knew he was a safe place to land from that very first night. Among all the pain and fear, my instincts told me he was the one we could trust.

He was my mate, and he was willing to die to give me a choice.

Well, I’d chosen.

I leaned over, gently cupping his face between my hands, and kissed his brow. “It’s not an obligation. It’s love. I love you so much, and I choose you. I will not let you die, mate. You’ve saved me, over and over. It’s time for me to save you now, okay?”