Page 78 of Heat Lightning

Fuck, when he fully ripened I bet I’d be able to see the way I moved inside him, bulging his soft heat belly. I couldn’t wait.

There were other changes, too. His eyes were bright, cheeks flushed pink from sex. All over, he seemed to glow, almost like the edges of him blurred. It made me want to growl at boats that passed by, just so they’d know the fragrance of the beautiful omega in my arms wasn’t theirs to enjoy.

He was mine.

Mine to hold.

Mine to cherish.

Mine to breed.

Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open, scent souring in panic. “Oh, God! I’m not on birth control!” He covered his mouth in horror, as if recalling the way he’d begged and pleaded for me to fill him with my cum. “I’m not ready,” he said, babbling. “I’m not even sure I want kids! How could I have been so stupid⁠—”

“Shh,” I cooed, running a hand up and down his back to soothe him. I couldn’t stand the scent of his stress. “It’s okay. I’m on the shot. No babies for us right now.”

Right now? Right now? Where the hell did that come from?

My alpha rumbled. Someday, he huffed.

Yeah. Ignoring that.

Thankfully, Max didn’t seem to catch it, and relaxed. “Thank God. That’s the last thing we need to add to this mess.”

“My rut doctor’s had me on it for a while. Just in case.”

He buried his face in my sweatshirt. “Did you mean what you said? Since we met, you haven’t been with anyone else?”

I almost laughed. The idea that there would be anyone else for me was ludicrous, but my omega was a jealous thing, and clearly still needed assurance.

My alpha loved it, puffing up to strut around in pride.

“Yes, sweetheart,” I said, nuzzling him. “There’s only you.”

And because I couldn’t get the image of that heat doctor holding his hand out of my head—yes, I’d followed him there and watched through the window, and yes, it was one of my lowest moments—I couldn’t help but ask, “What about you? Any other suitors lining up to take my place?”

I was pretty sure I already knew the answer. I watched him way too much to have missed a relationship, or even a casual fling. But I still needed to hear it.

Max shook his head. “No. There’s no one. You’re—you’re the first person I’ve been in heat with. Every other time, I managed on my own.”

Fire roared in my veins. I’d suspected as much after what he said the other night, but having it confirmed…

“So, you’ve never taken a knot until mine?” I asked, heat pooling at the base of my spine.

“No.”

Good. It was primal and toxic and so alpha I should’ve been ashamed, but I couldn’t help feeling satisfied that I was the first person to stretch him, to make a home inside him.

We’ll be the only one, my alpha grumbled.

“You’d better not make it a thing, though,” Max said, feigning indignation.

I knew it was fake because he hooked a leg around my hip to grind his cock into my thigh. The scent of another heat wave, rich and sweet, perfumed our cocoon of warmth. Was it really so easy to rile up my jealous little omega?

I filed that information away for later.

“Don’t get all possessive and weird,” he continued, breathy and wanton.

I gripped his waist to help him reach the friction he sought. My cock already ached to be back inside him, but I hadn’t focused nearly enough on his pleasure the first time, and that had to be remedied.