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“...Andhere’s the climate control system,” Lucas was saying as we entered. “You would have full control over the temperature in this whole wing of the house, and of course, during your heat, we would keep it in a safe lower range–”
I huffed out a laugh. “Getting the full Lucas King treatment, huh?” The omega turned her head toward me, but her eyes didn’t meet mine. “FYI, Madison, you’re beingpropositionedright now,” I joked. She smiled, but it took her a split second too long.Ah.It didn’t take an alpha sense of smell to see she was obviously overwhelmed.
“Hey, Madison,” I said, moving closer. “Look at me.” She did, and I was struck once again by the feeling of rightness as I placed my hands on her, one on each shoulder. “Take a deep breath.” I spoke over her shoulder to Luc as I felt her shoulders lower slightly. “I think the full tour might be a bit much?”
“Oh,” he said, a cute blush light on his tan cheeks. “Sorry, I thought she’d want to know–”
“About the smart thermostat?” I raised an eyebrow. “Madison,” I said, looking at her again. “How many heats have you had?”
I saw Lucas opening his mouth, but sent him a sharp deterrent over our bond.
“One,” she said, barely audible.
“How was it?” I asked, as Gray’s mouth dropped open. I was thankful Madison couldn’t see it.
“It was–It was–” she stammered, her eyes looking off into the corner of the room.
“That bad?” I grimaced. “Lucas wants to tell you about the thermostat, but hey, listen: the important thing isyou’re safe here. Luc and Gray will take care of you. They’ll be good to you. They’ll give you what you need, and they won’t push you to do anything you don’t want to. You’ll be safe, and comfortable, and yes, the correct temperature.” She smiled, biting her lower lip. “I’m a beta,” I said, and she met my gaze once again. “So I don’t know what you must feel like right now, not entirely, but if it makes a difference to you, I trust these two men with my life. Okay?”
“Thanks,” she said. “That does make a difference.”
“Good. Now, do you feel up to round two of thermostat settings? Or is there anything else you have questions about?”
“There’s one thing,” she said, a blush to match Luc’s on her cheeks and her teeth pulling at her lower lip again.
“Shoot.”
“Will you be here, too?”
CHAPTERELEVEN
Madison
I knewthat Lucas had had years to acclimate to his status, that this was probably all totally normal to him, but as he showed me from the oversized mattress on the floor to the closet of auxiliary pillows and blankets to the minifridge to the climate control system, it all seemed like–so much. So real.Tooreal. I was going to have a heat soon. The last one–my veryfirstone–had landed me in the hospital, and now I was just supposed to let these men who I had met at a random club ease me through the next? To put my literallifein their hands?
It wasn’t a random club–not really–I reminded myself. That was the reason for going to Ardor: they took care of all the vetting, the paperwork, the legal and medical standards. That was why it was so expensive, at least for alphas. These men were background checked, tested for STDs, had sat through a training… but they were still strangers, basically. This was the equivalent of signing up for a multi-day orgy retreat, with a heaping side of mind-altering drugs. I literally could not imagine ever doing such a thing, back when I was–
A beta.
Rian’s presence in the room was tangible even before he called my name, playful and teasing like he had been at the club, and the feel of his hands on my shoulders had calmed my nerves and grounded me even as the swirl of scents from Gray and Lucas sent my imagination running for the neatly made bed that was with us in the room even now. The thought of three men, rather than two, should have made memorenervous, but… it was Rian. He was a beta, like me. Or, well, like I had been.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze, though, when I asked, just to be sure, if he would be there.
“I can wait outside,” he said, just as Gray said, “Yes.”
“What they mean to say,” Lucas said, swiping a hand through his hair, “is that it’s up to you.”
“No, it’s not,” Gray said, rounding on Lucas with a coldness in his eyes that startled me. “Rian is non-negotiable.”
“Thanks, Gray,” Rian said, rolling his eyes, but Gray didn’t seem to be listening to him. He was staring at Lucas, as if in challenge, and I instinctively shrank back, dropping my eyes, even though the challenge wasn’t directed at me. “Now look what you’ve done.” I let Rian pull me into his side. His body was big and solid against me, and felt, in that moment, like safety. Wasn’t that what an alpha was supposed to be? Safe, and warm, and comforting? Strong arms to hold you tight?
But Rian–he wasn’t an alpha. He was a beta–like me, I couldn’t help but think.Like me. And he belonged here, in this pack, with these alphas.
Could I?
Just for one heat,I reminded myself.
