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“I know,” I growled, feeling like there was an echo in my head. I needed more time. To establish bonds, get my guys acquainted with each other better, and to figure out how to actually do this. I had the worst feeling of déjà vu from the night I presented, that the timing was terrible and everything was about to go horribly wrong. Again.
“That explains why River was so growly and practically shoving into Sam just now. He would have been reacting instinctively to your oncoming heat and another alpha getting too close.” It probably explained why he’d tracked me to the lab as well.
“This isn’t fair to Nick, Lexie. We only just met, and he’s a beta. They’re not driven by instincts the way alphas and omegas are. You’d known Dave a long time and Max was already part of Maia’s pack through Leif. Until I know he’s ready, I won’t do to him what the Palace tried to do to us. Force us into something we weren’t ready or prepared for. You said yourself, I have to claim a beta before a prime alpha. Well, this heat is going to set Wolf off. You know it will. And if that happens, Nick will have his choices taken away.”
Lexie looked suddenly pale, but a cool breeze hit me through the open front door and I knew what I had to do. I had to slow it down. “You said you used to work yourself into exhaustion whenever your scent would peek through. I need to run, Lexie. I always ran it out as a kid when things got too much.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ava. There are too many alphas patrolling around. What if it doesn’t work? I think we need to tell your guys.”
“No. No, Lexie. I’ve barely kissed Cary and Nick. I haven’t even kissed Wolf, River, or Ryder. This is too much, too soon. We’re not ready. Trust me, please. I need to at least try to run it off. Please.” I tried to keep my mounting panic out of my voice.
“Such a bad idea,” Lexie muttered as she shook her head. But she seemed to understand why I was panicking as she straightened and pushed me toward the door. “Let’s go, before I change my mind.”
“You’re coming?” Relief crashed through me. The building pull towards my guys was growing to an angry, incessant beat, and as much as I was trying to pull away from it right now. I didn’t want to be alone.
“Of course I’m coming. I’ve got you. Let’s do this.”
I was out the door in a flash. Lexie hot on my heels. The cool air washed over me, but it wasn’t enough. I pushed my body harder as we lapped the building, but the sun was high overhead, and the heat in my body was cycling up to a burn. Another lap and the burn was becoming painful. A whimper wrenched itself from me and I doubled over. We were at the back of the Palace, just past the kitchen.
“Shit, it’s not working,” Lexie panted as she felt my head. “You’re burning now.”
“Need to cool down. Need water,” I moaned. It was the only other option that might help.
“If we try to get you to a cold shower, we’re going to have to pass the guys. Is there anywhere else?”
I looked ahead and saw the glass conservatory emerging from the back of the stone building. “There, the conservatory pool Rose was talking about this morning. It’s more decorative than for swimming, but it’s fresh, flowing water. So it should be cool.”
“Perfect,” Lexie grunted, as she got her shoulder under me and half dragged me to the conservatory. She grabbed the ornate door handle roughly, but it someone had locked it. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out some kind of tool, then immediately picked the lock. The door swung open within seconds.
“You’re kind of scary. Why do you even have that?” I groaned.
She shrugged like it was no big deal. “In case Pala and I came across any locked doors during our tour.”
Tropical greenery assaulted my senses, and the scent, so similar to Wolf’s, had me groaning. Plants were spilling from large garden beds over the cobblestone paths and trailing from clusters of hanging pots. Our footsteps seemed to echo in the silent space as we staggered along the path until we reached the pool in the center. I immediately started pulling off my clothes.
“Uh, do you really need to strip?” Lexie asked.
“Yes,” I ground out. My clothes felt as if they were choking me. My scent had been growing stronger and in the more confined space, its syrupy sweetness suddenly seemed too much. Even for me.
“Ugh, I’m never eating cherries again. I think I have a lady boner,” she muttered.
I pulled the last of my clothes off and climbed over the ornate stone railing that bordered three of the edges, before I jumped into the water. I didn’t have the patience to walk around to the wide stone steps at the far end. The bottom was smooth rock, and the water level came up to about my neck in this spot. I dunked myself under the cool water.
“Better?” Lexie asked from where she was crouched at the edge, gnawing on her lip, as I emerged, gasping for air, in a shallower spot.
“No,” I whimpered, as I doubled over. It wasn’t working and my anxiety was rising. “Lexie, it hurts.”
The more I tried to deny this heat, the fiercer it burned.
“Think, Lexie,” she muttered to herself. An echoing bang drowned her words out as the large double doors to the conservatory flung open. Nick came running through and skidded to a halt on the wide stone path between the pool and the entryway.
“What’s wrong?” He called out. His eyes shot to the roof when he noticed I was naked. I tried to back away, deeper into the water, but a painful cramp had me doubling over and my legs crumpled. I lost my footing and water rushed over my head again as I choked.
Someone yelled my name and the sound of splashing reached my ears as familiar arms hauled me above the water. I came up spluttering and crying, as something deep inside me twisted.
“She’s in heat, Nick. And in pain. She’s trying to hold it off, but she needs an alpha.”
“Get the guys,” he yelled frantically.
