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One of the officers made a choking noise and Nate’s nose scrunched as Ethan’s voice filtered out of the elevator. Just as I, or any overly protective Alpha, would have done, Theo was standing in front of Ethan, assessing the hallway before letting his Omega through.
I met his eyes and I saw some of the tightness bleed from where his jaw was clenched as he moved aside to let Ethan by. Our Omega scowled at him, hustling past, but Theo just shrugged unrepentantly. When Ethan spotted me, his eyes widened in shock, and his fast-paced walk turned into a near sprint until he barreled into my chest with a whine. A smile tugged at my lips as I wrapped my arms around him. Theo’s voice was more than a little amused when he spoke.
“Your face is swollen, Miles. He’s kind of a mess about it.”
Ethan’s scowl was back when he lifted his head to face off with his bondmate.
“Don’t pretend to use the bond to act like it’s all me. You were just as worried.”
My brows furrowed as I looked down at him. It wasn’t like him to be so snappish. He turned back to me with tears lining his eyes and I tightened my arms around him a bit.
“You’re really alright?”
“Yeah, Ethan. I’m fine. I told Shae I’d go see our doctor tomorrow just to be sure though.”
He nodded into my chest as he pressed his face back into my shirt for a moment before pulling away and walking right past everyone else in the hall and into the apartment. One of the officers cleared his throat and told us that they’d be in touch about the patrol cars and if they had any further questions. Nate shook their hands before he went back into the apartment, leaving Bodhi, Theo, and I in the hall. As soon as the officers were in the elevator, Theo and I spoke at the same time.
“What patrol cars?”
“Is Ethan okay?”
He answered my question, understanding, as an Alpha, how much I needed the answer.
“Ethan is fine. He had that spike and I think he’s got another heat coming, because he’s really fucking irritable. What patrol cars?”
Bodhi filled Theo in, because my mind had stalled on the heat comment. I knew Omegas had a few heats a year, but I’d thought there was more time between them. It seemed like his last heat wasn’t that long ago. I needed to ask Shae about it.
“Miles?”
Theo was watching me. I hadn’t realized Bodhi had walked back into the apartment. I cleared my throat and raised my eyebrows to indicate I was listening.
“Listen, I know you told Ethan you were fine, but level with me. You look like you took a solid hit or two, at the very least. Do you need to see a doctor?”
I shook my head and sighed.
“No, he rang my bell pretty good there at the end. I’m more annoyed it gave the fucker the opening he needed to get away.”
I didn’t do a good job of stifling my growl at the reminder.
“We’ll get them, Miles. Ethan, Cole, and the rest of the nerds are making progress.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. I knew the police had been doing their best, but I trusted Ethan and the people at Drake House to get it done faster. Theo gripped the back of his neck and a light blush was creeping across his cheeks.
“You straight, Theo?”
“I hate this awkward shit: I need to ask you something." He huffed, but continued, not quite meeting my eyes. “When I said that thing about Ethan’s heat it was like you glitched. I know you are demi and I kind of get what that means but, now that I can feel Ethan, I know how much he’s been holding back. I just wanted to see if you are still open to him like that down the road or if that date you all had gave you any clarity?”
I chuckled and he reached out to playfully punch me in the shoulder.
“I’m open to him like that." I repeated his words exaggeratedly to give him shit and he rolled his eyes at me. “But I’m not ready for his heat. I thought those things only happened a few times a year and I… hoped that I would have more time.”
Sometimes it felt like the world perceived me as broken or juvenile because I wasn’t ready to hop into bed with anyone who was willing—especially as an Alpha when that willing body was an Omega. But my pack had never made me feel like that, and they were making sure I was as comfortable as Ethan. I knew that even Theo’s awkward-as-fuck questioning was as much to check in on me as it was for his Omega’s sake.
“Did you ever worry that it’s all biology fucking with us? Like Trevor said?”
I could see Theo’s hackles raise, so I quickly clarified.
“I know Ethan is amazing and I am happy that he’s our pack’s Omega. It’s just throwing me off how quickly this is all happening for me. It took a year for me to start to feel any kind of pull towards Shae, sexually. But with Ethan? It’s like my whole courting of Shae, but at quadruple the speed.”
