"That was fucking stupid, Summer! If I hadn’t been there, it could’ve gone really bad for all of you. Either you would’ve been forced to use your power on them, or they would’ve done whatever the hell they wanted with you. You let out a goddamnheat mating call, Summer! You don’t do shit like that around young, hotheaded alphas like my cousins, do you get that? Completely irresponsible!"
"I know," I cry out, my voice breaking. The heat is twisting me up inside anyway, turning hunger into pain, so the ache that usually comes when I speak doesn’t even feel that sharp right now.
"I lost it, I can’t control myself," I choke out, pathetic and desperate. "It’s my first heat!"
Bay storms down from the patio, still yanking me along like I’m some ragdoll, like he’s afraid I’ll slip away. He pulls me toward Snow’s basement.
But right before the stairs, he suddenly stops, as if something clicks in his head. He grips my shoulders and shakes me lightly, maybe to knock some sense into me.
"Summer, focus. I’m not forcing you to go down there. This has to be your choice. If you don’t want him, then get your ass back upstairs," he gestures toward the ladder still visible from here, "and ride this heat out alone. Because none of us can help you, and frankly, no one should. Only Snow."
I just stare at him blankly like a silly calf.
"Why doesn’t my power work on you? It worked on your cousins!" It slips out of me before I can stop it, like it even matters now, when nothing really does. Except for being knotted. Fast.
Bay doesn’t answer. His face doesn’t even twitch. He just growls, "Focus, Summer! Are you going down there or not? Because if you’re not, then you’re climbing back up, locking yourself in that room for the next few days, and that’s it. Let us know if you need anything brought up, but those are your only options."
I snap, "Of course I want to go to Snow," the words come out with a bite. "Yeah, he did some fucked-up shit, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m drawn to him like crazy. I ran down here to find him, but in the middle of the frenzy, instead of jumping off the balcony, I ended up taking the stairs!"
"Irresponsible, but fine, the only excuse you’ve got is that it’s your first heat. Whatever." He waves it off and finally lets go of me. "My cousins need to shake this off, and you need to get your leaking ass down there and not come back up until it’s over."
A harsh cramp rips through me, my passage clenching painfully, I must be radiating a storm of heat pheromones. I blurt out another question I shouldn’t.
"One, last thing! Why don’t my pheromones impact you?"
I know damn well there aren’t any suppressants strong enough to block out the scent of heat completely. Allure pheromones can be muted, sure, but heat has its own scent that pulls every alpha in, fires them up. But not Bay. He’s cold, unmoved.
"I’m not your problem, Summer. Focus. Get downstairs and don’t show your face until this is over. Understood?"
I give in, nodding, before a sharp cry tears out of me as another wave folds me forward.
My ass arches on its own, my hips tipping almost level, like I’m presenting myself already. Or picking strawberries. Or suffering from a runaway case of lumbar lordosis.
"Thanks for the save, seriously. Without you, it really could’ve been a disaster!" I squeal through clenched teeth.
Bay gives me a push, forcing me down the stairs. The moment I reach them, the door opens and…
I stop breathing.
Snow is standing in the doorway.
He’s in a black tank top, tattoos gleaming against his tanned skin. His pale violet eyes lock with Bay’s up on the landing, and the exchange is ice-cold.
Then Bay turns without a word and walks away.
And I’m left standing alone in front of the sexy, traitorous alpha.
He looks like my fucking erotic fantasy come to life. His long white hair falls across his chest, muscles shifting under inked skin, that tank top clinging perfectly. Faded blue jeans hang low on his hips, flashing skin and that sinful V.
His expression is hard to read, but what I do feel is clear: an edge of anticipation, waiting for what I’ll say, for what happens next.
"My heat started yesterday afternoon. It’s been going all night," I force out, ignoring the pain and the cramps tearing through me.
"I know," Snow says simply. Nothing else. Bastard.
"You could’ve come," I whisper hoarsely, full of hurt, though really it’s aimed at myself.
"No, I couldn’t, Summer," he says, calm and composed. "It had to be you. Your initiative. Your decision."
