11
ROEN
Pampering Nova for a whole afternoon—touchingher without triggering the next heatwave—felt like a dream.I’m happier than I’ve ever been.And that terrifies me.I fiddle with the wood I’m craving and look at my hands.Will I end up destroying her?
The audiobook I wasn’t really listening to fades out as my phone rings.Olivia’s name appears on the screen.
“What’s wrong?”I bark, adrenaline spiking.
“Calm down,” she replies.“Nova’s lab came in.She wanted you to be here when I explain the results.”
I take a deep breath.“Should I head over now?”
“That would be great.She’s just finishing up an appointment.”
I hang up and pocket my phone.That doesn’t sound like good news, but I hope I’m wrong.
I jump in the truck, instead of shifting like I want to and running to the clinic as fast as my paws can carry me.The last parts for Nova’s car arrived earlier in the week, and it’s the first day she drove herself to work.I already miss our trips in the morning.
Her scent hits me like a thick cloud of perfume before I even enter the clinic.My chest tightens as I walk down the hall and catch a glimpse of her standing next to one of the dental chairs, nodding while an older member of the pack drags out a story I’ve heard a million times.She belongs here, with us.
I turn toward Olivia’s office, not wanting to interrupt, but Nova spots me and politely explains that she has another appointment and would love to hear the rest another time.I suppress a snort.She just opened a can of worms and doesn’t even know it.
Then I stiffen as I sense her through the bond.Something’s not right.My suspicions are confirmed as she walks over and melts into my side.My dick swells instantly at her touch.
“It’s good to see you,” she murmurs.
I bring the back of my hand to her forehead.“You’re running a fever.”
She slumps.“I’m fine.I can still focus.”
After our last training session, she probably thinks she can wait it out, but that’s not happening.I’m getting her home as soon as possible.
“I already suggested that she take the day off.”Olivia pops out of another room and leads us into her office.
Nova nuzzles my neck, then inhales sharply.I barely manage to catch her before she doubles over.“Woah…maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she mumbles.
I growl and wrap my arm around her side to get us through the door.“Why didn’t you tell me you were going into heat?”
“Her heat doesn’t function like normal,” Oliva says while clicking through several files on her computer.“I assumed a human would be more sensitive to an alpha, similar to an omega, but it’s the opposite.”
“What the hell does that mean?”Nova’s fever is rising too fast, bleeding through our clothes.I take the nearest chair and pull her into my lap.She stifles a gasp, tilting her hips to rub against me.Fuck, I need to be inside her.
“The lab came back with traces of a second set of DNA—she’s a chimera,” Olivia explains.“Only part of her can respond to the mate bond, so she needs strong, consistent pheromones.”
Dammit.I should have checked on her this morning.Nova whines and curls into me, licking my neck.I clench my jaw as her hot tongue glides over my skin.
“Nova, did you ever have a blood or bone marrow transfusion?”Olivia asks.
“What?”Nova tries to sit up with a flash of embarrassment.“Um, no.I haven’t.”
I wrap my hand around her neck and settle her back on my shoulder.She relaxes against me with a shudder.If her heat’s been repressed, then this wave will be worse than I thought.
“You must have absorbed another set of DNA while in the womb,” Olivia mutters, turning to look at several numbers and charts on the screen.“It’s a known phenomenon, but incredibly rare.”
Nova tenses.“I was adopted as a baby,” she whispers.“One of my birth parents must have been?—”
“A lycan.”Olivia finishes.“There are no half-breeds, and unfortunately, some packs disown their members for breeding with a human.”
