The sensation comes hard and fast. I’m wearing my special panties, but I can smell myself. The unmistakable scent of my slick.
It’s more powerful than the heat spike in the greenhouse, leading Ren to whirl around to face me. Fear and desire transform his features.
“Ren,” I whimper. My vision swims as I clutch at my stomach that’s now lurching with sharp pain.
His nostrils flare, and his jaw tics. He knows what’s happening. This can’t be happening again so soon can it?
“Get a whiff of that!” a loud alpha shouts from somewhere in the library. “Smells like our lucky day, boys!”
I can’t tell where the voice is coming from, yet I know it’s me they’re talking about. How is this even possible with all theprecautions I’ve taken? As well as increasing my suppressant dosage, I’m doused in scent blocking spray and wearing my new panties with extra liners.
“Come on!” Heavy footsteps clod through the aisles like a stampede of wild animals. The hairs on my nape stand on end when I recognize the guy’s voice. It’s the same one Sabs saved me from upon my arrival. “Come out, come out, omega. We can help you through your heat.”
“Faye.” Ren wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close, holding me up. “I need you to stay calm, okay?”
I grab a fistful of his shirt and bury my face in his chest. “It hurts.”
“I know it does.” He strokes my hair tenderly as I snuggle into him. “I’m going to get you out of here and get you help, okay?”
“Don’t leave,” I plead. Slick coats my thighs, and the deep aching pain in my lower stomach twists, craving something more. “Please.”
“Hold on, okay? I’ve got you.” His calm, reassuring voice takes on a strong, protective quality. How does this guy think he’s any less of an alpha? “You’re safe with me.”
“Don’t let them hurt me.” I cower, shaking in his embrace. “Please.”
“Don’t listen to those jerks. No one is going to hurt you while I’m around. You’re safe with me.” He holds me tighter. “If you stay close, I’ll excrete my pheromones so my scent will mask yours long enough to get us out of here. Although it won’t cover your scent entirely. It’s hard to hide something that smells that good. It should work, though.”
My heart swells at his approval. “You think I smell good?”
“Faye.” His glasses slide down his nose as he looks at me. “You’re the most amazing thing I’ve ever smelled. But right now, my priority is getting you to safety.”
“Safe,” I repeat, cuddling into him so I can hear his heart thundering against my cheek.
“Now I’m going to take off my jacket and put it around you.” He shifts me, attempting to remove his blazer.
“No!” Fear rises in me. Right now, clinging onto him is the only thing anchoring me to reality. “Don’t let me go.”
“I’m not letting you go, baby,” He hurries to take off his navy blazer then wraps it around me, instantly calming me. “I’m right here, but I need to camouflage you with my scent so we can leave, okay?”
I tilt my head, nuzzling into the fabric. I perfume, and fresh slick gushes from me. Ren’s shoulders tense, clearly noticing my reaction to his scent. What must he think? He only invited me here to help with his essay, and now this!
I tremble. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You need to be somewhere warm. You want to be cozy in a nest, don’t you?” he reasons. “I can give you more chocolate. How about that?”
“Yes. Please,” I sigh. Gosh, that sounds so good. “I’m sorry.” My voice breaks, overcome with extra emotion. “I don’t know how this is happening. I’m taking suppressants.”
His scent masking must be working as I can’t hear the voices of the other alpha’s anymore. Hopefully, they are headed in the opposite direction.
“Hey! Do not apologize.” He speaks so fiercely that my mouth seals itself shut. “This isn’t your fault. Follow me.”
Everything is too much. The books… His hands… His warmth… I clutch my stomach as a fresh wave of pain rolls in. Relief. I need relief. I want to claw at his skin, burrow into his jacket, and shut the rest of the world away.
“What about my things?” I’m vaguely aware of Ren sweeping me down a staircase toward the exit.
“Don’t worry.” Ren pulls his phone from his pants’ pocket. “I’ll sort everything out. Just hold on, okay?”
I cling to him. My steady alpha force. Going into heat around an unbonded alpha is one of my biggest fears, but even though we’re virtually strangers, Ren somehow makes me feel safe. And implicitly, I know I can trust him.
