Chapter one
Thesmellofaheat washed over Dean. Pushing all thoughts from his mind. He sat up straighter at his desk with no recollection of what he had just been doing. The heat scent was taking over all his senses.
It wasn’t his mate’s, so his wolf was uninterested. It almost felt like his wolf gave a little sniff, yawned, and went back to sleep.
His body however, started to respond. It was a peculiar sensation. A vague arousal that tickled at the back of his mind, all swirled with disgust and repulsion. It was the first time Dean had caught scent of a heat that wasn’t Silas’s since their mate bond had reformed. He didn’t quite know what to make of it.
A sharp knock on the door made him jump.
“Come in,” called Dean, fighting a ridiculous sense of dread.
Malachi walked in and quickly shut the door behind him. The young healer was wearing a large green hoodie with the hood up. As soon as he shut the door, he stuffed his hands into the pockets, standing before Dean with his head bowed and his shoulders hunched.
The scent of his heat rolled off of him. Dean couldn’t figure out why the omega had come to his office. Surely he had better places to be and better things to be doing?
“Hi Malachi, what can I do for you?”
“I’m in heat,” answered the omega completely unnecessarily.
“Is it your first?” asked Dean, puzzled. He suddenly realized the omega had joined their pack over a year ago, but Dean had never smelled his heat before. But surely he was too old to be having his first?
Malachi shook his head and spoke without looking up. “I was taking a herb that works as a suppressant, but it doesn’t work forever.”
Dean blinked in surprise. He hadn’t known there was such a thing. It could make life a hell of a lot easier for so many omegas. He hid his annoyance that Malachi hadn’t shared this vital information. That could be dealt with later. At the moment, Malachi was in heat and, for some inexplicable reason, here, in front of Dean.
Dean stared hopelessly for a moment. Was somebody hassling Malachi? He was just about to open his mouth and ask when Malachi spoke in a great nervous rush.
“Who do you want me to spend it with, Alpha?”
Dean stared in horror, feeling his jaw literally drop. Was that the custom in Malachi’s birth pack? The Alpha chose? It was a horrible idea.
“Malachi, it’s your choice who you give your heat to.”
The healer raised his head a little to peek up at Dean. “Really?” he squeaked, sounding very surprised.
Dean bit back his hurt. Had he not shown clearly enough what kind of Alpha he was? Had he not demonstrated what kind of pack he was trying his best to create? Did Malachi really think that he’d order him to spend his heat with someone Dean wanted to reward? Did everyone in his pack secretly think so little of their Alpha?
So many questions, but all Dean said was, “Yes, really,” as gently as he could.
“Can I… Can I spend it with Jasper?” stammered Malachi.
Dean grinned, “Yes, of course.”
Malachi visibly hesitated before drawing in a deep breath. “And Brendan?”
“If that’s what you want,” replied Dean, feeling very happy for his friends. Not many betas got to experience the honor of helping an omega with their heat.
Malachi flashed him a quick grin, “Thank you!” he beamed.
Relief and happiness rolled off of him, nearly stronger than his heat scent. The omega whirled to face the door and flung it open, skipping off with his head high. It was such a contrast from his body language when he had walked in that it made Dean grin with pride.
Now Dean just needed to make sure everyone in the pack understood that omegas were free to choose. Whatever rules had been in place in their previous packs, did not apply here.
Just then, Silas walked in. His long dark hair was tied up in a messy bun and his black shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He was still wearing his heavy canvas apron. He had clearly come straight from his laboratory where he was working on new spells.
Silas hated to be disturbed when he was working. He locked himself away in his laboratory for hours. Dean usually had to stand outside the door with food and beg him to eat. That he had left voluntarily can’t have been a good sign. He must have sensed Dean’s confused reaction to Malachi’s heat through their mate bond.
Dean swallowed apprehensively. Malachi’s heat scent lingered heavy in the air. Despite Dean’s innate repulsion, his cock had swelled and the scent of his own conflicted, confused arousal tainted the room.
