I open it to find Kai balancing a tray laden with far more than the toast and tea I requested. There’s a small pot of what smells like jasmine tea, a plate of various breads with multiple types of jelly and honey, a bowl of fresh berries, and what appears to be a small dish of what looks like rice porridge.
My surprise must show on my face, because Kai shrugs, looking almost sheepish. “Noah said you wanted toast, but I figured options are good…”
He trails off, suddenly fascinated by a spot on the wall behind me.
“You made congee?” I ask, genuinely touched by the gesture.
“Tried to,” Kai admits with a self-deprecating smile. “Can’t vouch for its authenticity, but the internet said it’s good for when you’re not feeling great, so...”
I take the tray, our fingers brushing briefly in the exchange. Even that slight contact sends a jolt through me, but I manage to keep my composure.
“Thank you,” I say, meaning it. “This is incredibly thoughtful.”
Kai’s smile widens, genuine pleasure lighting his features. “No problem, Doc. Holler if you need anything else, okay? I’m right next door.”
The knowledge that he’s so close should make me nervous, but it’s comforting instead.. I nod, stepping back into the room and closing the door.
The congee isn’t exactly like my mother’s, but it’s surprisingly good. The rice has been cooked to the perfect consistency, soft and comforting, and there’s a subtle hint of ginger that soothes my queasy stomach.
Such a simple thing to have an alpha take care of you. Who could have known it would feel this nice?
I’m only now realizing that I’ve been at war with my biology for years, fighting a battle that it was inevitable I would lose, eventually. Maybe it’s time to negotiate a peace treaty instead.
As I eat, I realize I’ve made a decision without consciously thinking about it: I’m going to stay here, in this room, and let my heat take its course. Until it breaks, I’ll allow these men to take care of me. No more hiding and no more fighting.
And I’ll save the shame for another day.
After finishing most of the food, I return to exploring the room, my curiosity piqued by a large cabinet in the corner that I hadn’t noticed before. It’s covered with an elegant drape, the wood beneath dark and ornately carved.
Something about it calls to me, drawing me closer despite a vague sense that I’m intruding. My hand trembles slightly as I reach for the drape, hesitating before pulling it aside.
What am I doing? This isn’t my home. I shouldn’t be snooping.
But the omega in me, growing stronger by the hour as my heat progresses, is driven by instinct rather than propriety, recalling Kai’s encouragement to make myself at home. I need to know every aspect of this space, to make it mine, however temporarily.
I pull the drape aside and open the cabinet door.
And freeze.
Inside is the most extensive collection of sex toys I’ve ever seen outside of a specialty store catalog. Vibrators, dildos, plugs, and devices I can’t even name, arranged with the same meticulous care as the books on the shelves. They vary in size, shape, color, and apparent function, but all share one quality: they’re clearly high-end, expensive items.
Heat rushes to my face, and I nearly slam the cabinet shut more out of shock, than anything else. But curiosity is difficult to ignore, along with something else—a growing awareness of mybody’s response to the sight. The dull ache that’s been building in my core intensifies, becoming a throb of need so strong it makes me gasp.
This is what heat feels like, I realize with a mixture of scientific fascination and personal mortification. This is what I’ve been suppressing all these years.
I should close the cabinet. I should walk away, take a cold shower, read a medical journal—anything to distract from the growing need inside me.
Instead, I reach for one of the mechanical knot devices, drawn to its sleek design and the small omega symbol etched into its base. It’s clearly designed specifically for omega anatomy, with features that would stimulate both externally and internally.
The thought sends another pulse of desire through me, so strong my knees nearly buckle. I clutch the toy, torn between embarrassment and desperate need.
Through the wall, I can hear the murmur of voices again—Noah, Kai, and now Grayson too, their deeper tones a counterpoint to my racing heartbeat. They’re so close, these alphas who have shown me nothing but respect and care. The knowledge adds a forbidden thrill to my growing arousal instead.
What is happening to me?
I’ve never been this person—driven by desire, thinking with my body instead of my brain. I’ve spent my entire adult life suppressing these urges, channeling that energy into my studies, my career, my carefully constructed identity as a beta.
But now, holding this toy designed specifically for what I truly am, I can’t deny the truth any longer. I’m an omega. My body has needs that no amount of suppression can permanently erase.
