What he’s not saying is that ruts usually end when an alpha satisfies an omega. But since that’s not happening here, they have no idea how long they’ll be dealing with this.
Great. Just great.
“So, we’re looking at potentially days of this,” I summarize.
“At least,” Jalen confirms quietly.
Days trapped in this house with four alphas who smell so good it’s making my brain short-circuit, while my omega does her best to convince me that what I really need is to just open my legs and?—
Just the thought alone makes such heat rise in me that I squirm in the seat.
“Meals outside doors,” I suggest, grabbing on to the practical problem like a lifeline. “We can take turns cooking?—”
“You’re not cooking during your heat,” Dax interrupts, his voice harder than I’ve ever heard it. There’s an edge of alpha command in it that makes my omega want to roll over and show my throat. “You need to rest.”
“I can’t expect you to?—”
“Sierra.” The way he says my name makes something low in my belly clench. There’s an edge to it, an alpha authority that my omega wants to respond to, wants to submit to. His forest green eyes have gone dark, intense, and I can see the way his chest is rising and falling with controlled breaths. “You’re in heat. You shouldn’t be cooking. You shouldn’t be doing anything except letting us—” He stops short. My eyes widen a fraction. He clears his throat. “You shouldn’t be doing anything except taking care of yourself.”
The protective possessiveness in his tone shouldn’t turn me on as much as it does.
I open my mouth to argue, then close it. Because he’s right, even if I don’t want to admit it. The thought of standing in the kitchen, dealing with heat and knives and hot surfaces while my body is doing this is a big no. Bad idea.
“Okay,” I concede, and I catch the flash of satisfaction in his eyes. “You handle meals. I’ll... stay hydrated and eat my baked stuff or something.”
“We’ll bring you proper food,” Malik says, typing another note. His voice is steady, but I can see the way his throat works when he swallows. “Nutritious meals. Leave them outside your door, knock, and retreat. You can grab them when you’re ready.”
“Same for us,” Jalen adds. “Rotate duties. No one has to handle it all during rut.”
Cole leans back against the couch, one arm stretched along the back, and I try not to notice the way his t-shirt pulls tight across his chest. “What about emergencies? Like, actual emergencies. What if someone gets hurt or needs help?”
That’s a good question. A scary question. Because what happens if one of them loses control? What happens if I lose control?
“Emergency whistle,” I say suddenly. The idea crystallizes as I say it. “I have one in my purse. It’s loud as hell. If anyone needs actual help, whistle.”
“That works,” Dax says, nodding slowly.
“I can grab a couple more whistles from the emergency kit right here,” Malik offers. “Make sure everyone has one.”
The wind howls outside, rattling the storm shutters. Rain drums against the roof in waves, sometimes soft, sometimes violent. We all glance toward the windows instinctively.
This storm shows no signs of stopping.
Neither does the heat.
I can feel it building again, that insistent pull. My skin feels flushed. There’s a slight tremor in my hands that I’m trying very hard to hide. And the scent of four alphas so close is making my omega practically purr with satisfaction, even as my rational brain screams danger.
“What about noise?” Jalen asks suddenly, and there’s something careful in the way he says it. His eyes meet mine for just a second before he looks away, and I catch the heat there.
Everyone goes very still.
“Noise?” I repeat, even though I have a sinking feeling I know exactly what he means.
He has the grace to look embarrassed, his shoulders tensing slightly as he glances away. “Heat and rut are... not quiet experiences. For anyone. Sound carries in this house. We might want to consider some sort of solution for that.”
Oh God. Oh God, he’s right.
I can feel heat rushing to my face, and not the good kind. This is pure mortification. Because I hadn’t even thought about that, but now that he’s mentioned it, I can’t stop thinking about it.
