I try to answer, but I’m crying too hard. My lip trembles, and fresh tears spill down my cheeks.
“Omega,” Jalen says softly, and the word sends a shiver through me. He’s at my side in an instant, dropping to his knees. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’re here. Tell us what hurts.”
“Everything,” I manage between sobs. “The window—it wouldn’t—and I fell?—”
My voice breaks completely.
Cole makes a sound like he’s been punched. “Jesus, she’s crying. She’s actually crying, and I can smell—fuck, I can smell pain mixed with her heat.”
“Where?” Malik demands, moving closer. All four of them are converging on me now, drawn by instinct they can’t fight. “Where does it hurt?”
“Hip,” I gasp. “Shoulder. I hit—I landed?—”
Another sob chokes off the words.
Jalen’s hand hovers over my shoulder, trembling. “Can I touch you? Let me see where it hurts.”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
The moment his fingers make contact with my skin, we both gasp. His touch sends electricity through me, heat and comfortand alpha all mixed together. My omega purrs despite the pain, desperate for more contact.
And Jalen… his control visibly fractures. His hand is shaking as he carefully probes my shoulder, and his scent has gone so thick and sweet it’s like being wrapped in warmth.
“Easy,” he murmurs, and it sounds like he’s talking more to himself than to me. “Just need to—fuck, she’s so warm. She’s burning up.”
“Is anything broken?” Dax asks roughly. He’s pacing behind Jalen, unable to stay still, burned caramel pouring off him in aggressive waves.
“No,” Jalen says after a moment. His hands move to my hip and I whimper at the contact. “But she’s going to bruise badly. Sierra, can you sit up? I need to see?—”
“The window,” Malik interrupts, his voice strained. “It’s still open. Rain’s still coming in.”
I turn my head and see water pouring through the gap, destroying what’s left of my nest. A fresh sob tears from my throat.
“My nest,” I cry. “It’s ruined. Everything’s ruined.”
“Shhh,” Cole says, dropping to his knees on my other side. His hand reaches out, hesitates, then settles on my arm. The touch is gentle, but I can feel him shaking with the effort of maintaining control. “We’ll fix it. We’ll fix everything.”
“Malik,” Dax barks. “Window. Now.”
“On it.” Malik moves to the window, but I can see how much effort it takes him to turn away from me. To focus on the task instead of the crying omega on the floor.
Dax joins him, the two of them positioning themselves on either side of the stuck frame. But Dax keeps glancing back at me, his jaw clenched so tight it has to hurt.
Meanwhile, Jalen and Cole are still kneeling beside me, their presence a comfort even as their scents broadcast how close they are to losing control.
“Can you sit up?” Jalen asks again, his voice gentler this time. “Let me help you.”
I nod, and his arm slides around my back, supporting me as I push into a sitting position. The movement sends pain shooting through my hip, and I gasp, more tears spilling down my cheeks.
“I’ve got you,” Jalen says roughly. His arm tightens around me, and I can feel him trembling. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Cole’s hand is still on my arm, his thumb stroking small circles that should be soothing but instead just make me more aware of him. Of his scent. Of his barely controlled breathing.
“The pain,” Cole says, his voice strained. “It’s mixing with her heat-scent. I can smell both, and it’s—fuck, my rut doesn’t know what to do. Fix the pain or ease the heat or?—”
“Focus,” Jalen snaps, but his own voice is shaking. “She needs us to focus.”
Behind them, Dax and Malik are wrestling with the window. I can hear Dax growling under his breath, using brute strength to force the mechanism.
