"Better?" he asks.
I nod, shoving the glass back at him, then return to the nest. There's a blanket that's not quite?—
Another wave of heat crashes through me. Harder this time. I gasp, doubling over, and suddenly Seth is there.
Not touching. Just close. His scent wrapping around me.
"It's okay," he murmurs. "You're okay. Just breathe."
But I can't breathe because my skin is on fire and I need—I need?—
My hands find his shirt. Fisting in the fabric. Pulling him closer.
"Bea—"
"Please." I'm pressing my face to his chest, breathing him in—rain and cedar and safety. My mouth opens against the fabric. I want to taste his skin. Want to lick the salt from his throat. Want to nuzzle into him until I'm saturated in his scent. "Please, I need?—"
His arms come around me carefully. "I know. I've got you."
And god, it helps. His solid warmth against me, his scent flooding my senses. The shaking eases slightly.
But then my hands are moving. Sliding under his shirt, desperate for skin contact. My fingers find the warm planes ofhis stomach and I make a sound that's almost a whine. Needing more, needing everything?—
I freeze.
What am I doing?
Horror floods through me and I jerk back, stumbling. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean?—"
"Hey." Seth catches my arms, firm but not harsh. "Bea, look at me."
I can't. Can't face the rejection I know is coming.
"Look at me," he repeats. Not harsh, just... steady. Sure.
I force my eyes up.
His expression isn't angry. Isn't disgusted. He looks calm. Understanding.
"You're close to heat," he says quietly. "Your instincts are taking over. That's normal. That's okay."
"But I just—I grabbed you and?—"
"And I didn't mind." His thumb strokes the inside of my wrist, soothing. "Bea, you're not doing anything wrong. Your omega instincts are screaming at you to touch your pack, to scent us, to make sure we're real and here and not going anywhere."
The words pierce through my panic.
"I scared myself," I whisper.
"I know." His voice is so gentle. "But you don't have to be scared of what you need. Not with us."
"What if I can't control it? What if I?—"
"Then we'll take care of you." Seth cups my face, making me hold his gaze. "That's what we're here for."
"You're going to finish your nest." Grayson's voice comes from behind me, dark and sure. "Get everything ready. And then when your heat hits—really hits—we're going to be right here. Touching you. Holding you. Giving you everything you need."
My breath hitches. "Promise?"
