“Oh.Youdid.”
I glare at her. “I’m not talking about this while cleaning a litter box.”
But Piper is delighted, and it’s hard to keep from smiling when she and Maeve are so excited for me.
“Stop making those faces,” I laugh. “You guys look ridiculous.”
“Uh-huh. Also, what time are you off today?” Piper moves past me to pour litter into the freshly cleaned box.
“I’m here until five. Why?”
Maeve suddenly turns her attention back to the kennels, humming to herself.
Piper places the bag of litter on the floor and motions for me to follow her out of the room and back to the reception area.
“Remember that time last year when you told me to go home because I was perfuming everywhere?” she asks quietly. Alvin jumps onto the counter and nuzzles my hand while I frown.
“Yeah, I do.”
“And I went home, because you were right, and because I was so close to my Heat?”
I don’t like where this conversation is going.
“I feel fine. I took some scent blocking gummies and my suppressants.”
“That’s great for you,” Piper says. “But you’re still perfuming.”
My eyes widen. “Really?”
It must be from everything I did yesterday with Rowan and Ryland—our scents have merged, and suddenly, I’m stinking up the entire building.
But I quickly do the math in my head and flinch at the realization.
Sure, my womb is lightly cramping and I’m wearing slick pads, but my Heat isn’t due for at least another week. If I’m pushing it, maybe two.
At least, I thought it was.
But the chaos of the last few weeks has thrown me off.
I whip out my phone and open my Heat tracker app.
“Oh, fuck,” I mutter, staring at the screen. “Oh,fuck.”
It’s due this week. Likely tomorrow.
Piper raises an eyebrow. “Haven’t there been signs for you? You have symptoms, right?”
I’m so embarrassed.
“I thought they were just the normal ones when you find your scent match,” I whisper in horror.
I’m not prepared at all for this Heat.
I need to wash my blankets, fluff my nest, pick out some candles…
And I haven’t even asked Travis or his packmates to help me through it.
“Go home right now. When it starts, I can take care of Marlin and Mervin,” Piper whispers. “Maeve and I got this.”
