Weston
I sighedas Nishiki disappeared into the trees. I shut my eyes, running my hand over my face. I'd been too forward with him. That had always been a problem of mine. I could never just dial back my emotions or filter myself. I justhadto say what was on my mind, didn't I?
But I got the feeling that it wasn't just what I said. There was a glint of fear in Nishiki's eyes, but it didn't seem to be directed at me. I was worried that I'd overwhelmed him. Maybe he just needed some time to himself.
Some part of me felt the urge to go to him, to chase him down. Maybe it was my osprey, desperate not to let him get away. But I was more mature than that. Nishiki was a grown man, and regardless of what he thought, he was capable of taking care of himself. I wouldn't infantilize or condescend to him by running after him.
I sat down slowly on a fallen log. My inner osprey was restless, much more so than usual. I looked to the sky. Was it because I'd been on the ground for so long? Did he miss stretching his wings and flying?
No, that wasn't it. There was something else bothering him. And I think I knew exactly what it was.
You like him, don't you?I asked my inner osprey wryly.
He didn't need to respond. We were one and the same, one whole creature. A single entity that felt and thought as one. I could feel him now in the landscape of my mind, restless and shuffling over some imaginary nest. Almost as if brooding on a clutch of eggs. Almost as if…
A sudden jolt ran down my spine. I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes going wide. I was old enough that this particular sensation was familiar to me. I knew exactly what it meant.
Butright now?
I shut my eyes tightly. A bead of sweat trickled down my brow. I tried to steady my breathing, but it hitched and remained shallow no matter how many deep breaths I took.
Nishiki had mentioned his brother found his fated mate. He said it so casually offhand that it almost seemed like he didn't believe in it. That wouldn't be a shock to me given his history. Would he know the signs if it happened to him? Even if he didn't believe in it, would he still feel its magnetic pull?
I usually wasn't one for such sentimentality. I was realistic. I knew not every shifter found their fated mate, so it was better to focus on finding a decent partner. I already had so many things stacked against my favour, so I never even entertained the idea of finding my fated mate. It was simply something that happened to other people, not to me.
But what if itdidhappen to me?
I bit my lip as another shudder ripped through me.
It was too early for my heat to start. That was all I could think about to tide this feeling over. But my logic was useless in the face of reality. My heat was beginning before its schedule whether I liked it or not.
A pang of disappointment hit me. If Nishiki was able to run away so easily despite the start of my heat, did that mean he wasn't attracted to it? Surely if he was my fated mate, he would've had the opposite reaction. He would've stayed, and…
My teeth dug into my lip hard enough to draw blood. No, I couldn't entertain that particular fantasy.
This was horrible timing. I had a job to do—get Nishiki home—and I planned to follow through with it, but this just threw a huge wrench in our plans. At the very least, I would need a few days minimum to deal with this, and in the worst-case scenario, at least a week. That was a lot of time to spend in contact with Nishiki. If I pushed myself, I'd likely be able to stand being around him, but it would be difficult. Besides, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
Had he ever been around an omega in heat? I didn't know. He seemed so ignorant of our shared culture, but through no fault of his own.
I felt a familiar discomfort between my legs. My heat was progressing startlingly fast. Usually I had a few hours to hole up somewhere comfortable to deal with it, but apparently I didn't have that luxury this time. My body was going into overdrive, and I couldn't help but think it had something to do with Nishiki.
I let out a small groan as I slid down the log and into the grass, curling into a ball. It wasn't dignified, but right now I didn't have the capacity to care.
My senses were both sharp and dull. Every touch of the wind against my skin felt electric, yet the world beyond seemed like a normal, distant memory. Nothing else seemed to matter except the feeling of my body right now.
Despite my best efforts, my mind drifted to Nishiki, like my brain had taped a picture of him to the forefront of it. Shutting my eyes didn't help. The fantasy of him above me was one I couldn't shake.
This was an entirely natural feeling, I knew that. I had only just finished explaining the logistics of it to Nishiki. But for some reason, I almost felt ashamed right now. Maybe it was because I was on a mission to help Nishiki, but had been rendered unable to do so. He didn't sign up for this—he just wanted to go home. And now I couldn't help him.
I'm sorry…
A rustle in the foliage drew my attention. My eyes snapped open. My first instinct was to be angry that somebody had intruded on me. But my anger immediately faded when I saw Nishiki's familiar face watching me warily from the trees.
I held my breath. My heart stuttered. Neither of us moved.
"Um," Nishiki said, his voice unusually rough. "I'm sorry for…" He trailed off, as if unable to formulate his thoughts properly. "Are you okay? There's this scent…"
My eyes widened. Then Nishikicouldsmell the scent of my heat. For some reason, that sent a pulse of arousal through me.
