A cry tears from me as I struggle, pushing at his hand, squeezing my eyes closed like I could hide from it.
His silence makes everything worse.
As he leans down to get a better look at the pendant, his knee shifts up, and he presses against my crotch.
“Don’t move,” I gasp, but his knee grinds against me. My eyes shake open as I’m gripped by the suffocating panic. I grab his upper arm as I try not to perfume, but my alpha feels so good. “Timber, please… don’t move.”
The first real jabs of preheat cramps curl through my veins. I cry out as I roll my hips against his knee to relieve my ache. It’s too late, I’ve gone too far.
Another rush of pain hums through my abdomen, and I whine, curving my back, spreading my legs for him. I know I need to run, but I’m surrounded by coffee and muscle as the storm that is Timber Holtz swells.
I press my chest out to him, unconsciously presenting, asking him to come and get me like I’ve always wanted.
“Luke,” he groans, his voice hoarse as he circles his knee harder, and I whimper. “What the fuck is going on?”
Timber
I’m drenched in shock as I stare down at him—at her—at Luke, or Ollie. At the stranger lying under me with their eyes closed, holding onto me as they whimper each time I press my knee to them.
Just because I can’t feel a cock doesn’t mean Luke identifies as a woman. Though I’ve never understood things like that.
All I know is that the more I rub my knee, the stronger the smell of Luke’s slick grows, until it’s so potent that my eyes are nearly watering.
The necklace is sitting on his chest, loud and clear.
I bend my elbows, lowering myself so I can run my nose from his stomach up his chest. My nose hits a ridge of fabric as I reach the pendant, and Luke watches me with wide eyes and a scared breath.
“Where did you get this?” I rasp as I nudge the pendant with my nose.
The second I lick it, the barest traces of lavender dance over my tongue.
Luke’s head tips to the side, completely avoiding me. “It’s my sister’s,” he mumbles.
A growl snaps from me as I rear over him. “Don’t lie to me.” I draw in a ragged breath. “What’s your name? Who the fuck are you?”
“It’s me—” Luke chokes out, trembles running through his body. “Timber, I’m sorry. It’s—”
“Apologizing doesn’t mean anything right now,” I say, pulling my knee away, and I scent a fresh wave of maple syrup slick.
My mind goes blank, light vanishing from my eyes as the low hum in my body grows stronger.
I can’t go into rut. I need to talk to Luke. If I succumb to the scent of slick now, I won’t be able to hear all his excuses for what the hell is going on.
Images race behind my eyes as I try to catch up.
Kane’s grin as he plays with the lunchbox, how Kane and Ollie stared at each other at the restaurant, how he swept her up into a kiss at the rink. It’s so obvious they’re in love, but how far had they gone, and how much had they left me behind?
I grab the pendant along with the scarf, tugging at them. The chain breaks easily as the scarf unwinds from his neck. I hurlthem both away, and the pendant clatters on the other side of the room.
I don’t want a single piece of lavender on his body when I have him all to myself.
My jaw tightens as I see the small red marks on his neck, and I know exactly where he got them. Kane didn’t take his eyes off me when he kissed him there.
“Ollie,” I say, and he shivers. I lean down over him, and he blinks up at me, exactly the same way he had at the rink, like he’s innocent, like he doesn’t know.
“Luke,” I say again, and his blunt nails dig into me.
“Ollie,” I whisper as I bring myself to his lips, kissing him gently as I had at the restaurant, and a sob tears from him.
