“You’re burning up,” I say. “You need to eat, or?—”
“I can’t,” Emery says. “Can’t keep anything down.”
I nod, helpless.
She opens her eyes. “Wyatt?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you…” She trails off, but the meaning is clear.
I squeeze her shoulder. “Anything. Tell me.”
She bites her lip, then lets it go. “Will you touch me? Please.”
The word “please” nearly breaks me. She’s never used it before, not with me, not with anyone.
I say, “Yeah. Of course.”
Emery rolls toward me, slow and heavy, then buries her face in my shirt. She smells like herself and also like something new—wild, sweet, feral. My head spins. I put my hand on her back, palm flat, and rub slow circles. She shudders. Her breath hitches.
Her body is so hot it’s almost feverish. I want to pull her into my lap, wrap myself around her, and never let go. Instead, I keep the pressure gentle.
I don’t want to push boundaries. I also don’t want to get stuck in my own head. The last time I was with an omega was Charlotte and that ended so poorly it’s scarred me.
Until Emery. Until her relentless desire to be in andstayin this pack. And then Ranier wants nothing but to push her outanyway. It’s doing my head in, but everything about Emery is setting it right in this moment.
Emery whimpers again. It draws my attention back to the present.
Her tank top is soaked through. I can see the dark circles around her nipples, the flush spreading all the way to her stomach.
Emery twists, half onto her back, and looks at me with glassy eyes. “Can I… will you… I want to kiss you.”
My heart kicks so hard I’m sure she hears it.
I lean down. Our faces are inches apart. Her lips are soft, parted, already shining with the heat of her. I press my mouth to hers, gentle, just a brush.
She whimpers. It’s not a sound of pain—more like relief. She grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me in harder. I go. I let her set the pace, let her take what she needs. Her mouth is wild, needy, frantic. Her tongue slides over mine, and I feel my control dissolve.
I brace my hands on either side of her, trying not to crush her, but she pulls at me with all the strength she has. Her nails dig into my back, sharp through the fabric. Her legs wrap around my thigh, locking me in.
I kiss her like I’m drowning. She kisses back like I’m the only thing keeping her alive.
When we break apart, she’s gasping. Her eyes are full of tears.
I thumb one of them away. “Hey, are you okay?”
She nods. “Just… a lot.”
I know. For both of us.
I move to pull away, but she won’t let me. She drags my hand down, over her ribs, to the hot, damp skin above her underwear.
She says, “Please,” again, and this time it’s a whisper.
I hesitate, one last time. “Are you sure?”
She laughs, wet and shaky. “If you don’t, I’ll actually die.”
