Evan didn't like this any more than he did. And that knowledge was the only thing that made James pick up his fork and start eating, his thoughts churning in his head as he desperately tried to ignore the scent of Camelia's pheromones, still thick and heavy on the air.
It was impossible; every breath that James took was agony, desperate arousal distilled into a scent that made James' instincts perk up and want tohunt.His cock throbbed between his legs, heavy and hard as he forced himself to eat and chew slowly. Evan brought over his own omelet once it was done and ate on the other side of the counter, stabbing at the fluffy eggs a little too aggressively for breakfast.
James didn't call him out on it, though. He knew that Evan's thoughts were likely as stormy as his own; he was just holding himself together a tiny bit better.
"We shouldn't have let her leave," he finally bit out, the heavy silence between him and Evan driving him insane.
Evan looked at him, his brow furrowed as if thinking. "What exactly were you planning on doing?" he asked slowly. He carefully placed a bite of eggs in his mouth and chewed, giving himself a few moments while James stewed in his seat. He arched an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk tugging in one corner of his mouth. "Were you planning on tying her up in her bedroom and not letting her leave the house until she's in heat again and physicallycan'tleave?"
James couldn't stop himself from growling. He knew that Evan was right. Keeping her with them for as long as they had was unethical in hundreds of ways, particularly when she hadn't been in the right headspace to consent to them helping her with her heat in the first place. Only the fact that her father had said it was okay had let James feel at ease about it, but now...
Now her scent was in the house, lingering on every fucking surface that she had touched. James knew what her pussy felt like clenching around his cock, knew what she looked like when Evan ate her out until she came with a loud moan. Knew exactly what shetastedlike.
It didn’t matter that it had started unethically, he didn't want to do without her again.
"I don't know," he finally admitted, gritting the words out from between clenched teeth. He ran his hand through his hair viciously, pulling the blonde strands until his scalp stung and the pain distracted him a little from his tumultuous feelings. He looked up at Evan, who was watching him with serious eyes. "I don't want her to leave," James finally said quietly. "Ididn'twant her to leave," he amended, a slight flush rising in his cheeks at the slip. "Who knows if she's still scenting? She could draw the wrong sort of attention. We don't know when her dad is going to be back..."
Evan shook his head, cutting off James' words. "That's not what you're really worried about," he said quietly. He blinked slowly, finally looking up at James with a sigh. "We need to talk about what happened. During her heat."
James flushed a little, and despite the intensity of the conversation, his cock twitched with interest. Usually when things between he and Evan were this tense, they would fuck it out to make everything a little bit better. God knew that James wasn't the most eloquent with his words.
Somehow, he knew that wouldn't solve this situation, though. "What about it?" he muttered roughly, stabbing at a stray chunk of egg that had broken away from his omelet.
"You were the one that initiated sex," Evan said, his voice gentle. Still, James flinched as if his friend had slapped him, and he glared at Evan even as he continued, "Why? You were the one who was adamant about the ethics of her heat."
James knew he was right, just as well as he knew that the explanation he had...it was flimsy. He wasn't even sure if he could explain what it had been that broke his resolve. They had managed to make it almost three days before either of them had broken, and that was with Camelia throwing herself at them every chance that she got. Even sleeping in the same room with her, fingering her tight cunt and feeling her slick around his fingers...even that hadn't been the straw that broke the camel's back.
So what was it?
Evan's gaze was steady on his, not accusing, not demanding. Merely allowing James the space that he needed to process his own tumultuous thoughts. James appreciated him for it, even as he hated Evan a little for forcing this conversation at all. "I...don't know," he finally said softly. His voice was tense, pained, and James closed his eyes, remembering the soft press of Camelia's body against his. "It was...it was so hard to think, Ev. She was all that I could smell, and I knew that us ignoring her and leaving her alone was only making everythingworse. Shesmelledlike she was in agony, and even fingering her hadn't made it go away. It...it wasn't fair. It didn't seem right. We know what Omegas need during their heat, Ev. How could we not give her what she needed when she was right there and so were we?"
His voice broke halfway through his passionate words, but James didn't care. He didn't look away from Evan's face, practically pleading with him to understand. To know what James was really trying to say, underneath the jumble of words that James was only half sure made sense.
It was more than biology. It was instinct. She wastheirs, and her heat had been the first – and maybe only – opportunity for them to prove it to her body as well as her mind.
Evan regarded him for a moment, blowing out a slow breath as he set his fork down. He ran his hand through his dark hair,pressing his lips together when he returned his gaze to James'. "This is a mess," he finally said softly.
James would have bristled at the words, ostensibly harsh as they were, if he couldn't hear the undercurrent oflongingthat was vibrating through his friend. His tight fist betrayed his tension, and James bit the inside of his cheek before he reached out and put his hand on top of Evan's, needing the contact. Evan sighed, relaxing his fist and linking their fingers together on top of the counter, and for a moment the two of them did nothing but sit there, drawing strength from each other.
"I want her back, Ev," James finally said softly. His voice trembled a little, the vulnerability of what he was saying making his heart pound. In that moment, every thought that had plagued him before her heat was gone. There were no thoughts of his dad, no thoughts of the danger of being watched, no thoughts of what would happen if Camelia rejected them.
All he could think was that their Omega was gone, and James desperately wanted –needed– her back.
Evan nodded. "I do too," he replied. His eyes were hard when he looked at James again, and he squeezed James' hand roughly as he said, "She needs to come to us. She has to want it, James, or we're no better than those asshole Alphas who think that Omegas are property."
James nodded. He knew that Evan was right, but he couldn't help the want that swelled in his stomach like an illness.
She'll come back. We just have to be patient.
Chapter twenty-eight
Camelia
"Camelia. Sweetheart. I am so unbelievably sorry." Her father's voice was heavy with sorrow as Camelia clutched the phone close to her face, ensconced in the safety of his house once again. Her movement was hampered by the phone's charging cord, and she rolled her eyes a little at her dad's effusive apologies.
"Dad. I told you. You have nothing to be sorry about." Camelia winced a little. “I thought I could handle it. I thought that I would be able to get my meds back before my heat started."
"You shouldn’t have planned on it,” her dad said, a little sternly. A moment later, his voice was thoughtful. “Maybe I can call the pharmacy and pull some strings. There has to be someone higher on the chain who can do something about the shortage...”
