We lay together, not needing to say anything. When I’m with Riven, we don’t need to communicate through words. We talk through the delicate touches, how he brushes down my spine, the way I wipe my scent glands over him, and how he holds me with just the right amount of tightness, leaving me feeling like I’m wrapped in a weighted blanket.
I lose track of time as we lie here, aware that I won't have long until the next wave hits and already craving another knot.We barely move until a rough knock on the door pops our peaceful bubble.
“Kady? Riven?” Calder’s voice comes from the other side of the door, rapping roughly on the door. “Are you ready to go?”
Riven’s mouth opens and closes, seemingly unsure of what to say.
“Change of plans, Calder,” I call out, saving him. “We need to stay here a few more days.”
“What—” He barges inside in typical Calder fashion but freezes when he sees the scene in front of him. “Oh.” He sniffs the air. “You’re in?—”
“In heat, yes. Riven helped me for now, but my heats can last for a few days.”
“Shit, fuck, damn!” Seeing Calder flustered is almost comical. “Of course. I’ll tell the others.” His eyes ping-pong around the room. “Your nest! You need the nest! We should have done more to it. You should be in there now.”
“The nest will be fine, Calder.” I hope my tone is reassuring. “We’ll move in there soon.”
“We’re,” Riven glances pointedly down at the sheets, “attached.”
“Right, yes.” Calder paces around the room. Is he blushing? “I’ll make sure everything’s ready. Would you like to move in there, um, as soon as you’re able to?”
Admittedly, as much as I’m enjoying snuggling up to Riven, the lighting in here is starting to irritate my eyes. It’s too much, too bright, and I want to smell my other alphas too.
“Yes,” I decide. “I think I’d like that.”
Excitement sprints through my bloodstream. Experiencing a heat in the Valen Pack nest sounds perfect.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Calder
I vault down the stairs, catching myself before I fall. Why can’t my legs move as fast as my fingers can fly over a keyboard? I race across the hallway, skidding across the shiny, wooden floor before stumbling outside.
“Code red!” I wave my arms in the air like I’m trying to land a plane. “Code RED!”
“What is it this time?” Leaning casually against Janice like he doesn’t have a care in the world, Ezra looks up from his phone. “Another story broke that you didn’t get the scoop on first? I haven’t seen you this riled up since Kady stole your car.”
“Hale!” I roar, pretending I didn’t hear him.
There’s no time for Ezra’s bullshit right now. Every second we’re out here is time we’re away from our omega when she needs us. My alpha instincts have kicked into high gear.
An unsuspecting Hale sits behind the wheel, fiddling around with Janice’s radio, trying to tune into a clear channel. He rolls down the window and pokes his head out to peer at me. “What’s up, man?”
“This is a code red!” I repeat.
“It would help if you told us what ‘code red’ actually stood for,” Ezra chimes in.
“This isn’t a joke, smart ass.” I’m practically vibrating with impatience. “Kady’s gone into heat!”
That makes the smug smirk fall off his face. If this wasn’t a serious situation, I’d enjoy it a whole lot more.
“W-w-what?” Ezra stares back at the house with a slack mouth. “Now?”
“Yes, now!” I motion to the cabin. “Why else do you think I’m out here?”
Hale’s already out of the car, slamming the door behind him. “Where’s Riven?”
“He’s with her now.” I tunnel a hand through my hair while I rock back-and-forth on my heels, wishing they’d all hurry the fuck up. “He helped her.”
