Her pupils are blown wide, confusion etched on her face as she stares at me, bewildered, clutching her belly with both hands. “I—I don’t know what’s happening…” she whispers, her voice tapering into a whimpering cry.
My wolf rises instantly, restless beneath my skin. I fight to steady my voice, curling my hands into fists when the scent of her heat enters my airways, turning my inner wolf wild. “It’s all right,” I say softly, though every muscle in my body is tightening with instinct. “You’re gonna be fine, Willow.”
I can’t tell her—not yet. Not when the truth would terrify her more than the demons ever could. She made it abundantly clear that she'll never sleep with me, and her fragility might lead her to run away again when she thinks that's what I want to do.
But as her pheromones fill the small space, warm and intoxicating, rousing my wolf as a feral growl builds in my chest, I realize the danger isn’t outside the hut anymore.
It’s right here, between us.
Chapter 12 - Willow
My eyes widen in horror as I notice Thane's green eyes turning dark, the obsidian orbs ensnaring me in what feels like a trance as he slips off the bed and stalks toward me. He doesn't even flinch, as if he weren't injured tonight, too focused on staring at me as if his eyes might take away this sudden, gripping pain.
Consuming me, the pain keeps me frozen, keeled over as it surges through my insides like an electric current that won't stop aching. My face twists with the incessant pain, my fingers digging into my lower belly as if I can pull the pain out.
“Do you have any idea what's going on?” Thane asks, his voice hoarse now as he stops half a meter away from me, keeping his distance with a hesitant hand reaching out.
“N-no!” The word rips from my throat as another searing bolt of pain slices my insides. “Hng—I don't know what's happening—gah!”
When another paralyzing ache grips me and drops me to my knees, tears flood my eyes, my vision hazy when Thane places a hand on my shoulder, and the sensation of his warmth spreads through my nerves and calms them.
“Well, I know what's happening to you. You're in heat, Willow,” Thane whispers, and I gasp in shock.
“No! That's not possible!” I protest, my eyes wide with horror as I shrug away from his touch. “I don't even—”
I don't even have a wolf. That's what I want to say, until another bout of licking pain arrests my insides, pooling in my core as if to answer my denial.
Heat.
It's something I've only ever heard about, but I've never experienced before. How is it even possible when I'm a wolfless omega?
Perhaps it has something to do with the magic that unlocked from my palms tonight in the height of a demon attack, but there's no time to think about the logistics when another shooting pain slices through my insides.
“Wh-what am I supposed to do?!” I wail when I have a moment to breathe between the contractions of pain.
“There's nothing you can do…” Thane whispers, his voice a heady drawl. “But there is something I can do.”
My eyes narrow into accusing slits as I glare at him. “No! I'm not sleeping with—”
“You wouldn't have to sleep with me, Willow,” Thane assures me with a sigh, his eyes remaining dark pits that I can barely read, except for a glint of sincerity in them. “I'll only make you feel better. I wouldn't even take my clothes off.”
He offers out a hand, but I remain hesitant to take it, glancing from his open palm to the intoxicating depths of his eyes. I can't miss the scent of mint that surrounds him, unable to stop the scent from filling my airways and making me highly aware of his bold presence.
“H-how…?” I breathe, intrigued and confused all at once, as I begin to rise to my feet again.
Thane nods at his open hand. “I'll show you. But you're gonna have to trust me.”
I open my mouth to throw out bitter, scornful words that rebuke the idea that I have to trust him—because Idon't—but the words spill out as a wretched cry rips out from deep in my chest when pain slices through me again. I'm about to fallover when strong hands grab me and keep me steady on my feet, swiftly turning me over to meet his soft eyes despite the darkness glossed over in them. Whatever I find in those eyes—sincerity, care—has me instantly feeling better, allowing the pain to subside.
“Trust me,” Thane whispers as his hand slides across my cheek. He cradles my face, the pad of his thumb gently stroking the scar I received when I'd been pushed around behind the Blood Claw laundry room a few years ago. But his eyes remain soft, full of wonder, as if the scar doesn't disgust him the way I thought it would.
When his eyes flicker to my mouth, my natural response is to part my lips on an exhale, a wordless signal that I'm giving consent to cross this threshold. How can I be resistant any longer when his touch soothes me, when his mere breath has me feeling warmth throughout every inch of my body?
I nod briskly, prompting him to lean in and press his lips to mine. When a burst of pleasant, tingling sensations spreads through me, I realize that this is exactly what I needed, the pain disappearing as he kisses me.
My arms fly around his neck, a moan escaping my lips and echoing into his mouth as I search for more, deepening the kiss as I push myself toward him. Gone are the restrictions keeping me in denial of how good this feels, how much I need him, because deep down, I know I do.
I've just been resistant, but with his lips on mine, his tongue dipping into the cavity of my mouth, the sensations pooling between my thighs have me throwing all resistance away.
