"Naomi," I said carefully. "Do you want us to call a heat service? We can have someone here in twenty minutes."
"No." She shook her head violently. "No strangers. I can't do strangers. Just you. Please."
"Okay," Rowan said quietly. "Just us."
But neither of us moved. Because approaching an Omega who didn't want to be here, who felt trapped, that was a line we wouldn't cross. Even if she was our mate. Even if we'd searched and prayed for this moment. Consent mattered more than anything.
"We need to talk first," I said.
"No talking. Just help me. Please. It hurts so much."
"I know it hurts. And we will help you. But first, we need to pull back the heat a little. Get you clearheaded enough to communicate properly."
She looked at me with desperate, glazed eyes. "How?"
"Alpha saliva can help," I explained. "It won't stop the heat, but it might ease it enough that you can think. Enough that you can tell us what you really want."
"I want the pain to stop."
"I know. But sweetheart," I moved closer to the edge of the nest, staying outside until she gave permission. "If we do thisand you regret it later, we'll never forgive ourselves. So we need you lucid. We need you to be able to choose this."
She stared at me for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Okay. Help me think."
"May I come into your nest?" I asked.
Another nod.
I climbed in carefully, moving to where she lay curled up. "This is going to feel good. It's going to ease the pain temporarily. But it's not sex. It's just relief. Okay?"
"Okay."
I settled between her legs, gently pushing them apart. She was still slick, her body desperate for attention. It called to my instincts to fuck her until my knot was so deep inside her that it’d hurt us both. Her scent was loud, aggressive, and desperate for us. I had to will those instincts to shut the hell up, so we could care for our mate. Even my wolf was helping to hold back the instincts because something was wrong.
"Tell me if it's too much," I said.
Then I put my mouth on her. She cried out, not in pain, but in relief. Her hands fisted in my hair as I worked her slowly, letting my saliva mix with her slick, letting the Alpha hormones in it soothe her overheated system. It took several minutes, but I felt the change. Felt her body relaxing slightly. Felt the desperation easing into something more manageable. When I finally pulled back, her eyes were clearer. Not completely lucid, but better.
"How do you feel?" Rowan asked.
"Less crazy." She looked between us. "But I still need help."
"We know," I said gently. "But now we need you to tell us the truth. Do you want our help? Or do you just need it?"
She closed her eyes. "I don't know the difference anymore."
"Then we're not doing this." Rowan's voice was firm. "Not until you do."
Her eyes snapped open. "But the heat could kill me."
"We'll manage the heat," I said. "We'll use our mouths, our hands, whatever you need to stay comfortable. But we're not knotting you. We're not claiming you. Not until you can honestly say you want us here."
"Why?" The question came out broken. "Why do you care? You're Alphas. You could just take what you want. You don’t need me to agree."
"Because we're not those Alphas," Rowan said quietly. "And we never will be."
She stared at us for a long moment, tears still streaming down her face.
Then, so quietly I almost missed it, "Thank you."
