It started this morning as a dull ache that I dismissed as ordinary cramps. But there’s nothing ordinary about this. It’s intensifying by the minute, radiating outward from my core in hot waves that leave me dizzy and disoriented.
Nora tosses more items onto the growing pile beside her backpack. “I need my flashlight, and my bug spray, and…”
“Wait,” I interrupt, trying to focus despite the heat building under my skin. “Your backpack can only hold so much.”
She turns to look at me properly, her excited smile fading. “Francine? Your face is all red. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lie, plastering on a smile that feels more like a grimace. “Just excited for you. This trip is going to be amazing.”
Nora doesn’t look convinced, her small brow furrowing as she studies me. “You look sick. Should I get Kieran?”
“No!” I say, suddenly panicked. “Sorry, sweetheart. I just don’t want to bother him. Let’s focus on getting you packed.”
I force myself onto my knees, ignoring the stabbing pain that accompanies the movement. We need to finish packing soon, before whatever’s happening to me gets worse. The bus arrives in less than twenty minutes.
Nora continues adding items to her backpack, and I do my best to help her organize. My hands shake as I fold her clothes, and moisture gathers between my thighs in a way that sends alarm bells ringing through my foggy mind.
This isn’t normal.
The bedroom door swings open, and Kieran strides in with his brothers close behind. All four alphas crowd into the pink bedroom, their massive frames making the space feel suddenly tiny. Their combined scents are powerful. The scents of pine, cinnamon, lemon, and peanut butter swirl together into an intoxicating mixture that makes my insides clench with need.
“How’s the packing coming along, monster?” Drake asks Nora, ruffling her hair affectionately.
I can barely breathe.
Their presence intensifies whatever’s happening to me, my body responding to their pheromones in a way that’s almost painful. Heat pools between my legs, and I shift uncomfortably,praying they can’t smell the sudden slick that’s dampening my leggings.
“Francine’s not feeling good,” Nora announces, pointing at me accusingly. “She’s all red and shaky.”
Four pairs of alpha eyes turn to me in unison, their expressions shifting from casual interest to sudden intensity. Rowan’s nostrils flare slightly, and I see his eyes widen a fraction.
“I’m fine,” I insist, pressing my thighs together as another cramp hits me. “Just a little tired.”
Elias steps closer, his amber eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “You don’t look fine.”
I avoid his gaze, focusing instead on Nora’s backpack. My hands move mechanically, arranging and rearranging items with no real purpose other than to distract myself from the alphas’ scrutiny. The longer they stay in the room, the worse I feel. My skin prickles with sensitivity, every nerve ending alive and screaming for contact.
“Nora, we need to leave in ten minutes,” Kieran says, checking his watch. His ice-blue eyes flick back to me, lingering in a way that makes my stomach flip. “The bus won’t wait.”
“I’m ready!” Nora zips her backpack closed with difficulty. “Are you all coming to see me off?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Rowan says quietly, his golden-brown eyes still fixed on me with unsettling intensity.
I try to stand to help Nora with her backpack, but my legs buckle beneath me as Drake catches me. Pain shoots through my abdomen, worse than before, and I sink back to the floor with a gasp.
“Here,” he says, helping me sit back on the floor.
“Francine?” Nora’s voice sounds distant through the roaring in my ears.
“I’m okay,” I manage, though it’s clearly a lie. “I just... I think I might be coming down with something. I should probably stay here while you guys go to the bus.”
“But you promised you’d wave goodbye,” Nora says, her lower lip trembling slightly.
My heart clenches at her disappointment. “Come here,” I say, opening my arms from my seated position on the floor.
Nora rushes into my embrace, and I hug her tightly.
“Have the best time,” I whisper into her curls. “Take pictures of everything, and I want to hear all about it when you get back.”
