“I love it,” she says, voice soft. Her fingers peek out to trace the lavender flowers embroidered on the corner, and then she sticks her nose into it again, huffing a deep breath.
We snuggle for a few minutes, then I drop a kiss on the top of her head before bringing up the subject we’ve all been avoiding.
“Can we talk about your upcoming heat?”
Sage tenses in my arms, as I expected her to, and I rev my purr to life in my chest. It helps relax her, and she sinks back into me. My protective instincts settle, my heart content with her tucked against me.
“I guess we probably should,” she says.
“I don’t mean this in a bad way, I just want to understand. Why don’t you want to talk about it?”
She’s quiet for a few moments before answering.
“I don’t know what to expect. I’ve only ever had heats with Josh and—” she cuts herself off, then changes direction. “I’m scared. I liked what we did the other night, but heat is different. It hurts.”
“It shouldn’t hurt if we’re doing it right,” I murmur, stroking a hand through her mass of wavy brown hair, teasing out a few knots with my fingers. I can’t believe how long it is, and I have no idea how she puts up with it in this summer heat.
“It…” she frowns, turning to look at me. “What do you mean?”
Wait, what? What does she mean what do I mean?
“Sage,” I start, choosing my words carefully. “Are you telling me that they didn’t give you what you needed during your heats?”
She frowns, but doesn’t answer. Does she not know what she needs? How is that possible?
“Let’s back up for a second. Can you tell me more about what a heat was like with Josh?”
“You don’t want to hear it,” she says, glancing away.
“No, but I think I need to. For all of us.” I give her an encouraging squeeze. “There’s nothing you can say that will change how I feel about you. You’re not getting rid of me at this point, Sweetling.”
That brings a tiny quirk to her lips, and she sighs before speaking.
“Josh and whatever friends he invited, they’d… fuck me,” she stumbles over the words, and my purr tries to turn to a growl when I hear them.
I force my muscles to relax and my purr to soften.
“But they only did what they wanted, when they wanted. Most of the time I was on my own. If I asked for things, they wouldn’t do it until I was crying. They said they had to wait until I really needed it otherwise my heat wouldn’t ever end.”
This time the growl punches through, and Sage’s wide eyes dart to mine.
“I’m not mad at you, sweet omega.” I tuck her back into me, tightening my hold as my alpha instincts yank on the thread that prevents me from going feral. I take a deep breath, sinking my nose into her hair and huffing her lavender scent like it’ll keep me sane.
Hopefully, it will.
“I’m ready to tear out the throats of whatever alphas thought it was okay to torture an omega during her most vulnerable moments.”
Chapter Forty
Sage
“So… Can you tell me what it’s supposed to be like?” Shame floods through me, tinging my lavender scent rotten and soapy.
“Of course, but Sage,” Vee nudges me, requesting my eyes again. I don’t want to look at her, but I do anyway.
“None of this is your fault. They were the ones in the wrong. You were asking for what you needed, and them denying you says everything about how awful they are, and nothing about how perfect you are.”
Her purr rumbles back to life, vibrating into my tense muscles, and her hand passes soothingly up and down my blanket-covered arm, combing through my hair. I try to force myself to take deep breaths, to relax and let her help me.
