Chapter one
Iris
“Whatdoyoumeanthey can’t refill my suppressant prescription?” I shout to my assistant and friend, Sadie, as I pace the length of my Star Trailer, my usual sweet strawberry scent turning bitter.
“They wouldn’t let me, Iris. The pharmacist said it wasn’t approved by your doctor.”
“Oh no,” I groan. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m sorry. I tried. I even had them call the office but it didn’t work.”
The voice of my regular doctor last week saying,“You need to have a normal heat or your body will suffer serious consequences,”rings through my memory. That’s why I went to a new one. A doctor who works at a very sought after “Omega only” clinic in Beverly Hills. My agent assured me that if I went to an appointment there, I wouldn’t have a problem getting another round of suppressants prescribed to me. Or at least enough to get me through the next month of shooting this big budget romantic comedy,Knotting Hill. The role of a lifetime, one that every actor would kill to have.
“Did they call the new doctor’s office or my old one?”
“The one on the prescription.”
“Ugh, that’s the new one then!” I twirl a lock of my long dark brown hair as I continue to pace. “I don’t understand! That doctor assured me they’d fill it.”
“I don’t know, Iris. I’m so, so sorry. I tried everything, I swear.”
A high-pitched whine explodes out of me, my high-heeled feet wearing a hole into the expensive furry white rug I requested in my trailer. It’s beautiful and soft. The kind of rug my Omega wants to faceplant in right now before covering herself in a million blankets, transforming the floor into a makeshift nest. But I can’t do that. I won’t do that. I have a movie to shoot and today is my first day on set. I can’t show up out of sorts; I need to get myself together and make a good first impression.
I stop pacing in front of her. “Do you still have the prescription?”
She shakes her head, her short black bob with peekaboo blue highlights brushing her round cheeks. “No, they took it from me.”
I blow out a breath as I observe her. Sadie’s a sweet Beta who's been my assistant and a good friend for a couple years now, and by the wide-eyed look on her face combined with her smell, I’ve terrified her. Her light lavender scent that often calms me reeks of dying flowers. My stomach flips and nausea bubbles up my throat.
“I’m sorry for yelling, I know it’s not your fault. I’m just stressed,” I say.
More than stressed. But I shouldn’t take it out on Sadie. If I should be upset at anyone it’s my agent and the doctor. I’mreallypissed at him. Why did he deny my prescription when he wrote the damn thing in the first place?Fucking, fuck!
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sadie asks. “I was told there’s an entire department with nesting supplies. I could go and get some items for you if that would comfort you—”
“No!” My Omega tries to protest again but I cut her off. She may want nesting supplies our nice Beta friend offered to get us, but I’m not going to cave. Not only because I don’t want to hide and get all out of sorts then have to force myself out of comfort to go on set and work, but I don’t need to throw myself intoa heat faster. Nesting would for sure put my hormones out of whack more than they already are. And if the supplies are from old movie and TV sets, the smells will be all over the place and that won’t do.
“Okay.” Sadie reaches out to place her hand on my shoulder. She squeezes it gently. “You remember that my sisters are Omegas, right?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“My mom used to make this natural tea to help curb pre-heat symptoms. I’ll see if I can get that. Are you feeling anything that would make you think your heat is coming soon?”
I close my eyes and tap into my instincts. My Omega has been high-strung lately because I’ve been on suppressants for too long without a break. She wants to go home to our condo, sit in her comfy nest with the twinkly lights on the ceiling above, and eat Rocky Road ice cream, maybe use our battery-operated friend with a silicone knot to ease the ache I’ve been ignoring between my thighs for months now.
However, none of those things are pre-heat symptoms, they’re natural Omega responses to stress and to being on suppressants long term. I shouldn’t be showing any pre-heat signs yet. I only took my last dose yesterday, and since I’ve been on them for a full year, it should take some time for them to clear my system.
The last time I came off, I’d been using them for six months and it took two weeks before symptoms like a low-grade fever appeared, and I had my first heat spike that I eased with said silicone knot. Logically, after a year, it should take longer…maybe a month. That’s what I’m hoping for. Then again, last time I was isolated on vacation, with hardly any scents around me, no hot Alphas in sight, and none of the stress of work pressing down on me.
I swallow hard and squeeze my eyes shut. No, no. I can’t stress myself out more than I already am or think of sexy Alphas. I have to think positively.
Itwilltake me longer to have pre-heat symptoms. Iwillbe fine. I can get through this month-long shoot without incident. Ineed tomake it through. There’s no other choice. This is my absolute dream role and I’m lucky to even be here considering I’m a replacement. The last Omega, Molly, an actor whose star has been on the rise the last year, had to pull out because she found out she was pregnant and was having horrible morning sickness that lasted most of the day.
When my agent called and said the role was mine if I wanted it, I said yes without a second thought. Had I planned to take time off to safely go off suppressants, have my heat at a clinic with a scent-sensitive pack instead of alone, and then get a new prescription filled? Yes. But like I said, my agent assured me I could get it refilled with her fancy Hollywood doctor.
“Iris?”
I take another large inhale and exhale before I open my eyes to Sadie’s worried green ones. I’ve been standing here with my eyes clamped shut and a death grip on the lock of hair I’d been twirling.
