She shuddered in my arms, her tears turning into soft sobs. My chest tightened and a sick feeling grew in my stomach. I was failing her as an alpha. Cam or Theo would know what to do. I was the inadequate one who could never be serious enough, never good enough. I almost offered to go get one of them, but couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her for one second.
“I’m sorry I’m bad. I’m such an inconvenience,” Josie said through sobs.
What the fuck was she talking about? Who had told her she was bad?
I squeezed her tighter against me, one hand firmly cradling the back of her head and the other on her lower back. Her skin felt hot even through the fabric of her tank top.
Then it clicked.
Her heat was starting.
Growing up with sisters taught me that heats made omegas feel emotional and vulnerable. I wished we had gotten a chance to spend more time with her before her heat started. Then we would have at least had a better sense of what comforted her. Hoping it was the right thing to do, I leaned into my alpha instincts.
“That’s not true, gorgeous. You are such a good girl. Your alphas want you here. We are so thrilled to have you. You are perfect, so sweet and beautiful, such a good omega.” I kept murmuring praise until her tears slowed and she took some deep breaths.
“I’m sorry I’m keeping you up,” she said softly, running her nose back and forth along my collarbone as she breathed in deeply.
I wished I knew what I smelled like to her—omegas could pick up alphas’ scents just like I could pick up every note of her mouthwatering cupcake vanilla scent. I pressed my face into her hair. She needed to stop apologizing to me, but at least she wasn’t crying anymore.
“You’re not keeping me up, gorgeous. I stay up late most nights.”
“Why did you go to bed so early tonight?”
“Everyone else was going to bed,” I said, shrugging. “And the guys like to get up early so we can work out in the morning.”
She scrunched her nose. “I hate waking up early. And working out.”
I laughed. “Same. It’s what I’ve always done, but maybe I should reevaluate now, especially if that means I get to have you to myself in the mornings.”
“Morning cuddles sound nice,” she mumbled into my chest.
“You can have all the morning cuddles you want. Now, tell me what you need. I’m assuming a brownie unless you only use those in self-defense.”
Josie blushed the cutest fucking shade of red. “Umm, no, I don’t just use them for self-defense.”
“Good answer, precious. Let’s get a plate of brownies, then. What else do you need? Water? More food?”
“You don’t have to get me anything,” she said quickly as she tried to slide off the island. I gripped her hips tightly, keeping her glued to the marble counter.
“I know this is a lot,” I said softly, my lips brushing her ear as I pulled her close again. “But I would love to take care of you right now.”
Josie pulled back and looked at my face intently like she was trying to figure something out.
“Oh… okay,” she responded.
“Thank you, precious,” I said, smiling. “Now, you stay there while I gather up our supplies.”
I tried to sound stern, but I didn’t know how convincing I was. Cam and Theo were the commanding ones, but maybe I had something to offer my mate right now. I wanted to make her smile and feel at ease. I quickly gathered a platter with brownies, chips, popcorn, soda, and water. I turned back to Josie, who was still on the counter.
“Good girl for doing as you’re told,” I murmured, running my hands up her bare thighs. Josie huffed an exasperated sigh, but I could scent her arousal swirling around me.Our girl gets off on praise.I suppressed a smile, tucking that tidbit of information away, hoping it would come in handy soon.
“Let’s go to the den and eat our snacks,” I said, helping her jump down from the island.
I guided Josie to the massive sectional. As she curled up into the deep cushions, I grabbed a blanket and spread it over her. My alpha was giddy with the simple act of taking care of our omega. I settled beside her, sitting as close as I could without crowding her. I grabbed a brownie and held it out, disappointed when she poked her hand out from the blanket to grab it instead of eating it out of my hand.
Usually, I felt the need to fill any silence with chatter, but sitting with Josie calmed me. We both ate our midnight snacks, and I relaxed into the couch. While I loved meeting new people, I sometimes felt like I couldn’t be fully myself in social settings. I was more at ease with Josie after one day of knowing her than with some people I had known for years.
Josie’s eyes grew heavier as she put down her snacks and curled up tightly under the blanket. Her vanilla scent was heady, and a smile tugged at my lips as I realized it would saturate the couch for days. I shifted so I was facing her, feeling like I would die if I had to look away, and took in her flushed cheeks, rosy pink lips, and the way her hair framed her face. I had to resist palming my cock, which had grown harder than I had ever felt.I might be a creepy stalker watching her sleep, but at least I’m not going to sit here and jack off. It’s called boundaries.
