Josie had gone into her bedroom to pack her things. The three of us were awkwardly waiting in the living room, wanting to go to our mate but also needing to respect her desire for space. Cam grew impatient and started pacing, covering the room with just a few long strides.
“What’s taking so long?” he muttered.
“It’s been five minutes,” Theo responded evenly, as if he wasn’t feeling just as impatient.
We all waited another minute until Cam couldn’t help himself.
“Josie, you alright, sweetheart?” he said through her bedroom door.
“Yeah,” a faint voice said from the other side.
The three of us threw the door open before giving it a second thought. Josie was lying on top of a mattress on the floor, shivering so hard her whole body shook. She was trying to pull a blanket over herself.
“What’s wrong, gorgeous?” I said, trying not to feel panicked as I pushed the other two out of the way, ignoring Cam’s snarl, so I could pull the blanket over her.
“Cold,” she said, her teeth chattering. She looked over at Cam. “I guess it’s revenge for me laughing at you in the pool.”
Cam smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I found more blankets in a basket by her bed and started bundling her up, wrapping my arms around her so my body heat could warm her.
“The fever can cause chills,” Theo said, a pained expression on his face. “Maybe the pool was too cold.”
“It felt good,” Josie said. “Maybe I should just stay here.” She buried herself further under the blankets.
Cam let out a growl. “Out of the question.”
Josie whimpered at his harsh alpha tone.
“Shit, baby girl, that came out wrong. I’m sorry,” Cam said, sitting down on the bed and stroking Josie’s hair. “Your wet hair probably isn’t helping with the chills. Let’s see if we can get it dried, and we’ll help you pack up the rest of your stuff. Just tell us what to do,” he said softly.
Josie peered at Cam from the blanket nest. “Okay,” she whispered, her teeth still chattering.
“Do you have a blow dryer, gorgeous?” I asked.
“Yeah, in the bathroom.”
“Why don’t I bring it in here and dry your hair while Cam and Theo pack?” The bathroom was just across the hall from the bedroom, and I decided to go ahead and gather all her things in a bag.
“You warming up at all, precious?” I asked when I returned, already knowing the answer when I saw her blue lips.
Josie whimpered. “I’m still cold. Why am I cold?”
I gently lifted her up into a seated position, adding some extra blankets to the mountain surrounding her, obscuring all of her except her head. She looked up at me with the most vulnerable expression.
“It must be the fever making you feel cold,” I said, cupping my hand against her cheek.
It felt like I had won the biggest prize in the universe when she leaned into me. Her face was hot to the touch and her cheeks were flushed.Is it okay for her to be covered in blankets? Should we try to cool her down?My chest clenched with anxiety, echoing what my brothers were already feeling. I took a deep breath and focused on what I could do in the moment, vowing to read everything about omega heats when we got home. Last night I hacked my way into old online archives on suppressants and heats that the government replaced with their propaganda, but I hadn’t had a chance to read them yet.
“Let me dry your hair and you’ll feel better.”
“I can dry my hair,” she said as she closed her eyes, still learning her face into my hand.
“I know you can, but it would make me happy to do it.”
I honestly didn’t think she could do it right now with how she was shaking, but I also knew that it was important for her to be independent. I was ready to bond her, to make the connection I already felt permanent, but she didn’t feel that way yet and I would respect her pace.
I plugged in the blow dryer and started working on her hair in sections. Her hair was soft and brown with golden highlights. Getting to care for her filled me with a sense of purpose.
“How are you so good at this?” she whispered, her eyes still closed.
