“That’s true.”
A beat. A slow fucking beat as she sucks in a breath and holds my whole heart in her hands.
“Is this a joke?”
I wince at her tone, but I try to reach out for her, my voice going as soft as I know how. “I’m sorry, it's not a joke, darlin’.”
Veda steps away from me, her eyes wide and full of mistrust when her pet name slips between my lips. I know what she’s going to say before it’s even out.
“Don't call me that,” she rasps.
Fuck, if her rejection doesn’t hurt, but I know I don’t have the right to feel this hurt when she’s going through it all. My empty hands close in a fist.
“I don't know how this happened, Veda. I don't know how you end up here without knowing.”
That triggers a laugh from her, cold and sarcastic, nothing like her at all. “So now it’s my fault?”
“Of course not—”
“Did I miss something?” she continues as the words stumble out of her, and she looks everywhere but at me. “I didn’t even know this existed. I’m still not sure it’s even real.”
Fuck. The hardness in her eyes dissolves, giving place to the hurt. I’m rooted at the spot, fucking at a loss for words like an idiot when she starts crying. Fuck. Despite her rejection, I can’t hold myself back from putting my hands on her. I can’t see her cry without trying to do something to stop the river of tears.
“No, no, no. Of course, it's not your fault.” My arms fold around her, and she thankfully lets me. The air comes out in one go, and I relax with her tucked right under my chin.
“I don’t even know what this means, Derrick.”
“Omegas are something rare and special.” I swallow the pet name, afraid she’ll walk away from me once again. “There’s so much about you that is a miracle. Not only to me, but to everyone.”
I’m so incredibly inept to tell her this story, but fuck, I’m all she has. I should have paid more attention to biology class, but it hurt too bad. What Alpha wants to sit around and talk about Omegas, knowing they will never really know what scent-matching feels like?
“Your mom said I’m biologically different.” She blinks at me. “Different how?”
Shit. I don’t even know where to start, but I swallow my fear. My hand finds the small of her back, and I anchor myself to the moment.
“Omegas are able to scent-match to a pack. And when they do, her body changes to receive her pack.”
Am I really telling this right? Probably not. Once the idea of Veda going through a heat is in my mind, I can barely think straight.
“What kind of changes?” She frowns.
Goddammit.I lick my lips, trying to keep the desire out of my impromptu bio class.
“When an Omega scent-matches with her pack, she’ll start her heat. It’s her body’s warning that they are meant to be, and she can get ready to receive them.”
Veda rolls her eyes. “What do you mean by ready?”
My eyes fall closed for just a moment before I gather the strength to talk about this to her.
“Alphas are…” I clear my throat. “Big. Taking three Alphas is a lot. The heat helps her body to accommodate all that power. She gets slick, relaxed. It’s a fever, and it’ll only go away after she gets knotted by her pack.”
The image of her going through heat is something out of my filthiest dreams. I try my hardest to hold together the threads of my rationality, but it’s hard when she’s watching me like this, all innocent and perfumed.
“Derrick?”
My eyes go to her lips and the way they move around my name. I want to see those lips around my cock. Fuck, I want that so bad.
“Yeah?” Throat dry, heart hammering.
