Jarek, my second alpha, likes to joke that we shouldn't have made our home so perfect. Because maybe then I would get outmore. Sometimes I really believe I'm holding them back. At least Silas leaves for his job multiple times a week.
"Her nose is red!" Jarek shouts.
Jay towers over us on the porch a few steps up. At six-foot-four, with his long dirty blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail and his arms crossed over his toned chest, he could be scary. But he's not. He's literally the best. Comforting, playful, protective,andhe dances for me...exotically. Jarek is amazing.
So why the hell does it bother me beyond belief when he swoops me into his arms and drags me back inside? Silas just chuckles and maneuvers around us without helping me get away from the overbearing alpha.
Of course, I don't say anything. If Jarek needs to make sure I'm warm and okay after going on a walk for twenty minutes, who am I to tell him no?
"So, I was thinking about this song that just came out the other day..." Jarek rambles, filling the silence like he does when he's nervous. I wonder if he's picking up on my attitude. Probably. I've never heard of a pack that is as in tune with their omega as mine is with me.
A dull ache forms in my left temple and eyebrow; a heat headache is forming. Absently, I can feel Kade's bond trying to soothe the pain and stress. No such luck, not as I'm once again being dragged through the house by my hand and up the stairs to our room.
My vision tunnels as I try to fade and sink into the feel of our mating bonds, but it doesn't work. I can't shut Jarek out. He wants to keep me here, to keep me present and happy, but it's not helping. Nothing is helping.
The stairway feels suffocating, and Jarek's grip on my hand makes me panic. I may have wanted to feel snuggled in, but this feels like the world is closing in on me. My neck and lower back itch with the prickling sensation of sweat and anxiety.
I can still hear him talking, but I have no clue what he's saying. The ringing in my ears gets louder and sharper until I'm flinging myself away from him, landing on my hands and knees at the top of the staircase.
"Vivian!" another male voice shouts. My inner omega whimpers and reaches for him. I try like hell to shove her down and give me a second to justthink. Or maybe that's the opposite of what I need.What do I need?!
"Baby, what's wrong?" I can tell it's Kade rushing to us from the small kitchenette upstairs. "Jarek, what the hell?"
Too much.Not enough, my omega defies.
Someone grabs my trembling wrist, and it's then I realize I closed my eyes. They fly open on the heels of sheer adrenaline. Where my tongue once felt swollen and stuck to the roof of my mouth, it sharpens.
"NO! Stop fucking talking!”
Jarek pales and lets out a string of curses. Crouching near me, he tries to calm me down. "Breathe, Butterfly. Right now."
His tone isn't a bark, so it doesn't penetrate the rising panic. Hissing, I bare my teeth at my wonderful alpha to make him leave.
Why am I behaving this way?! I don't want to feel this much! Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!
"ENOUGH!" Kade roars as his tether wraps around my forehead and reaches lower to grip my throat gently, forcing me to pay attention and listen. The panic attack mixes my subconscious and real life, paralyzing me while demanding I submit.
Hisalpha roar will send a shocked gasp through me every time. My throat convulses. I slam my eyes closed, once again too weak to deal with the damage and heartache I'm causing.
I keep my eyes firmly shut, trying as hard as I can to focus on the protectiveness flaring and expanding in their soulsrather than the frowns and downturned lips. It doesn't last long, because I'm soon swooped off my butt and cradled to Kade's chest.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out, fear debilitating me. Kade carries me bridal style through our mini living room, into our bedroom, and beelines for the nest.
As soon as we're through the doorway, I breathe a little easier. The cozy darkness of the black walls and comfort of the creamy curtains soothes me. Nothing abrasive belongs here.
"Here’s what's going to happen," he rumbles, dropping to his knees in our family nest. More specifically, myheatnest. My heart pounds painfully as he releases me and removes his touch from my clammy skin. "Silas, double check the mini fridge and snacks. Jarek, get your ass in here and help me."
What about me?"I—" I swallow.
"I got you," Kade coos, all traces of the raging alpha gone. "You're right at the edge of nosediving into your heat, little mate. This one came much faster."
Two days.It only took two freaking days when normally the heat spikes, or in my case heat detachment, last for about a week before we're all fucking like bunnies.
"I don't—" I croak, unable to finish my sentence as a wave of insecurities steal my breath. Another difference. I don't find my sexiness until there's at least one cock inside of me. Until my pack takes care of my body, my mind runs rampant. I require so much from them.
Burden. High maintenance.
A hand on my throat shuts my mind off, and my alpha's whiskey storm scent infiltrates my psyche."Omega," Kade rumbles, pushing me onto my back and fitting his hips between my legs.
