Page 79 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

Okay, now Emerson knew it was a test. One he would fail, because he didn’t want to lie to her.

“Well, for me and Odd… you know,” he began, cheeks flushing. “But otherwise, the whole bus is filled with you. That’s why we spend time in the venues.”

Lyric snapped her head back to stare up at him, a hint of hurt in her eyes before she hid it.

“It’s not your scent that’s difficult,” he continued. “You smell…” He leaned over to drift his nose up her neck, making her breath catch. “Delicious. But we can’t have you, and even dulled you affect us in ways we weren’t prepared for.”

“Why? Why is it so difficult?” she questioned, worry in her voice. “I’m not the only omega in the industry. I’ve never heard of issues like this. The label would have warned us. And it’s no secret I take suppressants.”

“I want you,” he told her, the words ground out like gravel, as if he hadn’t had her twenty minutes ago. “So fucking badly. All the time. Every time I walk into the common area, every time you open the door to your nest, every time you walk by.”

“You can have me,” she murmured, swaying into him. Her shoulder pressed against his chest and his breath caught.

Emerson couldn’t resist, dipping down to graze his lips over her neck before he pulled back. “It’s not just me, Lyric.”

Her lips parted, forming a perfect ‘O,’ and she studied his expression. “Oh,” she breathed.

A smirk twitched his lips. “Yeah. Oh. Odd’s had a crush long before he met you, and Nohen carries your torch so high I don’t know how his arms aren’t tired yet.”

Lyric swallowed. “Desi?”

“Doesn’t affect her, as far as I know. She has Amber, and if they weren’t both betas, I’m pretty sure they’d be bonded.”

Did she want them to come back? Would the others want to return early if Lyric asked?

Emerson knew the answer to that as soon as it crossed his mind.

Yes. Of course. Anything she wanted, they’d try to provide.

Even at their own expense.

“Do you want us to come back to the bus sooner?”

“No, you don’t have to,” she said, words rushed. “I don’t want to cause… problems. I just like knowing you guys are all here, even if I’m not in here. But never mind. We have a hotel break next week, so that’ll be nice for everyone.” She stared up at him. “Please don’t say anything.”

Emerson would never—ever—let this thought pass his lips. But he was almost certain why Lyric liked knowing they were ‘home.’

It was an omega thing.

And Lyric seemed determined to be anything but an omega.

Today is the day.

Lyric bounced out of her nest and down the hallway, intending to ask someone to get her a bag of gummy bears from the gas station while they were stopped.

But she paused in the main room, realizing it was empty.

“Fine,” she said to the empty bus, and turned to grab her wallet from her room to get her own damned gummy bears.

At that exact moment, the bathroom door opened, and a shirtless, damp Adra exited. A towel was slung low on his hips, tied at the hip, and not doing much to conceal everything beneath.

“Oh, sugar,” he rumbled. “I thought everyone was gone. I forgot to bring my clothes,” he explained, and turned his back.

Lyric couldn’t form a single syllable while he walked away, his back muscles rippling under the waves of his ebony skin.

He rummaged through his bag, which was placed on one of the unused couches.

Lyric swallowed against her suddenly dry mouth. “It’s okay. I’m going to grab…” What was she grabbing? “Uhm, snacks from inside. Want anything?” she offered.