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Cassie promptly stuck her hand in his pizza and smeared the sauce all over her face.

Uriel sighed. “Cass.”

She grinned and did it again.

“She learned that from you, didn’t she?” Bruiser grinned.

Uriel narrowed his eyes. “Maybe it’s the genes she got from you. You’re always making a mess everywhere.”

Bruiser raised an eyebrow. Uriel was not thinking about any messes anyone made.

His burning face betrayed him, though.

Bruiser grinned.

Since they knew what to expect from the previous two days, dealing with the omegas and the police was a lot easier. Uriel handed out both their phone numbers and some cash to help the omegas get to wherever they needed to go.

“Where do you live?” Orrin asked hesitantly, when it was just him and a few of the scarred omegas left.

“We don’t have anywhere to go,” Yves explained.

“Tell you what,” Bruiser said. “My friends and I own a few safe houses for omegas who need a place to stay. We sent some of yesterday’s omegas ahead to those safe houses; why don’t you drive down to Cartfalls and see if that’s where you’d like to stay for a while?”

They hitched a ride in two police cars to the nearest big town. Bruiser bought them some prepaid phones, then rented a car and sent them off in it.

“You trust them with a car rented under your name?” Uriel asked.

Bruiser shrugged. “They seemed trustworthy. Besides, I can afford to replace it.”

Uriel swayed on his feet, his body burning hotter now.

Bruiser frowned. “You’re all flushed.”

“I feel warm,” Uriel muttered. “Not sure what’s wrong.”

The alpha brushed his palm over Uriel’s forehead. The friction sent pleasure through his skin; he moaned and leaned into Bruiser’s touch, an ache swelling through his bones.

“Uriel?” Bruiser said slowly. “You’re feverish.”

Bruiser smelled good. Better than good. Actually, he smelled irresistible right now, and Uriel drooled to have him so close.

“Uriel,” Bruiser said. “Are you in heat?”

14

HEAT

“Oh,” Uriel murmured. He hadn’t realized he was damp between his legs. “I think I’m wet.”

Bruiser inhaled sharply. “Okay. I don’t want to presume anything. While we’re in town, would you like to... rent a room here? Buy some toys to help with your heat?”

Uriel swayed toward him. “Just you. I don’t need anything else.”

Bruiser froze.

Damn it. Did those words really slip out of Uriel’s mouth?

The thing was, he still trusted Bruiser. Bruiser had taken good care of him every time they’d slept together, even when Uriel was Aerie, even when he’d seen the scars on Uriel’s skin.