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I breathe him in as the toys lock inside me, and he keeps me held tightly in his embrace, both of us breathing heavily.

He’s probably as exhausted as I am.

I demand alotof him during my Heat, and he’s always eager to try new things. He makes my Heats pleasurable and fun.

He obviously doesn’t care that I called himAlpha, but I do.

I bury my nose in his skin, breathing in his clean, subtle scent until I succumb to sleep.

Still, my inner Omega is horrified.

What have I done?

2

BEN

Devyn wearsher emotions on her face, especially during her Heat.

Even when she’s asleep.

There’s a little furrow on her brow, one that’s caused by guilt—and no matter what I do, I won’t be able to assuage it.

I know she feels terrible for calling me an Alpha; she’s never done that before.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s natural and only proves my point.

She needs to find her pack.

But that’s also not my call—I can’tforceher to find Alphas, and I’m not about to go look for them on my own.

Once Devyn is breathing deeply, I slowly move her off me and sit up in the nest, running a hand through my hair.

I need to prepare for when she wakes up again.

The damn crease is still on her brow, and I try to wipe it away with my fingers. She hums in her sleep, but it still doesn’t go away.

My girlfriend is the most stubborn creature on earth.

She’s also the kindest and most loving, but sometimes she’s more complicated to solve than my cases at the detective agency.

Getting Devyn to see reason can be like trying to guess the combination to a safe.

It’s just not going to fucking happen.

I run my fingers through a tangled blonde curl, studying her face as she sleeps. The blanket has slid off her shoulder to reveal her mating gland, red and raised from my teasing.

She would welcome my mating bite without a second thought—she would beelatedto be tied to me permanently.

But not until we complete the pack.

Her stomach gurgles in her sleep, and that’s when I remember she still hasn’t eaten.

All that’s in her stomach is coffee.

“Shit,” I hiss.

We got so wrapped up inactivitiesthat I forgot to make her eat before we even started.