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Lloyd ran his hands down my body.

“I hope you know that isn’t the last one I’m giving you.”

“We have time. But I think we need to invite the others.”

17

Ajax

Lloyd: Meet us in the nest. Fast.

The message came through the group chat twenty minutes ago and I was still hiding in the gym.

Spiraling.

Tully’s attraction to me couldn’t be real. It was driven by her heat spike, not because she actually wanted me. I dragged my hand over my stomach and curled my lip at my reflection. How could I meet her in our nest and not feel self-conscious? I wasn’t muscular like Walden, athletic like Lloyd, or lithe like Pan. My gut bulged over my waistband and even though I dressed well, it didn’t change the fact that I was overweight.

My phone vibrated, and I checked the message.

Tully: I need you.

Ice crashed over me, and I cursed under my breath. Was I really going to waste my chance with a beautiful omega by wallowing in the gym? I ran to the nest and squeezed myself through the entryway, almost losing my courage as the walls hugged my hefty sides. But Tully’s tantalizing scent reeled me in. I blinked as I adjusted to the darkness.

I tasted honey in the back of my throat, raw, rich, and thick. Fleshy fig burst between my grinding teeth.

“He’s coming, Ajax’s almost here, honey girl,” Lloyd murmured, and his head popped up as I crawled on all fours into the room.

It wasn’t dignified. But my embarrassment faded as Tully whipped around and sent me a beaming smile. Her cheeks were too red to be natural and sweat spotted the oversized white shirt she wore. Walden and Pan sat stiffly in the armchairs next to the nest.

Why weren’t they inside?

“Finally, I thought you weren’t coming.” A frown passed over Tully’s features, and her lip wobbled for one moment before she caught it between her teeth.

Lloyd was naked, a blanket draped over his lap, and he arched an eyebrow. “Nice of you to join us.”

I didn’t dignify the pointed remark with a response, unbuttoning my shirt. This wasn’t the first time I’d been with an omega, but it was my first heat, and my fingers trembled. I’d read a dozen books on the subject. Walden and I agonized over building this nest, but it still didn’t feel real.

When I’d imagined an omega in our nest, I ticked off boxes.

Comfortableness, coziness, and practicality. But as the glinting starry lights embedded in the ceiling covered Tully in their soft glow, I knew no amount of planning could prepare mefor this moment. She fussed with a corner of the nest, tucking a rumpled blanket with a distracted scowl.

“Come in.” Tully flicked an impatient wrist.

Walden and Pan eyed me with unmasked jealousy.

Tully rose on her knees, and slick was a sheen between her legs. A wave of her scent crashed over me. My gums ached, and I swallowed a growl. The urge to lie Tully flat on her back and have my way with her was overwhelming. Instincts reared their primal head and gnashed insatiable teeth. Tully’s fingers swooped down at my chest, tearing open my remaining buttons with brutal precision.

“Oh yes,” she muttered, sliding her nimble fingers over my naked chest. Her nails scratched in her haste to remove my clothing. She crushed the white material on her face and sighed into it.

“Does your alpha smell good, Tully?” Lloyd smirked, like a man whose balls had been emptied more than once.

I rolled my eyes at him as Tully tucked my shirt into the padded cushion wall. She rocked back on her heels and assessed before she flapped her hands with a slight scowl.

“It’s not right,” —she trailed her fingers along the cushions—“it’s missing something.”

“Walden and Pan?” I offered, and her head snapped up, eyes unfocused.

“Yes, I need them too,” Tully muttered.