Page 47

When it was time for dinner, I heated pasta from the restaurant, but I had also found a packet of turkey dinosaurs in the freezer.

That, in my opinion, made for a perfect match.

Joey was very much in agreement.

She wolfed down her food as I leaned over the counter, picking at my own bowl. My stomach was turning, cramping, and sweat was beading along my hairline. Running my hand through my hair, I took a few deep, measured breaths. The last thing I wanted to do was worry Joey, but she was more concerned with playfully biting the heads off her turkey dinosaurs.

“Hey, kiddo, I’m just going to run to the bathroom.”

Joey looked up at me, a frown marring her face. “Beth, you’re really pale…”

“I’m just feeling a little icky. I’m probably not all better yet. It’s nothing to worry about, though. By the time I get back, I expect all of your dinosaurs to have no heads. Okay?”

She nodded, a glimmer of excitement entering her eyes as she picked up another dinosaur.

Reassured that she was all right, I climbed up the stairs to the bathroom as my stomach started to twist even more violently and my vision swam.

Closing the bathroom door a little too hard, I pressed my back against it, taking a deep breath as I ignored the cramps tearing through my abdomen.

For a while, I just stood there, dragging in deep, slow breaths, willing my heart rate to slow. Every part of my body felt electrified, but not in an excited way—in an icky, unwell sort of way. My pulse was through the roof, and I could feel sweat gathering at the back of my neck and my palms.

I stilled as it dawned on me what could possibly be going on.

Was I going into heat?

Sure, I had all the symptoms of going into heat, but I took suppressants religiously and had never actually experienced a full heat.

“Bethany?” Jensen’s voice rang out, along with a knock on the bathroom door. “Are you okay? Joey said you weren’t feeling very well.”

I silently cursed. Clearly, he had just gotten home and spoken to Joey. It was obvious what was going on, but I didn’t knowwhyit was happening. I had been on suppressants since I was a preteen. The moment I had shown signs of maturing, my fathers had put me on them. They took me to the doctor and let them explain the heat cycle.

“I…fuck, I don’t feel well.”

“Are you in heat?” he asked incredulously. “I can smell you…”

“I take suppressants every day,” I hissed. “I can’t be in heat.”

There was a moment of silence, then a curse from Jensen. “Uh, Bethany. The medications I gave you while you were sick… they can make suppressants not work. Jesus, you smellreallystrong.”

Great. Just fucking great.

Embarrassment heated my face. I wanted the ground to swallow me up. Jensen Noble could smell the slick that was already soaking through my underwear.

“Yeah…” I trailed off.

I was totally going into heat. I couldn’t deny it. The cramps were increasing, and sweat was beading on my brow. Of all the fucking places to go into heat! If only I was at home with my nest… and my vibrator.

“Okay, what do we do?” he asked frantically.

“I don’t know what to do!”

I heard muffled voices as one of the other pack members clearly joined Jensen outside the door.

“Bethany?” Gideon’s voice joined in.

Fuck.

The low, gravelly tone made another wave of cramps roll through my body.