Page 20

“Can’t I just see her?” Sarina asks, wringing her blanket between her palms, her head tipped up to look at me.

“I’m so sorry.” I shake my head, crouching down so I’m on my heels, eye level with her. “You can’t. She’s not feeling very well, and she doesn’t want to get you sick, too.”

It’s not quite the truth, but Veva made it clear she didn’t want Sarina to see her like this. Didn’t want to freak her out about getting her own heat before being able to explain it to her.

“Okay,” Sarina says, but her voice is small. She turns, the blanket now bundled up against her chest as she stares out at the road. “Okay.”

We stand together on the porch, the cool night breeze rolling through, waiting. Eventually, two yellow headlights appear in the distance, and we watch as Kira and Dorian come rolling down the road, turning into the driveway.

“Hey, Sarina,” Kira says, voice calm and maternal. I blink at her—of course, Kira has had twin boys. She’s married now, with a partner, a family children of her own. But this is the first time that I really see her for the woman she is, and not the little girl from when we were kids.

Sarina steps into Kira’s arms without word, and Kira holds her for a second, then pulls back, smiles, and says, “Come on. We’re going to have a sleepover, and it will be so much fun.”

As Kira gets Sarina into the car, Dorian comes around the front, his eyes meeting mine. It’s the look of two alphas, knowing exactly what it’s like to be around an omega in heat.

“You going to be able to handle this?” Dorian asks, dipping his head.

“Yeah.” I swallow, try to give him my most confident grin as I shrug, act like it’s nothing. “It’s all good, man.”

Dorian stares at me for a long moment. Obviously, Omegas in this pack go into heat frequently.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not like we lose our heads the second we smell them—but being alone in the house?

It’s a different ball game. A little more tempting, sure, but stronger alphas shouldn’t really struggle.

The only difference is that Dorian doesn’t know Veva is my mate. If he did, he probably wouldn’t leave me here with her alone.

“Okay,” he says, finally, and I feel the twinge of guilt—the knowledge that I’m keeping something from him. But I know without asking that Veva wouldn’t want me sharing this information. Even with the alpha leader.

“Okay. Thanks for taking her.” I nod to the car, where Kira is buckling Sarina in.

“I’m surprised Veva is cool with it,” Dorian says, running his hand over his chin. “But Kira is excited. She wants to have a girl next, I think.”

That makes me laugh, then Kira is shoving a basket into my arms.

“These are for her,” she says—then, eyeing me, “You’d better be a gentleman, Emin.”

I nod, accept the basket, wave goodbye to them from the porch. Just outside the door, I can smell her—her scent amplified, thick, heady and feeling like it’s wrapping right around my throat.

“Veva,” I say, hearing how hoarse I am as I push through the door. “I’m coming back in—”

She’s standing in the center of the living room, her eyes shut, her hands pressed into her stomach. When I step in, her eyes fly open.

“They have her?”

“Yes, they just pulled away.”

“Is Kira going to text?”

“She said she would when they get home.”

“I need to get Sarina her own phone,” Veva says, starting to pace the floor. I stay rooted to the spot, ignoring the urge to go to her, put my hands on her.

Help her ease away some of this pain.

Moving slowly, I set the basket down on the table, then back up, like I’m doing a hostage exchange. “Here. This is stuff from Kira.”

But Veva doesn’t even glance at it, she’s too busy stalking back and forth, her hands in her hair.

“This is going to be horrible,” she says, voice low, eyes on the floor.

“It’s okay,” I try. “I’m here—”

“You don’t understand.” Her voice is rough, desperate. “Ten years of suppressing my heat—I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before. It’s going to—it’s going to be bad.”

“It’s okay , Veva. I’m here for you.”

“Ha,” she lets out a dry laugh, turning to face me, her pupils blown so big it instantly makes my skin feel warm. “Right.”

“Listen.” I cross my arms over my chest, shake my head, back up so there’s more space between us.

More space, and the couch, and the coffee table—my mind is already making a mental map of the quickest way to get to her.

Despite that, I go on. “Veva, listen—you’re safe with me, okay?

I’m not going to lie—it’s going to be rough, but I can behave.

I’ll keep you here, and I’ll keep you safe, and you can get through it and—”

“You don’t under stand , Emin,” she says, her eyes roaming up and down my body. She’s practically licking her lips as she looks at me. “It’s not you I’m worried about.”

I frown. “Nobody is going to bother you here—”

“Gods,” she laughs, shaking her head. Right now, she’s the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her—cheeks flushed, dark hair tousled, wearing shorts and a tank top, looking hungry.

Her long legs are exposed, her chest rising and falling quickly.

“You really don’t get it, do you? Emin, I’m not worried about anyone but myself.

I want to climb you like a fucking tree, do you get that? ”

I blink, unable to swallow, and she goes on, stalking toward me, her eyes dark and focused.

“Here I am, fucking flooded with lust,” she growls.

“And here you are. Standing in front of me. And I know —I know what you feel like, Emin.” Her eyes flick downward, and just like that, I go from half-hard to fully there, my cock pressing painfully against my pants.

When her eyes find mine again, she looks downright murderous.

“I know how good it would feel to ride you. I know that it would make all this wanting go away, at least for a second.”

It takes every ounce of self-control in my body to stay still. To not react to the fact that Veva is thinking about riding me— fuck —I have to keep my feet right where they are. The moment I give into the urge to move, I’m going to touch her.

She’s so close.

And she smells so fucking good.

“No,” I manage, shaking my head, forcing myself not to think with my dick. Pushing away the insistent lust, I clear my throat, find Veva’s eyes again.

Alphas and omegas. It’s supposed to be irresistible, that pull. Especially to your mate.

And it’s damn near killing me not to touch her right now, but I gather up the pain, the empty, aching yearning, and shove it to the bottom of me.

“No,” I say again, shaking my head in jerky movements. “I know that’s not what you want, Veva. I swear to the gods, I won’t lay a single finger on you.”

“But you don’t know anything , Emin,” she says, taking another step toward me, and she’s practically fucking panting. “Because I do want you. You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to want.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re in heat,” I shake my head again, take a step backward.

“No,” she counters. “I’m saying that because you’re my mate . And all those years ago—” she closes her eyes for a second, then opens them. “I thought you knew. When you turned me away. But you didn’t know. You’re not the man I thought you were.”

“It’s doesn’t matter, Veva. You’ve made it perfectly clear that you want nothing to do with me.”

“That’s when I thought you would have turned away a woman pregnant with your child.” She tips her head up, meets my eyes, holds my gaze. “But you didn’t.”

“And I wouldn’t.” We’re closer now. I could reach out and touch her. I don’t. “But this isn’t what you want—”

“Emin,” she practically hums. “It is what I want. I trust you. I need…fuck, I need to be touched right now. And I trust you to do it.”

Our stand-off holds. If she touches me, I’ll cave. Her words ring through my head— I am what she wants.

But that’s not what she means—she just means she wants me to help ease some of this pain, some of this lust. Not that she wants me. Not forever.

Not even after this heat.

Finally, it’s just one word from her mouth that finally brings down my walls.

Stepping forward, hovering her hand just above my chest, she whispers, “Please.”