Page 108 of Daisy

"But this is different. This is personal now. This could lead to claiming." I press closer, my body seeking his warmth. "This could be forever."

"You're right." His thumbs stroke my cheeks. "Makes it worth everything."

When he kisses me, it's like everything clicks into place. Our first kiss, and I don't hold back. I pour everything into it: my want, my fear, my choice. When we break apart, we're both breathing hard.

For a moment, we just look at each other. Something has shifted between us, something that can't be taken back. The air feels charged with possibility and promise.

"I took my last suppressant this morning." I fist his shirt in my grip. "It's starting. Tomorrow, maybe the day after."

He goes perfectly still beneath me. "Your last one?"

"I can feel it beginning." I shift in his lap and his breath hitches. I can feel him, hard and thick beneath me, and the knowledge sends heat spiraling through my core. "Everything is so intense. I can smell you so clearly it makes me dizzy."

I press down slightly, just enough to feel the rigid length of him against my center, and we both groan. The friction, even through our clothes, makes me gasp.

His scent shifts, gets deeper, more protective. I breathe him in like I'm starving.

For a moment, we just exist in this charged space between us. His arousal pressing against me, my body responding, both of us breathing hard. This is what I want. This connection, this choice.

"I choose you, Dante. I choose all of you." I meet his eyes directly. "I want to see where this goes. I want to explore what we could be."

Something flickers across his face. Guilt. His hands still on my waist.

"Before you choose anything, there's something we need to tell you." He reaches for his phone, then stops, seeming to see my face. "I need to call the others."

The shift from intimate to serious makes my stomach drop. Is this about Uncle? Does he not want me because I'm too dangerous to be around? My chest gets tight with that familiar feeling—that I'm not enough. That I'm not worth choosing.

"You're scaring me."

He sets his phone aside and gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch so tender it makes my eyes burn. "Not bad. But you deserve truth." He cups my face. "You have my heart no matter what, Daisy. But you need to know everything before you take it. Real choices."

The reassurance in his voice steadies me, even as my pulse races.

He picks up his phone again. "I need to call the others."

He calls them in. He texts Gunner and Hawk to come back from their scouting. August from the shower. Cassian from his nap in the bedroom.

They all gather in our tiny main room, and suddenly the space feels electric. The air fills with them, so much stronger than usual, and I have to grip Dante's shoulders to steady myself. A sharp cramp chooses that moment to twist through me, and I can't quite suppress the small sound of discomfort.

"What's going on?" August asks, but his eyes are already darkening as he catches my scent.

I straighten in Dante's lap despite the cramping, not hiding from their stares. "I took my last suppressant. My heat is coming."

Every alpha goes perfectly still. The air thickens with want and protection and something so much deeper. My omega instincts don't just sing—they roar. And underneath it all, another cramp hits, sharp enough to make me curl forward before I catch myself.

Cassian's fists clench at his sides. Hawk's breathing grows shallow. Gunner takes a step closer before stopping himself.

"Are you having cramps?" August asks, moving closer, his voice gentle but rougher than usual.

I nod, pressing my lips together as another wave hits. "They're getting stronger."

"How long?" Gunner asks quietly.

"Since this morning. But they're worse now." I look around at all of them. "I can smell you all so much more clearly. Everything feels... intense."

Their scents shift in response to my words. Deeper, more protective. The air grows thick with their combined presence.

I take a shaky breath, looking at each of their faces. I can see the concern there, the protectiveness, but also something deeper. Want. Need. The same things I'm feeling.