Page 41 of Daisy (Omega Chosen #3)

Daisy

T he last pill sits in my palm.

I stare at it for a long moment, my skin already feeling too tight, too warm.

This tiny white thing that's been keeping my heat away.

I should have three or four days left, but I've been doubling up when I got scared.

Two pills when one wasn't enough. I doubled up after watching Cassian and August together—seeing them like that made my pre-heat symptoms so much worse.

I can't sit still. Haven't been able to for hours. My body thrums with restless energy, like electricity under my skin. But underneath that restlessness, cramps are starting—dull aches that make me want to curl up somewhere soft and safe.

I swallow it dry. The bitter taste lingers, but it doesn't matter anymore.

No more pills. No more hiding from what's coming.

My heat's going to happen whether I'm ready or not, and I've got maybe two days, three at most, before my body takes over completely. Already I'm fighting the urge to gather soft things, to build a nest. My fingers itch to arrange blankets and pillows into something that feels safe.

I catch myself in the mirror and barely recognize the woman staring back. A month ago, I couldn't even ask for what I wanted for breakfast without my voice shaking. I'd sit there like a perfect doll, hands folded, waiting for someone else to decide everything for me.

Now? I kissed Gunner by those trees. Watched August and Cassian together, intimate and beautiful in a way that made me feel things I didn't know I could feel. I can't believe I actually went down on Hawk yesterday. Just thinking about it makes my face burn.

But I'm still scared. What if I'm not as brave as I think? What if when it really matters, I turn back into that terrified girl who couldn't even speak above a whisper?

My scent's been getting stronger every day, richer despite the medication.

This morning when I woke up pressed between August and Cassian, I could smell myself so clearly.

Sweet and thick and needy. The way August's eyes went dark when he caught it, how Cassian's fists clenched.

.. I liked their reactions. I craved more of them.

The restlessness is getting worse. I pace. I fidget. Two things I never would have done in the Omega House. Nothing feels comfortable. My skin burns for touch while being too sensitive for anything but the softest contact. Every breath has me drowning in need.

When Hawk held me afterward yesterday, whispering praise against my hair, it felt like coming home and catching fire all at once. The way he looked at me like I was something precious and completely his made something deep in my chest settle into place.

I need that sensation with all of them.

But needing something and being able to live with the consequences, that's two very different things.

My stomach twists thinking about Uncle. I know he won't stop looking. When he finds us—not if, when—what happens to them?

I find August's navy blue cardigan and pull it on, breathing him in. It helps, but not enough. I need more. Need them.

I head to the main room where Dante sits alone by the fireplace, reading his phone. When he looks up and smiles, my chest doesn't just get tight. Heat pools low in my belly.

"Hey, beautiful."

Instead of asking permission, I cross to him and settle myself in his lap, legs on either side of his thighs. His breath catches.

"Daisy—"

"I need to be close to you." My palms rest on his chest. "Please."

His hands settle on my waist, thumbs stroking the sensitive skin just under the sweater's hem. "Always."

The touch sends heat straight through me, and I have to bite back a whimper. Everything feels more intense now, like my nerve endings are on fire.

But I still can't relax. Can't stop thinking about Uncle. And underneath the fear, a cramp twists through my belly, making me shift restlessly in his lap.

"What if Uncle finds us?"

His hands still. "He won't."

"But what if he does?" I lean closer, letting my scent wrap around us both. "You don't understand what you're risking. Uncle won't just want me back—he'll want to destroy anyone who helped me. If he thinks you're more than just my kidnappers. If he thinks there's something between us."

"If he thinks we might claim you."

"He'll kill you. All of you. He won't just arrest you. He'll make you disappear." My voice breaks, but I don't pull away. "I need you to understand what staying with me could mean. What my heat could lead to. I can get through it alone if I have to?—"

"Stop." He frames my face, pulling me closer until our foreheads touch. "Look at me."

I meet his fierce eyes.

"We chose to help you. When we rescued you. We knew there would be risks."

"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.

"I know what this means," I say quietly. "My heat is starting. What it could lead to." A cramp hits and I wince, pressing closer to Dante. Then I feel it—the unmistakable wetness between my thighs. Slick. My scent explodes around us, rich and sweet and needy.

I can see how it affects them immediately. Their pupils dilate. Cassian's fists clench tighter. Hawk takes a sharp breath.

"I choose all of you," I continue, not looking away from any of them, even as the urge to curl up somewhere soft surrounded by them grows stronger. "I want to spend my heat with all of you." I take a shaky breath, my cheeks burning. "I want you to be mine in every way. Claiming bites. Everything."

The silence stretches for a moment. Then August steps forward.

"Daisy," he says gently, concern clear in his voice, "you don't have to decide all this right now. I don't want you to feel pressured." He steps closer. "You know you have options during your heat. You don't have to accept knots. There are toys, other ways?—"

"We can help you through it without claiming," Hawk adds quickly. "If it feels too early for permanent bites."