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I do. “Put our two best security guys on her door. No one but Stella or I are allowed inside.” I stare at Bakari, waiting for him to challenge me. Watching the tension build in his body language.

“Okay, that’s easily done, but she needs real nesting materials and food. We don’t know how long her unassisted heat will last,” Stella says.

Stella calling Ava’s heat unassisted is accurate, and that makes me furious.

I’m nauseated, thinking that Ava will be alone and unsatisfied during her first heat.

She deserves reassurance and the best blankets and pillows possible.

She deserves an Alpha’s attention, his care, and his knot.

Ava should be cuddled, spoiled, and thoroughly fucked.

Sure, the suite is nice, and huge, but she’ll still be needy for an Alpha.

“Get her everything she could possibly need. More bedding from the hotel and the bus. Whatever she demands. And order her food from room service. Enough to keep her well-fed until I return from the media blitz after the show and can take over.”

Stella’s face contorts in annoyance. “Sure, Nolan, I can do all of that, no problem, but I’m a Beta—you’re the Alpha. Catering to her every whim is kind of your job.”

Bakari looks upset, and I know the Alpha in him wants to offer to assist Ava. But the idea of him going anywhere near her right now makes me want to rip him apart.

“Stella, I’m not her Alpha.” I swallow my misery. “You and I need to help Ava as her friends. I can’t help her in every way she might need, but I can provide the basics, and I need you to help me do that. I can’t be in two places at once.”

She swallows thickly. “Hey, I get that, I do, but aren’t you being an idiot right now?

You and Ava have been inseparable for days.

I’ve seen the way you look at her. She holds your attention like no one else has in all the time I’ve known you.

As your friend and manager, I’ve seen it all, and no other woman compares to your reverence for Ava. ”

“Stella, she’s not?—”

“If you don’t help her, Nolan, I will,” Bakari says, fire in his eyes.

I snarl and step toward him, ready to punch him. He’s insane if he thinks I’ll give him access to our suite. He’s not going near her.

“No!” Stella thrusts herself between us and rounds on me. “You stubborn jackass. That sweet girl is yours, Nolan. She is your Omega. You’ve been courting her for days now. You’re just too blind to see your own actions.”

I flinch. I have been courting Ava. I can see that. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s not mine. I can’t help her the way she truly needs during her heat. Her first heat. I feel like I’m going insane, torturing myself.

“Whatever, Stella. I have to go back on stage. Give her everything you can and send someone to get her dozens of donuts. She’ll need them, crave them. It will make her happy.”

“You are so annoying. I can’t believe how ridiculous you’re being!” she retorts.

I step back on stage, and the crowd goes crazy.

Still, I can’t help the urgent pull telling me I shouldn’t be performing in front of thousands of people, but back at the hotel, present and attentive to Ava.

Sure, I trust Stella to follow my instructions, but there’s something inherently wrong with it all.

I should be the one getting Ava those damn donuts.

I didn’t even have enough time to tell Stella which ones are Ava’s favorites.

Only I know that. Well, me and her fans on Instagram.

Only three more songs—two and the encore.

Almost there, we’re almost done. I should be enjoying this final show, but I can think only about getting off stage.

When an Omega needs her Alpha, everything else becomes less necessary.

I can’t bear thinking about my beautiful Omega, all bundled up alone in her nest, becoming unstable and slipping into madness.

She can’t suffer like that. What if she feels unsettled in the big room?

Maybe I should have told Stella to set her up in the closet.

My Omega needs to feel secure, like she did in my room on my bus. My Omega?

My heart hammers in my chest when I picture her smile, remember her babbling when she can’t keep random thoughts from escaping her mouth and her zeal for life’s little pleasures, like her beloved donuts.

What she just did, confronting Larissa. How she stood up for me and the band.

If I kept her in my life, her fame, reach, and influence would flourish as she grows her own Instagram account.

My popularity and the public’s curiosity would drive them to discover her and how amazing she is.

Her follower count would become insane if she was my girl.

If she was mine, the world would know it, and nobody could take her from me, not even Lord Stryker. She would be mine for eternity.

The comfort that thought brings me feels right.

Is she mine? My girl, my Omega, my mate? My heart is screaming the truth that I’ve been denying. I’ve been needlessly torturing myself, and for what? I want Ava. I want everything with her. I want her smiles and her giggles. God, how I love this girl. What the fuck? Do I actually love her?

With the sudden realization, I almost miss a line of the song I’m singing.

I love Ava. It may have been quick, but during the past few days, Ava has become the most important thing in my world.

There is no one better than me to give her everything she needs.

A family, close friendships, a home with me in the palace.

She wants to become a vampire mate. Then she should be mine— my mate.

She wants happiness. I would make it my life’s mission.

Hell, I would even give her the kids she wants in the future.

There are no limits to how much I cherish and love this girl.

When the last note of the song is played, I look out into the crowd, and a woman flashes her tits at us.

Has this shit ever held an appeal? I’m not even remotely interested in the girl and her penchant for nudity.

The woman I would give all my attention to is alone right now, and she shouldn’t be.

I need to wrap everything up as quickly as possible.

I need to be with my Omega and help her.

I shouldn’t have pulled away from her tonight. It could be our last together.

Would she reject me? Part of me wonders whether Ava will accept me as her mate. After how I acted earlier tonight, I can’t be sure.

The band and I leave the stage to build up excitement and anticipation for the night’s last song. The crowd is chanting and cheering to get us to come back on. Rex and the guys shake out their bodies to remain warm and loose, but all I can think about is my girl.

I couldn’t be happier with my realization.

Ava has my heart. She’s had me for days, maybe since we first met.

God, it pisses me off that my dad was right, and now I owe him.

I owe him big for taking this risk, breaking the rules, and gifting me my Ava.

For knowing the truth before I did; Ava should have always been mine.

“Hey guys, we need to make this a one-song encore. I need to get to Ava,” I say.

“Now I get it! That’s why you weren’t all there tonight.” Ian smirks at me.

“What happened to Ava?” Rex asks, sounding concerned.

“I can’t get into it, but I probably won’t be around for the next few days until we head home on the buses.”

All four of them smile at me with knowing grins. “Man, I get it. You need time with your girl. Yeah, Nolan, we’ll keep ourselves occupied,” Rex says.

Hearing Ava referred to as “my girl” thrills me. I’ll be the happiest man alive if my tiny girl lets me into her nest to claim her.

Bakari comes over and gives me a big hug. “You know I was just trying to look after an Omega in need. I didn’t want to step on your toes, but you were being a pain in the ass. She’s yours. I’m happy for you. She’s awesome.”

Relief washes over me. I hug him and feel all the tension leave my body.

Ava might not be ready yet to be turned into one of my kind, but she’s my mate until the end of our days...unless she rejects me. I can’t help but worry that I’ve failed her. I have some serious making up to do.

The guys and I step back on the stage; it’s now or never.

The sooner we wrap up this show, the sooner I can be with my Omega.

There are media interviews to do, but maybe I can rush through them or make up some excuse to avoid them entirely.

No, probably not. With Stella helping with Ava, she isn’t available to assist me in avoiding the press.

I look out into the crowd with a beaming smile on my face.

After tonight’s show, my life will never be the same.

No more groupies, no more nights where my mind is blank, unable to write new material.

I’ll have my muse irrevocably tied to me, and I can’t help but feel inspired and energized.

I’ll no longer be single, and though I might lose some freedoms, I will gain so much more.

If I’m lucky, I’ll gain my girl’s heart and her love. God, I hope she feels the same way I do. There is nothing I want more than her undying love. Her heart will be the biggest gift I could ever receive.

As I walk up to the microphone, the stage lights come back on.

I look out at the sea of rapt faces. Some are ready to record the last song on their phones, and a twinge of regret grips me.

We agreed we would sing the new song I finished writing on the bus a few nights ago.

The song I wrote when my muse brought my creativity back from the dead.

The new music is about Ava, and how she makes me feel alive again.

“So, this is our last song, and I want to thank you for coming out and joining us tonight. It’s been a great tour, and you’ve all been fantastic. You’re the best fans we could ever hope for. Good night, Las Vegas!”

The crowd goes wild, and the people from the back run and push to the front of the stage. It’s always the same. The same songs, same faces, same cities. When did my life become so repetitive? My Omega brought newness into my life. New joy. New feelings of love. New music.

I’m about to strum the first note, but I can’t help but feel a sense of profound sadness because Ava isn’t here to hear the song she inspired. I wrote the song for her. I thought she’d be standing in the wings with us, but she’s not. I pray she’s not suffering. I miss her.

It’s not right to share this song with anyone until she’s heard it first.

I look at the crowd. “I’m sorry. I was going to play a new song, but this isn’t the right time. I wrote it for someone special, and she hasn’t heard it yet—it’s not right for my girl to hear her song only after you have. I hope you all understand. It belongs to her.”

Instead, I cue the guys to play our biggest hit, “Dark of Night , ” the song they all came to hear. The crowd roars in approval, and all my stress and frustration drop from my shoulders. I made the right decision.

As I sing, I feel lighter than I have in months, and I have to work hard not to rush through the lyrics.

The fans deserve this final moment, and I’m committed to giving it to them.

After I tell Ava how I feel, who knows when our next tour will be.

A break to spend much-needed time with my soon-to-be mate sounds like bliss.

Cellphone screens are lit throughout the arena, and my excitement overrides my worry. If I’m lucky, I won’t get much sleep until my Omega’s heat breaks.

We finish the song, and the crowd screams. I breathe a sigh of relief. Now I just have to breeze through the press and sign a few autographs, and then I can see how my girl is faring and apologize for withholding myself from her. God, I hope she isn’t too miserable without me .

“Nolan, can I ask you some questions?” the first reporter says as I step through the curtains.

“Yeah, but there’s been a change of plans,” I say, glancing around at the crowd of reporters and photographers lucky enough to hold press passes. “I have somewhere I need to be, so we must make this quick. Why don’t you all gather around, and we’ll do this together in one go instead of separately.”

The reporters look at each other with irritation on their faces, and I can’t help but grin. They’ll have to deal with it and be happy with what I give them.

The reporters surround us, and photographers snap pictures of me and the guys. I suck it up and give them my best smile.

“First question?” I ask them, guessing what it will be.

“Are you seeing someone new?”

“There is someone new in my life, but I won’t talk about her tonight. Not until she’s ready for the spotlight that will undoubtedly be on her.”

“How do you think your fans will react to the news that the rock star bachelor Nolan Szasz is off the market?”

I couldn’t care less about how the groupies and fans will respond to the news, as long as they leave me and Ava alone. “I don’t know, but if they’re true fans, they’ll be happy for me. I hope they’ll all love her as much as I do.”

“Do you have new music coming? Is there a new album in the works?”

“Yeah, there is. There will be, thanks to her.”

I give them my best smile and take off. That’s all they get tonight. I’m done making Ava wait. I just hope she wants me as much as I want her. I’m coming for you, sweetness.