Page 60 of Rugged Hearts: Part One
“What do you mean?” I say with a growl.
“What’s wrong?” Ben says.
“Her temp isn’t coming down as quickly as it should. Something is missing—” Then it’s like a lightbulb goes off as he’s firingoff orders. “All of you go get a piece of clothing that smells like you now!”
No one questions it, they all go. I give Parker a look, knowing he’ll get something from my room. I look back down at her. This is the scariest moment of my life. She’d look lifeless lying here in the tub if it wasn’t for the pinching of her brows every time the cramps flare. Brushing the now damp hair away from her face, I whisper, “Please, stay, we need you.”
I feel her in the bond, not the pain, something else. She heard me, that has to be it. The others return quickly and Liam says, “Keelan get out.” I glare at him.
“We need to surround her with our scents, can’t do that if you’re sitting in the only spot we can put these without getting wet,” he explains. I’m not leaving her; this tub is too big and she’s too weak to sit up on her own. Moving down from the ledge, I kneel next to her in the water. My breath leaves me as the cold intensifies as more of my body submerges into it.
Once I move Ben quickly adds what they all brought: Eli’s gym shirt, Jake’s t-shirt, Parker’s hoodie, Ben’s sweater vest, my t-shirt she was wearing earlier. Liam takes one of his socks off to add, and last is Micah. He walks over to add his himself. It’s a scarf he wears every day since it got cold. When that last item is added, I try to hold her up more so her head is closer to the edge to take in the scents. The effect is almost immediate, at least to me and Parker. Outwardly she looks the same, but in the bond the pain is fading away. “Take her temp, now,” I bark at Liam.
“We should give it?—”
Liam’s cut off by Parker. “Now, trust us.”
He looks skeptically but does as we ask. “That…it happened so fast,” Liam says, surprised.
“What?” Eli says impatiently.
“Her temp is down to 102 now. I don’t understand how it could go down so quickly.”
“Scent matches, there’s always been more to it than your regular scent compatible couple,” Jake says matter of factly. We allseem to take that in. A few minutes later, her temp is normal for an omega. Liam insists we keep her in the ice bath a little longer to make sure it doesn’t spike again. After five more minutes I’m done. I feel her discomfort through the bond and know it’s not related to heat cramps. Parker’s there quickly with a towel. She was naked this entire time in front of the whole pack. I should have left the sheet on, not that it would’ve covered her once wet. Fuck, I wasn’t thinking. They’re pack, but she isn’t in the same place with everyone. My eyes cut to Micah without thinking. A look of genuine concern is on his face, surprising me. I look away quickly, knowing if he sees that I noticed he cares, his asshole mask will come back in full force. And whether I know it’s just a front or not, with the mood I’m in I’ll hit him again if he says something negative about her.
“Eli and I set up the pack bed, looked like she had everything washed just didn’t make the bed yet,” Ben says, worry etched across his face.
Standing in the tub, I hold her, my soaking wet sweats glued to me like a second skin. Once Parker’s ready, I move her so she’s sitting on the edge and Parker and Liam work to dry her off while I hold her up. With the three of us working together it doesn’t take long. Jake hands us a sleep shirt of hers and underwear. “I went downstairs to get them, also got you another pair of pants.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking the pants from him as Parker, Liam, and Jake help dress her while I dry off and change. I still feel cold but it’s fine. As long as she’s okay. When they’re done, I’m scooping her up and carrying her to the pack bed. Looks like this is going to be our first night all sleeping together in this bed. I can’t imagine any of us leaving tonight. Again my eyes naturally go to Micah, wondering what he will do.
“We should get her some food, preferably some protein for when she wakes up,” Liam announces.
“I’ll get it,” Micah says and leaves quickly before any of us can say anything. We all just look at each other with varying levels of surprise. Jake is the least surprised.
I lay Thea down in the middle of the bed and circle myself around her. Liam takes her other side to undoubtedly keep an eye on her vitals. Parker lies next to me based on the scent. I see Eli and Ben to Liam’s side. Jake must be on the other side of Parker.
Some time passes, enough that I’m no longer cold and I hear a couple of the guys sleeping. Liam is still wide awake. Suddenly there’s a knock on the door. Liam looks confused, but it can only be Micah. Why is he knocking?
Deciding to check it out, I vacate my spot curled around our omega, which Parker quickly shifts into unconsciously as he sleeps. I roll my eyes lightly at that. When I open the door, Micah isn’t there but a tray of breakfast food is. Bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, and chocolate chip pancakes. I shake my head, the bastard cooked for her. He’s in so deep and he still won’t admit it. Cooking is basically his love language. He hasn’t cooked anything— I—since our ex. Bending down to grab the tray, I call, “Liam, wake her up so she can eat.”
46
THEA
I’m so comfy I don’t want to move. Everything feels so close to complete, but I don’t know why. Someone is shaking my shoulder and I just turn into my pillow more. “Ten more minutes,” I mumble.
A chorus of chuckles sounds around me. I don’t remember going to bed with Keelan and Parker, and that sounded like the whole pack. Thinking about how I got in bed, it all comes back—my talk with Keelan, sex, heat cramps. Ugh can’t these mini heats stop? I get it, I fucked up.
Opening my eyes, I see Liam’s face staring back at me. He looks both amused and concerned. I swear he’s the only person capable of pulling off both.
“C’mon sleepyhead, we got food for you. Better eat it before Keelan does.” I hear Parker say from behind me. No wonder I feel so warm, he always ends up clinging onto me when we sleep. A scoff sounds at his comment, no doubt from Keelan. He’d never eat my food unless I offered it to him and even then, he’d grumble that I need food.
I sit up, first shocked to see we’re in the pack bedroom on the third floor, and second, that everyone is here. Wait, no Micah isn’t. But I thought I smelled his scent. A tray is handed from Keelan toLiam and placed in front of me. There’s so much on here, more than I’d eat considering how dark it still is outside, it must be the middle of the night.
I let out a little happy squeak when I see the chocolate chip pancakes. Diving right into them, I let out a moan at the first bite. “These are the best chocolate chip pancakes I’ve ever had. Whoever made these is the designated pancake maker in the house.” There are a couple chuckles and I expect someone to say they cooked these, but no one does. “Or did you find some twenty-four-hour diner in the middle of the Adirondacks?”
That gets some laughs before Keelan says, “No Baby Girl we didn’t. Micah cooked all of that for you.” My mouth literally drops open, not the most attractive sight mid chew but my shock cannot be contained. Why would he of all people cook me food, especially my favorite.