Page 42 of Stream Heat (Omega Stream #1)
“I know it can’t be easy for you either,” I managed.
His hand stilled. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is you.”
Something heavy dropped away from inside me. I clung to him and another wave crested, not as sharp, not as humiliating. Just intense.
“Thank you,” I whispered, hoarse. “For not pushing.”
He looked almost hurt that I’d even had to say it. “We never would.”
He was right. Maybe for the first time, I really believed it.
The wave faded, and for a second, all I sensed was him, steady and present.
“The others,” I managed. “Can they come in? Would that help?”
He smiled a little, softening as he read his phone. “They’re already awake. They felt it, too. They’re just waiting on you.”
“Bring them. All of you.”
He sent the text. In minutes, I heard them outside. Theo first, his energy barely contained. Jace, silent but observant. Malik, calm and solid as a wall. Ash, a rock, last through the door.
Five Alphas. Mine. All watching, waiting to be useful.
“Hey, Kara,” Theo said, fake casual. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
It broke some of the tension. I smiled despite everything.
“She’s okay with scent and comfort,” Reid told them, never letting go of me. Everyone nodded, boundary established, no questions asked.
“How can we help?” Malik asked.
I hesitated. “Honestly? Just stay. I know it’s weird, but your scents help.”
“Nesting’s good for this,” Jace said quietly. “Pack items, extra layers.”
I nodded. “Do it.”
They got to work, fast and efficient. Each disappeared for a moment before returning with various items: pillows, blankets, their own clothes. Theo’s hoodie, Jace’s scarf, Malik’s blanket, Ash’s flannel shirt. Overkill, but it felt right.
Reid stayed put, keeping his hand on my back. He didn’t move, didn’t let me drift until I was ready, and then I set to work on building my nest.
As soon as it was finished, the relief was instant. I almost started crying again. Then the next wave hit, and I folded in on myself, but this time, they were all there, not touching unless I asked, just radiating support.
“What do you need right now?” Reid said, voice softer than I’d ever heard.
“Closer,” I said, not even embarrassed now. “All of you.”
They came in, careful, slow, making a safe space around the nest, Reid anchoring me from behind, Theo and Jace on one side, Malik and Ash on the other. The scent was overwhelming, but in a good way. For the first time, I felt relief not shame.
“This is… different,” I managed, trying to process it.
“This is normal,” Ash said. “Heat with pack is always less painful. Science backs it up.”
“Are we seriously doing a science podcast in the nest right now?” Theo joked. “So on brand, Ash.”
He was right; I liked knowing the why. It made the chaos inside me something I could grit my teeth and handle.
The next wave came, and I let it. It was different now, still hot, but not agony. More like rolling thunder than waves of lightning. I arched into it, sound slipping out of me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, but nobody even blinked.
“Don’t be,” Reid said, warm and sure. “It’s a chemical thing. No shame.”
Somewhere in the blur of hours, time thinned out.
The waves kept coming, but we just… existed.
I wanted more, I wanted them to be inside me, knotting me, one after the other, but somehow I managed not to beg for it like last time.
Everything still hurt, was still driving me crazy, but having them there was better than not having them around. Even if it was torture for all of us.
They brought water, adjusted the nest, cracked jokes, discussed gaming and streaming and tournament schedules like nothing weird was happening. It normalized everything I’d spent a lifetime hiding and loathing. At some point, I caught myself watching them.
Pack.
The word meant something now. Five Alphas, none of them trying to own me, just making sure I had what I needed.
“What?” Theo caught me staring and grinned.
“Just thinking,” I said. It wasn’t a lie.
“Want to share?” Jace said.
“I thought admitting to heat would mean losing control of who I was. Losing me.” I gestured around at the nest, the circle of them. “But it doesn’t. I feel more like myself right now than I ever have.”
Reid squeezed my shoulder. “That’s what pack is supposed to do.”
“Heat isn’t the whole story,” Malik added. “Just one piece.”
Theo couldn’t let it pass. “Can we play cards, or is that too much for you right now?”
“Deal me in,” I said. “Why not?”
He dealt the cards, trash talk and all, and for once, my heat wasn’t a curse. It just was.
When it finally started to ebb, I was wrecked. Sprawled in the nest, barely coherent, but so much lighter inside. Reid held me, the others a warm wall around us.
“Thanks,” I whispered. “For seeing me. For staying.”
Reid kissed my hair, gentle and sure. “That’s what it means to be pack, Quinn. We see you. All of you.”
As I drifted off, surrounded by them, I realized something crucial: needing them didn’t make me weak. It made me stronger. Would I be strong enough one day to want more?