Page 113 of Want It All

‘Seb,’ Rose said. ‘You werealwaysa real omega.’

‘You know what I mean.’ I waved a hand flippantly. ‘I’d never had a heat, so it didn’t feel that way to me. It always felt like I was stuck half-way – not beta enough, not omega enough. It always felt as if I was still waiting for something.’ I kissed the top of her head. ‘Now I know what it was. A five-day sex-fest and more knots than I can count.’

‘I do remember feeling as if my heat had reset my body. Like I’d turned myself off and on again. Everything just felt … better.’

I frowned. ‘I wonder if this could happen to you?’

‘That my heat suppressants might fail, do you mean?’ She nuzzled into me. ‘Maybe we should plan for it, instead. Perhaps I could go off my suppressants at the end of the year, during the break.’

‘A Christmas heat,’ I murmured, thinking about it. ‘Mmm. Yes, please. We could go to Tristan’s island. Or anywhere else you wanted. We could fly overseas, have a heat in the snow somewhere.’ I rolled us over, licking at her scent gland, pressing my hips into hers. ‘We can work it out later. There’s something I want right now.’

She blinked up at me, her lips parting. ‘You’re joking.’

‘I never joke about pancakes, Rosebud.’ I grinned and rolled off the bed, pulling her with me. ‘Let’s give the alphas some space and make some breakfast.’ My grin widened. ‘And if we happened toaccidentallylock the door on the way and not open it until they’ve kissed and made up …’

‘It locks from the wrong side for that,’ Rose said, ever-practical. ‘But maybe the time alone will be good for them.’

Istirred.

At first, I thought the sound behind me was snoring. But then my tired brain realised it was an unbroken, deep, continuing rumble that didn’t hitch or fall with breath.

It was a purr.

It didn’t belong to Sebastian, though, and nor was it Rose’s adorable, melodic crackle. It was too deep and too rumbly and it made me feelsafe, soothing over every fractured part of me.

My own started without warning, adding an extra layer to the sound.

What the fuck?I thought sleepily, forcing my tired body to roll over.

A wordless noise of complaint was my reward, though the purr continued, accompanied by a deep sigh. There was a heavy weight on my waist and it shifted as I moved, settling along my back, pulling me closer to a hard wall of warmth.

I wrenched my eyes open, then froze.

Byron’s face was inches from mine, his eyes still closed, his purr unabated. I stared at him, taking in the thick black lashes shadowing his cheeks, his high cheekbones, his square jaw, and something I’d never noticed before: an almost-invisible dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

I swallowed.

‘Can feel you looking a’ me,’ he grumbled thickly, a hint of his father’s lyrical accent slipping into his voice for a moment. ‘Go ba’ t’ sleep.’

‘I don’t think so,’ I answered softly. I reached out and tentatively stroked his hair back from his face.

‘Mmm.’ He leaned unselfconsciously into the touch. ‘You can stay awake if you keep doing that.’

I did as he asked, shifting my body closer. ‘Whatever you want.’

‘Want you not to be an asshole again,’ he murmured. ‘Can you do that?’

‘No,’ I answered, honestly.

He cracked his grey eyes open to glare at me.

‘If someone tried to hurt you, or either of our omegas, being an asshole would be theleastof what I would do.’

‘Oh.’ He closed his eyes again. ‘That’s okay. You can be an assholeforthe pack, but don’t be an assholetothe pack. Deal?’

‘Deal.’ I cupped his cheek, stroking my thumb across his skin. My nerves were buzzing. ‘Does that mean you forgive me?’

‘Yes,’ he said grumpily. ‘But please don’t do it again, Grace.’