Page 16 of A Knotty Choice: The Seduction of Sharon

I wiggled in my seat as I started the car, my core clenching at the thought of him using me. I couldn’t help that it excited me, especially on the cusp of my heat. I was biologically designed to react to alphas and their aggressive natures.

It was a short drive to my apartment, and I scanned the parking lot as I arrived, making sure there wasn’t anyone outside. Even though it wasn’t that late for a Friday night, the area was quiet, and I slipped from my car, pausing to dig the special spray I splurged on from my purse. The stuff was ridiculously expensive, but I bought it anyway for my safety. Scent didn’t linger in the air for long, but if an alpha came by too soon after I’d passed, especially if I’d touched something, they’d be able to pick up my pheromones.

I gave the door of my car a quick spritz, then sprayed it over my shoulder every couple steps. Making sure not to touch the handrail of the staircase, I hurried up to my floor then down to my door. After unlocking it I doused the area around me as I backed into my living room and shut the door, throwing the deadbolt and turning the lock on the knob for good measure. It wouldn’t be much protection if an alpha figured out there was an unmated omega in heat inside, but the spray prevented that from happening.

The tension in my shoulders eased as the familiar scent of my home invaded my lungs, reassuring the animal part of me that I was safe. There was a little itch in the back of my mind that something was missing, but it was easy to ignore as I put my things away and headed for the kitchen. I wasn’t truly hungry, but without an alpha to tend me through my cycle, it wasn’t likely that I’d be getting many nutrients over the next few days, so filling up prior was important.

The first cramp hit as I was washing my plate after stuffing down a half-cold serving of leftover lasagna. It almost sent the heavy glob of noodles and cheese sitting in my stomach back up, and I pressed a hand to my belly as I concentrated on keeping it down. I’d hoped to make it to morning before things progressed, but it seemed like my body wasn’t going to give me a chance to get a good night’s sleep.

This wasn’t the first heat I’d spent alone, so it didn’t take much thought to fill a few bottles with water and grab nonperishable snacks to put on my bedside table. My nest of blankets atop the mattress called to me, but I had to be sure everything was ready before I could give in and sink into their embrace.

I found the spare batteries and put them on the bedside table with the water and snacks before digging out my trusty toys. After suffering through my first untended heat, I’d learned that rechargeable dildos just wouldn’t work, because once they died, I didn’t have enough thought process to put them back on their charger.

I’d also gone out and bought one with a sensor that inflated its artificial knot when it felt the contractions of an orgasm squeezing it. I couldn’t articulate the frustration of trying to pump up one of the manual ones when I could barely think beyond the need.

With everything prepped, I stripped out of my work clothes, tossing them in the special basket in my closet that was odor proof. I grew numb to the scent of grease and people while I was at the diner, but past experience had told me that those smell would drive me crazy once I sank deeper into my heat. I couldn’t afford to replace shredded clothing again.

My thoughts were already starting to slow, haze taking over the edges of my mind as I walked into my tiny bathroom. The cramps continued but were milder as I performed tasks my body saw as nesting, but they would grow more intense throughout the night. I’d gone through it enough times to know I only had a few hours left before I’d be crying into my blankets.

Body already weary, I’d have preferred to take a shower so I could get into bed faster, but the pelting of the water on my skin would be too much, so I was stuck with taking a bath. Which, of course, meant I had to scrub the entire tub first, then find my bath salts and oils, then wait for the water to warm again before I could fill the tub.

I sank into the tepid liquid, growling under my breath because it wasn’t as hot as I’d have liked, but my skin was crawling, and my patience was running thin. I let myself sit for a moment, trying to relax as another cramp tensed my middle and made me grunt, but it wasn’t long before the brightness of the overhead light began to irritate me.

Sitting up, I snatched my washcloth from the edge of the tub and dunked it in the water before pouring a glob of my unscented soap in the middle. I lathered myself from scalp to toes, scrubbing my skin until I was pink and tingling, but even removing the layers of smells and sweat didn’t make me feel better.

Snarling, I yanked the plug and stood, turning on the shower to rinse off. The frigid liquid that hit me square in the chest stole my breath, and I shrieked as I did a quick spin before kicking the plunger to turn the shower off again. Teeth chattering, I grabbed my towel and dried myself as fast as possible before wrapping it around my hair and darting for my nest.

The crinkle of the mattress protector beneath my sheets was another irritation, but I ignored it as I burrowed into the mound of microfiber and fake silk. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and shivered until the bedding finally warmed enough to let my muscles relax.

Buried in my nest, the cramps that had been growing stronger eased again, and I reached beneath my pillow to pull out the skirt I’d worn over a week ago, bringing it to my nose as I drifted into a fitful sleep.

Chapter Ten

Alexandros

The break in Sharon’s routine was the signal I’d been waiting for, and a quick sniff beside her car brought a smile to my face. My little omega was smart, but the lack of scent was just as telling as if I’d breathed in a lungful of her pheromones.

It was time.

Most people would have thought that sitting outside someone’s apartment for a week would have been boring, frustrating even, but there had been a peace in knowing I was watching over my future mate. She might not have known I was there, making sure she made it from the diner to her car safely, then from her car to her home without being bothered, but watching over her had been soothing to the base part of me that was impatient to take her already. An omega could be claimed at any time after their first heat, but I knew waiting would make everything better.

I took the stairs up to the third floor slowly, testing the air for signs of anything unusual. It was a Friday night so there had been more activity outside than the previous days, but none had gone to her floor or lingered outside too long. It was late enough that anyone who was going out had already left, but early enough that no one had returned yet.

Gazing out over the parking lot below, I made sure there wasn’t anyone to see as I stopped at her door, sucking in a lungful of air. She’d done a good job of covering her scent, but I thought I caught a trace of it. Not enough to stop someone passing by, but enough to harden my cock as I imagined what was going on inside the apartment. Her light had gone out over an hour ago, and by now my omega was likely buried in her meager nest.

It had been nothing to break into her apartment while she was gone to see what type of things she liked. I’d been careful not to touch anything until I spotted the skirt she’d worn when I’d fucked her peeking from beneath her pillow. Knowing she was sleeping with my scent only confirmed that she was mine, and it had barely taken a minute of stroking with the fabric wrapped around my cock to spill fresh seed for her. I’d tucked it back beneath her pillow and left with a grin I couldn’t shake the rest of the day as I worked on her surprise.

Moving on from her door, I stood outside her bedroom window, pressing my ear to the glass. I didn’t have to worry about a shadow alerting her because the inside was covered with thick drapes that blocked out all light.

I thought I heard a whimper, but with the wind rattling the railing behind me it was hard to tell. It took everything I had not to go inside and take her right then, but she still wouldn’t be ready. I’d questioned Ilias and Roderic about an omega’s cycle, and considering she’d seemed fine, if a bit snappish, at work, she was still in the beginning stages. Every omega was different, but she’d have to go through nesting and cramps before moving on to the stage where she was receptive to an alpha. I wanted her deep into the need when I came for her.

I’d been envisioning exactly what I planned to do all week as I waited, altering it until it was perfect. I’d built her a lavish nest in my bedroom, marking each piece of fabric added to it with my scent, but getting her to my home once she was in heat without having the authorities called had been a complication. There were too many neighbors who would hear if she put up a fuss about being parted from her nest here, so I’d been left with no choice but to drug her.

The syringe sat heavy in my pocket, a comforting weight as I heard a faint moan. My cock throbbed, begging me to go to her, and I squeezed myself through my pants to hold back. I’d hoped to be able to take her at night, but there was no way I could wait that long, so I’d have to delay until most of her neighbors left for work in the morning. After watching for a week, I knew their schedules well enough to hope I could sneak her out without being seen.

Reluctantly, I pulled back from the glass, glancing around to be sure no one had come while I was distracted.

Patience.

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