Page 61 of The Heat of Us

“I live in this building and I scented you here the first day I joined, weeks almost months ago, but I kept my distance while I got a handle on my alpha. But once I found out you were in heat I couldn’t stop myself trying to find you,” I explained in a rush.

“You live in this building?”

It had to bode well that that was what she had gleaned from my word vomit.

“Yeah.”

“I’m just across the road.”

I wasn’t sure how many other stars of ours were meant to align before we called it what it was — fated.

I took a good look at her, curling an errant lock of hair behind her ear. The rest of it was pulled up into a tight ponytail, little wisps escaping around her hairline. Her face was bare, flushed pink and a thin layer of sweat had dried on her skin.

“You’ve been here a while.” I stated, concerned. “Why are you here so early?”

There was a caught look in Hazel’s eyes before her shoulders sagged. “I…don’t sleep very well, Ben,” she admitted.

“Define very well,” I asked her, trying to keep the dangerous edge out of my voice and only barely succeeding.

“I wake up anywhere between 2:30am and 4am every day and can’t get back to sleep.”

My hackles immediately rose as my brain immediately cycled through the cumulative long-term effects of insomnia and sleep disorders. Increased risk of depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, memory loss and—

“How long has this been going on?” I demanded.

She averted her gaze but I somehow knew.

Years. Fucking years.

“I work from home which allows me to nap in the afternoon and catch up on sleep if that’s of any consolation.”

Not fucking good enough.

“Hazel.” I was desperate. “Come back to mine. Let, let me just—”

Hold you and never let go.

“—see if I can help you.”

I held my breath as she searched my face. I didn’t know what she was looking for but I sure as hell hoped she would find it.

22

HAZEL

I didn’t have the strength to fight post-heat. Under different circumstances I might have pushed him back when he first wrapped his arms around me. Stomped my foot a little more when he got all alpha with me.

But I came home from NOC to an Alpha Brotherhood “A” spray painted across the pavement outside 101 Riverside and an inbox full of shitty DMs demanding my attention. In my vulnerable state, every one felt like the savage peck of a vulture. Slowly picking my flesh clean.

My omega did not understand why Remy wasn’t with us, continuing to tend to us. Bonding us the way his bite attempts had promised.

Then my nightmares had been awful this morning. They were always worse after a heat. Incredibly vivid — sights, sounds, smells, bringing me all the way back to that awful day when—

I didn’t fucking want to think about it. It was bad enough that I relived it when I was asleep, I didn’t need to when I was awake too.

I didn’t argue because the truth was I wanted to be taken care of.

Ben was here. Worried about me. Not in the least upset that I had ridden out my heat with another alpha.

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