Page 33 of Heat Hesitation

"And you? If you want to get laid so badly, go find yourself a beta. I hear you're quite the lady's man, and I'm sure you'd have no trouble at all finding a bedmate."

I pretend the words don't make my skin burn or my heart ache. And I hate that Theo is an asshole, but because he smells so fucking good, my omega really doesn't care he's been a jerk. That the idea of him being with someone else—anyone else—is something I might never recover from.

It's just biology, I remind myself. Our bodies are compatible, that's all.

When I realize Theo hasn't responded, I look up. He's staring at me, his expression only marginally softer than before. I feel like shrinking beneath his calculating gaze.

"What?" I ask tiredly.

"You know there's no one else, right? There never will be, never again. It just occurred to me… I don't think you know that."

I shrug one shoulder, "It doesn't matter anyway. I've told you all, I don't want—" I almost say a pack, but that's a lie. I haven't been against finding a pack. I've been against OFA supporters. "I don't want to be with a pack that is so careless with the rights of omegas."

"We're not perfect, Ophelia, but neither are you. Why can't we learn from each other?"

It's the most sincere he's been. And to be honest, I don't have an answer for him. So, I poke and prod because I do not like this feeling of vulnerability. "Tonight, when I go home, I'm going to take my birth control pill. And in three days, my weekly dose of heat suppressants. Is that what you want? To be with someone who will never give you what you want, what all alphas want?"

"How do you know what we want? You've never asked."

Dammit. Of all people, why did I have to have this conversation with Theo? "Fine. Do you want kids?"

"Sure. Someday. Not anytime soon."

Okay, well, that's not that surprising. Not all packs get pregnant right away. But all packs are obsessed with heat. A nonstop fuck fest for days, one sanctioned by society in that they can shirk all social and work responsibilities because it's expected of them, therefore celebrated, revered, and certainly something to look forward to.

"And heat? You're telling me you'd be fine with it if you never got to experience one?"

"Who says I haven't?" He gives me an evil smirk, and I have the sudden, violent, extreme urge to punch him in the nuts. I stand abruptly, and when he grabs my arm, I rip it away. Before I can get too far, he pulls me in front of him, gripping my arms.

"I've lived a life before you, Ophelia, just like you have, and I'm not judging you for yours. You get your obsessive, virginal saint in Enzo. Your unconditional love and support with Asher, your protection and care with Sully. Me? I'm here to push you. To open you up. I don't give a fuck if you stay on heat suppressants; I'm not worried about that. Because someday, when you finally stop being stubborn and give in to what you know deep in your heart is the right thing and join our pack, your fucking scent-matched pack," he emphasizes, "you won't care about heat suppressants. We'll make sure you want us so badly you'll do anything to clear that shit out of your system as fast as possible."

He lets go of my arm, and without warning, my weak knees wobble. I stand a little taller, ready to leave this conversation, but as I pull away, he adds, "And Ophelia? Don't think I can't tell how warm you are to the touch. Heat suppressants only work so well. Now that we've found you, good luck keeping that need between your legs at bay."

With that, he winks and strolls out the fucking door.

Chapter 14

Sully

"You cannot be serious," I growl at Theo, who plucks a bundle of grapes off a plate from Greta as she walks by. She gives him a perfunctory slap upside the head, followed by a girlish giggle.

He smiles with a grape between his teeth. "Oh, come on. She needs a little push."

"She needs no such thing," I sigh, tired of having this conversation. "We will not win her over by manipulating her."

"We're hardly manipulating her. We're simply following through with an agreement we've already made, and since she refuses to claim us as her pack, there's no obstacle. If she happens to get jealous, then so be it."

Theo shrugs his shoulders like his idea isn't absurd, but when Asher pipes in with agreement, I'm even more dumbfounded.

"I agree that she might need a little nudge. She's learning to trust us, but—"

"Exactly the fucking point. She's trying to trust us. And us going to the luncheon without her on our arm—"

"I'm not saying lie to her. She should know what we're doing. And we should invite her as our omega."

"She's made it clear she doesn't want to come out yet."

It's not like there's a registry of omegas, but she's chosen to fly under the radar as a beta for a while. If she came to the OFA luncheon as our date, her anonymity would be gone. She won't be able to hide out like she's been doing most of her life. Her picture will be taken; her life, her past, all of it will become fodder for every local magazine and newspaper. At least some of this is part of her hesitancy, and I understand that.

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