Hazel grimaced. “They have, but it may not be that bad for me.” Her voice was full of false optimism.
I frowned. “That’s not how it works.”
“Can you stop talking, please? You clearly don’t like me, so why are you suggesting multiple alphas see me through a heat? Because I don’t even believe that I am in heat, and if I was, why would I want someone who doesn’t like me around?” She growled, a frankly adorable sound.
“Can’t just leave you in pain. I’m not a bastard who will leave you suffering when I can help.” That would be downright cruel of me. Sure, I hadn’t been thrilled to find a random omega who smelled like pure sex in my home, but I was also an alpha and hard as a rock at her scent.
“I’m not a pity fuck!” she cried.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
How had I managed to put my foot in my mouth so badly?“I don’t mean it like that!” I insisted, taking a step forward, but Hazel stayed firmly in Roman’s arms.
“Well, how else was I supposed to take that?” She glowered at me.
“Trust me, I would happily fuck you. You smell amazing.” She really fucking did. “It’s three in the morning, and I’m tired. I’m sorry if I came across as a cranky ass, but this isn’t a situation where we should be arguing. We’ve all been drinking, and there’s no way to get you home safely. Your heat is coming, whether you like it or not, and we want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Locking you in a room isn’t an option,” Roman agreed, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “We physically wouldn’t be able to handle the sound of you in pain.”
“Surely one of you has a gag I could use?” she grumbled. I choked on thin air… I didn’t think she was being serious, but I was sorely tempted to ask.
“I can order one for future use, sweetness, but you’re fresh out of luck right now.” Cormac laughed.
“Fuck!” she snarled. Her hands gripped her stomach, and the air was filling with that burnt sugar scent that meant she was in pain. “I don’t even know you guys.”
“That’s easily rectified.” Cormac smiled as he went into the fridge, pulling out a bottle of apple whiskey. “I think it’s time for a drink and a little round of twenty questions. How does that sound?” He poured a liberal glass as he spoke and placed it on the kitchen island in front of the omega.
The crazy fucker. I opened my mouth to tell him to put the drink away, but Hazel looked at him with a determined nod, grabbed the glass, and took a deep gulp.
“Let’s do it. Who’s asking first?”
Chapter 4
Hazel
My throat burned from the alcohol as I followed them into the living space. The redhead, Cormac, sank down on the couch, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees.
I sat on the couch opposite, blushing when I realized I wasn’t wearing any underwear. My slick was probably overwhelming.
Roman sank down next to me, tugging me into his lap. I opened my mouth to protest, but he shushed me. “You need contact or your heat symptoms are going to get worse,” he reasoned.
“I’m going to get you messy,” I whispered, very aware of the various fluids I was leaking.
He laughed softly. “I made the mess, so I’ll survive getting some of it on me.” I buried my face in his chest, wiggling on his lap to get comfortable. Why did he keep talking like that?
The redhead cleared his throat. “Already introduced myself. My name is Cormac. You said your name is Hazel? Are you a student?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m in my third year of my English degree. What about you guys?”
The topic of conversation felt oddly mundane, given the situation, but I welcomed the distraction from my impending heat and the panic it instilled in me.
Cormac beamed at me. “That’s awesome. I’m studying environmental sciences myself. Roman is all about the political sciences, and Phillip switched majors last year from business to early childhood education.” He pointed to each of his pack mates as he mentioned their studies.
“Do you all live here?” I asked, before shaking my head. “I’m sorry, of course you all live here. Why else would you be here at this time of night?”
“It’s a fair question,” Phillip assured me.