Page 103 of Talk About… Rivalry

Sidney

This room was all wrong. The sterile white walls and tiled floors made my skin crawl.

The bed was itchy, even if it was soft, and too big to be alone.

My stomach cramped painfully and I bent over with a whimper, tears brimming in my eyes as my actions truly sank in.

I could have stayed, been with my pack and rode out this heat, but I left them.

Would they ever forgive me?

Did I want them to?

“Fuck,” I cursed, clutching at my abdomen and curling up on my side.

Nurses had been in a time or two and had offered different options, but I kept telling them I didn’t know.

These rooms were meant for omegas to ride out their heats, but the way they rode it out was up to them.

I wasn’t willing to suppress it and it was only a fifty-fifty shot if it would work anyway.

They would call in heat partners if I wanted but the thought of anyone else touching me only sent panic through me.

My omega wanted them and only them.

Yet, I’d ruined my chances.

A loud knock on the door had me glancing up to see Arden poke his head around the corner.

“Sidney, can I come in?”

He had on a mask to block out the pheromones I was giving off now and it was Avery’s mate, so I nodded.

Only mated alphas could enter these rooms. There was something about the calm way he approached everything that settled some of the panic attack threatening to pull me under.

“The nurses tell me you turned down medication and heat partners. I hate the idea of you suffering, what can I do to help?”

Anyone else saying those words might have had me taking them wrong, but the pure concern in his voice told me otherwise.

“Avery called and is worried, but I didn’t tell her anything. We have confidentiality here, so we don’t share anything unless you give permission.”

“Tell her I’m safe,” I said with a sigh. “She’s going to kick my ass.”

He let out a small laugh but that calm, concerned look never left his face.

“What happened with the pack? Do you need help?”

“It’s not like that,” I promised. “This is all on me. If you look at my file, it outlines my struggles with scent and scenting.”

“I’ve skimmed it,” he reassured me, stopping me before I could explain more.

“They scented me or some of them had. They’re positive I’m theirs.”

“Then why are you here?” His question was asked in the same calm tone, devoid of judgment. He was simply trying to help me cope and this is what I needed.

“Because I’m terrified, Arden,” I whispered. “I’ve been left before, always the one left behind. I won’t survive if they do the same.”

“So, you left them first,” he concluded, frowning but still not holding judgment. “Sidney, I know there’s always a chance for things to go wrong. That could happen scent match or not. There are ups, downs, and misunderstandings. But, people who love you, truly want you, won’t simply throw you away.”

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