Page 171 of Chosen Beta

I blink at him. “Going into rut? Who’s having a heat?”

I know it’s not me, that’s for sure.

Only Omegas go into heat.

Oh …

An exaggerated cough makes all of us turn our heads to the bedroom doorway.

Shadow steps out of the room, fully aroused, his pale skin bathed in a sheen of sweat.

“I’m having my heat,” he announces, before he stumbles.

Owen rushes over to his side and stops him from falling.

My shock breaks and I do the same, putting an arm around him from his other side.

“You’re burning up,” Owen mutters. “You really are in heat.”

“It’s late, too, so it’s urgent,” I tell Owen. “He’ll be in pain soon if he doesn’t get knotted right away.”

“I’m fine,” Shadow brushes off, sounding kind of drunk.

“You’re not fine,” Ezra tells him, apparently unknotted from Pete now. “But you will be. Everyone’s moving into the bedroom now.”

I guess Ezra’s the lead Alpha of this pack then.

He takes charge and we all move back into the bedroom.

Pete hits the lights and dims them nicely.

Owen carries Shadow to the bed and puts him down on the right side.

“I’m lead Alpha,” Ezra reminds Owen. “You’ve got a mate to claim. I’ve got a mate to rut.”

“Shadow’s in heat,” I protest. “I can wait.”

Ezra smiles at me. “Shadow can only take one knot at a time, and so can you. I just have to ask you one thing before I mark you. Do you accept me as your lead Alpha?”

“I do,” I murmur, without a single ounce of hesitation.

“Then, be a good Beta and lay down next to Shadow on the bed.”

I do what I’m told, and Shadow reaches for my hand.

Our fingers entwine in the space between us.

Pete lays down next to me as our Alphas move between our legs.

Owen kisses his way up my body, his golden blond hair trailing over my skin as he takes a little more time with each kiss. When he gets to my throat, I’m beyond ready to be marked, but I know Shadow deserves all of Ezra’s attention once he’s inside him, so I make a new request.

“Could you both mark me at once?”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Owen

It’s clear what the deciding factor is when Lana changes her mind about when Ezra should mark her. She’s thinking about Shadow and how he’ll feel if his Alpha is distracted while he’s supposed to be going into rut and putting all his attention on our Omega.

---