Page 100 of Fragile Heart

Is that what this is? The burning need through my body is way worse than anything I’ve ever felt—not that I’ve actually ridden out a heat. I’ve always opted to be sedated through them under the supervision of a doctor approved by the Council.

“Please.” It comes out as an honest-to-God beg, but I don’t have it in myself to apologize.

A haze falls over me as he pulls away and strips out of his clothes. What little sense of where I am, what I’m doing, falls to the wayside under it. Another cramp seizes me, and I whimper. I want to curl up on my side to try and hide from the pain. A firm hand on my hip keeps me immobile, though.

“It hurts, Alpha,” I sob, tears spilling over my lashes. The trails they leave are hot on my cheeks.

He kisses them away as he settles over me. His arms brace around my head as his hands thread through my hair. The heat of his body has anticipation coursing through me. Like it knows the heat is what will make the pain go away, will make the horrible cramps stop. Cinnamon surrounds me, and the gut-wrenching fear fades away under its presence.

“I know, Omega,” he says as he enters me, as soft and comforting as his kiss. It lessens some of the ache low in my belly. “I’ll make it better, sweetheart. Let me take away the pain.”

I wrap my legs around his hips, keeping him as close as I can. My arms wrap around his neck. My nails dig into his skin. He claims me as thoroughly as he ever has, his pace never faltering. My body tightens around him. His lips run down my throat and across my shoulder in a circuit. They barely touch, but it feels like I’ve been branded. Need sweeps through me, a fire in winter, blazingly hot.

“Please.”I’m not asking for his knot but something deeper, stronger. Unbreakable.

Yes, that’s what I need.

My Alpha pulls his lips away, and I cry out. I dig my hands into his hair, trying to bring him back to me.

“Alpha,” I sob.

His teeth scrape along the sensitive skin of my throat, just under my ear, like he’s tracing something. It takes too long to remember the tattoo. Is he tracing the feathers? He grunts, biting me hard enough to hurt, and then his knot locks us together, and I’m falling over the crest of my orgasm, every irrational thought gone from my mind as sensation roars through my veins. The blistering waves take away all thoughts of pain and aches and need.

“Good job, sweetheart.” His voice is a caress on my bruised skin. “Sleep now. Let it take the pain away.”

His voice is so warm, so light. It’s impossible to resist his quiet command. He traces my chin as I fade away into oblivion.

CALEB

The sun is just cresting the horizon when I startle awake, knocking one of the fifteen thousand pillows Brielle has to the ground. It feels like I’ve been hit by a damn truck, but that’s to be expected when we’re going into day seven of Brielle’s heat. A door swings open as I slowly sit up.

Ethan’s dressed in a set of dark gray sweats. Small droplets of water are splattered around the waistband. With a hard sigh, he runs a towel over his hair before tossing it into the second basket Beau swung by on Tuesday, the one we’ve been using for the non-essential linens. The other one is full of the last round of blankets that we haven’t gotten a chance to put through the wash.

“You want anything to eat?” Ethan’s voice is rough. When he looks at me, his eyes are red and there’s dark circles under them. “I was going to throw something together while she’s still out of it. And then maybe try to catch another nap out on the couch.”

We’ve only been managing a couple hours between her waves. It hasn’t really left a whole lot of time for sleeping or eating. It’s a hell of a lot different getting an Omega through one of these with only two of us, that’s for damn sure. I haven’t been this exhausted since Camden was a newborn. Or maybe when he was cutting his first set of molars. That was a rough couple weeks.

“I’m good,” I say with a quick shake of my head. “Go try to get some rest.”

He starts toward the bedroom door, nodding once, when Brielle stirs beside me. She turns toward me and burrows into my side with the precision of a damn scent dog. Her hand digs into my thigh, her nails biting through the set of boxers I wear.And then she perfumes, the lavender overpowering the air filter we have running in the corner.

Ethan grunts and pauses, swinging his gaze toward her.

I ignore him, focusing on Brielle as she slowly rises onto her knees, her eyes half-lidded and her lips pushed into a heavy pout. Her hands tremble as she hooks her fingers into the waistband of my boxers and tries to push them down my hips.

“Alpha,” she says, whining when they don’t budge. She pushes again and sighs when she manages to wrap her hand around my hardening dick. “Need you.”

Her voice has gone all sultry. I push up into her hold, letting my head fall back.

“You have me, Omega,” I mutter.

She straddles me, and I shimmy the underwear just low enough that it frees my cock. She slides onto me, not hesitating for even a heartbeat. Her hands flex on my shoulders, her eyes still mostly closed. Her lavender envelops us, gaining even more potency.

Her movements gain a desperate edge, and so I hold her hips and fuck up into her, trying to keep her in the position she’s most responsive to. Tears line her lashes after a moment, though, and my breath catches in my throat.

Oh shit. Did I hurt her?

“Brielle?” I ask, slowing everything between us. “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

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