Page 59 of Our Deceptive Heat

We all freeze. Envy’s emotions are like a lightning strike, there and gone.

“Fuck!” Envy whispers. He licks his lips, his pupils are pinpoints, and he looks afraid.

Envy reverses direction, almost jogging as he fights to keep Auryn with him.

I whip my head between them and the front door.

Oh, fuck.

I grab Mako as he walks past me. Comprehension blooms in my mind, and I suddenly realise what Envy is feeling. It’s fear. It’s panic.

“No, wait, slow. We just got up from the nest.”

Mako’s eyes widen, and he whips his head around, tears off his t-shirt, undoes his jeans, and then walks into the nest.

Tyr spots him and me as I toe off my boots and undo the zip of the jumper I’m wearing. My alpha goes to the kitchen, turns on the burner, and starts cracking eggs into a frying pan.

I turn back, reach out, and slowly open the door. The man on the other side is thin to the point of painful. His features are pinched, and he stinks of cologne that hides his scent.

“Who are you?” I growl out in threat.

“My name is Uley Ethels. I am Typhor Raines’ assistant, and I’m here to see Auryn Raines.”

“Auryn’s not here,” I say flatly. “Don’t be stupid, she’s an unmated beta. She can’t be around while we see an omega through a heat.”

Uley frowns in suspicion. “All the same, I’d like to have a look.”

He pushes past me. I’m so shocked I just turn and follow him as he stops in the kitchen. Taking in the cozy scene.

The omega is a friend, an old friend. I love her to death, but right now, I’d give her anything she asked, anything at all. Ingrid is currently braless, with just a blue thong on, leaning on the bench, making bedroom eyes at Tyr, uncaring that she’s all but naked in front of our guest.

“Who are you?” Mako says and runs a possessive hand up Ingrid’s back. It looks a whole lot more sexual than it is. Still, I feel a distinct urge to vomit seeing him look so intimate with another omega.

“Dickhead here thinks we’ve got Ryn,” I spit out, hooking my thumb over my shoulder at the guy.

The dickhead in question stalks around the house, looking and searching everywhere.

“You can tell Raines I’ll be sending a formal complaint through our agent and lawyer,” Tyr says conversationally. “This is an invasion of privacy, and a breach of our agreement.”

“Where is his daughter?”

“In the hotel where we put her, I assume, either way, I don’t keep tabs on Ryn Raines. She’s an adult. She can do what she wants. Tell Raines I’m not his damn babysitter. I was busy.” Tyr stalks him. “Knot deep.” He gets closer, and Uley reluctantly gives ground. “In omega pussy. Now fuck the hell off.”

Uley’s face is bright red. “Where is Envy?”

Mako and I exchange furious looks. This prick wants to die today, and I’m in a mood to generously defer to his wishes.

“Envy never joins us for heats,” Mako says easily but with a tight edge to his voice. “Raines has it on record, though. The questionnaire we had to sign when we joined the label, you know, the one where he asks our sexual orientation? Envy only likes sausage.” Mako leans towards our unwanted guest and flicks a bit of lint off his shirt.

“What does that mean?” The idiot parrots furiously. “Why isn’t he here?”

I roll my eyes.

“Envy doesn’t like pussy. He likes cock. Our cocks. So every now and then, we help an omega through a heat, and Envy goes on one of his week-long holidays. You can report that back to your boss. Now get the fuck out of my house while I’m still being nice,” I growl and advance towards him.

Uley backs up, while Tyr retreats back to the kitchen. He cooks his eggs as if he doesn’t have a concern in the world.

Ingrid giggles at something Mako says and strokes his forearm.

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