Page 24 of Heat Me

"Alright, I’m off. I’ll be back as soon as I can—promise!" I put my phone on the counter within his reach.

His eyes flicked to it, and his expression relaxed. Yup. Who leaves their phone behind if they don’t plan to return?

"Take care," I called over my shoulder before practically sprinting to my car.

I drove straight to Mr. Ren Ragu’s office building. The IT tech was about to head out for fieldwork, but I caught him just in time. He handed me the laptop and said the ‘Cases’ folder had the client files that I should review for potential matches.

With the laptop in hand, I swung by my place to grab clothes and a few essentials. Then, on a whim, I decided to stop at the grocery store. Maybe I could cook something for Damien? It felt kind of random, but I wanted to do something nice for him.

Groceries in the trunk, I headed back to Damien’s place.

He opened the door almost as soon as I got there, like he’d been waiting right behind it.

"You’re back," he said, sounding surprised.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn’t I be? I promised, didn’t I?"

A pained look crossed his face. "I’ve been stood up by alphas before. They’d say, ‘Let’s meet again,’ but then they’d ghost me."

"That sucks," I said, stepping inside with the bags. "But I’m not like them. I keep my word."

I set the bags on the counter. Damien followed, barefoot, in his pink loose sweats and a white t-shirt.

"What’s all this?" he asked.

"I don’t know how long your heat will last, but if it’s more than two days, we’ll need supplies. Thought I’d make lunch while I’m at it—unless you feel another heat wave coming?"

Damien quickly shook his head, a blush creeping up his neck. "Not yet. The heat is just starting. I suppose the waves will get stronger later."

"Got it," I said, clearing my throat. "So, can I cook for you?"

He blinked nervously. "I don’t wanna trouble you—"

"It’s not trouble. I gotta eat too. And I eat a lot!" I grinned.

"Alrighty then." Damien paused, noticing something. "Oh, you brought your laptop."

"Yup," I said, slinging the bag off my shoulder.

"Gotta keep busy during your heat breaks," I added with a shrug.

He raised an eyebrow. "Wait, a new job already? You mentioned it before. Did you actually get it?"

"Sure I did! It’s with a matchmaking agency that also does the marital contract fairs and auctions. I used to work there before… well, before I got into some trouble and ended up at Dark Dreams."

"Really? So, you were actually serious about leaving Dark Dreams?"

I glanced at him cautiously while unpacking the groceries. He had some serious trust issues with what people were telling him. "Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?"

"Omegas hear a lot of bullshit talk from alphas—‘I’ll change,’ ‘I’ll do this,’ ‘I’ll do that’—but it never happens. I’ve been there too many times," he muttered, avoiding my eyes.

I stayed quiet for a moment. His insecurity was so obvious it hurt. Seemed like most alphas didn’t give him the time of day. Sure, he didn’t look like a model, but he had this raw, magnetic charm that I found… addictive. How the hell were they overlooking him?

Damien absentmindedly ran his fingers over his birthmark.

"They stare at it…" he muttered, almost as if answering my silent question.

"Probably 'cause it’s pretty," I said without thinking.

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