Page 127 of Why Cruise

He gasped, looking at her neck. He traced his fingers along the bite mark.

He crawled to the edge of the bed on his knees.. “Bite me.”

“Let’s get through heat first,” I said, running fingers through his hair.

He shivered and then flinched. “You’re not going to bite me,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Theo, you’re in pain. Let us take care of you.”

He scrambled back, right off the bed, and batted away Mackenzie’s arms that were reaching for him.

“Theo, please,” Mackenzie said frantically.

He paced in a tight circle next to the bed. Another cramp hit and he fell to his knees. Through a sob he said, “You don’t want me, but don’t take her away from me.”

Mackenzie reached for him, but Ren caught her and held her back. “Let Justice,” he whispered in her ear. The rest was inaudible.

Theo looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I thought she was mine.”

“She is. She was yours first, Theo. I said I would never come between you. I need you to listen to me.” He just shook his head. I tried again. “Omega.” He shivered like the word touched all of his nerve endings. “I need you to focus for a minute.”

“Yes, Sir,” but it sounded despondent.

“No, not Sir. Alpha. I am your alpha.”

I crouched to be on eye level with him. “Do you remember we had a conversation at the auction?”

“The auction?” He was blinking rapidly. Pain lined his face.

“What did you say about heat?” He shook his head. Either not remembering or all the hormones flowing through his system made it hard for him to think. “You told me you can’t consent during heat. Is that correct?” He nodded, but refused to look at me. “Is that correct?” I repeated.

“Yes,”

“Yes, alpha.” I corrected him.

“Alpha,” he repeated.

“Can you consent during heat?”

He shook his head.

“Should an alpha bite someone during heat when they haven’t consented?”

“No.” It came out a little petulant.

“Great. Now that we’re all on the same page. You’re suffering. Let us help you, and then I will bite you every day for the rest of your life if you want.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Mackenzie threw her hands up and wiggled out of Ren’s grasp. She crawled across the bed and pulled Theo on. They barely even stripped out of their clothes before Mackenzie was straddling his hips, riding him. They both sighed in relief before they started moaning. It didn’t take long before Theo was screaming Mackenzie’s name and bucking his hips into her.

I looked up at the ceiling and touched it. I could lay my hand flat. The room was not much bigger than the king size bed and it was dark. Dark wood with black and gold accents. I took a step towards the door. But Ren caught me. He put his hand around my throat and gently pushed me into a wall.

“Alpha,” he said with a raised eyebrow. The word rippled through me.

“It’s… small.”

---