Page 25 of Sweet Heat

“Hello, Posie’s phone. Tell me what you want, and I’ll see if you’re worthy to talk to her,” she answers with a wink, and I roll my eyes as I snort out a laugh.

If I’m going to be with someone, they better be able to handle all the fun, sassy craziness of my best friend. I love her more than life itself, and they need to, too.

Alex must do a good job, though, because moments later, Emma is laughing at something he’s said and scribbling the words group date across the top of the pizza box. Mari slices across her throat and shakes her head, but I’m all for it. A double date sounds much better than a solo date; I can handle anything with Emma by my side.

“Well, Mari is sadly busy, but Posie is free—so tell Wyatt to wear something sexy for me, and we’ll be there,” she snarks.

And while I know this is a good idea, my hands press against my bruised lips, and my chest constricts. Miller’s flashing eyes come to mind, and I bring my knees to my chest, trying to banish him from my thoughts.

There’s no use in pining for an Alpha who will never see me as a woman. Who doesn’t want me. Who looks at me with pity.

No, meeting other men is the right call… my heat won’t wait forever, and I can’t lose my virginity when I’m out of my mind with insatiable need, driven by only my base instincts.

Gripping my legs even tighter, I breathe through the panic clawing up my spine.

“What’s wrong, babes?” Mari asks, dropping next to me and wrapping her arms around my curled-up form. Her concern helps me voice my worries, and I’m able to gasp out my problems.

“I-I think my first heat is coming.” Using the back of my hand, I wipe away the tears sliding down my face, but it’s no use. The torrent keeps coming.

“But that’s a good thing, right?” Mari asks as Emma slides in on my other side. They sandwich me between them, lending me their support. “A natural part of being an omega.”

“Yeah. But I don’t know who will help me through it. I’m still a virgin,” I whisper, trying to make sense of all the feelings sloshing around in my belly. First-time sex seems like such a big deal. Had it happened before, it wouldn’t seem so monumental, but now, at nearly twenty-one my virgin status, combined with an impending heat and lack of prospects, is overwhelming.

“Do you think the doctor would give you suppressants until you’re ready?” she asks, and I shake my head before letting it rest on my knees.

“No, she won’t suppress my first one since it’s already so late. When I presented at thirteen, they sedated me through my transition because I was so young that anything else would have been horrific. But they expected my heats to start at eighteen like most other omegas. They even considered it might be earlier. When nothing happened, they attributed it to my anosmia and the lack of pheromone stimulation. So, now that nature is taking over,no one is going to stop this train.” With shaking hands, I play with the ends of my shiny brown hair.

“And suppressing it can cause damage,” Mari explains, biting her lip, and I squint at her. The idea has her shaken. I want to ask what she means, but I’m not sure I can mentally handle the answer right now.

“Well. In that case, we better find you a hot Alpha who knows how to use his dick,” Emma says matter-of-factly, and it’s just enough to break the tension.

“Emma!” Mari laughs. “He needs to be able to use his tongue, too.”

“And his fingers,” I chime in.

It’s enough to send us on a tangent that ultimately dissolves into a giggle pile. The perfect ending to a completely imperfect day.

Now, I just need to find someone willing to take my V-card.

Chapter Fourteen

“Strike Two,” I crow with a smug grin at the batter. He turns and glares at me, his hands choking up on the bat until his knuckles turn white. “Oh, turn around and pay attention, you big baby.”

The goading hits the mark, and he uses his cleats to kick some dust around the plate. With a quick flick of his fingers, Owen uses the batter’s distraction to our advantage, throwing an epic fastball that slams into my mitt hard enough to sting.

“Strike Three,” I sing out, jumping up with a proud fist held high in the air. And with that out, we’re headed into the ninth inning. We’re only up by one. This game has been grueling as hell, I’m hot, sweaty, and missing my omega, but I do my best not to let it show as we head into the dugout.

Pulling my facemask off, I stand and then pat Owen on the back before going to the cooler for a sports drink. The ice encircles my hand, numbing my fingers as I search for a red. My favorite.

“This one’s closer than I thought it would be,” Crimson says, reaching to pull an orange from the same bin.Nasty.He snaps the top and drains the bottle before I’ve even found mine. I grunt in frustration, going back to my hunt. Every bottle I pull is fucking orange or blue. Not a goddamn red to be found.

What the ever-loving fuck.

“Where’s the damn red?” I roar, tossing both hands into the cooler frantically. Ice sloshes onto the ground, and more members of the team wander over to see what’s going on. But I don’t care about them. I’m so sick of wanting things I can’t have. A small voice at the back of my brain warns me to chill out, but I can’t. Orange and blue bottles go flying as I dig deeper into the ice chest, convinced I’m about to lose it.

“Hey man, chill,” Owen says, coming up and placing his hand on my back. I turn on him with a snarl, slapping his arm away and baring my teeth. My Alpha comes roaring to the surface, the frustration of the last few days bleeding over to this minor issue.

I haven’t been able to contact Posie for three days, and although her tracker shows she’s safe, she’s sent all my calls to voicemail and left all my texts unread.

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