Page 16 of Omega Rock

I cringe. “An hour away.”

Leo and Aiden share a look. Noah turns up with a bag of what smells like wings.

“Yeah, you’re staying with me tonight,” Aiden says. “Let’s head to my apartment, and if you feel like hanging, you can with us. Or you can sleep this flare off. Whatever you need, Mia. But you arenotdriving for an hour like this.”

That’s good he’s saying that because my hands are already shaking again. Why did this have to interrupt a night going so damn well?

It’s rhetorical, of course. I know why.

Weakened suppressants plus a scent match and early heat equals… equals what? Just an immense need to fuck? To feel satisfied?

To… make a pack with these alphas and rock stars?

We only just agreed to try out making a band.

I swallow hard and say, “Thank you, Aiden, for the offer.”

Aiden wraps an arm gently around my shoulders and leads me as well as Noah and Leo to his car. “Of course. We’re all a band now, a team.”

I try not to whimper at the touch.

“We’ll take care of you, Mia,” Leo offers quietly.

“Anything you need,” Noah echoes.

What I need is a cold shower and a time travel machine so that I can just get back to focusing on music and creating this band… instead of picturing me sleeping with each and every member of it.

I allow them to help me into Aiden’s car and we speed off toward his apartment.

ChapterSix

LEO

There’sa part of me that’s questioning if this is a sound idea. I argue with that voice in the back of my head from the moment I buckle into the backseat of Aiden’s car next to Mia. She looks so embarrassed, and I honestly I can’t begin to imagine. I’ve been on rut suppressants before. With the autoimmune medication, I’ve had to go off of them. But I think it’s still very different for us than it is for omegas in heat.

All I know is that from the moment she walked through the doors at Carnation Studio, Inoticedher. Not quite scented like during the all of one round of drinks we had at Al’s. But damn did myeverythingjust zero right in on Mia.

It’s like my alpha knew even then, hours before she went into heat.

I want to reach out and touch her, and even make the motion to, but sort of stop halfway and leave my hand resting awkwardly between us.

She’s young. So young. At least ten years younger than all of us, but she’s beautiful and so full of life. I want to kiss the frown off her face, and reassure her there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Heats happen. Ruts happen. And those of us unlucky enough to be an alpha or omega get to have our life events interrupted by them when the suppressants don’t work.

“It’s okay, Mia,” I settle for, as Aiden drives us up the street and around the corner. Already from here, I can see a large set of nice apartment buildings fully gated with security.

“I’m just mortified, it’s okay,” she says dryly. “I’m aware…” She trails off and sighs heavily. “I’m aware of the age and industry experience difference between you all and me. And yeah, I’m a fan of Lost Time and Designation Outsider. But I’m promise I’m all in on Exit Fate, and I promise I’ll sort these suppressants right away.”

“Mia, stop,” Aiden says.

Noah twists toward us from the passenger seat. “I know we just met for the first time, but honestly, it’s really okay. Listen to them. We can talk at Aiden’s place, and if it gets too much, you can go rest or… whatever else to make this pass enough to get you home.”

Whatever else.

I could think of a few more things we could do to help her that’d fit into thatwhatever elsecategory, but all of it felt insane to offer even with the scent matches.

Because, as Noah pointed out, wejustmet.

But she’s an omega in need. She’souromega, apparently. Not that we’re a pack. Not that anyone has said the phrase scent matches out loud.

---