Page 37 of Omega Rock

Noah grabs a second beer from his cooler. “No, it’s a good thing to get out there. We got your back.”

“And I think we can all empathize with the feeling of losing time for sure,” Mia adds.

It’s a little ironic from someone so young, but then again, Mia’s only three years younger than I was when everything tilted sideways. Sometimes I forget her age.

“Amen to that,” Aiden adds, then elbows Mia’s shoulder. “Now, spotlight moves to you. You got the notebook, so let’s start writing music.”

And we do. For the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon we write tidbits of lyrics, verses, and even noting out parts for Noah and I. Aiden runs back to Noah’s car at one point to retrieve his guitar. By the time we finally break and Noah heads out to grab us all lunch at a food truck, we’ve got a lot down for a new song.

We eat to our success and this insane creative magic we have when we’re together. Every time I think that magic can’t become more, it does, and it feels like how Lost Time felt at the beginning, but stronger. Different.

And then I realize what’s causing at least part of it. Mia had gone to the water after eating, and she and Aiden dipped in to enjoy the waves. When they return, soaking wet, and Mia looking absolutely stunning in her black bikini, water running over her curves, her honey and strawberry candy scent slams into me like I’ve run straight into a wall.

It’s strong. Stronger than before, and sweeter.

And Mia is shaking.

“Are you okay?” Noah asks, clearly noticing all this, too.

Aiden’s awkwardly got an arm near her shoulder but not quite around it. “She was lightheaded in the water.”

Mia kneels down on her towel. Her cheeks are flushed red. “I’m, um…” She trails off and wraps her arms around herself. “Fucking hell.”

Aiden looks to Noah and I. “She’s in heat again.”

Mia shuts her eyes and shrinks in on herself. God, I wish she wouldn’t do that. She doesn’t need to hide from us, especially with her heat. She’s beautiful and wild and carefree, and seeing her shrink away from all of that right now painfully twists my gut.

“Mia,” I say.

She looks up to me with a slight frown on her face. I want to smooth it away with my thumb and then kiss her. I want to kneel before her and show her she doesn’t need to hide anything from us. Ever.

“It literally doesn’t make sense.” Tears brim in her eyes. “I’ve never gone into heat again so close together. Fuck.”

Her knees buckle. I’m having a hard time fighting myself from looking at them and seeing if slick is already coating her thighs. I can smell it—so sweet, so enticing.

Fuck.

Noah looks around. “We’re pretty isolated here at the moment.”

Aiden follows his cue. His jaw is locked hard, and his fists are tight at his sides like he’s fighting going to Mia, too. We’d briefly called ourselves a pack the night of our first gig, but nothing’s been discussed since. Still not official. Just a quiet understanding of taking things slowly.

But slowly won’t help our omega when she’s in heat.

Aiden finally kneels beside her. “I think it’s because you’re so close to us, your alpha pack. I don’t think our moreprimalinstincts take into consideration how long we’ve known each other.”

Mia bites her lip. Her blush is hotter now, her shakes stronger. “This heat came on so quickly. I felt fine this morning.”

Aiden ducks his head so he’s in her field of view. “Mia, what do you want to do? Go home?”

“Do you want us to help you?” Noah asks.

Anticipation grips my chest. I want to help her so badly. My inner alpha screams knowing she’s right here, in heat, before me. It also wants more—to rut into her, to spill my seed into her and knot her until she’s moaning my name.

I can temper that. I know I can. That can come later. Or, maybe that’s part of why her heat is back so quickly. Maybe sheneedsour knots and our marks, to complete this bond for good.

Meanwhile we’re flirting with staying professional.

For fuck’s sake.

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