Page 38 of Pack Down Bad

“Snow Bunny?”

“Hmm?” Belle’s eyes slide over to mine, glassy as I expect.

She seems disoriented and maybe even a little... sad. I’m gutted by the display of emotion. She can’t be sad, the idea is too devastating.

“Is everything okay?” I stand and walk around the table to kneel by her. Without waiting for her response, I press the back of my hand to her cheek to check her temperature.

She’s warm. Too warm.

Fuck.

I think my little bunny might be having a heat spike.

Before an omega truly enters their heat state, they can have occasional spikes. Most of the time, they occur randomly. Having a heat spike is uncomfortable, especially if the omega doesn’t have anything like suppressants or other medical interventions to ease the effects.

The only way to decrease the effects is… a physical solution.

It’s not unheard of for an omega to enter a heat out of their regular sync once they’ve met their scent match or matches. Staying with us could be the cause of her spike, and we may need to worry that she’s drawing close to a heat.

What will she do if she starts her heat here? Hide in Knox’s room and ride it out alone, painfully?

That would be awful. It’d probably send all of us into rut, too.

Belle tries to shake her disorientation off. “I should clean up,” she murmurs, already rising and moving toward the sink as if a distraction can chase away what she’s feeling.

But I know better, and there seems to be more than just a heat spike going on with her. I’m determined to fix whatever the problem is. My girl can’t deal with a heat spikeandbeing upset all at the same time. Unacceptable.

I follow her to the kitchen area and move behind her where she stands at the sink. She’s hand-washing the dirty plates from breakfast even though the dishwasher is open and ready to be filled.

I rest my hands on her hips, and she instantly sinks back against my chest to accept my comfort.

Omegas near their heat tend to become more emotional anyway. Between the accident, losing her memory, and being home with us, Belle has been through a lot already. With the combination, she has every right to be struggling, and I need to figure out how best to helpstat.

Belle drops the plate in her hands back in the sink and tightly grips the countertop in front of her.

“You can talk to me, Snow Bunny,” I coo to her. “I’ll try to fix everything for you however I can. Anything you want or need.” I would do anything within my power for her... And I would happily break laws to do thingsoutsideof my power for her, too.

Her tense shoulders relax as she sighs an admission, “I feel pathetic.”

Pathetic?

Doesn’t she know she’s the greatest thing on this earth? Her very existence alone nearly knocks me to my knees. Every move she makes is perfect. Every feature of her face and body is angelic. She’s otherworldly. A goddess.

“Goddesses can’t be pathetic. Sorry, Snow Bunny, that’s a rule.”

A small giggle escapes despite her sad mood, and I try to memorize the sound.

“It’s just,” she whimpers, “Knox and Percyleft.”

Sad Belle makes me feel like a fist is squeezing my heart.

“I miss them and they’ve only just left,” Belle reveals in a whisper, her voice shaking like she’s scared to tell me.

Oh, my poor snow bunny. I nudge her hips so she’ll turn and face me, and then I pull her head to my chest before doing something I’ve never done for anyone before.

I purr.

Instantly, I feel the residual tension drain from her body.

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