Page 20 of Rescued

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly, running trembling fingers through my hair as I glance away. “I shouldn’t have teased you.”

I take a steadying breath, forcing myself to face him again. “I don’t know why I did it. I mean, I want you—who wouldn’t? But this, what’s going on between us, it scares the shit out of me.”

I can feel the heat rising in my face as I try to put words to the hurricane of emotions swirling inside me.

“There’s this clawing need in my gut to…to…”

The blush spreads to my ears, and I have to look away again.

“It’s like all I want to do is taste you, touch you, feel you,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

And then it hits me—a humiliating flash of insight that makes my stomach drop. My breath hitches, and my heart thunders in my chest as the realization claws its way to the surface. The feeling isn’t entirely mine, though. It’s foreign and yet familiar, like it’s weaving itself into me through the bond I share with Mika.

It’s overwhelming.

Heat floods through my body, a flush that starts deep in my chest and radiates outward, making my skin feel too tight, my senses razor sharp. It’s a sensation that doesn’t belong to me—or at least, it shouldn’t. But through Mika, I’m aware of every flicker of tension, every surge of need as if it were my own.

“Shit,” I mutter, my voice trembling. The word catches in my throat, thick and clumsy as I try to make sense of it. “I don’t even know how the fuck I know this, but I feel like…”

I trail off, heat prickling my skin as the truth settles over me, thick and suffocating. I don’t want to say it, but I can’t hold it back.

“I feel like I’m in heat around you.”

The words barely leave my mouth before shame and confusion rear up like a wave, threatening to drown me. It doesn’t make sense—how could this be happening to me? My human body wasn’t built for this, wasn’t supposed to feel like it’s on fire with need so intense it borders on primal.

But I do.

Through the connection, I can feel it rolling off Mika like an inferno, his own longing, his instincts bleeding into me. It’s not just physical—it’s something deeper, something ancient and wild that my human mind can’t quite comprehend. My body is reacting to him as if it’s answering a call I didn’t know existed.

The heat isn’t only arousal—it’s a compulsion. My body feels drawn to his in a way that’s terrifying and thrilling at the same time. My pulse pounds in my ears, and every inch of me feels hyperaware of him. His presence is magnetic, pulling me closer even when I’m not moving.

I can feel the change happening inside me, as though my body is syncing with his on a level I’ve never experienced before. This is emotional, mental, even spiritual. Like my entire being is reshaping itself to fit with his, as though the bond between us is rewriting the very rules of what I am.

The sensation is equal parts intoxicating and unsettling. My breath comes in short, shallow gasps, my body buzzing with a need I can’t control, and I hate it.

I hate the loss of control, the vulnerability of it. But at the same time, I can’t help but crave it. To lean into it. To see where it takes me.

“What the fuck is happening to me, Mika?” My voice is low, ragged, desperate. I don’t even know if I’m asking him or myself, but I need answers—need him to help me make sense of this.

I meet his gaze, and the intensity there is almost too much. His eyes burn with something I can’t quite name, but it settles me in a strange way, like he’s my anchor in this storm.

Through the bond, I can feel Mika’s own emotions swirling—desire, protectiveness, and something deeper that feels a hell of a lot like awe. It’s grounding and overwhelming all at once.

He steps closer, his hand cupping my jaw, and I realize I’m trembling under his touch. “You feel it too, don’t you?” he asks, his voice soft but charged with meaning.

I nod, swallowing hard. There’s no point in denying it—not when it’s written all over me, inside and out.

“It’s the bond,” Mika murmurs, his thumb brushing over my cheek. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I didn’t know it would be like this.”

I close my eyes, leaning into his touch despite myself. His words make sense in a way that cuts through the chaos in my mind. As disorienting as it is, I can’t deny how right it feels, even as it terrifies me.

“Mika,” I whisper, the word trembling on my lips, “what do I do?”

His hand slides to the back of my neck, guiding me with the strength of his grip. “You don’t have to do anything, babe,” he says, his voice a low rumble that sends shivers down my spine. “Just let me take care of you.”

My hands are shaking. I can feel the panic and I’ve no doubt it’s as plain as day on my face. I dart a glance at Mika.

What I see stops everything else cold.

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