Page 26 of Ryder

“What?”Jude demanded.“Girlfriend, he’s been wearing out that ringtone all day long.Why don’t you put it on mute?”

The ringing stopped.Thank god, because I was tense.I knew I needed to answer him, if only to tell himno thank you, only I didn’t know what to say.It was one thing to be with him in the moment.Now, in the cold light of day, everything felt both clearer and more confusing at the same time.

“I’m going to head off,” Jude said.“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” I said.“I’ll go and check on her in a minute.”

“Good,” Jude replied.“Maybe take some more water.”

“I will,” I said.“I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

As the door clicked shut on Jude, my cell began beeping again.Great!

Sloane emerged from her room, looking like a freaking train wreck.Her eyes lowered to my cell, so I reached down and hit the button to turn it off.

She narrowed her eyes, because it was Sloane and even wrecked, she had a nose for trouble.

“Who’s calling?”she asked, voice a hoarse croak.

“Nobody,” I said evasively.

Shuffling over, she dropped down on the couch opposite.“Who is it?”

“It’s just a guy I met last night.You know, the one I was with… I’ll get you some water.”Needing some breathing space before we had that conversation, I clattered around in the kitchen, taking longer than I needed to before handing her a drink.I sat opposite, and that sharp sense of wrongness hit me again, only this time, it was closer to malaise.“You seem different.”

“I’m an omega,” she replied.

I actually felt my blood pressure drop, it happened so fast.“What?How can you be an omega?Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure,” she said.“I’ve just built a nest.”

A nervous giggle escaped my lips.Freaking hell!

Sloane laughed too, but it faded as fast.“I need to get some suppressants.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding.“Okay, how do we do…that?”I picked up my cell, which immediately started beeping.I frowned, fingers hovering over the keys.He was an alpha.Maybe he would know where to get suppressants?“Do you have other omega urges?”

“Yeah, and I wish I bloody didn’t.”She gave me a look.“Em, you used protection, didn’t you?”

I stopped my frantic typing, feeling my face heat.“We didn’t,” I said.“We talked.We fooled around for a while, and he kept his pants on the whole time.I’ve never been so frustrated in all my life.Well, not that frustrated.But yeah, I wanted it, and he wouldn’t let me have it… I think he’s a Dom.”

“A what?”

“A Dom, like you read about in the books?BDSM.I think that’s him in a nutshell.”

“He’s not a Dom,” Sloane said like she was an authority on such things.

“Well, he’s got some very Dom-like tendencies,” I said, using a hand to fan myself.“I’ve never been so desperate to get into a man’s pants in my life, and he was having none of it.That’s iron control if ever I saw it.”I nod my head toward Sloane.“So did you… Did you…with the other one?”

“Yeah,” she said miserably.“That’s what triggered me.”

Freaking hell!

“I’m glad you’re not an omega,” she replied.“Because everything is hell.”

“I thought it would be hot, you know, to be that into a man.”

She suddenly groaned and pressed her hand to her belly.“Emma, I need those suppressants.”Her face turned waxy, and she emitted a deep, guttural moan that sounded like she was freaking dying.

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