Page 72 of Mating Mia
Relief drops me to my knees. I scramble over to him and scoop him into my arms, clutching him so tight he wakes up with a startled squeak.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, baby,” I whisper, kissing his soft hair, rocking him back and forth. My hands are shaking so badly that I almost drop him. I sink to the cave floor, cradling him, and that’s when an intense cramp hits my belly.
Heat.
I know it’s my heat. The fear and the adrenaline brought it out.
“No, no, not now,” I whimper, but it’s too late. The first contraction rips through me, doubling me over, my nails scraping the rock as I try not to scream.
I quickly set Ash gently on the blankets, then crawl away, my knees leaving streaks of clear fluid on the stone floor.
My pussy is flooding, my entire body throbbing with the need to be filled, to be knotted, to be claimed. But all I can think about is the fighting outside—the blood, the death, the possibility that my mates won’t come back at all.
The horror of it fuses with the agony of my heat, makes me shake with silent sobs.
I shove my fist into my mouth to muffle the cries, biting down so hard I taste iron. The cramps get worse, doubling and tripling until I’m curled on the ground, my dress bunched up around my hips, my thighs slick with a constant gush of honey-scented fluid.
My body is betraying me at the worst possible moment.
Another contraction. Another gush. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I want my alphas, I want them so bad I ache. I don’t want to die. I don’t want anyone to die. This nightmare has to stop.
Another contraction tears through me, and I arch my back, mouth open in a soundless scream. The slick flows out of me in waves, pooling beneath my hips, the scent so thick and sweet it almost chokes me.
I claw at the rock, nails splitting, and press my cheek to the cold stone.
“Oh no,” I whimper, closing my eyes as tears roll down my face. “Please, please, please.”
Behind me, Ash begins to cry, sensing my pain, his thin wail slicing through the cave like a knife. I want to crawl to him, to hold him and tell him it’s okay, but my body is locked in place, hips spasming, my center clenching around nothing.
Suddenly, I hear a rustling sound behind me as I groan in pain.
The footsteps are light, almost dainty. A sickening dread pools in my stomach alongside the heat, souring the desperate arousal with fear.
“Who’s there?” I call, my voice cracking. I try to stand, but another contraction of need hits me, doubling me over.
The footsteps pause, then resume, more deliberate now. Confident. A silhouette appears at the entrance to our sleeping chamber, backlit by the dim glow of lanterns from the main cavern.
Female. Slender.
As she steps into the light, I can finally see her.
It’s the omega who helped kidnap me for Orion. She’s wearing a dress that seems to be made of black feathers, the material rustling with each step she takes. Her lips are painted a vibrant red, the color of fresh blood against her pale skin.
“Well, well,” she purrs. “What do we have here? The famous little omega and her precious cub.”
My heart slams against my ribs, adrenaline temporarily cutting through the fog of my heat. This is a disaster.
She glides further into the chamber, her red nails catching the light as she walks toward my baby. I shuffle forward, crawling to Ash before she could get to him and shield him with my body.
The omega’s nose wrinkles, her perfect features twisting with disgust. “Ugh. You’re in heat. How inconvenient.” Her eyes rake over me, taking in my disheveled appearance, the damp patch spreading between my legs. “Or perhaps convenient, depending on how you look at it.”
She stalks closer towards my baby, unconcerned about me trying to protect him.
I try again to stand, but my knees buckle beneath me. I curl more tightly around Ash, using my body as a shield between him and this threatening omega. He stirs against me, making a small sound of discomfort as my grip tightens.
“Stay away from us,” I warn, trying to inject strength into my voice despite the whimper that threatens to escape. “My alphas will be here any minute.”
She laughs, the sound sharp enough to cut. “Your alphas are a bit preoccupied at the moment. Orion’s pack is quite... thorough. You should hear the sounds they’re making outside. It’s almost as pathetic as the sounds you’re making in here.”
