“But you don’twantto?”
Her mouth opened, then closed, another spike of panic consuming her.
“I’ve never… since Knox…”
“Knox?”
“It used to hurt when I had sex—when I finished. So I never wanted it like I do now. I mean, Ace is one of a kind—always in my dreams. Totally worth it. But it still hurt, so I always kinda hated that I needed it.”
“But it was different with Knox?” I asked.
“The first time I was with him, he… took care of me—never had that before.”
“And it didn’t hurt?”
She pouted. “Dummy didn’t even fuck me. Just made me…” She tilted her head, shooting me a guilty look. “You know… just got me off a lot. Then he held me all night. Never had that—where it was like he wanted to see me feel good too?”
Ah.
Great fuckingprickof an angel.
“Suppose it was good I got him back, then.”
She turned, hand reaching out to Knox, who was still passed out on his back next to us. She cupped his cheek, thumb tracing his skin gently. “Thank you,” she whispered.
She looked back at me, fingers cupping my cheek now, and the touch sent goosebumps across my skin. “It’s… special now. And I want it to be special with you.” Her eyes were glassy again. “I just don’t want it like this, when it hurts. And I’m scared. I just… love you too much.”
My chest got tight at those words—at how much I could see she meant them.
Despite the heat, I don’t think I’d ever heard her this clear. “I love you too, Kitten. And you’re allowed to want that, heat or not.”
“I don’t know. We… gotta do it—right? I’m…” She swallowed. “And what about your hormones?—”
“Forget me,” I said. “Do you feel better like this?” I asked, glancing down at her palms pressed to my chest.
She nodded.
“Are you in pain?”
Her brow creased, then she shook her head. “Not anymore—not much. But… I’m gonna disappoint you.”
“You aren’t.”
It was like she couldn’t hear me, though, her voice getting frantic. “Already stuck with us, B-Bunny…” She shuddered, eyes darting about as if she was searching for the plushie that wasn’t here. I felt that wound, a titan in the background tearing her to shreds. “And now…” She let out a little whine of distress, ripping my attention back to her. “Now we’re in heat and I can’t even do that right—” She cut off as I clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Kitten. I’m just going to hold you,” I said. “That’s it.”
She looked angry when I drew my hand away. “No, because if we cuddle, then we don’t… don’t do anything, it’s gonna leave you all frustrated.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because that’s… that’s how Alphas are.”
I snorted. “How utterly debasing.”
She stared at me, mouth parted in shock. “I didn’t mean?—”
“Any Alpha who told you that is as worthless as the toxic waste that came out of his mouth.”