Page 20 of Omega's Tempting Fate
“That’s why you love me. Now come on, switch. I’ll get you home.”
I nodded and managed to get out. My legs shook as I made my way around the car and Theo helped me into the passenger side. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat and started my car.
I couldn’t help but look at the office as he drove out of the parking lot, and saw the anguished face of Wes Abrams in the door.
It hurt, but this was for the best.
∞∞∞
I grimaced and held the heating pad against my stomach. I’d had ovulation cramps in the past, but these were far more painful than normal.
I knew the statistics. It was estimated that about a quarter of omegas went into heat immediately or soon after meeting their fated mate. Unfortunately, it seemed that I was one of them.
Well, fuck fate. I’d suffered through heats alone before, and that wasn’t about to change now.
There was a knock at my door, which I ignored. I didn’t want to see anybody.
For a moment I thought they’d leave. Then I heard keys in the lock. I sighed. There were only two people with keys to my apartment.
Theo walked into my living room a moment later, a plastic bag from the nearest drugstore in his hand. He set it on the coffee table, then placed his fingers against my forehead.
“You’re in heat all right,” he stated.
“No shit Sherlock.”
He reached in the bag and pulled out a sports drink and a couple painkillers. “Here. Take these and I’ll make you some soup.”
“Don’t you have work?” I asked, looking out the window at the bright afternoon sky.
“One of the perks of being the boss. I was able to shuffle some people around. Everything’s covered, so I can be here with you.”
“Did you have to call somebody in?” I asked as I took the medicine.
He shrugged. “Yeah, but it was somebody already asking for more hours. Win-win if you ask me. He got the extra hours for the rest of today and tomorrow, and I get to make sure that you stay safe.”
“It’s a heat, not something dangerous.”
He sighed and sat on the couch. “You’ve never had a heat in reaction to an alpha before, let alone a fated mate. We don’t know how bad it’ll get, or what’ll happen if he shows up here. I know I’ve given you shit about having a fated mate for years, but you’re fighting it. I would be a bad friend if I abandoned you to it now. So I’m gonna camp on your couch while you deal with the worst of it, and make sure that any alphas are kept away until you’re in a position to deal with them properly.”
I managed a weak smile. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”
He laughed. “Damn, that heat really is getting to you. That wasn’t grumpy at all.”
I flipped him off for good measure.
“There’s the Cody I know. Now, I brought soup, sandwich makings, or I can order delivery.”
My stomach turned at the thought of food. It was definitely not what I was craving.
No, I needed Wes’s thick hard…
“Earth to Cody!”
I blinked at Theo’s interruption, and sighed. “Thanks.”
“That’s why I’m here. Because you didn’t have to say anything for me to know who and what you were thinking about.”
“What am I going to do?” I whined.
He stood and squeezed my shoulder. “For now you’re going to go be miserable in your bed while I make some soup. Then, once your heat is over, we can talk about what options you might have.”
I sighed and nodded. Then Theo helped me to my feet, shoved my favorite blanket into my arms and ushered me into the bedroom.
For all the shit we gave each other, I really couldn’t ask for a better friend.
Still, as I plodded along, my thoughts kept drifting to Wes.
