“She felt so soft and sweet and that scent of hers was in my nose and I kissed her, Orion. I fucking kissed her. And while I knew that was probably gonna result in my arse being handed to me when I got to you, I didn’t stop there. I could’ve, I felt it, that knowledge that doing more was a bloody bad idea, but all of a sudden, that’s all I wanted. If that was bad, I didn’t want good. I kissed her again and it felt like she was smashing into my fucking soul and now I think she’s in a frenzy.”
“A… Two kisses shouldn’t… Jesus, she’s untouched.” Orion uttered the words with a reverence that seemed out of place in the car, speeding down a suburban street to fuck knew where. It was like he’d seen God.
“What?”
“Omega, listen to me.” The voice was tinny through the speakers, but I still stiffened at the sound of Orion’s command. “I need you to tell me, has any alpha ever touched you? One you liked the scent of, one you were attracted to. Not dickheads who manhandle you and try and order you to be with them, but one you felt a connection with.”
“No,” I squeaked out.
“Never kissed you until your mouth ached? Never slid his hand up your thigh for him to find you dripping? Never felt the need to push those little hands into his pants and stroke him until he roars with the fucking ecstasy of your touch?”
“How is this helping?” Brendan snapped. “I gotta pull over before we crash.”
“Where are you? Where’s somewhere secluded, private?”
“The forest, I guess. I’m near her house. I was going to take her home.”
“You can’t yet, Bren.” There was something aching, heartbroken, in Orion’s voice. “I’m getting Rhys, because if we’re going to do this, I want everyone who can be here for it in the room.”
“What, Orion? Use small words so a bogan like me can understand. What are we doing?”
“She’s burning for you, aren’t you, omega?”
Brendan chanced a sidelong look at me, his gaze feeling like it left marks on my skin before his focus returned to the road.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.” The word clawed at my throat, fought me all the way until it just came out. “Yes, it hurts. Fuck, it hurts. It’s like my bloody heat, but worse somehow. I need—”
“I know what you need. Get to the forest, not in the car park. I don’t want anyone else seeing this. Pull the car over when you’re there, and I’ll get Rhys.”
The call ended, and there was only a painful blur of movements, until finally, the car rolled to a stop, heralded by the ring of Brendan’s phone. My seatbelt was unclipped, and Brendan turned to face me before accepting the call.
“You there?” This was Rhys. I felt that rumble of a voice all the way down to my toes.
“We’re here.”
“Is she OK? What’s happening? How does she look?”
“She’s pale, but her cheeks are flushed. She looks clammy, and she’s hunched up like she’s in pain.”
“She is in pain, you stupid fuck. You primed her up for alpha dick, and now she bloody needs it. Jesus, Bren. Cyn’s not like the girls at the club. She doesn’t have their defences. Orion says she’s untouched.”
“Yeah, look, I didn’t know—”
“Shut up. You need to make this right. Omega, can you hear me?”
“Yeah,” I ground out as another sharp wave washed through me. “I can hear you.”
“Good, it’s gonna be OK. Brendan’s gonna make this right, and then you’ll feel good, so good.”
“Yes, I need that!” My voice was so strident, I had no idea where this was coming from. “I need it.”
“He got her to the forest?” Orion asked.
“Yeah, she’s really on edge. He’s going to see her through. Did you get onto Marcus?” Rhys replied.
“Left him a message. He’s going to come down here like a hurricane. I don’t need him fucking shit up right now. All right, Bren, we’re gonna do this as a pack, mate, all three of us. We’ll sort this out, help her together, always.”