24. Zara

Ihear Ben coming down the stairs. Liam has just left with a big suitcase but didn't say where he was going. I wonder if he's moving back out, but he didn't really give me or Henry the chance to ask.

Feeling the tension rolling off me like waves, I try to focus on something else—anything to distract me from the tight ball of anxiety in my gut. As I hear Ben's footsteps descending, memories of that purr, his growl and the heat that followed flood back, taunting me with sensations I didn't even know I could feel, is eating away at me. It was wrong on so many levels, it's making my head spin. The thought of a spinning head, makes the lump throb again and I stifle my groan.

Henry casts a glance at me, raising his eyebrow. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," I mutter as Ben strides into the lounge where I'm laid out on the couch and Henry is in the armchair nearby flicking through a TV magazine. Slowly, I lift my gaze and lock eyes with Ben.

His eyes are a stormy blue, the kind that looks like they've seen too much and yet are always searching for something more. His gaze lingers on me longer than necessary, and I can feel the weight of his thoughts, but he breaks away first, clearing his throat.

"Everything okay upstairs?" Henry asks, breaking the silence. His voice is casual but there's an undercurrent of concern; we've all been feeling the strain lately.

Ben nods, making his way to the other armchair, opposite mine. "Mia's sleeping. Her fever is down a bit."

"That's good to hear," I reply, trying to inject some warmth into my voice despite the awkwardness lingering in the air. "I'll go up in a bit and try to feed her."

"Liam managed," Ben croaks out. "He's got the Midas touch."

"Oh, nice," I murmur, wishing I'd seen that.

We both know we're skirting around what happened earlier. That purr. The growl. The reaction it sparked in him was unmistakable, and now that I'm over the shock of banging my head so badly, I know slick is dampening my pussy even just looking at him now.

"So, was that her stuff Liam took?" Henry sets down the magazine now, looking over at Ben with a gaze that I want to say is hard, but is difficult to tell.

"Yeah," Ben says gruffly. "It's done." There's finality in his voice that tells me he doesn't want to dig deeper into the topic.

Henry nods knowingly as I process that information. He's only just got rid of her stuff? Why now? What does that mean? Did it have anything to do with me? Fuck. Fuck.

I'm brought out of my spiral by Henry rising and he claps Ben on the shoulder. "Right, I'm going to make us some tea. Zara?"

I nod at Henry. "Please."

The moment Henry leaves the room, the atmosphere shifts again; it's like we're both holding our breaths without quite knowing why.

"Zara..." Ben starts, his voice trailing off as though he's about to say something he might regret. He clears his throat, giving me a look that's filled with confusion, hesitation, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Then his gaze moves up and he finally sees the bump on my head.

"Shit," he says and moves forward, leaning over the back of the couch to get a better look. "Are you okay? Was that the door?"

"Yes, and yes," I reply with a reassuring smile, glad we are skirting around the other issue. I have literally no idea where to even start with that.

"Shit," he says again and then reaches out to lightly brush my hair away from the bump, his touch sending a blazing trail of heat all through my body. I gulp at the soft touch, and my insides turn to liquid.

Then, I freeze.

He steps back, sensing the sudden frosty atmosphere, but it's not him. It's me. This bruise on my head is worse than what I would've expected. At least for this time of the season.

I gulp and slump down further into the couch. I always bruise more easily the closer I get to my heat. During my heat, I'm as delicate as a peach, but it's unusual for me to react so badly to, an admittedly hard, bump to the head. What does this mean now? Am I going into my heat early? Is Liam's presence messing with my seasons? Is, dare I think it, Ben?

Fuck. Fuck.

"I'll be upstairs with Mia," I blurt out and dart off the couch, aiming for the stairs before Ben has even uttered a word.

"Oh, okay," I hear him call out as I hit the top and I breathe out, leaning against the wall.

"What is going on?" I mutter and then jump as my phone buzzes in my back pocket of my jeans. Dragging it out, I stare at it with a frown.

No Caller ID

Blinking rapidly, I think back to when I swapped the SIM cards, knowing I did it correctly and didn't mistakenly put the old one back in. I know I didn't.

Did I?

Mia's squawk interrupts my panic, and I shove the unanswered phone back into my pocket as I push the door to the nursery open gently and pick Mia up, offering her comfort as well as myself.

There is no way Eddie could've found my new number. No way, so I'm being paranoid. It'll be some scammer trying to get my card details or my PIN numbers off me.

Busying myself with the baby, I push it to the back of my mind to deal with later. Right now, Mia needs attention and she is making it known she is not a happy girl. I check her temperature, still too high, and set about trying to make her more comfortable.

As Mia settles against my chest, her tiny breaths becoming more even, I feel that tightness in my heart easing. She smells like baby powder and warm milk, a comforting scent that makes it easier to forget the rest of the world.

After a few moments of rocking her gently, I lay her down in her crib with all the tenderness of a bubble floating onto a blade of grass. She looks so peaceful, and I smile softly.

Taking a deep breath, I start to make my way back downstairs. I can hear Henry clattering around in the kitchen and Ben's low voice joining in with some comment that brings forth a hearty chuckle from Henry.

Stepping into the kitchen, Henry glances up from where he's pouring boiling water into mugs. "Just in time."

I manage a smile and nod as I slide into one of the stools. Ben is leaning against the counter now, arms folded over his chest, avoiding my gaze. Good, because I just can't right now.

"Thanks," I say as Henry places a steaming mug in front of me. The warmth from the cup seeps into my hands, and it feels like liquid comfort sliding through my fingers. With a grateful sigh, I take a careful sip, letting the familiar taste of the tea ground me back into the present moment.

As I sit there, sipping my tea and trying not to think about No Caller IDs or unexplained early heats, I'm suddenly aware of the silence that has descended upon the kitchen. It's as if Henry and Ben are both waiting for something to happen, something to break the tension that's so thick you could spread it on toast. Did Ben tell Henry about the incident that shall not be named in the nursery earlier? I feel my cheeks heat up, and then I notice the marked shuffle back of the two alphas as my scent intensifies, and I try to cool myself down with thoughts of Eddie. That's like being doused in arctic water.

Liam's return interrupts the tension as he bursts back into the house like a rainbow after a downpour.

He comes to a halt in the kitchen doorway. "What?" he asks, looking at each of us.

His eyes land on me for a beat longer than the others, clearly sensing the disarray of scents and the awkward energy in the room. He blinks innocently, the corners of his lips curling into a playful smile.

"Looks like I walked into a right drama," Liam says as he ambles over to us, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl and tossing it casually into the air before catching it.

I roll my eyes but can't help a half-smile, despite everything. "No drama here. All peace."

He takes a bite out of his apple, crunching loudly in the silence. "It's just been one of those days."

"You could say that again."

Liam walks closer to inspect my injury. He reaches out tentatively as if asking permission which I nod to, and then his fingers gently probe around the bump. "How's the egg?"

"Fine. Not quite so throbby."

"Good," he murmurs.

I smile and pull my phone out of my back pocket to check the time and then lay it on the island in front of me. "I'd better get dinner started."

"No, we'll just get something from the chippy," Ben says as Henry makes this strangled noise and shakes his head.

"Stick to the basics," he mutters. "I'll help with dinner."

"Thanks," I say with a smile and move around to see what we can make. Turns out we don't have much except the fixings for a pasta. "I'll have to go shopping tomorrow," I say.

"Liam and I will go after work," Ben says. "You've got Mia, and I don't really want her going out around the shops if she's not feeling well."

"Okay," I say. "I'll make a list."

My phone buzzes again and makes a dull thud against the wood as it vibrates.

"Want me to get that?" Liam asks, indicating to me chopping onions on the other side of the kitchen.

"Sure," I say with a smile, and then I freeze. I'd forgotten all about the call earlier. "Actually, just leave it…"

Too late.

Liam has the phone to his ear, saying, "Hello?"