Chapter 9: Adder

Chapter

Nine

ADDER

I pace the hallway outside the women's locker room, my nerves frayed and my wolf on edge. Ember's been in there for over an hour now, and the silence is deafening.

Well, not complete silence.

Every now and then I catch the patter of water on the stone floor, and a whiff of her scent, stronger and sweeter than before, drifting out from under the door.

It's driving me fucking crazy.

"She's been in there forever," Carter mutters, voicing what we're all thinking. His usual stoic demeanor is cracking, worry etched across his features.

"Maybe someone should check on her?" Jayce suggests, fidgeting restlessly.

Mason nods in agreement. "Go ahead."

Jayce's eyes widen. "Not me! She was pissed enough at me earlier. I value my balls where they are, thanks."

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. As pack alpha, it falls to me to take charge in situations like this. Even if every instinct in my body is screaming at me to break down that door and claim what's mine.

"I'll do it," I say, stepping up to the door. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, and knock gently. "Ember? Are you okay in there?"

Silence.

I'm about to knock again when I hear it.

A soft, pained moan from the other side of the door.

My blood runs cold.

What if she fell?

What if something's wrong?

"Guys, did you hear that?" I ask, pressing my ear against the door.

Carter moves closer, frowning. "Hear what?"

Another moan, louder this time, filled with what sounds like desperation. That's all it takes for panic to override any sense of propriety.

"Fuck it," I growl, and before I can think better of it, I'm shouldering the door open, the others hot on my heels.

The locker room is filled with steam, Ember's scent hitting me like a freight train. I follow it to the showers, rounding the corner and?—

Oh.

Oh fuck .

Ember stands under the spray, her back pressed against the tiled wall. Her eyes are squeezed shut, head thrown back in ecstasy as her fingers work furiously between her legs. Her fingers thrust in and out of her pussy, each movement sending a perfume of sweet heat into the air. Her breasts heave with each gasping breath, water cascading over her flushed skin.

For a moment, I'm frozen, unable to look away from the hottest sight I've ever witnessed.

Then reality comes crashing back.

"Shit! I'm sorry, we thought—" I stammer, but Ember's eyes fly open, and the look of mortified horror on her face snaps me out of my daze.

" GET OUT !" she screams, and I turn to flee, nearly bowling over Jayce who's barely peeked around the corner in curious concern. Something flies past my head—a shampoo bottle, I realize—and connects solidly with Jayce's forehead.

"OW! What the fu?—"

"OUT!" Ember shrieks again, and we don't need to be told a third time. We practically fall over each other in our haste to escape, slamming the door behind us.

Mason stares at us, wide-eyed. "What the hell happened? What did I miss?"

We exchange awkward glances, no one quite sure how to explain. Finally, Carter clears his throat. "Ember was, uh... taking care of things. In the shower."

Mason's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh. OH. Shit."

"Yeah," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. I'm trying desperately to think about anything other than what I just saw, but it's seared into my brain. Ember, wet and naked and touching herself... fuck.

I shift uncomfortably, acutely aware of how hard I am.

"So, uh... breakroom?" Jayce suggests, rubbing the red mark on his forehead where the shampoo bottle connected.

We all nod, eager for an escape. As we settle into the worn couches, an awkward silence falls over us. I can smell the arousal coming off all of us in waves, mingling with embarrassment and guilt.

"Look," I finally say, "when Ember comes out, we need to apologize. Profusely. Make it clear that we thought she was hurt, and that we never meant to invade her privacy like that."

The others nod in agreement. We sit in tense silence for what feels like an eternity before we hear the locker room door open. My heart races as Ember's footsteps approach.

She appears in the doorway, and I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Her hair is wrapped in a towel, but that's not what catches my eye. She's wearing my shirt—the one I'd offered her earlier when we realized she didn't have a change of clothes. It hangs on her like a dress, the hem hitting mid-thigh. The sight of her in my clothes, my scent all over her... it does things to me. Primal, possessive things that I have to forcibly tamp down.

A low growl fills the room, and I whip my head around to glare at whoever let it slip. To my surprise, it's Carter, who's usually the most controlled of us all. His eyes widen as he realizes what he's done.

"Sorry," he mutters, looking away. "I didn't mean to?—"

"You're all assholes," Ember cuts him off, her voice tight with anger and humiliation. Her cheeks are flushed bright red, but whether from lingering heat or embarrassment, I can't tell. "What the hell were you thinking, bursting in like that?"

I stand, holding my hands up in a placating gesture. "Ember, I'm so, so sorry. It's my fault—I heard what sounded like moaning, and I thought you were hurt. We panicked."

Her eyes narrow, but some of the tension leaves her shoulders. "You... thought I was hurt?"

I nod emphatically. "We would never intentionally invade your privacy like that. I feel fucking terrible."

"We all do," Mason adds quietly.

Ember's gaze sweeps over us, and I can see the conflict in her eyes. Finally, she sighs, some of the fight leaving her. "This is fucking humiliating," she mutters, running a hand down her flushed face.

"It was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life," Jayce blurts out.

We all turn to stare at him in horror. He blinks, then has the grace to look sheepish. "What? It was!"

I'm about to throttle him when, to my utter shock, Ember laughs. It's a small thing, more of a surprised giggle really, but it breaks the tension in the room.

"Fucking alphas," she mumbles, but there's no real heat behind it. If anything, there's a hint of affection there.

I take a cautious step toward her. "Ember, I know this is... a lot. And I know you're not thrilled about any of this. But I want you to know that we're here for you, whatever you need. If that means giving you space, we'll do that. If it means helping you through your heat, we can do that, too," I say carefully, pushing away the image of her in the shower. Or trying to, at least. "But only if and when you want it."

She studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she speaks, her voice slightly husky. I find myself wondering if she was calling out any of our names while she was touching herself. Wondering what my name would sound like on those full, rosy lips.

I hold my breath, waiting for Ember's response. Her scent, sweet and alluring, fills my nostrils, making it hard to think straight. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms, to bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. But I force myself to remain still, giving her the space she needs to make her decision.

Ember bites her lower lip, a gesture so innocently seductive it makes my heart race. "I... I don't love the idea of being stuck in heat and snowed in for possibly days on end," she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper. "But if we do this, there are conditions."

For a moment, I'm too stunned to speak. Is she saying what I think she's saying? I exchange quick glances with the others, seeing my own mix of hope and disbelief mirrored in their faces.

"Conditions?" Mason asks, his voice carefully controlled.

Ember nods, crossing her arms over her chest. The movement causes the hem of my shirt to ride up slightly, revealing more of her smooth, toned legs. I force my gaze back to her face, silently cursing my lack of self-control.

"What kind of conditions?" I manage to ask, proud of how steady my voice sounds despite the chaos raging inside me.

She takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself. "You can... knot me," she says, a flush creeping up her neck at the words. "But no marking or biting whatsoever, especially around the neck. And it doesn't mean anything after we leave."

The room falls silent, her words hanging in the air between us. My mind races, trying to process what she's offering. The alpha in me howls at the thought of not being able to mark her, to claim her as ours. But the rational part of me knows this is more than we could have hoped for.

"Maybe not to you," Jayce mutters, breaking the silence.

I shoot him a warning glare, but Ember's already heard. Her eyes narrow dangerously. "Take it or leave it," she says, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I step forward, my hands raised in a placating gesture. "We agree to your terms," I say quickly, before any of the others can object. "All of them."

Ember studies me for a long moment, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. Finally, she nods. "Good," she says. "Now get out. I need to build a nest."

The words send a jolt of electricity through me. A nest. Our omega is going to build a nest for us. The primal part of me preens at the thought, even as I try to remind myself that this doesn't mean what I want it to mean.

I clear my throat, fighting to keep my voice steady. "Of course. We'll, uh... we'll go gather more supplies."

Ember nods again, already turning away from us. "Good idea. I'm going to need water. And blankets. And anything soft. Lots of them."

"We're on it," Carter says, already heading for the door. The others follow, but I linger for a moment, unable to tear my eyes away from Ember.

She looks back at me, one eyebrow raised. "Was there something else?"

I shake my head, feeling like a teenager with his first crush. "No, I just... thank you. For trusting us."

A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, softening her expression. "Don't make me regret it," she says softly.

"We won't," I promise, meaning it with every fiber of my being. "I swear it."

With that, I force myself to turn and leave, closing the door behind me. The others are waiting in the hallway, their expressions a mix of excitement and apprehension.

"Holy shit," Jayce breathes. "Is this really happening?"

I run a hand through my hair, still trying to process it myself. "Looks like it."

"We need to be careful," Mason says, ever the voice of reason. "This is... it's a big deal. For all of us, but especially for Ember."

Carter nods in agreement. "We need to make sure she's comfortable. That she feels safe."

"Agreed," I say. "Let's split up. Mason, you and Carter hit the vending machines. Get as much food as you can find. Jayce, you're on water duty."

"What about you?" Jayce asks.

I take a deep breath, trying to ignore the way Ember's scent still clings to my skin. "I'm going to see what I can find in terms of bedding. Blankets, pillows, anything soft, like she said."

As we disperse, my mind races with everything we need to consider. Ember's comfort is our top priority, but we also need to think about practicalities. How long will her heat last? Do we have enough supplies to see us through? And what happens when it's over?

I push that last thought away, focusing on the task at hand. One step at a time, I tell myself.

Right now, Ember needs us.

And we're not going to let her down.