18

I still can't believe she agreed to stay with me, even if it's just as a trial run. I thought it would take much more work. I had speeches planned. It's going to be incredible to get to know her at a new level. Not just on dates, through text messages, or in passing. I finally get to learn who Leera is all the time, and when she thinks no one is looking…because I’ll always be looking.

I'm lost in my happy trail of thoughts when the scent of her arousal begins to drown me. It's heady and intoxicating, but it's not just that. I can sense her anxiety rising again.

“Leera, honey, what's wrong?”

Her cheeks turn pink. She tries to just smile and shake her head like she's fine.

We're almost home now, just another minute. Her scent is so strong I have to roll the car window down to be able to drive and keep my wolf from ripping through my skin.

How can this be? As I ask myself that question, my wolf begins to howl beneath my skin. How the fuck am I going to handle this?! This is the absolute last thing I would have thought we'd be dealing with today.

“Leera, look at me. Are you okay? Do you feel feverish?” I ask, but I already know the answer. Between her scent strangling me and the frantic look on her face, I already know. Her whole body is blushing a rosy-red color; it really can't be anything else.

She's starting to squirm and whimper in her seat when we turn onto our street.

“Let's get you inside, and I'll help, okay?” I ask, hoping I'm getting through the panic and need.

She barely nods.

Benny, Slate, Andrei, Dolos, and Eris out. Go find something to do until I let you know. I brought Leera home, but I think she's going into her first heat. Matilda, Meredith, and Jeanine, if you could please stay in case she needs you?

I hope I sound strong because I'm trying to keep my shit together here. If she'd been raised a werewolf, she would have been taught about her heat and how to handle it.

Instead, I have to help her navigate through it while also finding a way to help her without crossing the lines that she's laid down. I worry she'll be so lost in her heat that she'll forget her wishes. I won't be the bad guy. I can't let that happen.

We pull into the garage. The men took off in wolf form to go check on the pack, and they won’t be back until I give the all clear. We don't know how long this will last. Some can be as short as twenty-four hours, while others can last a week. The thought of this lasting a week has me groaning while my dick involuntarily raises his head to volunteer. Sorry, buddy, you'll probably be sitting this one out.

I rush out of the car, going around to the passenger side to gather Leera in my arms. I'll come back for her things later. The second her body is pressed up against mine, she begins to mewl in a need she doesn't understand.

“Roman, wh-what's wrong with me? I feel so…” she shakes her head like she's trying to clear her mind.

“Let me get you inside, and I'll take care of you, Sweetheart.” I didn't mean for that to sound as husky as it did, but my wolf is riding me hard.

As soon as the elevator reaches the main floor, I fly through the space to my room as quickly as I can. It's probably only been two or three minutes, but with her panting and fidgeting like this, it feels like forever.

I kick the door shut behind us and lay her on the bed. I intend to step back, but her hands grab a hold of me and pull me on top of her in an earth-shattering kiss. Kisses are allowed. I remind myself as I soak in the taste of her. Honeysuckle and spun sugar so sweet I could easily have her for dessert for the rest of my existence. When she releases a deep moan, I gently break the kiss and rest my forehead on hers.

“Leera, baby, can you hear me?” I ask as I place one hand on each side of her head, so that she'll make eye contact with me. Very hooded, heavily glazed eye contact, but it's the best we've got right now.

“Baby, this is called your heat. I know you photographed animals with your parents. Are you familiar with animals in heat?”

The haze seems to lighten its grip on her for the moment, and I can see the wheels turning in her head before she squeaks out, “I, uh, y-yeah, I remember.”

“Werewolf women go into heat when they meet their mate. Since your wolf hasn't been released yet, I didn't even think about this. I'm so sorry, Sunshine.”

“Is that why I feel, why I feel so…” she trails off and scoffs, running a hand down her face, clearly embarrassed.

“Hey, none of that. This is completely natural, and you never have to feel that way with me. We'll get you through it. Normally, the only way to help with the needy feelings you're having is by mating.” Her eyes widen, and for a second, and I worry she might bolt, so I rush to finish my sentence, “But I know you're not ready for that.”

She visibly relaxes, but I can see the lustful glaze recapturing her eyes.

“Baby, focus I need to know what you want me to do. I want to help, but I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of you,” I ask quickly, worried that we didn't get to discuss this before it happened.

She nods, sits up, and slowly crawls around me to the edge of the bed. She pushes me down on the bed where I was leaned over to talk to her. She, even more slowly, lifts her perfect little body over mine until she's straddling me and there's no way she can't feel how this is affecting me.

“Leera, I...” She stops me with her finger on my lips.

She replaces her finger with small kisses across my lips, moving towards my jaw.

When she gets to my jaw, she finally starts to speak, each word separated by a kiss along my stubbled jaw line, “I. Trust. You. Roman. Please. Take. Care. Of. Me.” Her last words end on another kiss that takes my breath away. I don't know if it's the kiss or the trust that she's granted me, but my heart feels light and my dick feels heavy. Her scent filling my room. Her need rubbing along mine. It's the perfect storm, and if I don't keep my shit together, I'll jeopardize the trust she's placed in me.

I allow her to kiss me until she's moaning and whimpering through the kisses. I don't know what the heat feels like, but from the descriptions I've been told, it feels like you'll never be able to cool down again. All while the need inside you consumes all logical thoughts or actions. The longer you go without release, it can turn painful, and I don't want her to experience that.

When I pull away from the kiss, I scoop her up in my arms and lay her in the center of the bed and growl, “Let me make you feel better.”