Chapter Sixteen

Kane

By morning, the cabin is cold. The fire must’ve gone out while we were sleeping.

And yet, Willow is warm against me.

She sighs gently I pull her in closer. What I really want to do is scent her—make sure that bastard out in the forest, and everyone else, knows she’s mine— but that’ll have to wait.

No-one touches this omega without her permission.

My inner alpha seethes.

Never fucking again .

Willow spoke so softly last night, like she had something to be ashamed of. No matter how pissed off I get, I have to make sure I don’t suffocate her with rage.

Which means all I can do is fantasize.

Imagining all the ways I’m gonna kill those piece-of-shit sentries.

No wonder she was scared of me. I knew omegas had it rough, but to come from—what— gang rape ? And then to run into me, a total stranger, alone in the wilds? Anyone else would’ve cut and run. Instead, she tested me. Then, slowly … let me in.

Omega’s strong, my inner alpha rumbles.

I wish to hell she didn’t have to be.

I brush her hair off her shoulder. Honeyed, fruity goodness wafts up at me, making my inner alpha purr. I don’t think I’ve purred for anyone before, but for her, I almost can’t resist.

Suddenly Willow stirs. I tighten my arms around her. “Will? You up?”

She murmurs incoherently, turning her face into my chest.

Just as I think she’s about to settle, she groans, drawing her legs up. Her body feels like a glowing, pulsing little furnace in my lap.

Ah shit. Not now.

The blood starts pumping through my veins, hotter and harder by the second. I try to shift, but it only lies her flatter. She groans again. Stretches.

Please tell me my rock-hard dick is not about to wake her up .

Sure enough, she stirs, breathing me in as her eyes flutter open. “Kane?”

Her voice is quiet and bleary and goddamn fucking adorable. Definitely not doing my restraint any favors.

“Yeah, bunny.” I rub her back. “I’m here.”

She hums. “Smell good.”

“I do?” I didn’t even have one of her freezing baths last night.

She lifts her face, angling up at my neck. “Like … cinnamon.”

Thank god she’s still so out of it, or she’d probably feel my heart flutter.

I don’t move, anticipating at any moment she’ll realize this isn’t a dream and tell me to get lost. Then again, after the moment we shared last night, with everything finally out in the open, maybe she won’t. She nuzzles me with hazy interest, almost like she’s trying to—

Holy shit.

Is she scenting me?

“Uh …” heat explodes in my cheeks. “You good?”

I’m not even sure she hears me, rubbing her cheek across my collarbones. Her lips brush the exposed flesh, leaving goosebumps for every almost-kiss. My hard-on throbs painfully against her stomach.

What’re you waiting for? my inner alpha snaps. Scent her back!

Instincts blazing, I turn the flat of my wrist between her shoulder blades. She shudders as I pump out my scent, covering her up and down.

Fucking hell. Is this really happening?

Willow doesn’t let up. When I prop myself up for better leverage, she gives a low, broken whine.

I freeze. “Omega?”

Her breath hitches. “Where are you going?”

I growl, hoisting her in closer. Fucking nowhere.

My inner alpha preens. Omega’s scent is all over me. Now all I need is her bite to seal the deal. She chuffs, and I tense up, worried I’ve spoken aloud.

“What?” I ask. “Not enough?”

It’s only when I get a good look at her face that my curiosity peaks. Her glossy eyes, rosy cheeks, flushed lips … fuck, I want to claim those lips. Kiss her so hard she’ll have no doubt who she belongs to.

“You’re sweating,” I realize, feeling her forehead.

She grumbles. “ You’re … sweating.”

My eyes narrow. “And slurring your damn words.”

To this she has no comeback, blinking heavily.

Slowly, like rising out of a dream, the situation begins to dawn on me. I, an alpha, spent the night in an omega’s nest. She wakes up hot and fuzzy and fixated on my scent. No matter how much my inner alpha wants to roll with the punches, I can’t just ignore what’s happening.

Willow swivels around, yanking at the sheets, grumbling when she finds them stuck beneath our combined weight.

I draw her back to me, my cock twitching when she lands in my lap. “Hey—omega.” I clear my throat. “I, uh, need you to focus.”

She glowers as if to say, I am focused.

My balls tighten. Is that the same glower she’d give me if I was buried deep inside of her—all fucked-out, determined to get her way?

“Can’t believe I’m saying this,” I mutter, “but something’s wrong. You’re not yourself.”

“Why? ’Cause I’m being nice?” She snorts. “You’ve gotta weird complex.”

You should put her over your knee, my alpha suggests. See how bratty she can be when she’s presenting for you.

“You’re hot,” I insist.

She snorts a second time.

“Dammit, omega. Feverish. ”

She squirms back around, giving me a perfect view of her ass in that thin, skimpy underdress. I bite back a groan, turning my hands into fists.

“What’re you doing?” I demand.

She leans forward, gathering more of the blankets. “Fixing it.”

“Fixing it—?” I freeze, heart thudding. “You mean nesting?”

Finally, she stills. Those mouth-watering pheromones soften.

“Alright.” I swallow. “You listening, now?”

Willow sits, retreating from her hands and knees, but doesn’t look at me when she nods.

“Good girl.” She shudders, making my cock lurch. “Listen, I don’t know if you’re keeping track of this shit, but looks to me like you’re going into—”

Suddenly she snaps around, daring me to finish my sentence.

“Don’t shoot the messenger, bunny. I’m just callin’ it like I see it.” Could’ve warned me your cycle was due , I almost add.

“You don’t know—the first thing—” she grits out, “about omegas.”

I pull back, stung. “I know a heat when I see one.”

I guess this was the wrong thing to say, as Willow hisses and untangles herself from the sheets. She stands over the side of the bed, glaring at me with those glassy, blown-out eyes, as she thrusts an arm at the door.

“Out,” she says, “n–now.”

My heart jolts. Not a fucking chance.

Slowly, I move to the edge of the bed, forcing my voice to soften. “Take it easy.”

“ You take it easy!” she snaps. “Y–you lie with me for o–one night, and you think you know everything?”

“Yes,” I say before I can help it. “That’s exactly what I fucking think.” I stand, looming over her. “But it’s got nothing to do with last night.”

Her bottom lip quivers. She bites down to stop it. “I need to be alone.”

I knew this was coming. All morning, I’ve been bracing myself for it. But now I’ve realized what we’re up against, I can’t just leave. An omega going into heat is no small matter. She’ll be defenseless. Nest-ridden.

Not to mention in a whole lot of pain.

I don’t hear myself growling until Willow bristles. She backs up.

“Willow,” I say, pained, “c’mon. Don’t do this.”

I notice then how badly she’s shaking. My inner alpha screams at me to steady her, almost forgetting that I’m the one making her un steady right now.

Swallowing back the rising tide of primal instinct, I say, “I’m not gonna hurt you. Just let me help.”

I step closer, putting a hand on her trembling waist. Then another. Her breaths tighten, and the next time she looks at me … it’s like she has no goddamn idea who I am.

I try to purr—too late. She thrashes out of my arms and stumbles around to the other side of the bed, using it as a barrier between us.

“Out,” she half-demands, half-begs.

Fuck, I can really smell it now. She’s cock-stirringly sweet, getting sweeter by the second, so much that it overrides the bitter notes of fear. It’s not pure heat, but it’s not too far off.

Do not fucking leave her , my inner alpha seethes.

Then I remember everything she told me last night. Her fathers. The sentinels . If I stay … I know what will happen. I won’t be able to control my alpha.

Fighting against every impulse in my body, screaming at me to hold omega, put her back in her nest, take care of her and, sure, fuck a couple pups into her—I back away towards the door

“I won’t be far,” I bite out. “You just chirp, and I’ll be here.”

She’s already turned away. I don’t even know if she heard me.

So I step out, step after agonizing step, giving her the space she needs.

And I plant myself outside her front door, snarling, as I palm at the excruciating bulge in my pants.