Page 40 of Dance Omega Dance

But now it was here.

And ithurt. I stood up, reaching out, needing my nest.

Gods, it hurt.

The floor swayed beneath me, legs buckling as Anders pulled me close, half-lifting, half-guiding. Somewhere behind him, Blake’s presence made me want to claw off my skin and give him every inch of it. He was everything. Everything I wanted.Needed.

Zach’s scent taunted me, deep and rich andperfect. It didn’t help. It made everything worse. My body screamed for them, instincts howling like something feral inside me had tasted freedom and would not be caged again.

“Make it stop,” I begged, breath hitching, words breaking apart on my tongue. “Please, make it stop.”

A whimper slipped free, my raw omega rearing her head. I clawed at the buttons of my shirt, couldn’t get them open, couldn’tbreathe. Fabric stuck to my skin like it was suffocating me, and every brush of air made my nipples ache, my thighs clench.

The last time it happened, the pain vanished, snuffed out in an instant, like someone had slammed a door on it.

No warning. Just... nothing.

One moment my body was screaming, nerves lit up like fire. Then silence. Cold and total.

Fight or flight, they call it. But I didn't run. I didn't fight.

Ifroze.

And in that numb, hollow pause, I saw them... my parents. Still and broken, limbs twisted in ways that made little sense, glassy eyes turned skyward but seeing nothing. Eyes that used to shine with laughter, now just wide, empty things, that stared straight through me.

"Here," Anders whispered, and the warmth of his hands on my shoulders made me shudder. The fabric slid down my arms like a surrender, skin bared inch by inch until the cool air kissed it, sending goosebumps skittering across my flesh.

"What—" My voice broke, a sob catching in my throat. "What's happening to me?"

"It's a heat spike," Anders said, his eyes searching mine with a careful intensity. "When was your last heat?"

"Never," I gasped. "I've never... I've always—" But the rest disintegrated in a rush of sensation that crushed my voice flat. My mouth opened, but only a gasp escaped as need seared through me.

Blake’s palm found the bare skin of my back... solid, warm,alpha. His presence hit me like a drug. “Breathe, Summer. You’re safe.”

Safe? I wasdrowning. My body vibrated with hunger, every cell screaming for touch. I clutched at Blake’s arm like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity. “I don’t have my suppressants,” I rasped. “I can’t, I can’t—”

Zach’s face swam into view, worry shadowed by something else, something hungry and wild. “This is your first?” His voice held a note of awe, like I was some sacred, forbidden thing.

I nodded, clutching at them like a lifeline.

He let out a low whistle, then winced as if realizing how that sounded. "We'd better get you settled, then."

Another spike tore through me, ripping through my insides, and I cried out before I could stop myself.

"Easy," he murmured, guiding me to the bedroom. "We’ve got you. Just hold on."

Their scents curled through the air, forest-soaked pine and cedarwood, chaotic waters surging against me. My thighs clenched, slick already coating them, my body preparing for what my mind couldn’t yet accept.

My skin was on fire, every inch of me screaming for something, anything, to make it stop. I staggered forward, leaning heavily on Anders as Blake and Zach followed close behind.

Blake's voice rumbled over the haze of my thoughts, each word firm and clear. "Summer. Are you sure? Are you ready?"

My gaze locked with his, the question in his eyes more intense than the pain tearing me apart. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a strangled, desperate sound.

Zach was at my side, his expression shifting from concern to elation in the space of a heartbeat. "She's ready," he declared, swooping in with a grin that lit up his face.

"Zach!" Blake's voice was sharp, a warning that barely registered before I found myself lifted off my feet.

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