Page 157 of Power Shift

His vanilla and cinnamon scent pushes past the thick chemicals and attacks my senses. My knees shake when I refuse myself the opportunity to go to him. If I’d just marked him already, there wouldn’t be a reason to need to mark my territory here. That woman would already know he’s mine.

Spinning on my heel, I clench my fists and swallow another round of venomous words. I haven’t been this angry in a long, long time. It’s unnatural and unnecessary. Extreme.

The picture of another woman knelt in front of my alpha—touching him—continues to flash in my mind, intensifying the burn of rage until I’m sweating.

Landon’s mine. And this woman, a beta if my guess is correct, was far,fartoo close to him. They’re comfortable with each other, clearly. This is the person who’s been treating hisinjury. How many times have they been here in this room together?Alone?

I take hold of the door and whip it all the way open. It’s like my mind isn’t completely my own right now. Landon glides in front of me and slides his hand around the back of my neck, holding it in a vise grip as his thumb rubs my scent gland.

It’s impossible to leave now. My omega won’t allow it. The longer he holds me in this position, the more she craves to roll over and submit to him.

“Talk to me, Haven,” he demands, voice deep and demanding but lacking the bark that would no doubt have me telling him everything I’m thinking.

“No.”

The knowing smirk that forms on his lips doesn’t help calm me down. “Tiara, I’m good here if you want to head out.”

That rumbling noise starts up again at the sound of her name on his tongue.

“Alright! I’ll see you in a couple days, then. Have a good night,” she rambles before rushing past us on her way out.

I keep my eyes on Landon so I don’t rip her throat out when she nearly brushes my shoulder. I’m not myself right now. I’m getting hotter, my temperature out of control. There’s sweat dripping down my spine and beneath the strong fingers still pressed into my neck.

An ache grows in my belly, but it lacks teeth. It’s more like a weak cramp that swells in intensity before disappearing. Pulsing, almost. They don’t stay away for long. Another appears, then another.

“Ohhh,” I whine, clutching my middle.

Landon releases my neck and covers my hand with his, guiding them to rub in a circular motion. His nostrils flare when he inhales. “You need to tell me what’s going on, Briar.”

His hand feels cold. But when he pulls mine away from my stomach and brings it up between us, the glistening of my palm tells me that’s not the case. I’m just so hot that he feels cold in comparison.

I shake my head, a panicked sense of arousal drifting into my subconscious. “No.”

He reaches out to shut the door, and I stand still, refusing to move a muscle. Another cramp grows, this one sharper and lower.

“Christ, you’re burning up. Tell me what to do here, baby. I—Is this another spike?”

Oh, he sounds so sexy when he’s worried. The low rasp of his voice is even growlier than normal. I lean into him, pressing my breasts against his chest and mewling at the pleasure that sparks from the light pressure on my nipples. It washes some of the pain away.

“Landon,” I moan, lifting my hands to rub his bare shoulders. “You’re so hot. I want to lick you all over.”

“Not here. Not yet. We’re at the arena right now.”

My hold grows stronger as I expand my exploration and trace his thick abdominal muscles. His hair tickles my fingers while I push up on my toes and bring my nose to his throat.

“I need to call the guys. You smell?—”

His words get lost in his throat when I scrape his skin with my teeth and blow a trail of hot air over the mark I leave.

“Yes, call them. I’m going into the early stages of heat, Landon. I need you to knot me right now while we wait for them to get here to take the edge off.”

His snarl isn’t aimed at me. “You can’t go into heat here. It’s not safe like home would be.”

“Too late. Maybe if you hadn’t let another woman touch you in front of me, I wouldn’t be,” I hiss, the return of my anger slipping through the haze of lust.

Landon’s breath hitches, and I realize a beat later that I’ve bitten down on his throat, keeping the pressure light but threatening as I don’t break skin. A stuttered purr breaks out, vibrating in his chest.

“Mark me right now and you won’t be leaving this room until your heat is over and that tight pussy can’t take another knot, Briar. Your first heat will take place in your nest. But that doesn’t mean I won’t help you enough that we can leave here without you being in too much pain.”

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