Page 11 of Heat Clickbait
"The kitchen annex was my project," Milo said, and I could hear the pride in his voice. "Full refrigeration, a warming drawer that maintains exact temperatures, even a small oven for fresh baking. Omegas in heat need constant nutrition, and I wanted to be able to provide that without leaving."
"Ghost wired the whole room," Blitz said, and Ghost ducked his head, apparently embarrassed by the attention. "Cameras that can be completely hidden or activated for... content creation and security. Sound system that can play anything from white noise to full orchestral arrangements. Even biometric monitors."
"Biometric monitors?" I asked, running my hand over the blanket.
Ghost pulled out his phone, and tapped something out on the screen as he showed me an app with various readings. His message read, "Heart rate, temperature, stress indicators. Allpassive, nothing invasive. In case... in case someone needed medical attention but couldn't ask for it."
The care in that, the forethought for an Omega's safety during their most vulnerable time, made my chest tight with emotion.
"And you?" I asked Nova. "What did you contribute?"
He gestured to the space itself. "Integration. Making sure everything worked together. The zones communicate with each other, the systems are all connected but can operate independently if needed. I wanted it to be seamless. Effortless. A space where an Omega could focus on their needs without worrying about... logistics."
"You built a smart nest," I said, wonder in my voice. "You literally built an intelligent space designed to anticipate and meet an Omega's needs."
I looked around the space with new eyes, seeing the months of thought and care that had gone into every detail. The colors that soothed instead of overwhelming. The textures that provided variety without chaos. The technology that supported without intruding.
"Why pink?" I asked suddenly, noticing that several of the blankets and pillows had pink undertones.
They all looked at each other, that silent pack communication happening again.
"We don't know," Nova admitted. "It just... felt right. Blitz kept bringing back pink things from shopping trips."
"The universe has a sense of humor," I muttered, running my fingers through my bubblegum-pink hair.
Another wave of heat rolled through me, this one strong enough to arch my back, and when it passed, I found all five of them had moved closer, tightening their circle around me.
"You need to hydrate," Milo said, already moving toward the kitchen annex.
"And eat something," Blitz added.
"Temperature adjustment?" Ghost asked, fingers hovering over his phone.
"Maybe remove some layers?" Crash suggested, then immediately went red. "For temperature regulation! Not for anything else. I wasn't suggesting?—"
"Actually," I said, plucking at my sweat-soaked shirt, "that's not a bad idea."
I kicked off the blanket even though it was supposed to be cooling and pulled the band tee over my head before I could second-guess myself, dropping it beside me. The cool air on my overheated skin felt like heaven, and I couldn't suppress a sigh of relief.
The synchronized intake of breath from all five Alphas would have been funny if I wasn't burning up from the inside out. I was still wearing a bra, nothing remotely sexy, just basic black t-shirt bra, but from their reactions, you'd think I'd stripped completely naked.
"Water," Nova said roughly, his voice dropped into a register I hadn't heard before. "Milo, water."
Milo practically sprinted to the kitchen annex, returning with a bottle that he handed to me with shaking fingers. The water was exactly the right temperature, cool but not cold, and I drained half of it in one go.
"Better?" Ghost asked.
"Different," I admitted. "Not better or worse, just... different. Like my body's reorganizing itself around being here. Being with you."
"That's actually quite accurate," Nova said, visibly trying to regain his composure. "Pack heat is different from solitary heat. Your body is recognizing us as... as partners. It's adjusting its responses accordingly."
"My body's recognizing you as mine," I corrected, then slapped a hand over my mouth, horrified at what I'd just said.
But instead of looking uncomfortable, all five Alphas looked... pleased. Relieved, even.
"Good," Crash said simply. "Because we've been yours since the moment you sat down at that table."
The honesty in that statement, the simple acceptance of what was happening between us, made me want to cry. Or laugh. Or grab the nearest Alpha and?—
