Page 101 of Feeling the Heat: Part One
A laugh bursts out of me. “Oh yeah, so selfish to want to help me.”
“I mean, it’s ultimately motivated by what brings me joy, so it is,” he shrugs. “Making others happy and seeing them pleased by my actions is better than anything else in the world.”
“Wow, okay. So it’s instinctual?” That doesn’t track with the stereotypical image of an alpha in my head. “Are all alphas like that?”
Ambrose shakes his head. “Not really. Most alphas I’ve met don’t have as intense a need for caretaking. We’re all different, even if our alpha instincts stem from the same source. Like everything, there’s nature, but there’s also nurture.”
His nurture must’ve been pretty special to make him the alpha he is. “I’m very lucky that you’re the caring type of alphaand not the overpowering jerk kind. That must be why you went into omega medicine, right?”
“Exactly! I’ve always had a strong affinity for caring for omegas.” His face scrunches. “Not in a creepy way! I just had a deadbeat alpha dad who abandoned the omegas in his pack when I was a kid.”
His voice grows softer. A little more hesitant. “So I, uh… I suppose it’s because I didn’t want to be anything like him. I wanted to model the love the three omegas who raised me gave me, because they showed me what true strength and pack commitment are.”
Emotion rises in me, and I set my food down so I can place a hand on Ambrose’s thigh, needing to touch him. As soon as I make contact, a tiny purr rumbles to life in my chest. “I can confidently say you are nothing like that alpha. You’re the most caring person I’ve ever met.”
Ambrose’s eyes grow misty and he swallows hard, placing his hand atop mine. “Thank you. I try.”
I try.So much weight and history behind two simple words.
“You succeed,” I say, giving him a soft smile. “I just hope that…”
I almost say I hope that he’ll let me care for him, too, but stop myself from making promises when we don’t know how things will work out between us.
“I hope you have people that take care of you, too.”
To my surprise, Ambrose’s lips quirk at my words. “Oh, don’t worry. I absolutely do.”
I raise a brow at the hint of suggestiveness in his tone. “Like you take care of me?”
“Yes.” A hint of color rises on his cheeks above his beard.
“Oh.”
A beat passes as I soak in that knowledge.
“Sorry, is that too weird to talk about?” Ambrose asks, brows knitting together.
“Huh? Oh! No, it’s fine. I’m just a little surprised.”
And immensely intrigued. Now all I’m going to think about the next time I see River is how he controls this alpha.
My cheeks burn as I attempt to shove the mental images flooding my mind aside. “I don’t mind talking about him. River is your mate. If we’re going to make this work, he can’t be a touchy subject.”
The slight tension in Ambrose’s posture eases. “True. Still, if I ever overshare, tell me. I don’t plan on giving you a blow-by-blow of anything.”
I giggle at his word choice. “Probably for the best. Do you guys ever talk about me?”
Oh god, is he going to tell Jackson everything that we’ve done together? Has Jackson told them all the stuff that happened at Nesting? Did he tell them about how I handcuffed him and edged him, then he had me sit on his face until my thighs were too weak to keep me upright?
Ambrose snorts. “Yeah. You’re all Jackson wants to talk about, other than Dolly. But please don’t worry. We’re not giving blow-by-blows about you, either.”
“Whew, okay.” I release a gusty sigh. “Not that it needs to be a secret, but with River being my boss…”
“I get it, sweetheart. No need to explain.”
There’s a moment of heaviness in the air between us and I can’t help wondering if Ambrose is feeling the same strange void inside him at the reminder that River isn’t as much of a part of this arrangement as the rest of us.
After we finish up dinner—conversation flowing like water as we give each other a crash course on what makes us who we are—Ambrose bundles the leftovers away and asks if it’d be okay for us to move to my nest.
