Page 118 of Feeling the Heat: Part One
“Shit. I didn’t even think about that,” she mutters. “I… I’ve assumed for years that children were completely out of the picture for me. God, I’m such an idiot. Heats equal the biological urge to make sure an omega gets knocked up.”
Ambrose reaches across the table and squeezes Camille’s hand at the same time I rest mine on her back, rubbing a gentle circle pattern on her. River stiffens, like he’s unsure how to hold himself or how he should react to this topic of conversation.
“You’re not an idiot,” I say firmly. “I honestly hadn’t considered it either.” I was too focused on thoughts of our pack adding Camille to consider how that could end up expanding it even more.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Ambrose adds, smiling at her in reassurance. “There are no expectations from our end and many ways to make sure you don’t get pregnant unless you want to.”
We all wait for River to say something. He frowns slightly. “I’d like a kid, but it’s not a dealbreaker.”
“Hold on, what? Since when?” I ask, glaring at him. When I reach down the bond, I’m shocked to find he’s sincere.
“Since our pack started courting an omega. It’s not weird to think about. Don’t look at me like that. At least I’ve thought about where I stand on the subject,” River grumbles.
The comment is directed toward me, but Camille blanches. “I should’ve thought about it before agreeing to… I don’t know if I can do it.” A small whine escapes her and she claps a hand over her mouth in mortification.
River curses and reaches out to set his hand atop the one Ambrose has on Camille, knocking over most of the pieces on the game board. “I didn’t mean it for you. Shit, I’m sorry. I truly didn’t.”
She looks up at him with glassy eyes. “It’s okay. It’s my fucking omega freaking out when she thinks I’ve made my alpha upset.”
My alpha. The words make possessive alpha energy pulse through the bond from River.
Camille doesn’t realize what she’s said, but River looks dumbstruck.
Ambrose shoots me a sharp warning look, and I roll my eyes at him in reply. I’m not enough of a dumbass to point her words out and make everyone even more uncomfortable.
“No one is upset with you,” Ambrose murmurs, a purr rumbling in his chest. “Let’s table this topic for a while so we can all consider it. But please know, whatever you want, we’ll be okay with it.”
River gives her a curt nod and pulls away. “Yes. We will.”
There’s a long moment of silence and I worry that all the good vibes we’ve been building tonight have been ruined.
That won’t do.
I reach out and tip my game piece upright. It landed right at the finish line when it got scattered. “Would you look at this? I won, after all.”
Camille turns over her shoulder to look at me and scoffs indignantly. “No, you didn’t! We all saw I was going to win on the next turn.”
“Yes, but my piece is there now,” I say, shrugging.
“True, it is,” Ambrose adds hesitantly, going along with me as I poke my packmates through the bond to help me out.
“That’s not how the game works,” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
River taps his chin. “I didn’t see anything in the rules against it.”
I clap my hands together in triumph. “Looks like I win! And I think I want to claim my prize right now.”
“This isn’t fair, I—Hey!” Camille squeals as I hoist her up off the floor and onto my shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Put me down!”
Her perfume explodes around her despite her protests, and I give her ass a light smack. “Don’t wait up for us,” I say, waving to Ambrose and River.
They chuckle as I carry a wriggling Camille to the stairs. My cock throbs against the zipper of my jeans at her indignant huffs and being allowed to manhandle my omega like this. I kick open the door to my bedroom, glad I cleaned up before she came over, and set her down on the bed, immediately caging her against the mattress with my body.
“You’re such a dirty cheater,” she hisses, eyes bright with her desire.
“Says the woman who admitted to using her wiles as a distraction technique.” I grind my erection against her thigh and her breath hitches. “Do you know how hard it is to think when all my blood has gone to my cock?”
“Not my problem that you’re a perv who can’t stop staring at my breasts,” she bites back, her hips bucking to try to get out from under me. It only grinds me against her harder.
