Page 29 of Feeling the Heat: Part Two
The flames inside her start to sputter out, her heat spike satisfied for now. I brace myself for the moment she goes cold and the reality of what we’ve done sets in, cursing the way we’re locked together because it means there will be no way to escape it.
“Are you okay?”
Camille’s gentle words startle me, and I look up from where I’ve buried my face in her neck, realizing I’m crying as I blink to unblur my vision. She reaches up and wipes a tear away as it slides down my cheek, making my chest constrict with longing.
I know I should be strong for her. She’s the one who had to endure me fucking her to help with her heat. She’s the one who deserves to be upset.
But I can’t do it. I’m split open and so tired of pretendingthat I’m strong all the time. It’s never done me any good, anyway.
“Not really,” I croak.
A husky laugh rumbles out of the woman pinned beneath me. “Me either,” she says with a lopsided smile. She sounds almost…happy? Which makes no sense. It must be all the hormones from the heat spike making her feel good.
I fight against a frown, trying not to let my guard slam back into place like it would’ve in the past. “Sorry, I’ll get off as soon as I can.” I keep my voice soft, but there’s an edge of sadness to it I can’t contain.
Camille laughs harder, and this time I can’t hold back my concern and confusion. “Are you delirious?” I press a hand to her forehead to check her temperature, but she smacks it away.
“You already got off,” she snorts, ignoring my question.
I groan at the terrible joke. My brain can’t process why she’s not shutting herself away. Why she’s teasing me. Maybe I’m the one that’s delirious.
“So did you.”
The smile that curves across her lips is lazy and indulgent. The smile of someone well-fucked. My alpha purrs at that before I can keep it in, and Camille places a hand on my chest.
“Don’t let it go to your head. I think anyone with a knot would’ve worked with how horny I was.”
A flash of hurt makes my purr falter, and Camille’s smile fades. She gazes up at me, her eyes searching my face for something, and I hold still, heart threatening to beat out of my chest as I wait for whatever her assessment of me is.
“I’m glad it wasn’t a random alpha.”
You’d think she told me that she loved me from how my stomach flips and my purr revs back up.
I should be quiet and accept this strange post-coitalrelaxation. Accept that she’s not pushing me away and let that be that.
Of course, I don’t.
“Camille, I’m sorry,” I murmur.
Through the bond, I sense her walls coming up, but on the edges of that, there’s shame and hope.
“I…” She swallows hard. Time stops as I await my fate.
A loud banging on the door jars us out of the moment, and I hiss in pain as Camille tries to scramble up from under me and cover herself, yanking on my knot still firmly lodged inside her.
“Camille? Are you in there? Sweetheart, please let me in.” Ambrose calls from the other side of the door, sounding frantic.
His voice has her bond lighting up with longing, mirroring my own reaction to my mate’s voice.
“I’m, uh, I’m okay,” Camille calls back. “I can’t unlock the door, though. I’m stuck.”
“Stuck?”
“Hold on a moment,” I call out, looping Camille’s arms around my neck and sitting her up carefully. “Wrap your legs around my waist,” I say to the omega stuck on my knot.
“River??” Ambrose’s shock startles a laugh out of me, and Camille giggles. She gasps as I haul her up into my arms, and carry her over to the door. My back is going to be incredibly pissed at me later, but it’s worth it for the look on Ambrose’s face as I slide the lock open and crack the door.
“About time you got here,” I deadpan.
