Page 31 of Feeling the Heat: Part Two
Camille grimaces. “Yeah, okay.” She sucks in a shaky breath to stabilize herself and eases off of my lap even though she looks pained at losing contact with me. She pulls her dress back up and attempts to fix it so her breasts sit in the molded cups correctly, but the skirt is a lost cause, with a large tear that extends the slit to an indecent height. Her disheveled hair and smeared mascara leave no room for hiding how thoroughly debauched she is.
She hugs her arms around her waist, a slight tremble in her limbs despite her best efforts to be calm. “I can’t let anyone see me like this. It’s bad enough that I couldn’t make it through the party without falling on my ass in front of everyone and then running off to the bathroom. I’m surprised no one is banging on the door trying to get footage of the old omega having a meltdown.”
River and I move at the same time, crowding in at her sides to hold her against us, purring as we try to soothe her. I can tell through the bond River’s worried she’ll push him away, but Camille goes molten between us, the closeness of two alphas making her omega override her worries about getting caught in such a compromising state. Her lips find my throat, sucking hard as she arches her back to press her breasts against me and her ass back into River.
I’m a few seconds from saying fuck it and giving her what she wants, between her breathy moans and River’s gritted curse as he cages her in between us, but a loud knocking on the door snaps me back to reality.
“Camille? Are you in there?” A woman says, worry apparent in her sharp tone.
I silently question the omega in my arms if she knows the voice, and she nods. “A-Astrid,” she croaks, her voice breaking as she tries to respond. Clearing her throat, she slips out frombetween me and River and moves to the door, undoing the lock and peeking out. “Hey, sorry.”
“Holy shit, it smells like a coffee shop in here. What’s happen—” Her friend cuts herself off when Camille opens the door further to reveal me and River. The petite blonde beta’s eyes narrow, and she storms inside, putting her body between us and her friend.
“What the fuck is this? You said you were planning on talking to her, not cornering her in the bathroom. And where is Jackson? I thought this whole thing was his idea.”
“He had to take our dog to the emergency vet,” I say, trying to keep an even tone despite her accusatory tone making my alpha bristle.
Camille gasps. “Is Dolly okay?”
Her worry makes my heart flutter. I knew Camille was fond of Dahlia, but she sounds like she got news that a family member was in the hospital. She thinks of Dolly as pack.
I smile at her in reassurance. There’s been no updates from Jackson other than that they’re running some tests, but his worry through the bond eased a few minutes ago, so I think he got good news. “She should be fine. He’s just being cautious.”
Astrid’s gaze sweeps across the small room and lands on River’s jacket on the couch, splattered with slick and cum. “Jesus, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you know how hard it was for her to come here tonight? I thought you wanted her back, but if this was about sex, I swear, I’ll kill you.”
Camille holds her hands up appeasingly to her furious friend. “Hey, whoa, no murder! I asked for their help, I’m…” She doubles over and River and I both rush closer. A growl escapes my mate when Astrid refuses to move, and I place a hand on his arm to keep him from bodily moving the beta away from Camille.
“Stop it, everyone, just calm down. Fuck, how am I thevoice of reason right now? I’m the one who might be going into heat.”
Astrid’s mouth drops open as she turns to face Camille. “You’re what?”
“I don’t know!” Camille huffs, her agitation rising. “I’m having some kind of heat breakthrough. That’s why I came in here. River helped me, and now they’re going to take me home before I make a scene.”
“Yes, we’re going to take care of her if you’d stop getting in our way,” River snaps.
Astrid glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “You have no right to pull that protective alpha bullshit, asshole. So stop growling at me for trying to make sure my friend is okay.”
Her cutting words are a bucket of ice water over River’s snarling alpha. He steps back, deflating. “Sorry. You’re right.”
Camille gives me a pleading look, wiping her brow with the back of her hand and letting out a soft whine. She needs to get out of here now.
“Astrid, is there a back entrance to this building?” I ask.
“Yes, but I don’t know if you should take her. She’s clearly not in her right mind to make that sort of decision.”
“Yes, I am!” Camille protests.
I lock eyes with Astrid and give her my best serious doctor look. “I understand you’re worried about Camille, but she’s lucid enough to choose this, and she’s going to be in severe pain if we stand around here arguing much longer. I swear on my life that we only want to help her.”
I swallow hard against a lump of emotion in my throat as River’s echoing desire to take care of her pulses through me. “Please let us help. She’s everything to us.”
14
Ambrose’s wordsrun through my head on repeat as he slips off his coat and places it over my shoulders to obscure my disheveled dress. As he scoops me up into his arms like a bride and Astrid lets us past, pointing toward the service entrance before heading off to make a distraction. As River reaches out hesitantly and sweeps my hair off of my face and both their purrs pick up when another cramp hits me, and I release a pathetic little whine.
She’s everything to us.
It seems false after enduring the past few months alone. A way to get Astrid off their backs so they can help me while I’m in pain.
