Page 99 of Heat & Deceit
A laugh bubbles past my lips.
It’s ironic that the thing that’ll kill me is my heat, considering I should have died a thousand times over when I was working for Curtis. Another pang crashes into me, and my mouth drops open and I scream, crying out until the world fades away.
* * *
Blood trickles down my parched lips. I moan and roll over, sucking in a sharp breath when my head hits the wall. I crack my eyes open, sandpaper scraping across my eyeballs, to glare at my wall. Only, I’m not in my apartment.
I stare at the blurry, gray-painted concrete-block wall. Blinking, trying to clear my vision, I slowly push up. Memories flash through my mind. The guys in matching outfits. Rome asking me if I’m an omega. The dinner. Lycus sitting next to me. Javier’s searing gaze lingering on me as he sipped his mulled cider. My perfume. Running. Shoving into the warehouse.
From there, everything is a blur of pain and crying. I swallow, trying to wet my throat, but I’m too dehydrated for it to work. My sweater is stiff, dirt clings to the dried sweat, and my hair is knotted from the thrashing. My pants are ripped, and scrapes cover my legs.
My cheeks are raw from crying, and as I stand, every muscle protests the movement. Even through all of that, I’d take this pain over going through a heat alone.
I scan the warehouse and spot a bathroom sign nailed to a door. I hobble over to it and push inside, cringing at how disgusting it is. The sink works, and I clean up the best I can, making myself somewhat presentable for the trek home.
I’ve never done a walk of shame, but they can’t possibly be as bad as the walk of shame I’m doing now. Every person I pass gives me a wide berth, some staring and giving me wide-eyed, horrified once-overs. I clench my jaw and continue on, passing through their judgment and knowing that, no matter what they’re thinking, it can’t possibly be as bad as what I think of myself in this moment. Usually, I’m not so hard on myself, but it was stupid to think everything would be fine. Things are definitely not okay, and if I don’t get water soon, I may pass out. Two days in an intense heat without water, sweating and thrashing around, is bad. I’m so dehydrated, I might throw up.
But this isn’t the worst I’ve ever felt. Nothing can compare to waking up after a forced detox. That agony is forever etched in my mind, and not even a heat without knots comes close to that level of pain and ache.
So, I push myself. I force step after step, mile after mile, until I finally reach my block. A guy bumps into me, and I stumble into the wall, muttering an apology.
“Hey, hey. You okay, baby? Had a rough go?”
“I’m fine,” I say, glaring at the guy. Recognition flickers in the back of my mind, and as if realizing I remember who he is, the guy smirks.
“Those pills didn’t work out for you, then?” The beta dealer from the club. He bumped into me once before too. What’s he doing here?
“You...fuck you,” I rasp.
“I was hoping you might, but looks like I missed the party.” He bites his lip and takes in my state of disarray. “I can help you out, you know, with your next heat.” Despite how disgusting I look and smell, he steps forward.
There comes a time in every omega’s life when they realize exactly what they are to some people. Prey. The predator in front of me closes in. I don’t know how he found me, but I know what he wants. What he’ll take. I promised myself never again. This can’t fucking happen. He takes another step, and I stiffen, trying to gauge if I have enough energy to run. My knees buckle at the very thought.
“Hey,” someone shouts. “Get the fuck away from her before I fucking castrate you.”
Kiki.
A sob builds in my throat.Never again.
The guy glances down the sidewalk, but I don’t take my eyes off him. “See you around,” he murmurs before taking three steps back. A threat. A promise.
This isn’t over.
“Oh, what the fuck,” he shouts, turning and breaking into a full-out run.
“Get the fuck back here, you little bitch,” Knox shouts.
I turn at the sound of his voice, nearly collapsing in relief as Knox, Crow, and Jag tear after that asshole. Those alphas may not be mine, but the way my heart clenches in my chest hurts. These were Kody’s friends. They’re like brothers, and I didn’t know how much I needed and missed my brother. They’ll never replace Kody, but right now,they’remy brothers. They’re family, and the Hell Hounds protect their people.
Protection.
Since Kody has been gone, that’s such a foreign concept. I don’t know if I can trust it.
My knees buckle, and I groan, slowly sliding down the wall. Kiki runs over to me and catches me before I hit the ground, arms carefully hooking under my armpits and holding me in a way that’s too tender for my fragile heart.
“Are you okay? Did you take something?” There’s no judgment in the question, only fear. Then she sniffs the air. “Wait. You’re in heat?”
“Was,” I correct.
