Pledge to Me

Chapter Ten

I didn't sleep between them last night.

Half of me regretted it, the other half, knew that it was for a good reason. The separation allowed me to keep a clear head longer.

I stayed in the sanctuary of my den, curled up around all the scents that made me feel comfortable, settled, stable.Maybe it was that comfort that finally coaxed my heat out.

Only a couple of hours after closing my eyes did the telltale signs ease their way in. The shivers were first. No matter how many layers I piled on, I just couldn't get warm enough. Despite it being called a 'heat', Omegas mostly felt cold. It was the job of their Alphas to keep them warm. Give them something to do in the beginning when it was too soon for mating. It made them feel useful.

With my teeth chattering, it became nearly impossible to actually get some rest. If I was smart, I would have made my den in front of the fireplace.

No...that was too exposed. I wouldn't have been able to find the peace in seclusion that I really needed. And it would have sent the wrong message to Leo and Anders.

The old musty smell of the decrepit mattress was beginning to break through the potent aroma of the Alphas' clothing, piercing holes in the stability and safety I had created. Too much of reality was poking its way in.

Fuck.

I huddled closer, grabbing one of Anders's undershirts and burying my face in the fabric, inhaling as much as I could. If he knew what I was doing right now, he'd never let me live it down.

That little hit of Alpha calmed me down a bit, just enough to catch the faint sounds of footsteps snapping twigs and leaves just outside the cabin walls. Likely Leo doing rounds. He and Anders were getting antsy around the time I turned in for the night. It couldn't have been only my hormones going wild. Their instinctual need to protect the den probably kicking in with the increased release of my pheromones.

Knowing they were out there did make me feel a bit better, just that much more comfortable. Though all of that went out the proverbial window as another chill swept over me.

At this point, holding out alone would be stupid and pointless. I had two perfectly eager Alphas outside and waiting, completely happy with the idea of being used.

Frustrated after another whiff of the god awful mattress, I shimmied out from underneath all the fabric, grabbing one of the blankets to wrap around my body before shuffling over to the door.

Quietly, I opened the door, peeking over into the living area.

Anders stood near the glowing fire, staring into it with an intensity that signified he had been lost in thought. Of course, the moment I started shifting around in the room, all his attention focused on me. Still, he didn't acknowledge me, seeming to wait for my first move.

He looked damned good in the firelight. The blue of his eyes not getting lost in warm cast the way his fairly pale skin had. The beginning of a beard dusted along his strong jaw, up his pronounced cheeks, and blended together around those deliciously pink lips.

The bastard was handsome, I'd give him that.

"Where's Leo?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

Not looking up from the fire, he answered a short, "Outside."

"Go get him," I commanded, sounding every bit like a haughty Omega. Fuck it, who cares? I'm in heat and I'm fucking cold, I get to be demanding.

Anders glanced up at me briefly, eyes seeming to twinkle before he gave a small nod and disappeared out the front door. I watched and waited from the doorway of my den, probably looking ridiculous all wrapped up in the blanket. I sure as hell wasn't going to stand there naked.