Sugar Coated

41

Delaney Linwood

I woke burning up. I was willing to beg it to be because of a fever, but Em was radiating like a wood stove and he'd wrapped nearly every appendage around me in the night. I'd returned in kind until we were little more than a tangle of limbs and fabric.

I want to stay. The force of it scooped my chest out with a spoon and made my eyes burn.

"Mornin'," When you weren't looking for it you couldn't quite tell, but once you knew you could hear the slight southern tilt to the way Em occasionally spoke. There was a kinship in being bound up in childhood family drama.

"Good morning."

Neither of us moved to get up or leave his nest, quite the opposite really, Em tugged me tighter against him until I was plastered against miles of warm skin with my head tucked under his chin. I huffed his scent like an addict loving that it was strong enough that I could taste him on my tongue.

"Mmm yes, good goooooood. Let my pheromones do their job."

My startled laugh lit up the room a second before his smile did. I suppose he was right though. If he was going to put me in a fever I'd bet it would be through something like this –up close and personal. "Fast-tracking the fever?"

"You bet. Maybe if I keep you long enough I can get you to perfume," he finally opened his eyes the warm hazel made me melt.

"Get in line. Rosie's been begging me to perfume for years."

He rumbled a little bit in his chest, but his expression didn't change which told me the little growl didn't mean too much.

"Besides, I do feel a little hot this morning."

Em scent marked me without thought, "You're always hot in the morning."

"I meant temperature."

"Ah right, of course, my mistake." He brushed a feather-light kiss to my forehead, "You do feel a little warm I must say."

"That's a new way to test temperature, should I ask my primary to try that way next time?"

That one got a sincere rumble out of him enough that I felt it in my hand that was splayed against his chest.

"Keep playing, Doll. I'm near to a heat and will get horrendously jealous."

"Like you're not already?"

He rolled us and we were so wrapped in blankets that I couldn't wiggle free. He pinned me to the floor, showering me with a smug smile and the quirk of an eyebrow, "My sweet, you have not even seen jealous yet. Andres had to wash in de-scenter every time he left the pack house for the first heat after Jax bit him in, it was either that or I wore him out every night."

His eyes roved from my face down to my collarbone.

"My omega couldn't stand smelling anyone else on him and had to reinforce our bond." Em's attention strayed again and again back to my neck and his words turned thoughtful, "I don't think it's happy that it can't bite either of you...you in particular."

"I gathered that from the multiple attempts," I spread my legs wider, allowing Em the room to sink into me.

"You have a very biteable neck."

"Thanks, Dracula."

"It's a mutual thought throughout the pack though. Jax and Andres will get to bite you," That comment brought the crease out in between his eyebrows, "I guarantee you that Jax hasn't bent you over the sofa because he's afraid of coming on too strong and tempting an instinct to bite. Also willing to bet than Andres has already chosen where he'll bite."