Trainwreck

Chapter 6

Minji sat still until her arms started to cramp, and then some, gently letting go of Hanni only when she was sure that the Omega had actually fallen asleep.

The girl's ragged breathing had evened out, apparently reassured that Minji was not about to leave her any time soon. And she would not, despite the fact that the overall situation was beginning to become difficult to manage for her as well.

Hanni's scent, a tantalizing mix of sea brine and vanilla, had made its way deep into her lungs. It made Minji feel as lightheaded as she had been those few times she'd let Haerin convince her to go to a bar; slightly buzzed and electric all over, but in a way more pleasant that any kind of alcohol could ever make her feel.

Heat that probably mirrored the one wrapped around Hanni's bones for its intensity, had settled low inside her, occupying a tight spot between her spine and belly. She felt it expand in time with her inhales, and contract when she pushed the air out, like a secondary heart. One that had blood rush south to her cock, which, even now, had begun to swell and strain against the fabric of her underwear.

Shit.

Her eyes went back to Hanni's sleeping form; she would not leave the room, but she ought to put some distance between the two of them. If she let herself grow foggy-headed with lust she would not be of any use to Hanni, should the Omega wake up in pain.

And Minji knew that there would be pain. Untended heats ran their course much less pleasantly for Omegas than ruts did for an Alpha.

But you could tend to her needs, couldn't you?

It was not possible for Minji to recoil from her own mind in disgust, but she shook herself like a dog coming out of water and dug her nails into the palms of her hands until red crescents were left behind upon her skin.

She recognized the insidious voice pouring dark, unspeakable things into her ears; Hanni was calling to her Alpha, rousing it from its sleep. Minji's rut, which should still be weeks away, loomed instead threateningly, impossibly close.

Yet she wasn't like the Alphas that the two of them had faced back on the train, she would and could resist, and, even though Hanni was probably so caught up in her own need to welcome her attention, Minji wouldn't touch her. Not when the Omega was too influenced by what was happening to give her clear consent.

God, did she want to.

Her eyes went back to Hanni, and Minji found herself lost in contemplation.

Sprawled atop the bed, hair fanned out across the pillow, the Omega looked almost peaceful in her sleep. However, every now and then her whole body would tense, muscles seizing hard enough to make her whimper softly, and her shirt was so soaked through with sweat to appear wet. She may be dreaming, yes, but Minji knew that she would find no actual rest.

Before she could reconsider she had reached out, pressing her hand to Hanni's brow. She jerked it back a moment later, peering at her flesh and expecting to find it blackened and burned. The Omega was hot, burning with a fever that no medicines could ease at this point, and Minji's brows knitted in worry as she considered what to do next.

Perhaps if I took off her shirt and pants and put a cold towel on her...?

Minji blinked at the thought, standing and backing away from the bed as she considered. This was no ordinary fever, but a cool cloth on Hanni's forehead, and another draped over her collarbone could help decrease her body temperature.

Sensing the growing distance between them, the Omega rolled over, hands pawing at the pillow under her head as, trapped inside a dream, she muttered incomprehensible words. Minji chewed her lower lip until it stung, torn between wanting to ease the obvious pain Hanni found herself in and fearing the chain of events which prolonged close contact could set off.