Page 72 of Hidden Fates

I hear him step closer before I feel the heat of his body as he stops inches in front of me. This close, it’s hard to ignore the way my teeth throb smelling his luscious sandalwood and vetiver scent.

I might be drooling from how hard my instinctive need to claim is pounding through my skull.

What the fuck is wrong with me?.

Bellamy steps closer and inhales sharply, his baby blues widening. “Are you going into a rut?”

The question catches me off guard. Is that why I feel like this? Why my body is heavy, my thoughts cloudy, and my dick hard enough that I can feel each beat of my pulse throbbing through it?

“I-I don’t know,” I admit, my brows pinching.

Alpha ruts aren’t like Omega heats. They only occur once every year or two, or when an Alpha experiences high stress related to their need to claim their mate.

He pulls his phone from his pocket and fires off a quick message.

“Don’t worry, the guys will know what to do,” he says as he claps a hand on my shoulder and steers me back into Skye’s bedroom. Guilt bubbles in my stomach knowing I’m still invading her space and dragging her other mates in here.

“Instincts can be a bitch, but you aren’t facing them alone. Skye won’t care if we hang out in her bedroom to keep you calm, and none of us will judge you for how you’re feeling. We’re pack. We support each other.”

I let him guide me back to her bed, my cheeks burning when I go to sit and remember I’m only dressed in the damp towel I threw on after my shower.

“Ah, I- uhm…” Rubbing the back of my neck, I try to force an explanation out, but my thoughts derail when I catch Bellamy’s attention pointed toward my cock that is tenting the thin material.

A smirk tilts the corner of his lips, matching the heat in his eyes as he winks at me. “I got you.”

He disappears into Skye’s closet, a sway in his hips that has me clinging to the edge of the mattress to hold myself back from lunging for him.

This is seriously a problem. I should not want to maul my mate’s Beta.

And I can’t blame how I’m feeling on my connection to her, because I can easily separate our emotions now that we’ve bonded, and this? It’s all me.

“Catch.”

Clothes hit my face and I barely swipe them up before they hit the floor. A pair of black boxers and plaid sleep pants. They must belong to Onyx or Sterling, the long legs wide to fit my thighs. I hope they aren’t bothered by me borrowing them.

The pants are halfway up my thighs when Onyx opens the door, his expression unreadable.

“You’re on the edge of a rut.”

Shrugging, I ball the wet towel in my hands to distract myself. “Maybe? I don’t know what’s going on with me. Just feel… weird.”

“Horny? Possessive? Angry? Depressed?”

His arms cross over his chest as he leans against the door frame, a move that is likely supposed to be relaxing but makes him appear menacing instead.

Which does piss me off, a feeling that immediately shifts back to guilt. It isn’t his fault I’m a mess.

“Basically.”

Stalking closer, he digs into his pockets and pulls out a pack of anti-rut medication. “Take them as directed. And call Skye. On video. Seeing her will help soothe your haywire instincts.”

“Right. Thanks. Sorry.”

This rollercoaster of emotions is leaving me with whiplash and a desperate need for a nap.

I jolt when his massive palm lands on my head and pats me. “You are still dealing with the bond sickness, as is our Omega. Don’t apologize for things that are out of your control.”

Sterling snorts. He and Bellamy carry trays of homemade pizza and other snacks into the room, their heads shaking.