Rejection (The Mate Games 2)

I tore my gaze from Caleb to where my roommate still hovered by the door. Our still open door, where we’d been collecting an audience. Three hulking figures stood just outside, their eyes all glowing with feral need, bodies shaking with the effort of controlling themselves. My wolf practically presented herself for them, but she wanted her mate more than anything.

“Kingston,” I moaned. “I need Kingston.”

Moira’s eyes went wide. “Fuck, she really is dying, isn’t she, Padre? Sunday never willingly asks for that jackass.”

Caleb snapped his focus to the men crowding our door and then to her. “Put up a ward, Miss Belladonna. Right the bloody hell now.” Then he turned furious eyes to me. “Why haven’t you been taking your suppressants?”

“Suppressants?”

“For your heat,” he ground out. “They’re a requirement for all female shifters. You know what the heat does to the unmated. You’re going to drive them all mad until it’s over.”

“Um... what’s a heat?”

“Oh, shiiiiit.” Moira shut the door after her ward snapped into place. “That’s what this is?”

My thighs were slick with arousal, breasts aching and heavy, womb feeling incredibly empty and desperate to be filled. I reached for Caleb. “Help me with this, please.” I didn’t know if I was asking him to fuck me or save me. Maybe both.

Caleb jerked out of my reach, his eyes wild. He took a harsh breath, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “It’s too late now. The heat is already upon her. She’s just going to have to ride it out. I’m going to need to take her away from here. The only way to keep everyone safe is to get her out of range. We need to remove her scent—and the temptation—from the main campus grounds, or no one will know any peace, least of all her.”

“So this is why they’re all acting like such freakshows lately? Even more than usual.”

“If by freakshows you mean tense and on edge, yes. I should’ve seen it for what it was, but then we’ve never had someone come into their heat before. Female shifters are taught at an early age how to manage such things.”

“Shifters with mothers, maybe. I bet no one in her family wanted to have a chat about the wolfy birds and bees with her. Especially since she hadn’t managed her first shift yet. Why get into all the uncomfortable details if they didn’t have to?”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” I bit out before my whole body seized up as a painful wave of need hit me.

“All you’re going to add to this conversation is moans soon,” Caleb said. “It’s going to get worse—much worse—before it gets better. You’re too vulnerable here. We need to remove you from this room as soon as possible.” He stared at the teacup sitting on my bedside table. “Can you make us a stronger brew of that tea? We can put her under so I can transport her somewhere safe.”

“Where are you taking her?”

“It’s best you don’t know.”

Moira scowled at him. “You don’t have to protect her from me. I’m hardly the one trying to hump her leg.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about. Until her scent is cleansed from this room, those men out there are going to be like zombies. They won’t stop trying to find her. They may... hurt you to get information. And when Kingston finds out... ”

“He’ll do anything to get to her.”

He nodded. “Exactly. I’ll hold him off as long as I can.”

They continued to talk over me. Part of me was annoyed I wasn’t included in the conversation, but it was a small part. Smaller by the second, to be honest. My brain was drifting, images from my dreams merging with reality. My body was on fire with the need to be touched. To be filled.

It was unbearable.

I cried out as a twist of desire sent me writhing on the bed. “Why does it hurt so much?”

“Easy now,a stor. I’ll take care of you.”

A cup was brought to my lips, the scent of herbs overpowering and already making my eyes droop. “Drink,” Moira whispered. “It’ll be okay. I’m sorry I didn’t call for help sooner.”

“We didn’t know.”

She brushed my hair off my face. While there was nothing sexual about the action, the soft play of hair over my skin had me trembling.

“It’s probably best you don’t touch me right now.”

Moira jumped back like she’d been scalded. “Shit. Sorry.”