Olivia is a rare thing in the werewolf world: a packless omega. She enjoys her simple life hiding among the humans, pretending she’s just a normal woman with no primal urges she has to constantly fight. Things are working out great until she agrees to cover her friend’s shift at the hospital and comes face-to-face with a wounded—and incredibly hot—alpha who turns her insides to jelly.
Age Rating: 18+ (Content Warning: Assault, Extreme Violence/Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault/Abuse, Stalker, and Violence Against Women)
Uncontrollable Heat by Megan Blake is now available to read on the Galatea app! Read the first two chapters below, or download Galatea for the full experience.
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1
“Liv! Can you get more gauzes before your break?”
“I’m on it.”
As Olivia walked away from the bed, she tugged at her elastic, her black hair cascading around her shoulders.
The last drunk patient that came to the ER had been quite the fighter. Keeping him down long enough to sedate him had her looking like she’d gone through the wringer.
She ran her fingers through her dark hair before wrapping it up again in a tight ponytail. It was next to impossible to get a break when you covered the night ER shift.
But honestly, she didn’t know how much longer she could go on without stepping aside. This was not a good night.
She was in heat.
Her skin was sticky, her nerves were on edge, and everything sent her spiraling down the wrong direction. She hated the weakness it brought forward, how needy it made her.
The smell of blood.
The drunken men flirting a little too much…
It was getting to her. At least everyone was human.
She pressed her index finger between her eyes and rubbed the skin to soothe her headache away.
Thinking straight was no longer feasible.
Gauze, and then some fresh air. She could do this. She could get through the night. Then she’d go home and take care of the urges that had plagued her the entire night. By herself.
Like she often did during these times. It was safer.
There was only one person she ever sought comfort from—the rest of the time, she pulled through it solo-mode.
It wasn’t natural for her to seek another werewolf; she wasn’t like most of them. Olivia wasn’t born like this. She became a werewolf.
Thankfully, her encounters with other members of her new species were far apart.
Sometimes, in the street, she’d get a sniff, her body would tense, and she’d know what to do immediately: run like hell.
She’d always followed that advice. Sure, tonight was a little more dangerous.
But—she’d never seen a werewolf this far into the city and she knew no one at work was one.
It was safe. It was almost over.
Olivia refocused her attention on her task at hand, unlocking the blue metal cabinet with the key dangling from her ID badge.
She grabbed as many packs of gauzes as her hands allowed her and pressed them to her chest.
She locked it back with one hand and turned around, her back pressing into the door of the nearby patient observation room. Then it hit her.
An alpha.
She’d never smelled one before and yet—her body knew.
The second the scent reached her nose, she stiffened up. She could see the staff, the patients, the visitors as they walked past her, but she felt in another dimension.
She, however, stood there, clutching at gauzes, frozen in place.
His scent was the sole thing she could smell. It fogged up her mind, her body heating as she dug her teeth into her bottom lip.
No. It wasn’t possible.
Her heart beat faster, straining against her chest. She would have known. The second he would have walked in… Had he been there already?
She’d been busy…tending patients in the ER, running off to get some much-needed supplies.
Could she have missed it?
She made a point to always be careful. Human side first, instinct later.
However, that musky scent in the air called out to her.
This was why she never worked during her heat—it made her prone to stupid decisions. Like this one. There was one wolf who’d been around her while her heat plagued her.
Only one. Her self-control had been poor, to say the least.
He warned her. He told her. Stay home.
Her best friend had asked for a favor and she had obliged. She did so much for her. How could she refuse this one favor?
Plus, werewolves rarely came strolling into the emergency room. What could happen in the span of twelve hours?
This, Olivia. This could happen.
She tried to swallow, her mouth like paste as she smacked her lip, desperate for wetness—other than the one rendering her panties damp.
She felt it dripping from her core, staining her underwear.
He was in the room next to her; she could tell. There was blood and his scent, and that was all she could focus on. Her heart thundered in her chest like a drum as her nostrils twitched.
He got closer. Too close.
And then…
Everything happened so fast—too fast for her to register it.
Before her next intake of air, something slammed her against the door, the forceful motion closing it shut at the same time.
The next time she blinked, there were hands on her—everywhere. Large hands palmed at her stomach and glided their way up until they cupped her breasts through the blue fabric of her uniform.
She held her breath, her head tilted back as she dared to open her eyes. There he was. In front of her, his imposing frame covered her much smaller one, his height causing him to tower over her. He trapped her.
Blue eyes darkened as he gazed down at her face.
The trail of his glance on her body lit up her skin, and suddenly even the air she breathed in was hot. She was breathing, but it suffocated her at the same time.
Like dying and living all at once.
His hands slammed on the door behind her, his arms forming a barrier on each side of her body, trapping her.
Her bottom lip quivered as she parted her mouth open, wanting to speak but unable to find her voice.
She had somewhat lost control and her inhibitions during her first heat—no one to explain to her what to expect, what would overcome her. She’d lost her virginity to another stray, her friend.
Her limited knowledge of her own kind led her to be grateful for her packless status, but sometimes it came with the sting that she knew nothing. Since then, she’d learned to control herself, to establish a safe environment.
Sometimes, the ache became too much—unbearable—and she’d give in to it.
It was an itch to scratch.
A passing need.
This?
Her body was on fire.
The sole solution to quench her thirst was him. More of his touch.
The thought of begging crossed her mind.
What the heck was wrong with me? Oh God.
She felt his nose pressed against the column of her throat, rendering her breathless.
Her shoulder-length black hair tickled her skin as his lips trailed along her neck, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.
A musky, earthy scent—like a campfire in a chilly night—clung to him and made her insides clench.
She bit her lip, waiting on his next move. The flutter in her empty stomach grew when his mouth found her ear.
Nibble, sharp teeth grazed against her earlobe before he tugged at it.
A warm puff of air tickled her as he panted.
Rough callus fingers brushed away the dark strand of her hair sticking to her sticky, moist skin. They dove into her scalp.
This man hadn’t uttered a single word to her, and her legs were quivering.
His scent carried his dominance while there was an inexplicable pressure in her chest coming from his need for control.
She had been told about alphas, but she could have never imagined this was what it was like to be near one.
It shouldn’t be… She’d been told many things, but…
No one told her it was dizzying, no one told her one brush of a finger and she’d be soaking through her panties.
His skin was smooth beneath her touch—though she couldn’t even remember when she had gripped his broad shoulders.
Finally, he made a sound, his voice feeling like silk ricocheting along her flesh. “Do you belong to someone?”
He ushered his words—a stolen whisper.
Belong to someone? His question rattled her brain, and despite the heat pooling in her stomach, she found her voice. “M-myself.”
It would have had a powerful effect without the trembling in her voice. The fact that she mustered a verbal answer at all represented already a victory.
He chuckled—a sound dark, rich, and it sent a vibrating rumble through her body. That alone was enough to elicit a clench in her core.
There was always a pressure; find a pack, follow an alpha.
She never took that path—not after what happened to her. She made her own pack with two friends. There were loners, mismatch, but there wasn’t an alpha to look after them. They look after themselves. It was better that way.
No one to hurt you, no one to go on a rampage.
It left her with a few surprises. Like this one. She didn’t want an alpha; she certainly didn’t want to fuck one.
They took what they wanted, and they didn’t care about the damage they left behind.
They were greedy monsters. It wasn’t for her.
Yet, despite her resolve, her fingernails dug at his skin, her thighs squeezing together, begging for some relief.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“I-I have to go.”
Gauzes. That was her task.
Now that she could string two thoughts together, she realized that in the commotion she had lost them. They were definitively not in the room.
Come on, Olivia. Think. Pull yourself together. It’s just an alpha. You know better.
He didn’t seem to care about her hesitance as his thumb brushed up against her bottom lip, dragging it downward. “Go then,” he challenged.
Great. That was exactly what she would do.
Except her body didn’t follow.
Her legs didn’t move.
She didn’t break the staring contest they had going on.
Olivia was a statue.
“Don’t seem so eager to leave,” he teased, his warm breath tickling her cheek.
Let him.
She could hear it. The small voice inside of her, the one she so often ignored. It was the wolf inside of her, the one she pretended wasn’t there for many years. The one that pushed her to follow a path that wasn’t hers.
She was a human first and foremost.
Olivia didn’t care that the moon affected her body, that animal instincts drove her. She spent sixteen years as a human. She couldn’t throw that away.
Olivia had only been a wolf for six years—it didn’t compare. No. She wasn’t doing this—whatever it was. She didn’t know this man. She didn’t know who he was, his name—he was a stranger.
“I’m gonna kiss you.”
It wasn’t a question—it was an order.
Maybe a warning?
She didn’t move, she couldn’t. His voice was commanding, his words echoing through her like they were law. Was this the unbreakable control of the alpha?
That one she had heard so much about? He wasn’t her alpha. She hadn’t pledged herself to him; she hadn’t vowed to obey and protect. She didn’t even know his freaking name.
He’ll make you feel better. No, he won’t. It was fine.
She could take care of the growing urge herself. It didn’t matter that his hand squeezing at her hip was enough for her to want to moan. It didn’t. Really.
He did well on his word.
His lips crashed on hers, his mouth melting against hers. His fingers dug into her skin while his other hand dragged down the length of her spine until it found her rear.
Forceful fingers squeezed it, earning a gasp from her.
Now that her mouth opened, he took full advantage, his tongue invading, swirling with hers.
She had let the instincts win a few times, but it never seemed like this.
It resembled fireworks erupting in her chest, each of his touches making her wetter than the previous ministrations. The thought of more wasn’t even enough to keep her sane.
The part of her she kept locked inside was clawing to free itself. It would give him a better surrender than Olivia ever would.
It screamed in her head, telling her he could make it all go away; the emptiness, the need—the urge she wasn’t even aware existed. No.
He popped off her mouth, leaving her lips bruised and swollen by the time he pulled away.
There was something magnetic in his eyes, something that kept her looking even when she didn’t want to do so.
“Shouldn’t be out here when you smell like that,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.
His eyes hypnotized her, and the words he spoke took a while to register. “Didn’t anyone teach you that?”
She knew males could smell a female in heat.
She understood that her omega blood made her a bigger prey and a more interesting target.
Olivia heard stories, different kinds of stories, about how packs treated omegas, and to be honest, she never wanted to be someone’s toy, baby machine, or good obedient little girl.
It didn’t matter which way he thought; Olivia wasn’t interested. She didn’t want his way of life; she didn’t want what he was, and she didn’t want to be his little distraction.
But if she knew all that, why wasn’t she fucking moving?
“No.” She heard him as he sniffed her neck, taking her scent in. “No alpha, huh?”
“E-excuse me?”
He lifted his hand and grasped her chin between his fingers. He tilted her head backward, forcing her to look at him from below.
“You don’t smell like you’ve got an alpha. Am I wrong?”
“I told you, I belong to myself.”
He laughed again. “That’s a lot of talk for a girl who hasn’t moved yet.”
He released his tight grip on her hip. His hand inched upward until it framed one of her breasts. “Maybe you wanna know.”
She held her breath, her chest caving in. “Know what?”
His lips hovered over hers, barely touching them.
His body moved forward, pressing against hers and allowing her to sense the full force of his own urges. “What it feels like when an alpha sinks into you.”
At his words, she bit her bottom lip, teeth breaking the feeble membrane.
The taste of blood filled her mouth, but she ignored it, his promise echoing in her mind. As his thumb flickered over her covered nipple, she knew his words were not full of fake promises; she could feel it inside of her.
If she let him, if she dropped her guard for a second, he’d take her. She’d be naked on that floor, her clothes discarded, and he’d be inside of her before she could blink. And then she would feel better.
She wouldn’t feel like she was dying, she wouldn’t feel like part of her was missing.
Was it supposed to be like this?
“I’ve never had an omega before.”
Her heart stopped.
“They say alphas lose control when an omega’s in heat.”
Did they?
“All they can think about is a taste of that sweet little nectar.”
His eyes were half-lidded as if he were drunk, but she knew damn well he wasn’t.
She tasted his mouth enough to know there was not a trace of alcohol in him.
She kind of wished she were drunk right now. Then maybe she could handle this. The human wanted to leave. The wolf wanted to get wrecked.
Her own heart constantly tore her in half.
“Are you gonna let me taste you?”
No. But the wrong word came out. “Yes.” Her cheeks flustered, the heat spreading through her face.
Before she could take the word back, he chortled.
“So easy.”
Fingers hooked in the waistband of her pants and she felt the cold air wrap around her rear.
She felt light as a feather when he lifted her from the ground, wrapping her legs around him.
His hardness pressed into her aching, wet core, forcing her to shiver. She could tilt her hips, grind into him.
If she let go, if she released the control, it wouldn’t hurt anymore. He’d satisfy her craving. It’d make it so it didn’t hurt so damn much.
One tear streamed down her face and she couldn’t tell if it was from her frustration or from fighting against this. It didn’t matter.
His warm tongue touched her face, licking away the tear.
She arched her back, leaning into him.
He palmed at her breast through the fabric; her nipples hardened. He could ravage her.
Did she want him to, or did it want this?
The sound of metal clinging as his fingers fumbled with his belt buckle brought her back.
His momentary distraction allowed her to drop back to the ground, and she knew the seconds were ticking.
His bare chest was right in her face, causing her to notice his injury for the first time.
He had a deep wound beneath his ribs. The blood had dried. Stitches maybe. Why was she thinking about this now?
“You wanna do it?” he offered as his fingers let go of his belt.
No, she didn’t want to do any of this.
She was at the right level. No. No. Get out of my head. She wanted to scream at herself, but she couldn’t.
For the first time, he wasn’t touching her. Finally, the haze in her mind was clear enough for her to think.
Yet she stood there, waiting for him to move, waiting for him to proceed with fucking her senseless.
Fucking her until her voice was raw. Fucking her until her legs gave up. None of this was helping.
None of this was her fighting this heat. Because she wasn’t a goddamn animal and she sure as fuck wasn’t anyone’s toy.
Run.
It was the only part she could think of now that the fog in her mind had vanished momentarily.
She used whatever strength she had left to put her hands on his sweaty, glistening pectorals and pushed him away.
He toppled ever so slightly, but it was enough to create greater space between their bodies.
She bent over, her head swirling, and she gathered her bunched-up pants and slipped them on as gracefully as she could muster.
The next step was wrapping her trembling fingers around the metal door handle.
Olivia didn’t look back at him; she didn’t breathe. Not until she was on the other side of that door.
Her scent was strong; he was against the door. But he wasn’t coming out.
A quiver rattled her stomach while a prickling sensation traveled down her spine. She had known heat before—this wasn’t it. She tried to loosen her shoulders, standing straighter, but she couldn’t unfold her body.
Every drum of her heart echoed in her head, and her senses were on high alert. She covered the bottom half of her face with her hand, tears stinging at her eyes, her own emotions overwhelming her.
There was a hand on her shoulder, this time a much more delicate touch, but her body reacted violently regardless. She jumped out of her skin.
She zoned back into the world surrounding her, taking in the blonde ponytail swaying with each tilt of her friend’s head.
“Liv, you okay?”
She cleared her throat. “Yeah, erm—I-I’m fine.”
Minus the clenching in her belly or the wobbly legs. Minus her entire brain feeling out of whack, her body hating her for running away.
Her heart was aching, her chest was rumbling, and there was a sadness lodged deep inside of her, clawing its way out.
No.
No feelings. No emotions. No need.
She needed a deep breath, and it would all be over.
Olivia was fine.
The sweat was still dripping down the nape of her neck, making the collar of her shirt clutch to her skin.
She stared at her colleague, who had a frown on her face, one eyebrow arched. Could Katie tell? Probably. Did she care? No.
She was too far gone. Her mind remained stuck in that room with the alpha.
Go back. Go back.
But she wouldn’t listen to the voice screaming at her.
She smoothened her wet hair, palming at it with her shaking hand.
“I’ll be right back.”
In the background, she heard Katie ask more questions, but she pushed her voice in the back of her mind. She picked up the pace and by the time she reached the end of the hallway, she was running.
Her blood was pumping; her heart inflicted pain with each strenuous beat it took.
There was the ghost of his hands on her, the memory of his mouth on her skin, and the craving left behind in her core.
Never had she lost control like this. Never.
What the fuck happened?
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2
Bang! Bang!
The loud pounding on the door was what tore her from her groggy sleep.
She turned around in her bed, her white silky sheets bunched at her waist, and she landed on her stomach. Olivia palmed at her face, trying to chase away the sleepiness clinging to her. Last night had been rough.
She’d left work without so much of a warning—something that would come with consequences—and she’d locked herself up in her apartment.
The alpha—whoever he was—had gotten her so worked up, she had to take care of herself.
It had lasted a good portion of the night. The proof was still in her bed; a pink vibrator. She groaned, grasping it before tossing it in her open nightstand.
The banging on the door continued.
“Yes,” she barked out, aggravated.
Her feet landed on the cold wooden floor and she grabbed an overly large sweater that was discarded on the floor.
She slipped it on, tugging it until it went past her rear and she headed for the front door. For crying out loud. She swung the door open, her eyebrows knitted as the door revealed the intruder.
“Will,” she said in a low breath.
His brown eyes scanned her from head to toe, a grin tugging at his lips. “Is there someone else here or is this for me?” he asked, gesturing at her attire.
“Funny,” she said, moving out of the way. “I wonder if Jess is gonna find it funny too.”
“You know I’m kidding,” he said, closing the door behind him. “No, but seriously. Anyone in your bed?”
“I stay away from people during that time. You know that.” Granted, she almost didn’t last night, but that wasn’t her fault. How was she supposed to know there would be an alpha at the ER, ready to pounce her?
She couldn’t be blamed for that, right?
“There was a time you didn’t.” There was a glimmer in his eyes, it was brief but it was hard to miss, especially as his glance lingered on her.
Will was her first.
He was a beta, chased from his pack when his parents died. His mother had been human-born, his dad a werewolf from birth. He’d gone and lived with his maternal grandparents after they passed away.
He was much like her, a wolf out of place. What little she did know about her new life, she had learned it from him.
He’d forgotten a lot of it since he had been so young when he moved in with his grandparents.
But he did have a lot more instincts than she did. He had always been a werewolf—unlike her. At twenty-five years old, Will was a few years older than her, and he’d experienced his first heat well before her.
But he was there when hers hit. And he’d taken her virginity with him. She always had a small crush on him. Olivia could be honest with Will, she could be who she was without reservation.
He was the one who found her the first time she transformed. He took her back to his house and helped her through the transformation.
That was how they met. If it weren’t for him, she might have hurt someone—or died.
He had saved her life and she would always owe him for that. He had guided her through her learning curve as best he could, sometimes treating her like a little cub.
She never regretted what happened.
Not the first time, not the other times that followed. It never soothed the urge completely, but it did take off the edge.
After the first time they laid together, she had almost expected something to come out of it, but it never did. He slid back into his friend role as though he hadn’t pounded her the night before.
The first few days, she had felt awkward, but he had picked up on it, explaining to her that wolves didn’t always behave like their usual self during their heats.
They were on autopilot, some letting their instincts take over more than others.
He was that type. He didn’t have the best self-control since no one taught him.
She had more control because she had a stronger human side.
Maybe that was what kept her pants on yesterday…
“That was before,” she settled on answering. Ever since Jess walked into his life, they hadn’t been together physically.
There were a few times were the urges brought them close to a mistake, but they never crossed the line. Olivia would have never forgiven herself if they had. Will and Jess were her version of a pack, her family.
They were all she had left in the world.
“Right.”
“Guessing you had fun last night.”
He chuckled. “I did.” He lifted his gaze, staring at her bedroom through the open door.
“And I’m guessing from your open drawer that you had fun too.”
That was fun to distract her from the big fun she almost had. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. Was she? But who else could she tell, who else could she ask?
There was only him. He’d be absolutely furious though… He was the one who warned her about alphas, taught her about them… “Will—listen…”
His eyebrows bunched together. “I don’t like that tone…,” he interrupted.
“I worked last night.”
“During a heat?”
“Yeah… I had—I had to help out Cassie.”
“That’s not smart.”
“I know…would you just let me finish please?”
He nodded, holding out his hands in front of him.
“Alright, alright, sorry.”
Alright. One shot. She could tell him. Rip it like a band-aid, Olivia. “There was an alpha in the ER.” She glanced away from him, focusing on the suddenly so interesting hem of her sweatshirt.
“An alpha?”
“Yeah.”
Emotions clouded his dark eyes, his jaw clenching for a beat before his whole body relaxed. “Liv, did you fuck an alpha?”
She stomped her foot on the ground, turning around, baring her blunt teeth at him. “NO. I already told you. I didn’t do anything last night.”
“You were in the middle of a heat, with an alpha, and you didn’t fuck?” He arched an eyebrow, obviously not believing her telling of the tale.
“No.” She breathed out, nostrils flaring. “It happened so fast—I think he tried—but I ran.”
“You ran from an alpha?”
“Yes. Are you gonna make me repeat everything?”
“And he let you?”
“What do you mean he let me? I’m not a thing.”
“An omega in heat? You might as well have been, Liv. You don’t get it, do you? Alphas do what they want, they take what they want.
“The alpha of my old pack killed my parents and then got rid of me. They do what they want and they don’t care.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it. “I’ve told you this like a million times. I don’t even know why he’d let you go.”
“Maybe he didn’t want a human-born omega.”
Will had once told her that wolves looked down on people who weren’t born this way or those with mudded blood like he did. There was no pride in becoming a wolf. You had to be born one.
“I don’t think it mattered to him. In the throes of a heat? An alpha would fuck anything—anyone.”
“Well, he let me go. What do ya want me to tell you?”
“Did he touch you?”
If she didn’t know any better, she’d think she heard a hint of jealousy in his voice.
But it couldn’t be. Because he could have had her but he didn’t want to—and she couldn’t blame him. There was too much there. Too much to risk too much to lose. Plus, he was happy with Jess…right?
“A little.”
She wouldn’t go there. She’d gotten over that initial heartbreak a long time ago. It wasn’t his fault she clung to him because he was the only one she had after her horrific transformation.
“A little?”
“Yes. Okay. And I told him no but—”
“But what?”
Her ears turned red, her chest caving in as she dipped her head forward. Was she going to say it out loud?
“It felt like I was saying yes…” She didn’t run quickly enough. She didn’t fight him.
She let him touch her, she let him take more than she wanted.
The thought of his hands on her again was enough to bring warmth inside of her. How could that be possible?
Will palmed at the back of his neck, turning his head to the side. “Alphas are pretty hard to deny.”
He had let his parents’ murderer chase him out without putting up a fight—just because he had ordered it.
She had never known the pull of an alpha, the pressure their commands could exert on someone’s mind. He had told her it was unforgettable but she hadn’t understood it until now.
Will had said that was the reason he never joined a pack again. He didn’t want someone to have that kind of power over his life, over his decision.
He wanted to be free and the only way to do that was to be free of any kind of alpha.
Sometimes he missed having a larger pack, the same kind of calling she had, but the never-fading pain in his heart always reminded him that he was better off without it.
“Well, hopefully, I don’t have to see him again.”
He wouldn’t chase her, would he? She was no one. And except for the fact that she worked in that hospital, he knew nothing about her. Surely he wouldn’t want to retaliate. She hadn’t harmed him, she hadn’t done anything.
Well—maybe she had bruised his ego a little bit but no one but them knew that.
It wasn’t like he had to prove himself superior or anything. He probably had a pack full of females ready to throw themselves at him.
He didn’t need her.
“Are they really that ruthless?”
“What do you think?” he spat out, rage dripping from his every word.
Will had conditioned her to fear them.
She knew that as a human-wolf, it was best for her to steer clear of them and the packs. She kept herself surrounded by humans since wolves rarely escaped their little territories. They didn’t mingle well with humans.
Obviously, they needed to run errands, interact—some had jobs according to Will—but for the most part, they limited the contact.
It made it easy for her to blend in with humans.
It let her forget what happened to her that fateful night, it let her pretend that she hadn’t been changed forever. One bite—it was all it took to spin her life around.
And no one was there to repair the damage.
It was just her and her new life.
“Sorry. I know what they did to your family.”
“That’s one way to put it.” He sighed. “Maybe you should take a few days off.”
“Will, I can’t do that.”
“Tell them you’re sick. He might go lurking. They like a challenge. Give it a few days to blow over and then go back.”
She put a hand on her hip. “You really think he’s gonna be waiting for me out there? I think he has other things to do than stalk a human hospital.”
“Why was he even there in the first place?”
Flashes of the previous night flooded her mind. Naked flesh, large hands palming at her body…Wrong memory, Olivia. Blood—the wound. “He was hurt.”
“And he came to a hospital?”
He popped his lips. “A human hospital,” he clarified.
She shrugged. “I don’t know—”
“That’s unusual. He’d never expose himself like that.”
“I don’t know. I’m not the one who admitted him. Though, there should be a record…a file…something.”
It would also have his name or whatever name he gave them—if he even spoke. Sometimes patients gave very little information, even if it was needed to save their lives.
It wasn’t like she could exactly trust whatever he provided. But it was worth a look. She hadn’t thought much of his presence there until now. If Will was suspicious…could be a rogue alpha? Did he not belong to anyone either?
That would make him more dangerous.
“Can a human-born be an alpha?” she asked, her eyes searching his for a negative answer.
“I doubt it. I haven’t been around enough packs to know, but I’d be surprised. And even if it was possible, who would want to follow them?”
“Right.” They wouldn’t—so maybe he’d exile himself. Great, now she needed to find out more about him. “I could go back and—”
“No.”
He gripped at her wrist, his thumb pressing against the pulse point. “I told you. Stay away.”
His brown eyes gleamed with an emotion she couldn’t recognize but his words pulsated through her. Was it fear? She gulped and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll wait.” Maybe.
She did think he was being overly cautious. She hadn’t hurt anyone. Why would he want to know? Plus, what was he going to do? Attack her in a crowded place?
It wasn’t like he could hurt her in the middle of the hospital. Plus if he tried to follow her, she could always lose him. He would lose interest very fast.
Will shook his head, a sigh rattling his chest.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because you know me?”
“A little too well.”
He hadn’t let go of her hand yet. His fingers had wrapped tighter around her wrist, their warmth spreading through her. Sometimes, she could remember.
Remember his large body between her legs, the way he felt as he delved into her. He’d been rough the first time but she hadn’t complained.
They’d both acted out, their instincts driving them. She was the first wolf he bedded.
It was the first time he fucked someone he didn’t worry about hurting. When he was with Jess, he had to control himself because she was human.
The times they had shared, they had been carefree, abandoning themselves to their needs.
Olivia’s heart skipped a beat and she forced her gaze back to the floor. She couldn’t let her thoughts go there. This wasn’t her.
She didn’t fantasize about someone else’s man. She would never steal a girl’s boyfriend. And she liked Jess—they were friends.
Then again, she wondered if she would still allow Will to be around her if she knew about their past.
Will had opted out of telling her. Olivia had been strongly opposed to it but he was under the belief that their friendship would have to end if Jess knew. She wouldn’t let them be around each other.
The thought of losing her best friend was heart-shattering but—lying? She never enjoyed it. Still, it wasn’t her relationship and no matter how much it gnawed at her, she was letting Will call the shots.
She only hoped Jess didn’t find out on her own. That would be much worse.
The unbearable silence between them was broken by the sound of his cellphone ringing.
He finally tore his eyes away from Olivia as he fished it out of his pocket. He brought it to his ear, a smile on his face. “Hey, Babe.” He paused. “Yep, on my way.” He laughed. “Love you too.”
“Jess?”
“Yeah. I gotta—I gotta go. But promise me you won’t do anything stupid?”
“I promise.”
He nodded. “And if you do, at least call me before you’re in trouble?”
He did know her a little too well. “Yes, Dad.”
“I’m just looking out for you, Liv.”
“I know. Thank you.”
He let her hand fall into the emptiness as he finally released it from his grip. The skin felt cold where his fingers used to be and she held back the urge to reach out for him again. He wasn’t hers.
But it was like he could feel her at times. He paused, turning his body so that he could lean in, and kissed the top of her head.
“Please, listen for once. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Words were stuck in her throat and the only way she could answer him was by nodding her head. This was why she agreed to lie even when it made her feel uneasy. Will always looked out for her, he always protected her.
He wanted what was best for her.
He gave her a small smile before turning around and walking away, his cellphone clutched in his hand. He was going to see Jess. Of course he was; she was his everything. As it should be.
She watched the door as it closed, leaving her alone in her empty apartment. If she took a deep breath, she could still smell his lingering scent. It wasn’t good.
As if her emotions weren’t enough of a wreck—she didn’t need this. This was why she hated her heat.
It reminded her of things she wanted to forget, things she wasn’t allowed to think about.
To make matters worse, there were two people stuck in her head now and she wanted neither of them. Why couldn’t she clear her mind?
One mistake and her life turned out like this.
Olivia quickly scanned the room, looking for pants. She found black sweatpants lying across the couch and she hopped her way to them. She slipped them on then quickly wrapped her black locks into a bun.
She didn’t want to stay here. She needed some fresh air and a distraction.
Maybe he was right, maybe she shouldn’t go to work but she had to get out of here.
She grabbed her purse from the coat hanger by the door and escaped the apartment. She slammed the door shut behind her and fumbled with her keys for a moment before finally locking it.
Will should be back in his car by now and there shouldn’t be a risk of her running into him.
She walked to the elevator and pressed the down button.
As she stepped back, waiting for the doors to open she couldn’t chase away the feeling of dread traveling down her spine. It was like she could feel someone’s eyes on her.
She shook her head, dismissing it as her being crazy over recent events. Yet, she reached out for the button again and pressed it a few times. She tapped her foot against the ground, mumbling a curse under her breath. “Come on.”
Of all the days for the stupid elevator to not cooperate.
The feeling intensified and despite her best efforts, she found herself turning her head, looking around. No one, not a thing.
Even if she tried to glance down the hall, she couldn’t see a shadow. There was no one. She was alone.
This was all Will’s fault. She had never even entertained the thought that the alpha might come after her.
He was the one who put this paranoia in her head. It was fine. How would he know where she lived? He couldn’t have possibly followed her home. No, no. It was fine. She was alone and turning crazy. That was it.
She needed to shake off the feeling and get Will’s words out of her head. The alpha didn’t care. If he had, he wouldn’t have let her leave in the first place.
The doors finally opened with a ding and relief washed over her.
She hurried to step inside. She pressed the button and then put her back to the wall. She watched the door waiting for them to close. Why were they taking so damn long?
She chewed on her lips, balancing from the ball of her feet to the tip of her toes. Come on. Come on. Finally, they squeaked, closing in front of her, shutting her view from the hallway.
And then they stopped.
She gasped, a breath caught in her throat as they remained open not more than an inch.
For a brief second so short that when she blinked it was gone, she could have sworn she saw fingers clutching at the edge of the doors, keeping them open.
But then, nothing happened.
No one came in.
The doors closed as if they had never stopped their motion.
It’s in your head, she told herself. If someone had stopped the doors, they would have re-opened completely, right? Yes.
She forced herself to swallow, her heart beating like a drum. Her stomach leapt and the feeling felt strangely familiar.
Maybe she should be paranoid?
She shoved down a lot of her wolf’s instincts but some of them had barely been somewhat accurate over the years. Could this be it again? Or was her wolf leading her down the wrong path?
Screw her promise.
She had to go to work and find out what she could about that alpha.
In case.
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