Chapter 28: The First Scent
The word “good” hung in the air between them, a heavy, humming thing. Aurora stood there, her hand still warm from his, and the reality of what came next crashed into her.The lube on the nightstand.The giant alpha in her bedroom. The painful-looking ridge of his erection straining against his jeans.Her mouth went dry.
She didn’t know the steps. Rina’s advice had been graphic, YouTube videos were confusing, and the romance novels were all flowery metaphor. None of them covered the terrifying, exciting minutes between “the nest is ready” and whatever happened next.His scent was everywhere, cedar and sharp spice, overwhelming the lavender. It made her head feel light. His eyes were dark, watching her, and she could see the pulse hammering in his throat.She needed to be good.Useful. She remembered another forum post, buried in her research.Proximity can help before the rut breaks. Sometimes just skin-to-skin, letting the pheromones sync up, takes the edge off for them.
“We could… lie down,” she said, the words too loud in the quiet room. She gestured clumsily toward the nest.“Just for a bit.Until you… feel ready. I read that it helps.” She couldn’t look at his jeans again. She focused on a tattoo winding down his forearm instead, the intricate lines of a serpent or a vine, she couldn’t tell.
Rhys was silent for a beat too long.The tension was a live wire, stretched taut. Then he gave a single, slow nod.“Yeah. Okay.”
He toed off his boots, the thuds solid on her floorboards.She watched, mesmerized by the domesticity of it. Then he lowered himself into the nest, the entire structure sighing and dipping under his weight. He was too big for it, his broad shoulders and long legs taking up most of the space, but he fit himself in with a careful grace that surprised her. He leaned back against a mound of pillows, his gaze never leaving her.Aurora hovered at the edge. “Is it… comfortable? I can fluff that pillow.” She darted forward, reaching for a pillow near his head before he could answer.Her fingers brushed his shoulder, and a jolt shot up her arm. She fussed with the pillow, patting it into a non-existent lump.
“Aurora.” His voice was a low rumble, closer now.“Yes?”
“The nest is perfect. Come here.”
She stopped her nervous adjustments. Taking a shaky breath, she climbed in beside him, careful not to touch him. She settled on her side, facing him, leaving a careful six inches of blanket between them.The scent of him was even stronger here, enveloping her. It was the best thing she’d ever smelled.
He reached out, not for her body, but for a lock of her hair that had fallen across her cheek. He tucked it behind her ear, his fingers grazing her skin.A full-body shiver wracked her.
“You made this for me,” he said, his tone wondering.It wasn’t a question.She nodded, her throat tight. “I wanted it to be safe.For you.”
A rough sound escaped him. He let his hand fall, but it landed on the blanket between them, his palm upturned.An invitation. “I haven’t had a nest made for me in a long time. Not one that mattered.”
That did something to her. Her shyness cracked, just a little, warmed by a sudden surge of protective care.This big, fearsome alpha, touched by a pile of blankets. She moved her hand, slowly, and placed it in his.His fingers closed around hers, swallowing them whole. The heat of his skin was immense.“Did it help?Lying down?” she whispered.
He let out a breath that was almost a laugh.“No, omega. It’s making it worse.” He brought her captured hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles. The contact was searing.“All I can think about is how you look right now.How you smell. How that lube is in the drawer.” He kissed her fingers again, his tongue tasting the skin. “Your ‘plan’ is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever heard, and it’s taking everything I have not to ruin it.”
Her heart was a wild thing in her chest. Ruin it.She wanted it ruined.The careful distance she’d created felt stupid now. She shifted closer, eliminating the space between them until her thigh brushed his. The hard line of his erection pressed against her leg, and she gasped, a tiny, sharp sound.
“Sorry,” she breathed, instinctively trying to pull away.
His arm shot out, curling around her lower back and holding her firmly against him. “Don’t you dare.” His voice was all gravel now, the control fraying.“You put your leg there. You keep it there.”
She went utterly still, then melted into the command.She nodded, her forehead coming to rest against his collarbone. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart through his shirt. “Okay.”
He held her like that, just breathing, his big hand splayed on her back. The pressure against her thigh was immense, a constant, undeniable reminder of his state. She ventured a small shift, a subtle press of her leg, and heard the air hiss between his teeth.
“You’re playing with fire, little girl,” he murmured into her hair.
“I’m not playing,” she whispered back, surprised at her own bravery.“I’m just… being close. Like I read.”
He chuckled, the vibration moving through her.“Bullshit.” But he pulled her tighter. His other hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair. It wasn’t gentle anymore.It was possessive.Claiming.“You know what happens next, right? All that preparation goes out the window.”
She tipped her head back to look at him. His face was so close, his eyes completely black, the pupils blown wide. The last of her fear evaporated, burned away by the raw need in his expression.She had done that.She had put that there.
“I know,” she said. And for the first time, she truly did.