Page 61 of Gold Rush
My skin is onfire.
I sit up with a little gasp, my stomach jolting with the movement. My hand lands on a bare chest and Seth grunts as I scramble out of the center of the bed. Bennett’s arm snaps out, wrapping around my waist and stopping me in my tracks as his eyes snap open, alert in a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to throw up.” I shove him away, clambering over Seth as he groans. My feet hit the floor as I swallow bile, running into the bathroom and dropping to my knees in front of the toilet, heaving before I throw up the remnants of last night’s fancy dinner.
It’s nice in here. The marble is pretty.
The sound of movement in the room behind me makes me lift my head, weakly watching as Seth stumbles into the bathroom, half asleep and stark naked. He bends down, pulling my hair back from my face and whispering, “Bennett’s grabbing the thermometer. Is it the heat?”
I groan, turning my head back toward the toilet, shivering and hot all at the same time. My stomach roils, threatening to purge itself again, but I’m not sure anything will come up.
“I don’t know.” His hands feel good as they move over my neck, pressing against my skin, soothing the clammy feeling. “I just felt sosick.”
He murmurs, rubbing my back. “What can I do?”
“I don’tknow,” I whine as I repeat the words, pulling away from the toilet. He flushes it for me — and it’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me as I fight back the feeling of throwing up all over again.
“Here.” Bennett comes into the bathroom, half-dressed. He hands the thermometer to Seth, then turns the faucet on and wets a washcloth. Bending down in front of me, he wipes my face off with the cool fabric, his eyes searching mine as Seth presses the thermometer against my forehead.
It beeps and Bennett leans back, glancing at the read-out. “You’re higher than normal, but not high enough to call it a fever.”
I groan, turning into his touch, wrapping an arm around his bare torso as he adjusts, dropping the washcloth onto the tile and winding both arms around me. Bennett rubs my back as Seth shuffles around. He leaves the room and then comes back with a pair of pants on and a can of soda.
Bending down, he pops the top and offers it to me. “Ginger ale, for your stomach.” I reach for it, but Seth shakes his head and tips it slightly, holding it to my lips. I sip from it slowly, letting him take care of holding it as I press my shaking hands against Bennett’s chest.
Bennett strokes my hair, kissing the side of my head as he sits with me on the floor. After Seth pulls back and puts the can on the countertop, he glances down at the two of us, frowning. “What can we do? Do you want to get back to bed, baby?”
I suck in a deep breath, the adrenaline of waking up with the urgent need to vomit fading to exhaustion as I nod. Bennetthelps me up, pushing me into Seth’s arms before he turns and opens one of the drawers under the sink.
“I don’t know if these will behelpful, but I have them.” The alpha pulls out a stack of very familiar looking pamphlets and drops them onto the counter.
I stare at them before I bark out a laugh.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR OMEGA IS IN HEATstares up at me, almost judgmental with its offensive neon color palette and italicized font. Reaching out, I shuffle them, unable to stop laughing at the other titles likeHOW TO BE A GOOD ALPHAandAN OMEGA’S HEAT: HOW AND WHEN TO KNOT.
“Jesus.” Seth chokes out a laugh behind me, peering down at them.
Bennett looks mortified when I raise my head. “Listen, the lady at the center shoved them in my face when we left. I didn’t know what todo. I didn’t want to throw them away, just in case.”
I lean back against Seth, shaking my head as I put it in my hands, mumbling as my stomach cramps again. “My god, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Why, June,” Seth laughs, rubbing my hip. “We can read youAN OMEGA’S FIRST HEAT: 101and you should be right as rain.”
“Oh shut up.” I turn in his arms, pressing my head against his shoulder as he rocks us both back and forth.
“I can make breakfast!” Bennett blurts the words behind us and I glance back at him as his eyes dart down to my bare ass, then back up. He doesn’t even look ashamed, his eyes just flicker again, cataloging my body in the light of the day.
I bite my tongue, reaching for the ginger ale to take another sip. “I’m sorry I rushed our morning after.”
“Don’t be.” Bennett’s eyes soften, rubbing my shoulder as he shifts closer. “Why don’t you both stay in the bedroom and I’ll make something and bring it up.”
Seth presses his lips against the side of my head. “I think we should have pancakes, because chocolate helps everything, and it’ll definitely help this.”
I roll my eyes at the beta, then glance back at Bennett. “Okay, breakfast and then… maybe I should talk to Arin?” If my body is any indication, the simmering heat under my skin will only get worse. It’s not quite been two weeks since I was at the center, but the doctor did warn me that it could come early, as it’s the first. Something about latent hormones and my age.
Bennett smiles, bending down to kiss my head first, then Seth’s cheek. “I think that might be wise. There are things we should know while you’re out of it, and it’ll give us time to get our schedules and food in order.” He pulls back, moving toward the door. “I think most packs take the week off, but we’ll do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
