“Hi, Alpha Julian!” he calls out happily, rushing over toward me. I bend down, holding my arms open as he gives me a hug, taking in his mango custard scent. Goddess, I can’t believe I am hugging my son. “Granny Jiya said you helped rescue me. Thank you,” he says as our hug ends, taking my right hand in both of his.
“It was my pleasure helping you, buddy,” I state, trying not to step on the toys littering the yard.
“I bet. Hannah must have been really pleased with your help,” Aileen calls from her seat, and I roll my eyes at her. It seems this vampire is out to get under my skin today.
“She was the one who asked me to help,” I reply, watching Saben’s eyes widen.
“Really? Mama usually doesn’t ask others for help unless it’s from Auntie Claira, Grandpa Aidan, Granny Jiya, or Auntie Aileen.”
“What about Mavric?” Aileen asks, making Saben scrunch up his little face—a habit he most definitely got from Hannah.
“He can be an idiot, but he does help,” Saben answers after thinking for a moment, making Aileen and me laugh.
“Well, I was wondering if your mama is around,” I state, crouching down to Saben’s level and looking him in the eye. “I have some things I want to talk with her about, but it seems she didn’t come to the pack house,” I say gently, wanting to get on my son’s good side just as badly as I want to be on Hannah’s good side.
Saben looks at the cottage, his brows furrowed as he shuffles his little feet. I wait patiently, watching a conflicting look cross his face and wondering just what he is trying to keep hidden.
“Mama is sick,” he finally says, worry gnawing deep inside me.
“She is just a little tired from last night,” Aileen interjects, now standing beside Saben with a hand on his shoulder.
I frown, tasting the lie in her scent, and wonder what the hell she is keeping from me.
“No. Mama is sick,” Saben states, stomping his little foot.
“It’s like last time she was sick. She is in ice water because her body is hot.” His words hit me like lightning, and before Aileen could stop me, I raced toward the door and entered the cottage.
The first thing to hit me is the intense scent of vanilla custard. It smells warmer and sweeter than it did last night, and I can’t help but take a deep breath, inhaling this intoxicating scent.
“Fuck, Julian, get out here this instant,” Aileen calls from the door, a worried Saben tucked behind her legs.
“Sorry, but no can do,” I state, not liking the informal tone this vampire uses to address me. She should have more respect considering I am the alpha king, but then again, vampires only respect their sires, and from what I can tell, Aileen moves to the rhythm of her own drum.
“Damn it.” I hear her curse as I step further into the cottage, breathing in Hannah’s scent and tracking her down.
It doesn’t take long to find the bathroom where her scent is strongest. I reach out and grasp the door handle, taking a deep breath of Hannah’s scent before pushing it open.
“Jiya, did you bring more ice?” Hannah groans as soon as the door opens. Her voice is sultry, filled with a wanton need. “Jiya?” The sound of ice water shifting fills the room, and in slow motion, Hannah parts the curtain covering the bathtub, her blue eyes filled with need and lust slowly meeting mine. She gasps, the sound like music to my ears as we stare at one another.
Fuck. I should have realized what Hannah was going through the moment Saben said his mama was sitting in ice water.
Hannah is in heat.
43
Hannah
Staring at Julian, who breathes in my scent like a man who has just discovered air for the first time, I feel my pulse quicken as his mango scent surrounds me. I thought I had made my orders clear to keep him away from my house, so why was he here, standing in my bathroom doorway, looking like a man ready to devour me whole?
Aidan,I link with my theta, not removing my eyes from Julian.Why is Julian in my house after I specifically requested you keep him busy for a few days?
I hear my friend let out a string of curses before our link goes dead. While I wait for my answer, I watch Julian, his chest heaving with each breath and his eyes slowly narrowing.
“Hannah.” He says my name with a deep, guttural groan, making my skin shiver and the flames of my heart burst within me.
I take a deep breath, suppressing the urge to close my eyes and drink him in. Goddess, Julian is a drug, and my body craves him like an addict.
“Julian,” I say calmly, the need in my voice clear even to my own ears. “You need to leave,” I state firmly, watching the muscles in his jaw twitch as he clenches his teeth.
