Page 23 of A Hal for my Heart

I stood from the bed, feeling exhausted in my bones but still better than ever before after a heat. Hal eyed me curiously as I carefully placed my palm on his chest. My body sagged in relief as soon as I felt his warm skin against mine. His heart beat faster, wonder washing over his face.

“Briar,” he whispered, not touching me back, uncertainty in his eyes. Unable to help myself, I leaped into his arms, clinging to him as I hugged him against me. A sigh of relief left his body, then his arms came up and snaked around my waist, holding me close. His hot breath caressed my naked shoulder, and then it hit me: I was naked! And likely smelling like a farm animal left out in the rain overnight!

“Sorry!” I blurted, stepping out of his warm embrace as I rushed back to the bed. Curling in on myself, my body tensed with a familiar feeling of wrongness. In a flash, Hal was at my side, his comforting hand on my back. I relaxed a little, although the feeling lingered. “I’m sorry,” I repeated, unable to stop the tears from trailing down my cheeks. I hid my face from him as I murmured, “I think I still need you around for a while longer, if it’s no bother.”

“Whatever you need. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” His deep voice wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, then he chuckled softly, massaging my shoulders. “I plan on staying forever, silly omega.”

I sighed as his forever echoed through me. I wanted that so much, to have him as mine, always. “I meant with me, Hal, not at the palace.”

In a matter of seconds, I was airborne, strong arms carrying me toward the bathroom. “I meant by your side, too, Briar.” He pressed a light kiss against my temple, then muttered something about a silly omega. I didn’t understand what he meant, but I was too wrapped up in him to care.

Inside the bathroom, Hal carefully lowered me into the steaming bathtub. The water was warm and smelled wonderfully of lavender. With a contented sigh, I relaxed into the warm water as Hal busied himself washing my skin with a soft sponge. This was my first bath in what was likely a week, if not more, and I savored the feeling of his gentle touch. If only my bathtub had been bigger, then he could’ve joined me. I then thought about my father’s old rooms, and how they were just sitting empty, waiting for me to move into them. There was a huge bathtub, and for the first time, I could see myself living there, but only with Hal by my side. The rooms that I’d grown up in carried a lot of bad memories, but perhaps with Hal I could create new ones, happier ones. I shook the thought away, not ready to have my heart broken just yet. It was all an illusion. Hal had stayed with me through my heat, but he’d made no promises. Just like I became a creature of instinct during my heats, Hal did, too. I knew better than to trust words spoken in passion. It was more likely that he’d just felt sorry for me, a poor, cursed omega who had no one to care for him.

“We need to get something to eat after this,” Hal said, carefully running clean water through my curls. “The servants left some food for us yesterday, but it wasn’t nearly enough to even feed me. Besides, you haven’t really eaten in days, and you need the energy so your body can recover. Are you alright with leaving your room?”

Panic set in, but Hal read my mood change instantly. “I won’t leave you, Briar. I’ll be with you all the time.”

“Okay,” I whispered, feeling close to tears again.

When Hal deemed me clean enough, he helped me stand and dried me off while my feet were still in the tub. He then carried me into the bedroom and dressed me, like he believed me incapable of doing even the most basic tasks. I didn’t mind, though. It felt so unbelievably nice to have someone take care of me.

He left me on the bed as he hurried into his own clothes, the ones he’d worn the day my heat started. He’d taken me while still wearing them. A blush bloomed on my cheeks as he sniffed it, making sure others wouldn’t scent me on him. “I sadly don’t own anything you can borrow,” I said, clutching my belly, as a sharp pain tore through me.

“We’ll just head to my room before we go to the kitchen,” he said, frowning at me. “Are you in pain?”

My hand stilled on my stomach, the pain still there. “I don’t want to be a burden—”

“Don’t,” Hal growled, already at my side. “What do you need?”

“You,” I whispered. “I need you, Hal.”

“How do you need me?” he asked, now kneeling in front of me, rubbing my thighs in soothing movements.

“I just need you to touch me, I think.”

He took my hand in his, and relief poured through me as his skin touched mine. “Better?” he asked, his eyes worried.

“Better,” I breathed shakily, feeling the need to be held, to be carried again, but there was no way I could ask that of him. As it turned out, I didn’t have to.

“That won’t do,” Hal mumbled as he stood. Then, like I was a child, he promptly picked me up and adjusted me in his hold. “Is this alright?” he asked against my temple. “Do you feel better now?” I nodded, my throat thick with emotion.

Dressed in only his pants, Hal left my room, with me in his arms, my legs around his middle. His big hands cradled my butt, with my hands linked around his neck. I loved that I still got to touch him like this. We passed a few servants on the way, but I didn’t even bother looking their way. I was too damn happy to care about their reaction.

We made a quick stop in Hal’s room for a shirt and some shoes, and once he was properly dressed, we were off again.

Stefano froze mid-movement at the stove as Hal carried me into the kitchen, announcing, “One starving omega coming up!” The soup Stefano was stirring dripped onto the floor as he continued to gape at us. I shrugged at him, then squealed as Hal turned around the large table and placed me on the huge kitchen island.

“Is that chicken soup?” Hal licked his lips, and Stefano nodded as he slowly gathered himself.

“I see the heat is over,” Stefano lifted a brow at me, and I blushed.

“Yes,” Hal replied, and I noticed the warmth and pride in his voice. Then his eyes found mine. “You good there, sweetness? I’ll grab us some soup, and then I’ll be right back.”

I just nodded at him, dumbfounded. Sweetness. I’d thought the endearment had been merely heat talk, but now Hal had called me that in front of Stefano like it was the most natural thing in the world. Pressing a quick kiss to my forehead, Hal then let go of me and went to the cabinet in search of some bowls. I missed his touch instantly. The calm it brought was addictive. The reassurance. As long as he held me in his arms, I could convince myself that he was truly mine. That the heat had meant as much to him as it had to me, and that it hadn’t been a mere impulse, driven by raw instinct, when he’d burst into my room.

“This looks yummy!” Hal beamed at me as Stefano poured steaming hot soup into a bowl. “This’ll fix your tummy ache in no time, Briar.” He leaned conspiratorially against Stefano. “Briar woke up with a slight stomachache.”

“Did he now?” Stefano chuckled, and I was torn between hiding under the floorboards and basking in Hal’s clear adoration. “In case it continues, I have some herbs that’ll work wonders.”