Page 49 of The Reluctant Alpha

Danny giggled. “No, Yogi. I mean the French have some word for orgasm meaning death, or a little death.” He shrugged. “Em would know.”

I reached for the soap, lathering it between my hands before gently washing his body. He sighed, melting into my touch as I worked the suds over his shoulders, down his back, and across his chest. My hands lingered on the bruises I'd left on his hips, his thighs.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, tracing the marks with gentle fingers. "I didn't mean to be so rough."

Danny turned in my arms, water cascading down his face. "I loved every minute of it, so don't apologize for something I begged you to do." His eyes met mine, clear and direct.

I swallowed hard, uncertain what to say. We'd done so much more than just have sex, but I wasn't sure if he realized the full implications yet. The mark on his neck was partially hidden by the angle, the water washing away any dried blood.

"We should talk," I said, my voice low as I reached for the shampoo. "About what happened."

"The sex marathon or the fight beforehand?" Danny asked, closing his eyes as I worked the shampoo into his hair.

"Both," I admitted, massaging his scalp with careful pressure. "But mainly about..." I trailed off, unsure how to explain.

"About the fact that I'm apparently an omega?" Danny supplied, tilting his head back to rinse. "Yeah, that was a surprise. Emery has some explaining to do about why he never mentioned the possibility."

I guided him through the rest of the shower in silence, both of us too exhausted for deeper conversation. When we finished, I wrapped him in a towel, my bear rumbling with satisfaction at caring for our mate.

Our mate. The thought still felt surreal.

I helped him back to the bedroom, where someone—Esther, probably—had replaced the ruined sheets with fresh ones. Danny sank onto the edge of the bed, wrapped in his towel, while I quickly dressed in the clean clothes that had been left for me.

"Food," I said, retrieving the tray Esther had brought. "You need to eat."

Danny didn't argue, accepting the plate of sandwiches and fruit with surprising eagerness. "I'm starving," he admitted, biting into a sandwich. "Like, actually might-pass-out hungry."

I sat beside him, relieved to see him eating. "Your body burned a lot of energy during the heat."

"No kidding." He devoured the first sandwich and reached for another. "So, what happens now? Do I just...have heats regularly like Emery? Is there a schedule I can put in my calendar? 'Sorry, can't make Thursday, I'll be too busy humping a bear'?" He giggled again.

Despite everything, I laughed. "It doesn't work exactly like that. First heats are unpredictable, but they usually stabilize into a pattern over time." I hesitated, then added, "There are suppressants, if you want them. Medications that can control or prevent heats."

Danny paused mid-bite, studying me. "Is that what you want? For me to suppress this?"

"What I want doesn't matter," I said carefully. "This is your body, your choice."

"Nice dodge." He set down his sandwich, his expression mischievous. Then he reached up to his neck and scratched it. I saw the moment it hit him, and his eyes widened. He was off the bed and into the bathroom before I took a breath. I didn’t follow him. Just waited for the explosion. When it came, I imagined that the whole pack could hear his screech, despite the soundproofing.

“Holy fucking bloodsuckers.” Danny appeared at the door. “You’re not a bear. I take it back. You’re a vampire or a cannibal or, or…” He ran out of insults, which wasn’t like Danny at all. Then he shook his head and just made it to the bed before he collapsed on it. I leaned over and lifted him onto my lap, because if this was the last time he would ever have anything to do with me, I might as well get a cuddle in. But Danny surprised me again and cuddled in closer.

He reached up, fingers brushing the mark on his neck. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, and I held my breath.

"You know what this is, don't you?" I asked quietly.

Danny nodded slowly. "Emery explained mating bites to me. I thought he was just oversharing about his sex life with Phoenix." A small smile curved his lips. "Turns out it was foreshadowing."

I swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to do it. Not without discussing it first. The heat, my bear—"

"Did I fight you off?" Danny interrupted.

"No, but—"

"Did I tell you to stop?"

"No, but you weren't in your right mind," I insisted. "The heat affects judgment."

Danny glanced at me. "Bayer, I may have been out of my mind with heat-fever, but I knew exactly who I wanted. Who I still want." His hand found mine, fingers intertwining. "I'm not saying this isn't complicated or that I'm not still pissed about you trying to push me away. But this?" He touched the mark again. "This means you belong to me."