Panic started to spiral through me, and I moved, pain slamming through me. “No, Eva, they can’t see me like this. They won’t want me.”

She reached out and took my face in her hands, and she looked sad. “Esme, take a breath. You have a fever, and you’re not thinking straight because of the pain. Once your meds kick in it will be fine. But they will absolutely want you. If you’re a part of their pack did you think they wouldn’t see you before a heat?”

It made sense, but I couldn’t get past the horror of all of them seeing me in ratty clothes, sweating, and in pain.

“Who do you want to talk to?” She asked. “Let them say hello at least. Not all at once. Just one.”

“No chance you’ll tell them to leave?”

She snorted with laughter. “Even if I told them to, I don’t think they’d go now that they know what’s happening.”

“Luke,” I said, following my instinct. It was all I had to hold on to right now. “I’ll talk to Luke.”

“You got it.”

“And just know I hate you.”

Eva turned and winked before blowing me a kiss as she left.

A minute later, there were much slower steps on the staircase, and I was back sprawled on the bed again, unable to care about Luke’s approach when the pain was getting worse.

“Esme?”

Calming, oceanic scent filled the space, and my mouth was dry with need. He smelled like a day at the beach. If I was around them when my heat fully hit, I was done for. They needed to be gone before then.

He was looking down at me, face full of concern. “This is because of us, isn’t it.” It wasn’t a question.

“I guess,” I said. “I haven’t had a heat in a while. But you can’t blame yourself for Omega biology.”

He laughed once. “No, I guess not. Can I sit with you?”

A shrug was the best I could do.

Luke sat down on the bed and slowly stretched out beside me on the other side of my body pillow, covering my hand with his. Then he reached out and tucked my still damp hair behind my ear. His purr was strong and steady, just like him. It vibrated through the pillow and into me.

“I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Why?” His hand didn’t move, gently stroking behind my ear.

“I’m a mess. Doesn’t make a very good impression.”

He smiled. “In case we didn’t make it clear enough yesterday, the five of us could give a shit about impressions. We’re courting you, Esme. That means we want you to be ours. In every way, which includes when you think you’re a mess, even if you’re not.”