I could smell it coming—Chance’s heat—and it revved my engine like none other. The sugary sweet scent that oozed from the Omega’s pores was like a drug. Just the smell was intoxicating. He smelled good, like a ripe peach, and I wanted to bury my teeth in that soft, fuzzy skin and taste the juices that would fill my mouth.

Not good. I knew that by the time it hit him in full-force, it would take every last shred of my self control to keep my hands to myself. It was a damn good thing that my willpower was stronger than my wolf, because the pheromones in the air was driving him crazy. He paced beneath my skin, whining plaintively.

I knew what he wanted—my wolf wanted Chance. My wolf wanted to pin the man down and claim what was his; he wanted to bury his knot deep inside and breed him, covering the Omega with his scent so that no one else might dare sniff his way.

Wolf growled. Mine! I gritted my teeth and shoved him back. I couldn’t do that to Chance. Not if what I suspected was the truth. The idea of a sexually desperate Chance at the mercy of cruel wolves made my stomach twist, knowing that it had to’ve been pretty bad in order for him to run himself down like this.

No. Right now, Chance needed an Alpha’s protection—not a bed partner, and certainly not a mate, no matter what my instincts said. Because as terrible as it was, I wanted the man almost as much as my wolf did. I couldn’t help the feelings of desire that pebbled to the surface whenever Chance walked past.

He had been through too much. I had no intentions of taking advantage of the confused, anxious Omega. I would be strong and guide him through his heat, help him find the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew what I was doing. I’d helped my brother through his many times, all the while keeping him safe from any Alphas who wanted an easy piece of ass.

But fuck, this was gonna be a rough week.

I lounged on the couch with the TV blaring some CSI rerun, but I wasn’t really paying attention to the show. It was merely background noise. I was idly scrolling through my Facebook feed, trying to keep my wits about me. Breathe. Just breathe.

Chance sat on the floor with Dresden in his lap while the boy babbled away. He was fighting sleep, like he often did when there was tension in the house, but I had to give Chance credit—the way he handled my kid was enough to give me a semi. No doubt his paternal instincts were cranked to max with his impending cycle, but still…

There was something about that fatherly softness that made my heartstrings knot up.

Chance rocked the pup gently, swaying from side to side, and it wasn’t long before Dresden’s mumbling turned to incoherent whimpers, and then silence. I spared a quick glance down at them just in time to see Chance kiss the top of Dresden’s head, and damn. Be still my heart…

“I should put him to bed,” I murmured thickly.

“I’ll do it. No worries.” Chance carefully rose to his feet, Dresden cuddled up against his chest. The boy didn’t stir. Chance shot me a small smile, then meandered down the hall, his bare feet shuffling over the floorboards.

I waited until I heard the bedroom door shut, then tossed my phone onto the couch cushion and scrubbed a hand over my face. Fuck me. He was so good with Dresden. He cared for the pup as if he were his own, and that did such fickle things to my heart. How easy it would be to lure Chance to my bed and give him a reason to stay…

Yearning burst to the forefront, fiery and passionate, and my wolf howled.

“Fuck.” I hissed and stood up so fast that it made my head spin. I needed to get out of here, get a breath of fresh air. I turned the TV off and flipped the lights, then escaped out the front door. The white-stained porch was cool against my feet. I sucked in several deep breaths of the chilly April night air and tried to settle the wild in my soul.

Run. I needed to run.

I darted down the front steps. By the time my feet hit the muddy grass, I was on all fours and covered in fur, galloping towards the woods that surrounded this little slice of paradise I called home. My wolf threw back his head with a yipping moonsong and slid through the shadows, but we didn’t stray too far. We never did.

By the time I’d locked all the doors, showered and climbed into bed, I was calm and in control of myself once more. I tucked my arm beneath the pillow, pulled the covers up and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, my pulse was thudding quick between my ears. I blinked sleep from my eyes and glanced over at the alarm clock on my bedside table. 3:02 AM. I sat up in bed with a rustle of blankets. Had I had a nightmare? Why did it feel like I’d just run a marathon?

Then I heard it, the soft whimpers and footsteps shuffling up and down the hall.

Chance.

I rolled out of bed and crept out of my room to find him pacing the floors, his head bowed. He yanked at his hair with both hands, mumbling something under his breath in an increasingly frantic pitch. His nostrils flared and he spun on his heel, a keening whine in his throat. He looked strung out. Panicked.

“Are you okay?” I stepped forwards and I was hit by the pungent scent of him, thick and syrupy. He stared at me with wide eyes. His chest rose and fell in quick pants. His Adam’s apple bobbed, so I raised both hands in front of me and sidled closer. “Chance?” I murmured.

He let out a moan and grabbed at his sides, his entire body shuddering hard. “Please…”