Page 16 of Perfectly Yours
I take another swig from the bottle, settling now that Jace has realized his words aren’t doing him any favors. “Don’t make me say something I’m going to regret, Jace. We can draw up Savin’s contract differently if he agrees but give me a day or two before I bring that up with him. And stop letting my mother put ideas in your head. Savin is my mate. End of discussion.”
“I just feel…”
I am thankful that this conversation is taking place over the phone because someone would be on the floor, Savin would be out of a job, and I would definitely be sitting across from a police officer in an interrogation room, my face plastered all over the news. “You’re toeing a precious line, Jace. Remember that although I don’t want to break the contract, I do have the money needed should I feel it necessary.” Would we be hurting for a few months? Probably but it would be worth it.
The only reason Savin still works with Jace is because of the contract and the obligation my Omega feels he owes to the industry. Not to mention the longing in his eyes as he sees all of the opportunities he can no longer take part in due to his health.
“Savin would never let you do that!” Jace screams. I imagine he’s pacing the room, seething, wishing we were having this conversation in person. He has no idea what I’d do to him.
“He would, Jace. You seem to misunderstand our relationship. I do not own Savin. I don’t speak for him either. He’s a grown man and can speak for himself. However, he has graciously allowed me to relay information on his behalf, one of which is what I’ve just told you.”
I catch the end of a rumbling growl but decide not to address it. Jace is not a patient man and continuing to provoke him will only exacerbate his relationship with Savin. “Fine. Just… there’s an event-”
“I’ve seen the schedule, Jace. Should things change, I’ll let you know.” I wait for him to hang up first, giving him the satisfaction of ending the conversation. The next event is in a few days and while I know Savin’s heat will have ended by then, I’m not sure he’ll be ready to handle people. I scroll through my contacts and dial our personal doctor, the Alpha picking up on the second ring. “Hey.”
“Macon, I want to say it’s nice hearing from you but I assume by the short greeting something is wrong with Savin.” Always straight to the point. Bailey Landson was my doctor first but Savin took a liking to the woman’s gentle touch and I couldn’t be happier. “What’s going on?”
“The cream isn’t working. I mean, he refuses to take it most times because it takes his awareness of my scent away but it’s not working anymore.”
“That’s odd. Does it at least relieve any pain? Macon, that means something has changed in the last couple of weeks since I saw you last. Can you think of anything?”
I sigh, heading to the chair by my desk and setting the bottle on the surface before running a hand down my face. “Fuck. We met our mate.”
“Another Omega?”
“What? Why would you ask that?”
Bailey laughs. “Mac, calm down. I’m just saying that scent matches are super rare between any other designation. If you had mentioned that it was Savin’s mate, I wouldn’t have asked. But both of yours? Tell me, Alpha or Beta?”
“She’s a Beta.”
“Mmm, as much as I love this for you two, it’s unfortunate.” Bailey lets out a little sigh. “If she really is your mate, then in the same way your scent can be both an aphrodisiac and a Xanax to him, her scent will be the same. Savin’s Omega is searching for that relief and can’t find it.”
I was afraid of that. “She’s… not an option right now but I can’t see Savin continue to suffer. There’s not another cream that you could give him?”
“I’m afraid that’s the highest prescribed dosage he can take with the other medications I’ve given him. You can try over-the-counter scent blockers but they won’t last more than an hour or two and can’t be used long-term. They also won’t dull the pain. You mentioned that he can’t work on the Omega-oxysterol because it makes him sluggish, right? Damn. How are the scent patches?”
Goddess, I love this woman. Even if no one can truly diagnose Savin’s condition, she cares. “They’re okay. He finds them itchy but they keep his scent muted.”
“They won’t be perfect. How’s his heat?”
“Painful. I was hoping this would have been one of the better ones. I’m going to check on him in a little bit.”
Bailey murmurs her agreement, shoving one last painful truth at me before I hang up. “I know you don’t want to hear this but Mac? Savin needs her. You both do. It would make his heat so much easier even if it’s just holding him through the tremors for the next few days. It’s the pitiful truth of our biology, that once we meet our mates, it’s hard to be without.”
I thank her and hang up, not wanting to face reality. The nagging feeling in my chest isn’t just worry for Savin, it’s a need for Ellie. Ignoring my needs, I head to the kitchen and find a hot pack before making my way back to the nest. His hands are fisted in the same pillow he was humping earlier, his face scrunched up in pain. When I slip in beside him, cracking the hot pack and placing it between us to rest on his belly, he snuggles closer.
His face relaxes and his fingers lose their grip on the cotton. It bothers me that this is the only thing I can do for him.
Chapter thirteen
ELLIE
Carleen wishes me good luck after shoving half a sandwich in my mouth, determined that I feed myself. She also made me change. Twice. Saying that I was showing too much skin for an interview. Says her. The crop top jeans combo I had put on the first time was covering a lot more of my body than I’m used to.
She nearly approved of the fitted white shirt, leather pants, and thick black boots that just scream attitude. It came with the territory of my bike and hanging with kids in high school that I maybe should have stayed away from. In the end, I’m stuck in one of her peach skater dresses, paired with a long-sleeve jacket and flat sandals. I see the reasoning to look a little more professional but goddess, I am out of my element. At least Carleen didn’t make me shed my earrings. I reach up to touch them along my ears, sighing with relief that they’re all still there. As an added measure, I roll my tongue across my bottom lip, feeling those rings as well and clanking the bar through my tongue against them.
All good.