Page 93 of All Packed Up

“I’d want her to express it before the middle of the heat, you know? Just because I don’t want to take advantage of her or have her regret it when the heat wore off.”

Arlo scratched the back of his neck, gaze locking with Tate. “I agree with Tate,” he said.

“But we didn’t come here with that expectation,” Tate continued.

“I know,” Nic agreed with a shrug. The tension seeped from Tate’s shoulders, until Nic said, “But that sounds like something you need to tell Wendy.” His firelit gaze landed on Griffith. “And you?”

It felt like a trick question. Griffith didn’t even know Wendy. Truthfully, he wanted Nic back. But Wendy was a sweet omega, and he didn’t want to… to reject her. She didn’t deserve that.

Her teary, fearful eyes flashed through his mind. No, the omega deserved a heat where she didn’t have to worry about her own safety. And he could at least offer that.

So he nodded.

Nic arched a brow at them, and the arm behind his back shifted. “Do your answers change if I tell you wearing one of these is nonnegotiable?” He reached his arm out, and a tangle of black strings and fabric dangled from his fingers before he dropped them on the coffee table.

The room was silent.

Grif recognized the items for what they were: muzzles.

At first, he stiffened. All he could remember were the times he’d ended up in solitary, muzzled and locked away.

But when his mind refocused on the present, he realized these looked different.

It wasn’t a metal cage strapped around his head so tight he couldn’t even talk.

Griffith walked forward and leaned down, brushing a finger over the ribbing. It was butter soft, no metal in sight except the grommets holding the laces at the back.

“No biting,” Nic clarified, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“No, it doesn’t change our answer,” Tate confirmed easily.

It gave Griffith chills to think of being restrained in a similar way, especially for someone he didn’t know very well.

But, shit. He’d already built her a bed. What was a little scrap of fabric over his mouth?

“You’re welcome to try them on first, but remember, it’s nonnegotiable. We’re getting Wendy through this heat so we can help her, not make her worry that we’re no better than the alphas who—” Gnashing his teeth, Nic cut himself off, and Griffith felt his anger. “I’m not risking her safety.”

His voice was hard, and Griffith lifted his gaze from the pile on the table to Nic. Amber eyes burned into him, and Grif swallowed. Nic looked… Nic looked like a proper mate right then.

He was protecting Wendy and didn’t give a shit what any of them thought. In fact, he seemed pretty damn ready to kick his ass if he were to say no.

And Grif understood why. He was a good alpha, and he wasn’t going to give anyone a reason to doubt that. “It won’t bother me,” he vowed.

Nic stared at him for a long moment, searching his gaze for something. Griffith did the same, melting into those golden eyes and…

Well, a part of him hoped Nic would deny Grif any involvement with the omega. At least that would mean he still had feelings for him. Even if it was jealousy. Did he not feel territorial at all?

Grif supposed betas didn’t feel those things. But Griffith did and it hurt that Nic didn’t, even if he knew it was just biology.

But instead, Nic simply studied his expression for a moment longer before nodding.

“Okay. That’s all I needed. Wendy’s sleeping right now—”

“What happened?” Tate blurted.

Arlo winced on his behalf, and Tate smacked his hand against the alpha’s arm. “Shut up. Is she okay?”

Nic’s gaze darkened as he sucked in a sharp breath. Griffith hadn’t ever seen such quiet rage in his eyes before.