Page 39 of The Bright Omega

My addled brain tries to scramble for their names. I’m sure Finn told me, but I don’t remember.

The other one leans closer, and the amber scent rolls over me stronger. My omega preens so hard I almost whimper. I hate how good they smell. I hate how much I want to lean into all four of them at once.

Finn’s hand tightens around mine. I turn toward him instinctively, curling my fingers tighter, seeking the one thing in this room that feels safe and familiar. His rain and grass scent wraps around me like a blanket. I breathe him in and some of the panic eases.

The surgeon notices immediately. His gaze flicks to our joined hands, then to my face. “Your scent is spiking. How close are you to your heat?”

I swallow. My throat still feels like sandpaper. “Four weeks. Maybe less.”

The surgeon curses under his breath. “That’s too close. Your body is still recovering from major surgery. A heat that soon would be very, very bad.”

The one with the expensive suit and dark eyes makes a low, unhappy sound in his chest. Leith shifts behind Finn, and I feel more than hear the faint growl that vibrates through the room.

I reach for Finn’s hand with my other one too, needing both now. The movement pulls at my side and I hiss in pain. Finn leans closer immediately, forehead almost touching mine.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, shy but steady. “Breathe, Cammie.”

God, I want him. I want all of them. The realization hits me like another car. My omega is screaming mine, mine, mine, and my brain is screaming you just met two of them, you idiot.

The surgeon steps forward like he wants to take my hand away from Finn. I flinch back without thinking. Leith’s growl gets louder.

The surgeon freezes, then slowly steps back, hands up. “Sorry. I know this is a lot. Your brain’s probably still scrambled from the anesthesia. We’re your scent matches, Cammie. I’m Beck,” he points to himself, “and this is Piers.”

I turn my head to look at the one on my left with the dark hair and equally dark eyes. He’s watching me like he’s afraid I’m going to jump up and run away. As if I could even sit up properly right now.

Piers studies me for a long second, then his words roll out low and smooth. “Hey, sunshine.”

The nickname hits me somewhere behind my ribs. It’s warm and possessive, and too familiar for someone I technically just met. My omega likes it way too much.

“You heard Beck,” he continues. “Four weeks until your heat is too close for comfort after what your body went through. Are you okay with us requesting suppressants for you? We can have them started immediately.”

I swallow hard. Part of me wants to push back on principle. I don’t like feeling managed. But the other part, the part that’s still throbbing with pain and floating on painkillers and scent overload, knows he’s right.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “That’s… probably smart. But—”

“But?” Piers asks.

“I just went off them. My doctor said I needed to give my kidneys a break.”

Beck nods. “That’s probably true, but a few more months shouldn’t make a difference. And we can’t have you hurting yourself any further.”

I adjust my position in the bed and a shock of pain crashes through my torso. Yes, heat before I’m healed would be a terrible decision.

“Okay.”

Beck exhales like he’s relieved. “I’ll go make the orders right now.”

Finn cuts in, his words quieter but firm. “You’re suspended for the next two weeks, Beck.”

I look up at that. "Suspended?"

Beck waves a hand like it's nothing. "Minor incident in the OR."

"He nearly cleared the room while you were still open on the table," Leith says from the corner, without inflection.

Beck shoots him a look.

I stare at Beck for a second. He saved my life while his alpha was trying to take over. "Okay," I say finally.