Chapter 24: Done for
I walk toward the well, pulling up the bucket and splashing the cool water over myself. The cold hits my skin, but it doesn't settle the restlessness in me. My nerves feel on edge, and I don't even know why. I stand there for a moment, trying to calm the unease, but it lingers, leaving me feeling antsy.
Dinner passes without a hitch. I tried cooking once, but after the disaster that ensued, Noelle has never let me near his kitchen again. The most I'm allowed to do now is cut vegetables—at least my sword skills count for something there. The thought makes me chuckle.
Still, I do the heavy lifting or fix things around the house. I'll never forget the way Noelle looked at me after I repaired that old rickety chair. His face lit up like I'd moved mountains. Since then, I've made it my mission to handle these odd jobs, and somehow, this domestic life fills me with a happiness I never thought possible.
After dinner, I set up the hot water for Noelle's bath first, then take mine once he's finished. That restless feeling creeps up again, gnawing at the back of my mind. I try to shrug it off, but it lingers.
Looking forward to a good night's sleep, I open the door to our room, but a wave of pheromones hits me like a punch to the gut. Whoa. What's going on?
"... Little star?" I call out cautiously, hesitating at the doorway, suddenly unsure if I should even step inside. But I do anyway—I'm brave, right? Still, I tread carefully, afraid of what I'll find.
And there he is. Noelle sits on the bed, looking like something straight out of my fantasies. He's not wearing his usual old cotton shirt. No, he's wearing my shirt, loose and soft on his body, hitting all the right spots. Before I can wrap my head around it, he looks up at me, his flushed face framed by teary eyes.
Oh no. I'm not ready for this. I bet my right leg Noelle isn't ready for this either.
A heat. Right,omegas have heats. Why didn't I think of that? I didn't even notice, we've been going about our lives, everything all jolly and fine month after month. I bite my tongue, hard enough to draw blood. I need to stay rational. But my thoughts are veering into dangerous territory, and my body is reacting in ways I shouldn't allow.
I force myself to move towards the bed, and before I can say anything, Noelle leaps into my arms, pressing himself against me.