Reese (Pack of Misfits #2) - Raven Kennedy Page 0,30

arm where he’s still holding me off. Can’t reach, dammit.

He lets out a huff of breath that sounds strained. “Mousey…You gotta suppress it.”

His voice sends a rush of heat right between my already pulsing thighs and—friggen hell, I am trying to mate bond with him!

Mortified, I suddenly leap back, my eyes wide. “Oh my God.”

Lug Nut shifts on his feet and runs his palm over the back of his neck like he’s just as embarrassed as I am. I flick my eyes up to his face only to see that he’s staring back at me, probably wondering what the fuck is wrong with me. His cheeks are flushed. His breath is coming in pants, and every time I see how blown out his pupils are, the mate-call rises in pitch.

“I...fuck, I can’t…” he says, practically panting.

Alpha Hugo tips his head up. He’s the only male unaffected, apparently. His alpha powers far outweigh the power of my mate-call. “Get on outta here, Luca.”

Luca.

Even his name is sexy, although I’ve grown partial to Lug Nut.

Lug Nut—Luca—nods tensely, but as he turns to leave, I can’t help but drop my eyes down to see the very clear outline of his erection growing inside of his pants. The mate-call in my chest barks at it. Like...a really weird rat bark. As if his dick is gonna sit up and throw us its bone to play with.

“Sorry!” I call after him. Because at this point, I’m not really sure what else to say.

“Don’t be,” he replies like a gentleman, even though I just basically attacked him. He quickly stalks across the gym, heading for the exit. He’s walking a little funny.

As soon as it’s just Hugo and Addie left with me, I round on the alpha. “Why the hell am I trying to put out a mate-call?” I ask, my face so hot that I’m surprised my hair doesn’t burst into flames.

Hugo scratches at his scruffy beard in consideration, the dude as cool as a cucumber. “It’s probably because you’ve been stuck in your animal form for so long. When’s the last time you rode your heatwave?”

“Oh my God, Hugo, you can’t just ask someone that!” Addie says with a groan, talking to him like a mortified teenage girl would talk to her father.

He shrugs, unbothered. “What? It’s relevant. She’s trying to put out a permanent mating call and bond with Luca, and she’s only been in her human form for an hour.”

“So basically, you’re saying that I have five years’ worth of heat built-up in me like one giant horny tidal wave?”

Hugo nods without missing a beat. “Basically.”

I sigh. My rat is pouting since Lug—Luca—left. I’m seriously going to have a talk with her about trying to mate him before we even learned his name.

“This is so mortifying.”

Hugo opens his mouth to say something else, but another wave of uncontrollable need washes over me, and I nearly keel over right then and there, because this one hurts.

“Addie?” Hugo prompts.

“Yeah, I got this. I’ll help get her settled,” Addie says. Once again, she takes my arm and drapes it over her shoulders. She doesn’t even cringe at the sweat now leaking from my armpits, God bless her. “Come on, let’s get you sequestered away before you start a riot,” she tells me with a chuckle.

“But Sid…”

“Don’t worry, kid,” Hugo tells me. “You’ve told us enough for now. We can talk more once you’re done riding your wave.”

I nod and let Addie lead me away.

“Be careful, Addie,” he calls at our backs. “She hasn’t been in human form for five years. She locked onto Luca, and that means she won’t be unlocking any time soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to break down his damn door.”

I groan and cover my burning face with my hands again. The most humiliating part of that? He’s not even wrong.

11

Reese

“Reese? You gonna come out soon?”

I don’t pick up my head where I’m face planted against one of the towels hanging up on the rack. I’d say I’m hiding my face in it because I’m mortified about my display back at the gym, but I’d be lying.

The truth? I’m in here because another wave washed over me as Addie was trying to lead me away, and I bolted. I bolted all the way here because I latched onto Luca’s scent. Once I sprinted into his warehouse and realized what I was doing, I hid in the bathroom.

I’m still in here, with my face buried in his gray towel. I