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In a time when omegas were relatively rare, Darcy was secure in her status as one of the few that “everyone” knew. The suppressants helped, turning her hormones to a beta-like neutral. She rarely even gave it a thought anymore.

Rarely

. Because sometimes when her hormones ramped enough to peek around the chemicals she beat them down with, she thought about it. She’d never done the full heat, never been tied to someone. Buried in the deep, dark recesses of her computer she had a folder of heat porn, of omegas presented and getting fucked stupid by some aggressive alpha. And fuck her if that didn’t look

amazing

. She’d had her fair share of orgasms over the years, but nothing that felt like how that looked.

But it was fine. She was fine. She was practically a beta, and she wasn’t missing a thing not losing herself to her vagina every month.

So when she woke up that morning and she felt a little crampy, she figured maybe it was just gas or something. It didn’t feel quite the same as gas usually did, but bodies were weird.

It had to be just a coincidence that she was also feeling a little extra frisky. And not just,

damn it’s been a while since I’ve bumped pelvises with someone

, but that deeper, more primal desire that meant she wanted someone to put her on her knees and fuck her until their knot rolled up through her pussy…

“Shit.” She

wasn’t

thinking about that. Was. Not. She got the injection once a month, but she had as-needed suppressants for when her hormones got extra excited. She hated taking them because they gave her the worst PMS-like symptoms, but if her body didn’t knock it off by dinnertime, she was totally going to take one.

Work. Work would totally distract her. She had a quick shower and got dressed, stopping just long enough for a cup of coffee. If she kept herself busy enough, it would be fine.

She’d have to be careful where she went. The place wasn’t exactly light on alphas, and she didn’t want to get any of them

excited

when there’d be no follow through. But Tony was a beta, he’d be fine. It was fine.

She had a special body spray that was supposed to block the pheromones from smelling quite so potent. And after that, she made sure to take longer, more circuitous route down to the lab that

no one

used.

Tony looked up when she entered. He sniffed the air experimentally. “Well, you smell particularly bland this morning.”

“Yeah. My body’s back on its bullshit.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. I’ll just tuck myself in the corner there and work.” She eyed him for a moment, her gaze narrowing. “Those are the same clothes you wore last night. Do I have to call someone to get you out of here?”

“Hey!” He held his hands up in surrender. “I napped, you can check the feed. I just have a few things to finish up, and then I’ll go get some actual sleep. Promise.”

She rested her hand on her hip and gave him a pointed look. “And eat.”

“Yes, dear,” came back automatically. “Scout’s honor.”

“I’ll eat my laptop if you were a Boy Scout.” Darcy was fairly sure they’d had some variation on that conversation before, and wasn’t really sure she wanted it again. “Text me if you need anything, I’ll be…” She lifted the earbuds dangling over her shoulder. “Music.”

“Only if I absolutely need you.”

She rolled her eyes and headed over to her little corner of the workspace. She didn’t have an office of her own, but it kind of worked out better that way. Then she could RAA as she needed to for all of the sciency people, and just sort of float between them. And keep an eye on them when they went on science benders. “I’m setting an alarm,” she called back over her shoulder. “Three hours and you’re out of here, or I’m calling in backup.”

“Yes, dear,” came the flip response.

She got herself a fresh cup of coffee before settling into her little nook. She had a partition, not that Tony wouldn’t lean on top of it or just come in to get her attention when he wanted it. And since he was Tony, that tended to be a lot. But he was usually pretty sensitive when she was dealing with

this

shit.

The frisky feeling wasn’t going away. If anything, it was getting worse. So was the crampy feeling, despite the Advil she’d popped before heading in.

At least it smelled good in the lab. Tony generally kept his lab scent-free, but sometimes he worked on things that carried a particular odor. Usually not as pleasant as this.

What are you wearing

? popped up in the lower corner of her screen. Tony, obviously.

Darcy rolled her eyes and ignored it. Their relationship was probably a little flirtier than was strictly professional, but he didn’t mean anything by it. It was just an old habit.

The scent only got stronger as time passed. She couldn’t put her finger on it, like fresh coffee and

something

. Something soothing that she wanted to wrap herself in like a blanket. It wasn’t bad, but it was getting pretty distracting. She sent a text back.

Can you pump up the ventilation? Whatever you’re working on smells too good

.

She realized that thinking about the scent, breathing it in and letting it fill her senses was the only thing making the cramps go away. That was weird. Maybe some kind of aromatherapy? “Hey, I thought you said aromatherapy was pseudoscience,” she called over her partition.

Her earbuds being taken out startled her, making her jump. “I never said that,” Tony replied in a low voice, his mouth so close to her ear that his breath stirred her hair. “Certain scents are known to have certain effects - especially on omegas.”

Her eyes fell closed, and she just wanted to lean back into him. Wait. “Wait.” That wasn’t even close to the kind of relationship they had. She got to her feet, careful to put the chair between them. “What’s going on?” Because now he was in her personal space, and she just wanted to roll around in

him

. She’d had idle fantasies about him before of course, the man was gorgeous - but this was on another level.

He reached for her, his thumb brushing her cheekbone before he seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled his hand back. “You’re in heat.” He pointed at her, and the lilt in his voice made it the hint of a question.

“That’s impossible.” She shook her head. “Nope. I’ve been on these things for

years

, and I’ve never had a full heat. No one taking them has.” Or it would’ve become common knowledge. The omega community watched that shit like a hawk. “Not only that, but like… Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” he answered automatically, folding his arms.

But his body was telling her something different. His pupils were blown wide, and his stance was bigger, more drawn up than usual. She wasn’t going to look, she wasn’t going to look. She totally looked, but it was hard to miss the rather impressive bulge at the front of his pants.

“You’re a beta!” she exclaimed. She felt penned in by him. On the one hand, super fucking exciting. On the other, it felt like the situation was spiraling rapidly out of control. She needed space. She needed room to move around. She needed to step away from his scent, because it was obviously coming from him, and it made her want to do things like rub against him.

She stepped around the chair, giving him as much space as she could as she moved into the main part of the lab.

“Of course I’m a beta!” he snapped, more irritated than he really had any right to be. He turned to watch her. “Where are you going?”

“I should…” She gestured to the door. “I need to-” She could take a suppressant. They were up in her room. She just needed to get there.

Two quick steps put him in her personal space. “You need to stay here.” It wasn’t quite jedi mind tricks, but she felt an impulse to obey him, to do as he said.

“You’re a beta!” she shouted. “You can’t have a rut!”

“Fuck!” Tony dropped her hand and took a step back. “Of course I am.” He shook his head. “Something’s going on, because I have the wildest urge to bend you over that desk and

fuck

you until you take my knot. I don’t even have a knot.” He paused. “Do I?”

A little noise slipped out at the image that conjured up. “You can’t say things like that!” she yelled.

“Don’t yell at me, Darcy,” came out in a low voice that made her want to-

“I need to get out of here. I need to…” It took entirely too long to tear herself away from the intensity of his gaze. She went to the door, although everything in her body was telling her to turn around and go back to him. The door was locked. “It’s locked!”

Quick footsteps took him to his own computer. “There’s an airborne contaminant, we’re on lockdown until the filtration system gets it cleared out.” More footsteps, slightly halting, brought him close behind her. His hand was almost scalding even through her clothes when it rested on her hips. “Some kind of pheromone, it has to be. Fuck, I can’t think.” He leaned in until his nose nuzzled into the back of her neck, and he took a deep breath in.

Darcy whimpered. She’d never made that particular sound before. Images from her hidden porn folder floated through her mind, and it was all she could do to keep from pushing her hand between her legs to ease what had become a deep, aching need.

His hand slipped around the front of her waist. “God, you smell amazing.” Gentle fingers pulled her hair away from the back of her neck, and the touch of his lips lit her up like a spark plug.

“Tony, you can’t - we can’t -” She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. It only pulled his scent in tighter. “What do we do?” She knew what she wanted him to do. And the part of her mind still capable of rational thought told her it was the absolute worst idea.

Tony started working her skirt up, bunching it between his fingers until he could slip his hand into the front of her leggings. He pushed down between her legs. “How are you this wet?”

Another whimper was the only thing she could come up with for an answer. He was right, her pussy was already slick, and he’d barely touched her.

He pulled her leggings down. “Bend over,” came the quiet imperative, like he knew what he was doing.

She bent forward, her hands braced up against the door. Anticipation swirled together with need. Her body was one big hot ache of desire, and the only thing that could help was right behind her.

The zipper on his jeans made a soft noise, and it was only another second before she felt the head of his cock nudge against her desperate pussy. He pushed deep inside without even a moment’s hesitation. “How are you this wet?” he asked again.

“Please, alpha,” slipped out. She’d heard it before, played out in her earbuds, but she never thought it was something

she’d

say. Her rational mind always told her it was trite, but now…

A low growl vibrated through him, catching her breath. He gripped her hips tightly enough to bruise, holding her in place as he fucked her hard. The sound of skin meeting skin filled the air, a steady base for the wet sounds of his cock moving in and out of her.

It helped. The relentless drag of his cock over the sensitive nerves right at the entrance to her pussy helped. But it wasn’t

enough

. Would he even be capable of knotting her? What would happen if he couldn’t? “Tony!” She couldn’t give voice to her worries, couldn’t find the words, couldn’t force them out.

“Hey now,” he replied, the low roll of his voice almost a caress. “Let me make it better.”

Her need pulled in tight. She needed more, she needed- She bucked back against him, trying to encourage him on.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted between breaths. “I don’t-”

“Tony!” He was getting close, his rhythm starting to stutter. It wasn’t enough, it wasn’t what she

needed

.

The swelling at the base of his cock surprised them both. It rolled up through her cunt to pulse against her cervix with his release.

Ecstasy like she’d never felt before swelled through her, whiting out her vision and making her entire body tingle. She grabbed for his wrist as she clenched around him, her fingernails digging into his skin. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t think. There was nothing but intensity.

But at last it started to ebb away. She took a deep, shaky breath, and then another one. “Um, Tony?” Her voice was breathless and dry. Water, she needed water.

“This wasn’t the best position for this,” he said after a second. “I, uh, can’t really go anywhere.”

“But you’re a beta.” She shifted, but the knot deep in her pussy threatened to pull painfully if she tried to get too far. “You can’t do this.”

“If you could tell my dick that, that’d be great. ‘Cause right now I want to sit down at my computer and figure this out, and you’re kind of in the way.” He patted her hip, but the frustration in her voice set her on edge.

Darcy immediately felt a swell of guilt. “I’m sorry,” tumbled out before she could even process it.

“No, honey, not…” He let out a sigh. “Hormones.” He stroked her hair. “You’re fine. I’m not mad at you.”

“I know. Just…” She took another deep breath. “Never done this before.” She chewed on her lower lip. It had felt amazing, better than any sex she’d ever had. But the implications…

“Seriously? You’ve never been knotted before, and your first time was with a beta?” Tony paused. “You know, it would be interesting to get a comparison…”

“Tony.” Her voice was full of warning.

“Right. Right. Well… We’ll figure this out.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Once Tony’s knot went down and he went back to his computer, he seemed to revert to his hormone-neutral beta state. Which helped. Darcy could still feel the crampiness, the frisky feeling she’d woken up with that morning, but it was easier to think without him pumping out epic levels of alpha pheromones.

The first thing Tony did was open up a video chat with Bruce. This wasn’t exactly Bruce’s wheelhouse, but one of his fifty thousand degrees was in biochemistry. Bruce was only a few doors away, but going out there would mean opening the door. And while the

airborne contaminant

was apparently gone, Darcy was still in heat. From the way Tony had been acting just minutes ago, her scent was like a beacon. And there were a lot of alphas out there.

Darcy paced as Tony filled in Bruce on what had happened. She didn’t feel like standing still, because if she stopped moving, then she’d start thinking and trying to process just what the fuck had happened. No, better to keep moving, distract herself with carefully following the same path on the concrete floor.

“And you’ve never been in heat before,” Bruce stated.

“Not even once. I get a bit, um…” Darcy pressed her lips between her teeth. “Frisky sometimes, but the suppressants work really well.” Which reminded her, she should probably go hit up her omega group chat and see if anyone else’s suppressants had failed so spectacularly.

“It might help to know if Tony’s rut was the same as any other alpha,” Bruce said slowly.

“Nope. No. Hard pass.” Darcy stopped and faced the screen, her hands on her hips. “I’m not just going to…” But now that she was thinking about it, desire shivered through her.

“I don’t know that you have a choice, Darcy,” Bruce said gently.

“Suppressants,” she said desperately, though she already knew better.

“They don’t work when you’re already in heat.” Sympathy warmed Bruce’s voice. “Sooner rather than later, you’re going to start needing to be knotted again.”

Mental images intensified, and she made a soft noise she immediately regretted. “Not helping.”

“You’re an alpha.” Tony gestured to Bruce before glancing back at Darcy. “I mean, as much as you try to live in denial. Are you feeling any different this morning?”

Bruce was an alpha. Bruce could bend her over the desk, his hands smoothing over her hips… Darcy turned away from the screen and took a deep breath. She absolutely wasn’t going to ask him very nicely to come and fuck her.

Bruce sighed. “Darcy, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think that would be a mistake. I can’t help you sort this out if I lose myself in you.” Apparently he’d picked up the direction of her thoughts - although she was practically broadcasting them.

The rejection stung. She tried not to take it personally, she really did. Intellectually, it made sense. He couldn’t both fuck her and try to hunt down whatever the contaminant had been and where it had come from.

But her hormone-drunk brain took and ran with it.

Rejection

. An alpha had rejected her, and while she was in heat. “I’m gonna…” She motioned to her little corner of the lab before practically scurrying there.

Only a couple of people were active in the group chat, but neither of them had either had a problem with their suppressant, or heard of anyone who had. It was started to look like it might be connected to that airborne contaminant, too.

The murmur of voices stopped. Seconds later, Tony appeared over the side of her partition. He rested his arms on top of it and looked down at her. “We’re gonna sort this out.”

“I know. But I’m still…” She gestured to herself.

“Yeah.” He knocked his knuckles against the metal while he thought. “Would nesting help? I have a couple of blankets in here. They’re not

yours

, but you’re certainly welcome to them.”

“What the fuck do I know about nesting?” She felt desperately close to tears. She looked up at him, and guilt shot through her. He looked… Tired. “Sorry. Here I am all me, me, me, and you’re dealing with this shit, too.”

“Hey.” Tony took her hand and pulled her to her feet. His arms came around her, and after a second, she rested her head on his shoulder. They really hadn’t been on hugging terms before, not like this, but he’d just pushed her up against the door… “I’m fine. I’m always fine, it’s what I do. But you can make it up to me. Make a nest and we’ll have a nap. Apparently that whole thing is

exhausting

.”

She laughed, because it was either that or cry. “Fine. But I’m doing it back here.” It was probably something to do with the amount of time she spent there and how much her scent was all over everything, but it really did feel like the most comfortable spot in the lab. Despite the fact that objectively, it was all pretty much the same.

They pulled the cushions off the couch sitting against the wall. Tony produced a couple of blankets and pillows from

somewhere

, and Darcy made a cozy nest behind her partition.

“This has got to be the worst nest in the history of ever.” Darcy surveyed it with her hands on her hips.

“I mean, it’s not pretty…” He gave an exaggerated grimace when she looked up at him. “But as long as it makes you feel better.”

It really kind of did. It didn’t do anything for the slowly growing desire or the achiness, but it was

soothing

. She felt more secure.

“Bruce did bring up a good point, though,” Tony mused once they were snuggled up on the cushions. “At some point you’re going to want to do that whole thing again. I don’t think I’m up for a round two.” The flicker of regret in his voice sent sympathy surging through her. She put her arms around him, holding him close. “But I’m pretty sure you have your pick of any alpha in the building right now. It

might

be a good idea to have someone lined up.”

“I can’t think about that,” she said firmly. “If I think about it, then I start

thinking

about it, and I just… I need a minute?” Avoidance and denial probably weren’t really her best options, but it was all she had.

He lifted his head to look at her, but only for a second.

Darcy closed her eyes and wished desperately that she’d wake up and discover it was all a dream.

She woke up.

It wasn’t a dream.

She’d dozed off, she must have, only now the desire was back in full force. And this time there were no distracting scents or anything to soothe her. She felt like she was burning up from the inside, her muscles aching like she was primed to run and just

couldn’t

.

She got to her feet. Tony was still asleep, one arm thrown over his face. He was an attractive man, but she didn’t want him. No, she wanted someone who could ease the ache deep inside her.

As she neared the door, she heard someone trying the knob. It was still locked, though lockdown was lifted. There was a

reason

it was locked, but that reason seemed stupid and unimportant. She could go up to her room. She could go up to her room and find her vibrator, and everything would be

fine

. She unlocked it and pulled it open.

Happy stood there, his arm outstretched like she’d pulled the handle from his hand. His eyes locked on her and his nostrils flared. “The lab went on lockdown and Tony didn’t answer his phone. I had to check that everything was okay.”

He smelled divine. Not like Tony had, he smelled more cedary, but his scent was just as soothing. “You’re an alpha,” Darcy breathed. How had she not known that before?

He took her arm and pulled her into the lab. The door was quickly closed behind him, and he locked it back up. “Of course I am. Is everything okay?” His deep voice had gone even lower.

She shook her head. No, everything was

not

okay. But she was stuck on how to convey that without the words

oh god please fuck me

coming up.

“Tony okay?” He peered around the lab like he was trying to locate his friend, but his eyes kept straying back to Darcy.

“He’s sleeping.”

Happy drew himself up to his full height and squared his shoulders. “Do you need

help

, sweetheart?”

A soft noise escaped. She took a step back. She didn’t really know him, certainly not well enough to throw herself at him like her body was all but screaming for her to do.

He tilted his head back just a little. “It smells like sex in here, but not another alpha?”

“It’s a long story.” Her voice was mostly steady. She wasn’t thinking about it,

she wasn’t thinking about it

.

At least until he stepped into her. He picked up her hand and nuzzled into her wrist, sending a wave of pleasure through her. The last shred of rational thought flew out the window. “Then take off your clothes.”

Again, that urge to do whatever he said. As soon as he released her, she started pulling off her clothes. In no time, she stood completely naked.

His eyes swept over her, slow and appreciative. One hand came out and snagged around her waist, pulling her against the front of his body. Warm, he was so warm, and touching him seemed to help, at least a little. “Been a while since I had an omega to do this with.”

Darcy opened her mouth to make some kind of answer, but he leaned in and nipped at her throat. The catch of his teeth made her brain short out. She could only grip at his shoulder as his hand pushed between her legs, seeking out her slick heat.

He found the rise of her clit and rolled over it, his mouth doing impossibly delicious things to the side of her neck.

She could feel the pleasure spiraling in, gathering at the base of her spine. But it wasn’t

enough

, it wasn’t the right kind of pleasure. He could probably make her come just like that. It wouldn’t take long, but it wouldn’t be what she needed. “Please,” she whispered, eyes squeezed shut.

He slipped away, and she opened her eyes to see him shrug off his suit jacket. He folded it and placed it gently on the floor. Deft fingers flicked open the buttons on his cuffs, and he rolled up his sleeves. She stared, almost entranced.

“Why don’t you present yourself for me, sweetheart?”

She’d never done anything like that, but it seemed to be instinctual. She dropped to her knees on the suit jacket and leaned forward onto her elbows, her ass high in the air and her legs spread. Anticipation pulled tight. She hadn’t really given Happy more than a glance or two before, but now taking his knot was all she could think of.

“Fuck me, Darcy.” The zip of his pants seemed overloud, and then he was right behind her. But he didn’t line himself up right away. Instead his fingers traced along her center until they pushed up inside her.

The stretch felt amazing. She let her forehead drop against her forearms as he rolled into him. Amazing, but not enough. “More, please!”

He gripped her hips, pulling her back just a little. One hand dropped between them, and the head of his cock nudged against her.

A desperate whimper slipped out. She pushed back against him, pulling him deep inside. He paused for a moment, then grabbed her hips and fucked her.

Even knowing what was coming this time didn’t make it easier. Because each sharp snap of his hips only built up her need. She bucked back against him, hands balled into tight fists. The glide of his cock wasn’t enough, wouldn’t be enough.

“What’s-” Tony’s voice came from the end of the lab, sleepy and confused.

Happy

growled

behind her. The sound vibrated through her, making her clench around him. How was that hot? How was it possible that just a sound could ratchet up her need that much more? But he didn’t stop pounding into her, the slap of her ass against his thighs muffled by his pants.

“Easy,” Tony said in a low voice. “I don’t want your omega. I was just wondering where she was.”

One of Happy’s hands slipped down in front of her. He pulled her up against him, until her shoulders pressed against his chest. “She’s right here. Go. Away.”

“I can see that. I’ll just be…” Tony motioned to her partition before disappearing behind it.

Darcy didn’t care. She rolled her hips into Happy’s steady thrusts, desperate for the one thing that would soothe her body and ease her mind. Desire built inside her like pressure, like the next thrust would be the one to tip her over the edge. But it never was.

Another growl rumbled up from his chest, vibrating through her. His thrusts grew short and erratic, and at last, his knot swelled up through her pussy.

Her vision whited out with pleasure as it pulsed against her cervix. She grabbed for him, barely aware of her fingernails raking along his arms as she struggled to contain the sheer ecstasy.

He held her close, his arms around her waist until she stopped clenching around his knot. “There you go,” he said when she started to come back down. He sat back, bringing her with him until she was nestled in his lap.

Her mind felt clearer. And okay, heat sex was a whole lot of fun, but the wanting to do whatever the alpha said, not so much. “Yeah.”

“Can I… come out now?” came from the partition. Tony emerged before waiting for an answer. “See, that makes more sense.” He gestured to them. “Sitting. Presenting makes more sense. Any different?”

Darcy drew a long breath and let it out slowly. “No.”

“Well, I should probably jump on with Bruce, then.” Tony started across the lab. He paused just beside them, hands on his hips. “What did I say about getting naked in my lab?”

“I’m not naked,” Happy answered, amusement clear in his voice.

No, as much as Darcy wanted the feel of his skin, she wasn’t getting a whole lot. Maybe that was a good thing.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Darcy wasn’t exactly sure how he managed it, but as soon as Happy’s knot went down and she was able to get up, Tony hustled him out of the lab. Happy hadn’t wanted to go, but she was glad he did. It was easier to think and function without an Alpha around, especially since she felt the urge to do whatever he said.

She was still in heat; she could feel the residual desire simmering just under her skin. She’d deal with that when it came up again. Right now, she just wanted to retreat to the comfort of her nest and hide there.

That wasn’t helpful. That wasn’t helpful, and she needed to concentrate on trying to sort this shit out.

She let out a relieved sigh as soon as the doors closed behind Happy’s retreating back, and slumped into one of the padded office chairs set in front of one of the many work surfaces. “So now what?”

Visible again on the screen, Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. “Assuming you were both affected by the same thing, I think the next step would be to get Tony in here to run some tests. I’d like to get you in here, Darcy, but…” The unspoken other half of that sentence hung heavily in the air.

She put up her hand, motioning him to stop. “Yeah. Can you please not drop a ton of rejection on me again? I’d really appreciate it.”

“I’m not rejecting

you

, Darcy.” The glasses went down on the desk or whatever his computer sat on. When she risked a glance in his direction, she found his brown eyes resting on her entirely too intently.

“Okay, but my hormones don’t exactly listen to reason.” She shook her head. It was easier to meet his gaze when he wasn’t in the room with her. “Can we just not?”

Silence fell between them, thick enough to touch. It was also easier to stand up to him when he wasn’t in the room, but she still felt an urge to apologize, to make it better. He was still an alpha.

Tony broke the silence with a too-cheerful, “I’m on my way!” He turned to Darcy with his hands on his hips. “Keep the door locked.”

“And hope they don’t have blasters?” she shot back.

He gave an exaggerated grimace. “It’s not the blasters I’d be worried about.” He paused. “Although, in a manner of speaking…”

She looked for something to throw, but there was nothing close at hand that wouldn’t either actually hurt him or shatter. “Just go.”

He flashed her a grin. “Seeya in a sec.” He left the lab.

Darcy followed him to the door to lock it tightly behind him. She was sure she’d get a glimpse of Happy lurking outside, but thankfully he was nowhere to be seen. Venting a quiet sigh, she went back to the desk Bruce’s video feed was on and sat down in the chair.

He’d moved away from the camera attached to the monitor, but she could still see him onscreen. She

knew

when Tony walked into Bruce’s lab, because he scented the air and his nostrils flared. So apparently some of her scent had stuck around on Tony’s clothes, and it was enough to get Bruce to react.

She knew she probably shouldn’t feel any sort of satisfaction from that, but especially after he’d

rejected

her, it felt good.

Tony walked into visibility range. He saw her on the screen and offered a little wave. “You don’t have to hang out, you know. You can go and hunker down in your nest if that makes you feel a little more settled.”

“No, I’m fine. I want to help. Just let me know what I can do.” Part of it was that she really,

really

wanted this to get sorted out. And deep down, no matter how much she maybe didn’t want to admit it out loud, part of it was that she wanted to see Bruce reacting to

her

.

Bruce turned to face her directly. Were his eyes darker than they had been? “I need to start some tests here with Tony. Can you get the numbers for that pheromone for me?”

“Yeah, of course. You want peak, duration, all of that?” Darcy grabbed the wireless mouse and turned her attention to rightmost monitor on the desk.

He paused long enough that Darcy turned back to look at him. “Yes,” he replied, his voice slightly tight.

“Okay.” She knew where the environmental records were, and it only took a second to click into them. It was nice to have direction, to have something to do other than waiting around for her body to go crazy again.

She was pretty sure she was stuck like this. She’d have to wait out a full heat. Tony’s situation had resolved itself right away, but he wasn’t actually an alpha. His body wasn’t meant to go into rut. She was actually an omega, though, so…

Bruce would probably be able to tell her. Maybe. Maybe in person. That could be interesting.

She set her elbow on the table with a sigh. It wasn’t nearly the overwhelming, aching need when her body decided it

needed

a knot, but those thoughts were awfully distracting - and persistent.

“Ow!” Tony protested, making her smile. He’d inject microtransmitters under his skin without batting an eye, but go near him with a needle…

She let their words wash over her without paying too much attention. This could have been any workday, Bruce and Tony over in Bruce’s lab while she did data shit.

Except not. Because normally if Bruce sounded that upset, she’d tell him to go get some space, get some air, something. Now she wanted to tell him to come let her make it better. Although maybe upset wasn’t the right word… Stressed?

She looked over at the screen. Tony sat on a stool with his shirt off and a bunch of leads stuck to his chest, and Bruce was puttering around behind him. He glanced at her and their eyes met, the intensity there sending a flash of heat through her.

“Is it just my scent?” she asked, and swallowed hard when his nostrils flared. “Or is there some residual pheromone, too?”

He scrubbed his fingers through his curly hair, rubbing the top of his head. “Both, maybe?”

“Darcy, run a diagnostic of the air in here,” Tony suggested.

“Sure.” She shifted her attention to the left-most monitor and quickly set it up. “Looks like… You’ll have to give it a second for a more thorough report, but it looks like you’re getting hit with low levels of whatever was pumped in here.” She didn’t

mean

that to sound like an innuendo, but it just sort of happened.

“It’s getting hard to think,” Bruce admitted.

An alpha was agitated. An alpha was agitated, and while her body hadn’t shifted into full need again, she was

positive

she knew how to soothe him. “What can I do?” She winced. Could she have made that sound any more like an invitation?

“Shit,” Bruce muttered. He pointed at Tony and said, “Stay here,” in a firm voice that did dangerous things to Darcy’s equilibrium.

Darcy watched him walk across the lab, out of view of the camera. Her pulse leaped in his throat. Where was he going? Was he-

A heavy knock sounded at the door.

She stared at it for a long moment before slipping from the chair and quickly crossing the concrete floor. Opening it showed Bruce standing there, his arms tightly folded and a muscle working in his jaw.

After he pushed past her into the lab, she closed the door behind her and locked it back up. He turned to face her, hands twisting together in front of him. “I think we should run some tests on you too.”

Being near him made her hormones kick into high gear. Not quite the aching need she’d felt before, but not far off either. “What kind of tests?” That was mostly steady, and she hadn’t

suggested

what kind of tests she wanted him to run.

He went to one of the mostly-empty workbenches and patted the firm surface. “Come here.” That was a little growlier than Bruce usually offered, but her traitorous hormones sure liked it.

Darcy crossed the lab, her eyes on his. It was impossible to miss the way his nostrils flared when she got close, the bunch of the muscles in forearms exposed by rolled up sleeves when his hands balled into fists.

Instead of hopping up on the table, she smoothed one hand over the taut line of his shoulder. “Please, Alpha,” she murmured. She stepped into him, close enough that her breasts pressed against his arm. “Let me make it better.”

His eyes locked on hers. Desire lurked in the depths, a hungry, endless desire that matched the growing ache between her legs. Fingers tangled in her hair, grabbing a handful and using it to pull her head back. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she felt him nuzzle into her throat right over her pulse. “I can’t.” His words said one thing, but the brush of his lips over her skin said something entirely different.

“You can’t think like this.” Her voice was barely a whisper, almost terrified to speak louder so she didn’t break the spell. “Let me help.”

His free hand gripped her ass, kneading the soft flesh through her leggings. “I shouldn’t.”

“It’s okay.” She reached for him, blindly finding the buttons on the front of his shirt. “Maybe it’ll help you figure this out.”

It was a terrible excuse, and he chuckled. After just a second, the sound turned into a deep growl, making her let out a soft whimper. His hand fell away from her ass, only to push down into her leggings. He traced along her center, his touch slipping in the slickness of her arousal. “Take off your clothes and get up on the table.”

Her heart soared. He sure wasn’t rejecting her anymore. She’d made it about halfway through his buttons, but she abandoned them to slip her own clothes off. They fell to the floor, but before she could hop up on the table, his hands found her waist.

He lifted her off the floor and set her right on the very edge. He stood between her legs, but she wanted her pressed against him. Dark eyes burned into hers, the intensity enough to steal her breath. “Now take off mine.”

She finished the rest of his buttons and pushed his shirt over his shoulders. He had on an undershirt, but he took care of that as she opened up the front of his black slacks. His cock, thick and hard, practically fell into her hand.

Bruce batted her away. He lined himself up just right, and drove deep into her pussy with a sharp thrust that had her crying out. His forehead dropped to her shoulder as he stilled there.

She stroked through his hair. It was softer than it looked. “Please, alpha,” she whispered. Saying that was started to feel surprisingly comfortable. She nuzzled into the side of his neck, pressing gentle kisses along his skin. “I need you.”

He pulled almost all the way out before driving deep into her again. He didn’t stay this time, instead setting an almost brutal pace as he fucked her. A tight grip on her hips kept her from sliding back on the table, and she locked her legs around his hips to draw him in deeper.

Darcy was familiar with this now; she craved it. Desire built even as pleasure swirled through her until she almost couldn’t bear it. Her fingernails caught across his shoulders, and she rolled her hips into him as much as she could. She could practically taste it, the agonizing release his knot would bring.

But Bruce seemed to fuck her forever. She felt like she was out of her mind, half-formed pleas falling from her lips as she urged him on. She felt like she would snap, like she would shatter into a million pieces if she didn’t come soon.

He didn’t even slow down, so the swelling at the base of his cock almost surprised her. “Oh!” Her head fell back, lips parted, but it wasn’t until his teeth clamped down on the side of her neck that a scream tore free.

It was too much. Somehow his mouth on her throat made it

more

, pushing her from her body and whiting out her vision. She was dimly aware of the pulse of his release, his cock grinding right where she needed it to.

It took a bit for her to come back down. She became aware that Bruce held her, his arms around her and his head on her shoulder. She pushed her fingers through his soft, curly hair, searching for something to say. “I made it better.” She winced. Not what she’d intended.

A chuckle vibrated against her. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, and he looked a lot less worked up now. “I didn’t intend that to happen when I came in here.”

“Maybe not, but I’m pretty sure we both knew it would.”

Both wanted it

. She didn’t say that part, but she could see it in his eyes. At least, she hoped that’s what that look meant.

“Well, shit,” Tony said from the monitor. Right. Tony was there. He’d watched her have entirely too much sex lately. “You didn’t bond with her, did you?”

Bruce’s expression turned alarmed. His gaze dropped to the side of her neck, and relief relaxed his features. “No. Just a good bite.”

That was another one of those mixed emotions things. It felt a little bit like more rejection. An alpha didn’t want to bond with her. At the same time, Darcy knew neither of them were really prepared for all of that. She sighed, and it was her turn to drop her head on his shoulders. “I hate my hormones,” she whispered.

“I know. We’ll figure it out.” It was reassuring that he made no move to pull away. He couldn’t physically get away from her just yet, but there were other ways to retreat, to draw back into himself. At least he wasn’t doing that.

She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. It was fine. Everything was fine, and they would figure this out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Darcy wondered if she should really bother even getting dressed. She was still in heat, which meant she was going to want to be naked again in the near future, and it would cut out the whole middle effort bit.

Then again, maybe not. Because the way an alpha’s eyes got all dark and intense when she took them off… Her heat was in a lull for now, but that thought still sent heat twisting through her.

Contrarily, Bruce seemed completely fine when his knot went down and he stepped away. He gave her a warm smile as he tucked all his clothes back in place, then paused, his head tilting. “I’m done.”

“What?” Darcy thought they were past the whole rejection thing, but if he was doing it again…

“This isn’t a full rut. I’m done.” His eyes went wide and he reached for her, seeming to realize what he’d said. “I’ll see you through the rest of your heat if you need me to, that’s not what I’m saying.”

A long, relieved breath slipped out before she could stop it. Not more rejection from the alpha who’d just knotted her. But she needed to focus; it sounded like he was saying something important.

“That’s why you were able to get Happy out of here right away.” Her eyes moved to meet Tony’s on the screen, still connected to Bruce’s lab. “I was really surprised. I’ve never been around an alpha in rut, but I’ve heard things.” Every other week, someone in her group chat had a story about what happened when someone tried to get between an alpha in rut and the omega they were with.

“Yeah. Strange, though. I’ve never heard of this happening before.” Tony folded one arm in front of him, his hand on his chin as he thought. “My whole situation, the temporary or partial rut.”

“Me neither.” Bruce’s hand slid over Darcy’s upper arm. It was soothing, but it wasn’t accompanied by the rush of crazy desire. It was kind of nice, actually. “You see it out in nature. The female of the species tries to find as many mates as she can to ensure strong, healthy offspring.” He looked a question at her.

“I mean, without being bonded, one knot’s pretty much the same as another.” She winced as she realized how it sounded. Darcy was very much about do what makes you feel good, but in front of the alpha she’d

just

been tied to and the beta who wasn’t even supposed to have a knot… “Sorry.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Bruce reached for her again, his warm fingers sliding across her upper back. He may not have still been in rut, but he was significantly more touchy-feely than he had been. “It’s simple biology.”

“You’re not usually so handsy with Darcy,” Tony observed. Of course he’d picked up on it. “You sure there’s no lingering side effects?”

Bruce looked at his hand like he was just noticing it for the first time. “No more than with any other omega I’ve recently knotted.”

“Huh,” was Tony’s pensive response.

“So then why am I still in heat? Why can’t I just be knotted and then be done?” She tried her best not to sound petulant about it, but it really sucked. They were both fine. And sure she was fine

now

, but it wouldn’t take long before she’d be desperate for some alpha cock again. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t all

oh, I’ll do anything to make you happy

.”

“That’s a natural side effect,” Bruce soothed, his hand moving over her shoulder. “You want to appease us, we want to protect you.”

She leaned into his touch. “I know. I still don’t have to like it.”

“That is a good question, though.” Tony pointed at her. “This isn’t an accident. Someone designed it, and it seems to last longer for omegas than for the rest of us. But who would do that?”

“Well…” Bruce scrubbed his hands through his hair. “There are a lot of alphas in this building. Was Happy brought here by scent?”

“No. The lab went on lockdown, so he came to make to make sure Tony was okay.” Darcy wanted nothing more than to snuggle down in her nest - preferably with Bruce. His scent helped her jumbled hormones, and she wanted to roll around in it. Instead she settled on the edge of the desk, folding her arms in front of her.

“It’s limited to just our labs, then. Right?” Bruce looked from her to the screen.

Tony tapped at a computer on his side, frowning as his eyes ran down it. “Yes. The hall is uncontaminated, so just us.”

“Okay, but I was already feeling all…” Darcy made a face. “Hormonal when I got up this morning. Frisky, as it were.”

“Is that why you were scent-blank when you came down here?” Tony asked.

“It could be a coincidence. Your hormones normally fluctuate from time to time.” Bruce spoke like he was speaking from firsthand knowledge.

“Really? Sorry.” He had to have picked up her scent when they were amped up before. That wasn’t fair.

“Darcy.” Bruce stepped in front of her, his hand sweeping down the back of her arm. “You don’t need to apologize.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to apologize for that, so she kept her mouth shut. Instead she took a breath before saying, “Yes, that’s why I was scent-blank. Or I tried to be.” Obviously that hadn’t worked out.

“I need to…” Tony had turned his attention to the screen again. “Our labs are managed separately from the rest of the building, so I’m trying to see who else would’ve had access to be able to slip something into the ventilation.”

“My room’s not, right?” Darcy was fairly sure she knew the answer, but she needed to ask anyway.

“You are not. And if this was more widespread than just you and just here, I’m sure we would’ve heard about it by now.”

The door into Bruce’s lab opened a little extra forcefully. Darcy couldn’t see it on the screen, but she could still hear it. And she heard Tony’s quiet, “Shit.”

Bruce put himself between her and the screen like that would do something. He looked back at her, a sheepish expression on his face. “Sorry. It’s…”

“Biology?” she answered. Yeah. Kind of a little tired of biology just at the moment.

“Where is she?” Steve asked in a low voice.

Steve? He had to be looking for her, right? Her heart gave a lurch, an answering tingle of awareness spreading along her center. Steve was definitely an alpha. Steve was definitely an alpha who was responding to

her

.

He came into view on the side of the screen, shoulders drawn up and chest out. It was the dominance posture, making himself larger to encourage cooperation from Tony. A soft noise slipped out, and Darcy clapped her hand over her mouth like that would help.

“Why do you smell like Darcy, and omega, and sex?” Steve advanced slowly on where Tony stood.

Tony turned toward him. He made sure to keep his posture neutral, his eyes somewhere around Steve’s chest. “That’s a bit of a story. Why are you looking for her here?”

“I picked up a scent,” Steve said. “Her scent. And I thought it would be better to come find her than to challenge Happy for her.”

Happy? Darcy’s eyes went wide. She exchanged a look with Bruce.

“Oh, that’s a problem,” Bruce said softly.

“Well, she’s not here.” Tony gestured around the lab. He didn’t look at the screen. Was he leaving it up to her?

“Where is she?” Steve got close to Tony, putting himself in Tony’s personal space. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“Steve.” The word left Darcy’s mouth before she had a chance to think about it. An alpha was agitated. Her body hadn’t quite caught up to his level of desire, but she still wanted to make it better.

His eyes whipped toward the monitor. She moved to the side so he’d be able to see her over Bruce’s shoulder. Without another word, he turned and made for the exit.

“And now I need to get out of here,” Bruce said, already moving for the door.

“Shit. Sorry.” Yeah. Two alphas, one omega in heat… Maybe that hadn’t been the best move.

“No, it’s fine. You just… You just stay here.” Bruce gave her a slightly pained look over his shoulder as he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

The growl carrying clearly through the open door sent a shiver of desire down Darcy’s spine. That loose, far off feeling of need was quickly focusing into something a lot more immediate. She jumped when she heard what sounded suspiciously like a body being slammed into the wall.

“You don’t want to do that,” Bruce said, a tiny hint of strain underlying the calmness in his voice.

Oh shit. Bruce had to smell like her. Steve saw him as a rival, even without her being in the room. If Steve pushed, Bruce would Hulk out…

Problem

seemed like an understatement for the whole situation.

She moved to the door and stuck her head outside. Steve had Bruce up against the wall by his throat, the shorter scientist’s feet dangling off the ground. “Steve!” she called.

Two pairs of eyes whipped toward her. Bruce’s were resigned, almost sad in a way. Steve’s had gone almost black, filled with intensity. “Steve, put him down.” When Steve didn’t immediately put Bruce down, she licked her lips. The whole situation felt precarious, like a house of cards that could come toppling down at any second. “Steve, I need you.” Not quite, not yet, but seeing him there, his scent… she was quickly catching up.

That did it. Steve let Bruce slide to the floor. He stalked toward Darcy, following as she backed into Tony’s lab. Tony and Bruce were talking, but she couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. Not when Steve was looking at her like that.

And he looked… He had on one of his button-up shirts with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She couldn’t help but stare.

Steve’s long legs quickly crossed the floor until he stood in front of her. He tilted his head back, made a show of scenting the air. “Why do you smell like other alphas, Darcy?” There was a low note of warning in his voice.

“I don’t…” She trailed off and shook her head, unable to come up with something to say. This was also a not-fun part of heat, the not thinking clearly.

He stepped into her. His hand came up, fingers pushing through her hair until he cradled the back of her skull. “Why do you smell like other alphas?” His fingers closed, gripping her hair and pulling her head back to expose the line of her throat.

“Steve,” was all that came out. She reached for him, grabbing for his shoulders as his mouth fastened over where her pulse beat madly under her jaw. The desire starting to pull tight inside her was both eased and intensified by his touch.

He sucked hard, doubtless drawing up a bruise against her pale skin. Pleasure swept through her, sharp and intense, turning her knees to jelly. His arm swept around behind her, holding her up as she sagged into him.

When he finally pulled away, he waited for her to open her eyes to growl, “The last knot you take will be

mine

, understood?

Mine

.” Steve was usually a pretty easy-going guy, but there was none of that in his heated expression.

The possessiveness normally would’ve made her bail, but all it did was twist her need higher. “Please, alpha,” slipped out, her gaze locked on his.

“Say yes.” His eyes were hard, demanding, hungry.

“Yes,” she breathed. Anything, if it meant he’d give her what she needed.

He released her, only to grab the front of her shirt in his fists. He tore it impatiently, the fabric ripping with a wet sound. Fresh desire flooded through her as the shirt fell to the floor on either side of her, the visible display of strength speaking to the same primal urge that craved his knot. He grabbed her arm and led her to one of the desks - different than the one she and Bruce had used. His eyes swept over her face before he pushed her down over it. “Stay there.”

Her skirt was flipped up over her hips, leggings dragged down. The warmth of his palm caressed her ass before lifting away. The sudden smack echoed through the room. It was hard enough to sting, bringing a rush of warmth to her skin. The heat amplified as it shot through her, intensifying the ache of desire all along her center.

He brought his hand down again and again until she thought she would catch fire - both from the heat blistering across her ass and the need burning bright. Her heat raged full force, craving a knot - his knot. “Alpha, please!”

Steve gripped her hip with one hand, pushing her against the surface of the desk. He carefully lined up the head of his thick cock with her soaked opening, one sharp thrust burying him deep in her pussy.

A long cry slipped out. She grabbed for the desk, anything to hold onto as he drove into her again and again. The edge was a hard line against her hips, but it was hard to focus on anything but the sensation pinging through her. It was like he was trying to break it.

He dropped one hand in front of her. Two fingers found her clit, slipping over it in time with each snap of his hips. His touch was too hard, but there was no getting away - even if she wanted to.

No, she didn’t want to. She wanted him to do exactly what he was doing, holding her in place while he fucked her roughly. His grip was so tight she’d have bruises striping her hips, but as long as he didn’t stop…

Her pleasure coiled in tight. She clamped around him as it broke, the orgasm only winding her desire higher. “Steve-” fell from her lips, a breathless plea.

Steve growled. His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her up against him until her shoulders bumped his chest. She suddenly felt tighter around him, and his next deep stroke bumped over her G-spot. It was too much, too intense, the pleasure almost painful. “Alpha!” She tried to pull against him, but he held her in place.

“Take it,” he demanded in her ear, making her clench around him.

She grabbed his hand, her fingernails biting into his skin. He hissed, only seeming to drive into her harder. She couldn’t keep still, writhing against him as the sound of skin meeting skin filled the room.

The door was open. The door was open, and she didn’t care. She met him stroke for stroke, as much as she could. It wasn’t enough, but every thrust brought her closer to what she needed.

At last he slowed. He drove home one last time, coming to a stop deep inside her. She felt the swell of his knot, and a trickle of alarm broke through the haze of intensity. “I can’t!” It felt impossible, too tight to fit.

“Take it, Darcy.” He held her in place as she pulled against him. His knot felt impossibly large as it rolled through her, making her cry out until at last it settled in place.

Ecstasy swept through her, whiting out her vision. She clutched at him as she floated on sensation. She was dimly aware he was moving, the shift of his knot against her cervix sending fresh surges of pleasure through her.

When she came back to herself, she realized he’d sat in a chair, with her in his lap. His hands stroked over her, soothing and comforting. She let out a sigh as she slumped against him. He was warm, and surprisingly comfortable for all those muscles.

“You okay?” That was his normal voice. He actually sounded a little guilty?

“Yeah,” she let out on a contented sigh. “Yeah, I’m good. That was…”

“I’m…” He cleared his throat. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Darce. The rut makes me a bit possessive. I just came down here to make sure you were okay, see if you needed anything. Then I smelled you in there, and I just...”

“It’s okay. There’s a thing in the air.” She traced over his hand, wincing when she realized she’d scratched him pretty good. She’d even drawn blood. “I had a good time. You brought up a good point, though. I could probably do with a shower.” The wet wipes in Tony’s lab only went so far. Not yet, obviously.

“We may have another problem,” came Tony’s voice from the monitor.

Darcy let her head hang forward so her hair would curtain her face. She really, really needed to stop having sex in front of other people.

Steve’s touch smoothed over her hip, offering her solace. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“We had to put the entire floor on lockdown and, uh, put Happy in quarantine. But the chances of you being the only alpha who picked up Darcy’s scent off him…”

Darcy’s head flew up. “What?”

“It’s not all bad,” Bruce said. “They’ll be a bit restless, but as long as no one comes down to where the air’s been contaminated, it shouldn’t trigger any sort of a rut, even a partial one.”

“I need to get out of here.” If Darcy being in the contaminated lab was a problem, then part of the solution would be to not be there. And then maybe find someone to help her through the rest of her heat. “How can I get out of here?”

“We’ll figure out it, sweetheart.” It felt a bit impossible, but Bruce’s warm tone somehow managed to be reassuring.

Darcy could only nod.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tony told Steve he needed to stay put, or at least stay on the same floor, and he was surprisingly okay with it. He said he’d be an extra pair of hands if he needed, but he was familiar enough with the way Tony and Bruce worked that he didn’t put himself in the way.

Although it brought up a new problem. A

stupid

problem, but still a problem. Darcy was still in heat.

Obviously

. But now there were two alphas around totally willing to lend her a knot when she needed it.

And she was fairly positive Bruce would be all,

no, let Steve do it. I want to keep sciencing

. But she didn’t

know

that, and the idea of choosing between them brought up the worry that someone’s feelings would get hurt. Not just someone. She would be directly responsible for an alpha’s feelings getting hurt, and that was unthinkable in her current hormone-driven state.

“Can’t I just go up to my room?” Darcy was fairly sure she already knew the answer to that one. She was dressed again, for all the good it would do her. Steve had ruined her shirt, so she’d borrowed one from Tony’s stash of spare clothes in the bottom drawer of his desk. Steve had offered his, and it was

super

tempting, but she’d already fucked too many alphas that morning to think that literally wrapping herself in one of their scents was a good idea.

And that was going to take some time to process. Just not yet.

But in addition to a shower, her room also had her bed.

Her

bed, where everything had her scent on it instead of some weird cocktail of half the tower’s population. Okay, maybe not, but it kind of felt like it.

And food. She’d been getting hungry before Steve had shown up, but now her stomach was starting to ache. Heat burned through a lot of calories, and she’d had nothing to eat since that morning.

“Even if we could get you up there, sweetheart, it’s not a good idea.” The look on Bruce’s face was pure commiseration. “You share ventilation with most of the rest of the building. It’s much easier to put a floor on lockdown than a single room.”

“Okay, but I’m gonna need food and somewhere, um…” She took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Bruce’s brown eyes through the monitor. “Somewhere to nest that doesn’t smell like some weird combination of you all and

not

enough like me.”

Steve’s hand settled between her shoulders, and she fought the urge to lean into him with Bruce looking back at her. “Why don’t you have a shower down here, anyway?” he asked Tony.

“

Someone

thought it was a good excuse to get me out of the lab.” Tony cut Darcy a pointed look.

“Don’t blame me. I’m not the one who designed this place!” It was way easier to talk to Tony. There were no weird obligations or hormonally-driven compunctions anymore, just as long as she didn’t think about the fact that she’d taken

his

knot not too long ago…

“Maybe. But we’re on lockdown, which means staying put. I know it’s not really ideal, but I think this is the best way to handle this for now.” Tony shook his head. “Sorry, honey.”

Disappointment settled over Darcy’s nerves like a dull fog. “Okay, but I’m

hungry

. Do we really have enough food to power me through a heat? And, like…” She pressed her lips together. “Whoever needs to, um, keep up with me?” She kept her eyes hard on Tony’s, though it was tempting to glance at the two alphas.

“That’s a good point.” Tony’s gaze cut past her, moving to Steve. “I know how much you eat when you’re not on a week-long sex bender.” His face pulled into an exaggerated grimace.

Darcy willed herself to just disappear. Everything would be so much easier.

Bruce took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Darcy needs to get out of here. We all do. This…” He motioned to his computer with the arm of his glasses. “This isn’t dissipating. It could be that after some unspecified time, we’re susceptible to it again and we’re back at the beginning.”

“Or whoever piped it in here in the first place funneled more back in.” Tony was frustrated that someone was fucking with his tower and he hadn’t figured it out yet; his entire posture was stiff like he wanted to go pick a fight with someone. “No, that’s a good point. Huh.” He stroked his goatee.

“Hey.” Steve’s low tone pulled Darcy’s attention to him. “You okay?”

“I don’t…” Darcy wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. “Nothing about this is okay.”

“I know.” His fingers curled around her shoulder, pulling her into him. The warmth of his body, the scent rising up from his soft shirt were soothing, but the effect was somewhat dampened by the guilt that surged through her when she caught sight of Bruce.

She was torn. Did she pull away? Did she stay there?

“I’ve got it.” Tony snapped his fingers. “We go up.”

“Up,” Steve repeated in disbelief.

“Up. I’ll fly us all up the penthouse and put it on lockdown.” Tony gestured to the side of the room, somewhere offscreen. “Take the service exit.”

“Where’s Happy?” Darcy told herself she didn’t care, she just wanted to make sure there weren’t

three

alphas up there to worry about.

“Saferoom near security,” Tony tossed out casually. “He’s fine.”

“That could work.” Bruce folded his arms. “Who’s going up first?” His eyes flicked between Tony and Darcy.

“You. Then Steve.” Tony gestured to where Steve was still snuggled into her side. She hadn’t managed to pull away from him yet. “Then Darcy. We still carry her scent and some of whatever this shit is, but then I can bring her up there and throw it on lockdown before she has a chance to attract anyone.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that could work.” Bruce focused on her, that resignation back on his face. “You okay with that?”

She nodded, probably a bit too much. There was food up there. There was a shower. There was a bed, only- “Can we have some of my stuff brought up there first? Please?” The bed would smell like Tony. “Sorry, I just-”

“It’s fine.” Steve’s hand rubbed over her arm.

She looked from him to Bruce before pulling away. This was so awkward.

“Darcy,” Bruce said quietly, and she had to look up at him. “Unless you specifically want my help, I’ll be busy trying to figure this out. Steve will probably be better suited to get you through your heat. At least…” His lips twitched into a small smile. “At least for now?” There was the hint of a question there.

“Whatever you need.” Steve’s hand settled in the small of her back.

She nodded, but despite what Bruce said, it was still felt awkward.

Tony had taken out his phone and swiped at it before holding it up to his ear. “Yeah. What are you doing?” Before whoever he was talking to could possibly have a chance to answer, he continued, “Not important. You know what omegas like to nest in, right? Get some of Darcy’s shit and take it up to my place.” A rueful smile twisted his lips. “Not relevant. This has to get done. Yeah, right now.” He ended the call and set his phone back in his pocket. “There. You gonna keep for a few minutes, or do you want to take the edge off now while we have a couple minutes?” He raised an eyebrow and motioned between her and Steve.

Darcy closed her eyes for a long moment. It was tempting to snap she was fine, but she kinda wasn’t, and it was a reasonable question. “I’ll keep.” She could feel it, the pull of desire simmering under the surface, but she thought she’d keep for a bit. Maybe even through a shower. Definitely through food.

Tony’s phone rang maybe twenty minutes later. Darcy tried to focus on helping Bruce sort through numbers and data, but it was probably the longest twenty minutes ever. Tony answered the phone and said a couple words to whoever was on the other end before saying, “Let’s get going.” He tapped his watch, and the suit began unfolding over his body. Red and gold flashed in the overhead lights, enveloping him in only a few seconds. “Bruce?”

“Yeah.” Bruce tapped at his screen a couple times. “You sure you’re okay?” He focused on Darcy.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Get going. I’m starving.”

Tony and Bruce left the screen, the footsteps of the suit loud against the floor. The other alpha walking back into the lab made Darcy move away from Steve, putting a few feet between them. Yeah, this promised to be super fun.

The metal doors at the side of the room opened wide like a pair of jaws getting ready to take a deep bite… No, Darcy needed to

not

think of that. Instead she focused on the screen, more seeing through it than actually focusing on it. Food. She was getting food soon.

Tony came back in just a couple moments to get Steve, and zipped off again, out through the open door. He came back almost right away, landing softly on the floor with quiet mechanical noises. Darcy turned toward him and stopped.

That wasn’t Tony.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Darcy said, staring up into Sam’s eyes.

Sam was

not

supposed to be there. He’d been away for a couple of days and wasn’t expected back until tomorrow, but no, he was definitely standing there with his goggles and wings on.

He tilted his head back to scent the air. “Are you in heat?”

Darcy folded her arms before letting her hands fall to her sides, unsure of what to do with them. “Do you usually come in through the service entrance?”

Tony touched down on the concrete floor, his eyes focusing on Sam. “Well. This is a complication.”

Sam ignored him, instead striding toward Darcy. His gloves were cool as his fingers trailed back along her cheek, slipping into her hair until he cradled the back of her skull. His eyes were already starting to grow dark. “Are you in heat?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she whispered, unable to take her eyes from his.

“It’s been a bit of a day.” Tony started toward them, but Sam’s low, warning growl stopped him. “We’re trying to get Darcy up to my place because there’s been a little lab incident.”

“Your place?” Sam looked at Tony then, but it was just a glance before his eyes returned to Darcy. “Why?”

“So we can put it on lockdown. Like the labs.” That was a little pointed.

“Sam didn’t know,” Darcy said quickly when irritation flashed across Sam’s face. “He hasn’t been here.” Would she normally have jumped in to defend him so quickly? It was getting so hard to tell.

“Okay. Why don’t you take your omega up to my place, then?” Tony headed for the service entrance. “By the way, Bruce and Steve are there,” he tossed over his shoulder before the repulsors fired up and carried him outside.

Another low growl slipped out, threatening to make Darcy’s knees a little wobbly. “It’s fine,” she hurried to reassure him. “They’re not-”

“You smell like them.” It wasn’t

quite

an accusation.

“I know.” She stepped into him, resting her hands against his chest. “There’s a shower up there. They don’t want me right now. Only you.”

Questions flashed behind his eyes, but he seemed to take her word for it, at least for now. He wasn’t in full rut, not yet, so he was still at least a little reasonable.

“Why don’t we go up there, and I’ll grab a quick shower and you can wait for me.” In the bedroom. Away from the other alphas.

“Hold on tight.” His arms slipped around her, and in just a second they were airborne. It was cold, the air rushing past her bare arms at high speed, but then it was over. Sam touched down on the deck outside Tony’s penthouse.

Only Tony was in view, which was probably a good call. He stood just inside, the suit gone and his hands clasped loosely behind his back.

Darcy headed for the open glass door, and Sam’s hand found her hip. “Hey,” she greeted Tony.

“Right this way. You know, normally if there’s going to be fucking going on in my bed, I like to be involved. I think I’ll let it go today.” He led them through the large apartment.

Sam’s fingers tightened on Darcy’s hip, but he didn’t say anything. “I’m gonna grab a quick shower,” she hurried to say.

“Right.” Tony pushed through a gold-handled door into a large bedroom. “Park it here, Sam. Darcy will be back in a flash, smelling like… Well, probably not roses, but also not other alphas anymore.”

Sam looked like he might argue, and probably would have if he’d been completely lost to the hormones. Instead he just started to loosen the harness for his wings.

“And you…” Tony gestured to an adjoining door. “Right through here.”

Darcy made her pace a fast walk. It had taken both Tony and Bruce some time before they’d been lost to whatever it was that was making them all crazy, but she wasn’t sure how long she had.

Tony followed, closing the door behind them. “I’ll bring you a smoothie. I know it’s not exactly food, but it’s better than nothing. Then make one of them get you something to eat.” He made an encompassing gesture.

Darcy sighed. “Thank you. I’m sorry, Tony, this isn’t-”

“I know.” He glanced at the door before stepping into her and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I don’t think this is really how any of us were planning to spend the day.”

The shower helped. The smoothie helped even more. Darcy was a little surprised that she got through her shower uninterrupted, but the door leading into the bedroom opened as soon as the water shut off.

The metal rings slid loudly across the curtain rod when she pulled the shower curtain back. Sam stood in the doorway, his expression serious and his eyes intense. She could only stare back at him, the curtain partially held in front of her. What had been a low-simmering warmth blossomed into something very close to the now-familiar need.

“Get dried off and get in here.” A trace of Sam’s usual easygoing nature was still there, but his voice was lower, rougher, deadly serious.

His eyes bored into her while she toweled off, practically a physical weight. It was impossible not to feel a little self-conscious.

As soon as she slung the towel over the curtain rod, he strode across the room. One hand came out, and she took it and let him help her out of the tub. He didn’t say anything, just led her through to the bedroom.

A pile of Darcy’s stuff sat against one of the walls. Just seeing it there made her feel a little better, but she wasn’t ready to nest. Not

yet

, not while Sam was looking at her like that. She hesitated in the middle of the floor, looking for some direction. Did he want her on the bed? Did he

not

want her on the bed?

He slipped behind her, keeping ahold of her hand. “You’re not quite there yet, are you?” He brought her hand up so nip lightly at the pulse point at the side of her wrist.

She sucked in a gasp, her eyes falling closed. “Not yet. But soon, if you keep doing that.”

“No rush, babe. That just means we get some time.” His lips fell to her shoulder. Warm fingers pulled her hair out of the way, and his mouth made a hot path to the back of her neck.

Warmth tingled through her body. He was right - it was nice to be able to kiss and touch without the overwhelming drive for his knot. But she knew it wouldn’t last. Soon enough, that would be all she could think of. She could feel it, the pressure of need rising at the base of her spine.

His fingers strummed over her taut nipples until she arched into him. Her hand drifted up behind the back of his neck, her nails raking across his skin. He’d lost his shirt, though his pants were still a barrier between them.

The ridge of his cock pressed against her ass. It felt hard enough that it had to ache, but Sam just toyed with her nipples and nipped at her neck until her desire rose to match his own.

The soft noises slipping from her lips grew desperate as she ground against him. The heat raged through her, turning her body molten with need.

It was only then that his hand dropped between her legs. His fingers slid easily through her slick heat until they pressed into her. “You ready, babe?” The low growl of desire sent a shiver through her.

“Oh, please,” was what came out. As soon as he let her go, Darcy moved forward to get up on the bed.

“Stay right there.” The zip at the front of his pants was audible. His hand settled on her hip, holding her steady as the thick head of his cock nudged her eager pussy.

She dropped to her elbows, letting her forehead rest on one of her arms. A low moan slipped out as he pressed just inside, but he eased back before he thrust all the way in. He did it again and again, a slow tease that threatened to drive her insane. She tried to move into him, but his grip on her hips kept her in place.

“Alpha.” Her throaty invitation made his fingers bite in against her flesh. “Alpha, please. I need-” The words cut off, rising into a loud cry as he drove into her. Flesh smacked against flesh as he pumped into her again and again. He fucked her hard, and she moved back to meet him stroke for stroke.

His fingers dropped to roll over her clit. Pleasure sparked through her, but not enough, never enough. She came, clenching around him, her body crying for more.

The world was a haze of desperate sensation. She moved against him, her body urging him to the inevitable release that would bring them peace. Just a little more, always a little more.

Finally Sam started to slow. He drove into her one last time before his knot rolled up through the velvet heat of her pussy. It locked in place, ecstasy rolling through her as he shifted back and forth.

She shook through her orgasm, falling to the bed. Sam followed, cradling himself around her. The atmosphere in the room seemed a little lighter as they both caught their breath.

He nuzzled into the hollow behind her ear. “You smell good.”

Not like other alphas. Her huff of amusement cut off in a gasp as his knot shifted inside her. Aftershocks of pleasure pinged through her, and it took a second before she could talk again. “I think I’m going to have a lot of showers here in the near future.”

He stiffened for a moment. “You said Bruce and Steve are here?”

“Yeah. It’s…” She let out a long sigh. “It’s a thing. There was a thing. We were on lockdown for it when you came in, and now you’ll be stuck here too, or at least until they figure it out.” Guilt swept through her, but she tried to ignore it. She tilted her head to the side so she could look at him in out of the corner of her eye. “How often do you use the service entrance?”

“Not usually, but I need an adjustment to my gear. Figured it would just save time.” He paused. “You okay?”

Still kind of not. Now there were three alphas in Tony’s penthouse, and only one of them was going to be otherwise occupied. “Hungry.” Darcy let out a little laugh. “As soon as we’re, um, done here… I need food.” And a nap. Definitely a nap.

“Yeah, I know that feeling.” His lips brushed over her shoulder, his fingers skimming along her arm.

She was hungry and tired, but in a soft bed with a pile of her stuff just over there, for the first time it didn’t seem entirely hopeless.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Darcy had a comfortable pair of leggings and her favorite hoodie waiting for her. She really needed to thank whoever had brought her stuff up. Tony knew, maybe he’d tell her.

Sam’s hand brushed over her back as they headed for the door. “You okay?”

“Yeah. For now. Kind of…” She glanced at him and shook her head. “Kind of not looking forward to next time.” There would be a next time. She could already feel it, simmering under the surface. She’d be able to get something to eat, maybe some sleep, but then…

“Hey.” Sam stopped, his fingers curling reassuringly around her upper arm. “We’ll take care of you.”

“I know you will, that’s not even the question. It’s just that…” She motioned to the door with her head. “It’s that there’s a

we

. And the idea of actually

picking

is giving me some anxiety. I know how I felt earlier when it felt like Bruce was rejecting me, and the idea of doing that to an alpha right now…” She wrapped her arms around her middle. “Fucking hormones, Sam. If you’re reacting like they did, you’re all set. I’m still not.”

“We got this. It’ll be okay, I promise.” His warm smile did make her feel a tiny bit better.

“Okay.” She wasn’t entirely convinced, but she wanted to avoid dwelling on it, if at all possible.

Sam reached past her to pull the door open, and she preceded him down the hall. The mingled scents of bacon and coffee made her mouth water, and she picked up her pace. Food. The smoothie was fine and all, but she needed actual food.

Tony stood in front of the stove, a pair of tongs in his hand. He was the source of the bacon, or rather, the pan in front of him. “There she is.” He dished up some food on a plate and pushed it at her, as well as a steaming cup of coffee. “Eat. There’s more if you need it.”

“What, you’re not going to get some for me?” Sam asked as Darcy carried her food to the island counter.

Tony went to sit beside where Bruce had two laptops open in front of him at the far end of the counter. “Not even a little. You’re done. Darcy, though…” His face pulled into an exaggerated grimace.

“Yeah. Thanks for the reminder.” Not that she needed it. There were peppers and onions cut up in the scrambled eggs, but Darcy was hardly able to appreciate them as she started shoveling food into her mouth. She was so hungry. Everyone else must’ve already eaten, because the only ones with plates were her and Sam, who took the seat across from her, next to Steve.

“Good news, though,” Tony added. He took a long drink from his own coffee cup. “We’ve figured it out.”

That was enough to distract from the food. She even set her fork down as she looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah. An ‘anonymous friend’ brought something in this morning.” The air quotes were implied. “A sample from something not exactly what we would call terrestrial.”

“That’s why you were in the lab when I got there.” He would absolutely put in extra lab time for alien shit. Darcy took another bite of food.

“That’s right.” Tony rubbed his hand over his goatee. “I had something else in there, completely unrelated, and there was some sort of chemical reaction between the two.”

Bruce took his glasses off, resting his hand on the granite as he looked at her. “That’s why it came back after it dissipated. It’ll go away completely if we can remove either one of the substances from the lab, and the remaining pheromone in the air will quickly be filtered out by the ventilation system.”

“What about me?” There definitely wasn’t any of whatever substance they were talking about in her room… was there?

“Coincidence.” Tony shook his head. “Just a rough day for you, and the pheromone amped it up to a hundred.”

“Just my fucking luck.” She sighed. “So one of you goes down there and gets it out?” Someone, probably Tony. Considering not only could he fly, but his suit would filter out the crap and could be sterilized easily.

“No,” Steve said seriously. “Not a good idea. We’re on lockdown. I’m not the only one who caught your scent out there, Darcy. We take this floor off lockdown, someone’s gonna come up here to see when we come back and try to slip in.”

“Can’t you just not let them in?” She was fairly sure Steve would win an arm wrestle against probably ninety-five percent of the tower.

“Right. They’d get up here, and you’d be all,

don’t make them go away. Let me help them.

” Tony raised his voice to a falsetto and batted his eyelashes.

It wasn’t exactly like he was wrong. Darcy pointedly did

not

look at Bruce. “Right. So then what?”

“Well… Someone else is going to have to go in there. And whoever it is, is going to get a huge dose of the pheromone along with your scent. Which means…” Tony gestured to her as he trailed off.

Darcy held her mug up in front of her like she could hide behind the steam. Someone else. She was going to have to do this with someone else. Part of her was all for it. Maybe it was like Bruce said, canvas a bunch of different mates to get the strongest possible offspring. But most of her was cringing on the inside - okay, and a little on the outside - about adding someone

else

to the list of people she’d bumped body parts with in one day.

Or taken their knots. That thought sent a twinge of heat curling through her. “Who?”

“Someone you know,” Tony started.

“Yeah.” Obviously.

“Someone you trust.”

“Right.”

“Someone - Thor. It’s Thor.”

That made sense. If it wasn’t terrestrial, maybe he’d even be familiar. She did know him and trust him, and he’d certainly sparked a few fantasies about bending over in front of him… Darcy cleared her throat, straightening in her seat.

“Unless you have someone else in mind.” Tony inclined his head lifting one eyebrow. “Seeing as you’re the one who’s going to have to

handle

the fallout, it’s entirely up to you.”

“No.” She took a drink, her eyes hard on the swirling brown liquid. “Thor’s good.”

“So you finish with that.” Tony motioned to her plate. “Maybe build a nest, take a nap. And when you wake up, we’ll get everything straightened out.”

“Right.” Another shower probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, at least a quick one. That brought a stab of guilt as she looked up at Sam.

“It’s okay, babe,” he said, his expression warm. “I told you, we got this.”

“Yeah.” She finished eating as quickly as she could and went back to Tony’s room. This seemed like a much better place for a nest. It smelled a lot like her, anyway.

And Sam. It did also smell like Sam. “Fuck,” she muttered as she gathered up her pile of stuff. Thor would notice, obviously. Would he care?

Presumably this sort of thing wasn’t generally a concern during heat, because one omega would spend it with one alpha. Two, rarely, if the alphas were super close or something. Not… She shook her head. Counting wouldn’t help her feel better.

Instead, she devoted her time to making a nest. It looked better than the one in Tony’s lab. Felt better too, probably because there was more of her stuff involved in the actual making. She climbed in, burrowing into the soft pillows. Her mind kept going around and around, to the point that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep.

The next thing Darcy knew, she was sitting up and opening her eyes. She wasn’t entirely sure she’d slept, but she had to have. Right? Time has passed, enough that her heat was raging full force, her body a crampy, achy ball of need. She was a little surprised that Thor hadn’t woken her up.

Thor. With his shoulders and his deep voice… Big hands that could wrap around her thighs… A soft whimper slipped out.

There was a light knock on the door, and Tony pushed in without giving her a chance to answer. “Hey. Just sit tight. Thor’s on his way.” He lounged against the door frame, arms folded. “You sleep?”

“I think so.” She paused, looking up at him. “You watching me sleep?”

“Monitoring your vitals,” he countered quickly. “We want you to be the least uncomfortable as we can get.”

“Right.” She shook her head. “How is he?”

“Fine when I talked to him. Of course, you’ll get to see for yourself in just a couple of minutes.” His eyes dropped over her. “Just… Stay here. Just a few minutes, honey.”

“Of course.” Logically, she knew that was the best decision. Not just for her current situation, but for everyone. Thor would turn up probably close to full rut. There were a bunch of alphas out there, but all of them were fine. If she went to one of them, it would probably cause actual physical fights.

But still, she knew exactly what her body craved. And she knew that just beyond that door was someone who could help her out. Several someones.

She latched onto that thought as Tony left. He left the door open, no doubt so that Thor would be more intent on her scent than the collection of alphas already up there with her. There were a collection, and she’d have to pick someone, which could potentially hurt or disappoint the others. It was stupid, but it worked. At least until she heard the glass door sliding open.

She slid off the bed and headed out there. What had probably only been minutes felt like an eternity. If Thor wasn’t out there, well, whoever else had opened the door could help, because the cramps were radiating through her entire lower body - and yet somehow didn’t hamper the desire raging through her.

Thor was in mid-sentence, even the sound of his low voice pulling at her. He cut off whatever he was saying to Tony, nostrils flaring as he turned to her. The intensity in his eyes took her breath away.

Tony followed his gaze. “You kids have fun.” He walked away, probably headed to wherever the others were hanging out so they wouldn’t register as immediate threats.

“Thor…” Darcy felt like she needed to say something, but she couldn’t come up with anything coherent.

He strode toward her, cape billowing impressively behind him. He must’ve flown up from the lab. He bent in front of her, lifting her easily off the ground into his arms. It was precarious for about half a second, before she was cradled against the front of his body. The armor wasn’t exactly comfortable, but that was a distant observation at best.

He seemed to know right where to go, carrying her directly to Tony’s bedroom. He honest-to-god tossed her onto the bed, where she bounced once. Eyes fixed on her, he started to pull off his armor.

Darcy could only stare wide-eyed as he peeled everything off. She’d seen him shirtless before, of course. Thor wasn’t what one would call overly modest, and they’d lived in close quarters for a while. And yeah, shirtless Thor was practically a gift at the best of times, but now it seemed entirely

more

.

She started to pull her own clothes off, but was stopped when he said, “Hold. Allow me the pleasure of baring your sweet body.”

As if she could say no to that - even without the compulsion to do what he said. He stripped down to the leather pants, then stood looking at her. One hand raked through his hair, pushing it back from his face. “Do you ache for me, little one?”

She nodded. She couldn’t be the only one. She could see the hard ridge at the front of his pants, practically beckoning to her. “I need-”

“Hush,” he soothed, his low voice somehow both comforting and stirring at the same time. “I will tend you.” He neared the bed, leaning over her until she was pressed onto her back.

She reached up to touch him, fingers sliding up over his shoulders to clasp behind his neck. He smelled amazing, like a summer storm in the desert, and the first touch of his skin started to ease the cramps.

“Already you respond to me?” he murmured. “Such a lovely omega. Will you open for me?” His fingers tickle up under the hem of her hoodie, grazing along her waist.

“Please.” Her legs fell apart like he’d pushed them. This whole thing was going entirely too slowly. She wasn’t sure how he had that much control, when she felt like she could barely be contained in her skin.

He lifted up enough to pull her shirt off, dropping it behind him on the floor. He settled half over her, his cock pressing into her hip. His lips moved along her throat until she tilted her head back, and they fastened over her pulse point. One hand pushed down into the front of her pants, seeking the throb of need between her legs, the other capturing her wrists and pressing them to the bed over her head.

Thor circled briefly over her swollen clit before slipping down further. His fingers slid inside the slick heat of her pussy, only up to the first knuckle.

She lifted her hips to meet him, but it wasn’t enough. The pleasure spiraling through her from his mouth seemed to connect to where his fingers pushed slowly in and out. The warm press of his body, the rhythmic push-pull of his digits… She could only buck her hips up to meet him, her fingernails digging into her palms. “Please, alpha.”

“Not yet, little one.” His bead tickled along her flesh as he spoke. “I’ve waited too long for this.”

Her protest died in her throat as he suddenly drove into her. His fingers fluttered and stroked, seeking until a cry fell from her as he found her G-spot. A satisfied noise rumbled up from the depths of his chest, vibrating through her.

The edge of his teeth over her pulse point had her squeezing her eyes tight, her hips moving shamelessly into him. It was all too much, and in no time she was clenching around him as she shook with an orgasm.

It still wasn’t enough. “Alpha, I need you,” she panted, her voice high and breathless.

He withdrew and pulled back, flipping her over before she could really even process it. Her sweats were tugged off, the bed shifting as he knelt between her legs. “Look at me,” he said firmly.

She turned to look over her shoulder, through the tangles of hair that had fallen over her face. He’d slid the pants down over his hips. He was like a fucking work of art, carved out of marble or something. He took his cock in hand, stroking it slowly from root to tip. A soft noise slipped free, her tongue swiping over her lower lip.

“Ah,” came out as almost a contented purr. He lowered himself over her, guiding his cock to line up with her slick pussy. One sharp thrust seated him fully inside.

Darcy grabbed at the blankets, the sudden stretch almost too much to bear. Almost too much, and yet as he drove in and out, she needed more. She tilted her hips back to meet him as much as she could.

It was maddening. Each thrust bumped over her G-spot, pulling her pleasure higher, but it didn’t matter how high he took her, how much the warm haze of release rolled over her, all it did was ratchet her need ever higher. His hair brushed over her shoulders, his breath warm across the back of her neck before his teeth clamped over the juncture where her neck met her shoulder.

That was almost it, so close she could practically taste it. She writhed under him, urging him on. At last he slowed, and she felt the swell of his not at the entrance to her pussy.

Ecstasy flashed white hot as his knot settled into place, the world falling away. There was nothing but the press of his body, the soft blanket under her, and endless, sweeping pleasure.

He rolled them onto their sides, his hand splayed over the soft curve of her belly. “Are you with me?” he murmured, his nose nudging against the curve of her ear.

“Yeah,” came out on a contented sigh. “Yeah, I’m here.” She patted at his arm. “Did you take care of the thing?”

“Aye. Life should return to what it was before too long.” His lips brushed over her shoulder.

“Yeah. Except…” She gestured to herself. “I’ve never had a heat before. I don’t know how long this’ll last. Good news, though. You should be good.” It was hard to keep the bitterness from her voice.

Thor was silent for a moment. “Darcy,” he said slowly. “It would honor me if you’d allow me to see you through the rest of your heat.”

“Really?” She twisted her head back to look at him. “Like, I know you’re good now. And you probably have other shit going on.”

He propped his elbow on the bed, head on his hand so it was easier for her to see him. “Would it surprise you to learn I have dreamed of this?” He sounded so serious, with just a touch of worry, like he was actually worried at how she’d take that.

“Seriously?”

“Aye. I’ve yearned for you, for this, but I dared not tell you because I knew this wasn’t what you wanted. I would share this time with you, if you’d allow. I understand if you choose to continue with the suppressants after this, and I will forever cherish this time.”

“Well, fuck. Who am I to say no?” She couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds pretty awesome.” And like a really good solution to the whole multiple alphas thing. “Hey, did you bring my stuff up?”

“I did indeed.” He smiled in return, leaning forward to kiss her. But the angle wasn’t great, so they both laid back down, snuggling together. Darcy twined her fingers in his, taking comfort in the steady rise and fall of his chest against her with each breath. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to do this again, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d feared.