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“Oh,” Shelby says when she drifts comfortably out of sleep. There’s another body in her nest with her; her face is tucked against it. She’s cozy, bundled in blankets and cushioned by soft things. “Scott?”
“Hm?”
There’s a hand in her hair. It strokes down to the base of her skull, makes her shiver as it lingers there. She’s being held. She burrows into the body, searching idly for more of Scott’s scent. It’s nice. It’s got this sweetness to it, and sometimes she wants nothing but to drink it in. Scott doesn’t usually stay still enough for that, but he gets more indulgent when she’s like this.
“You stayed,” she mumbles.
“Of course I stayed.”
“I thought you had plans.”
“I told Jukes it’s your heat. I can’t leave you alone during your heat; it’d be rude, for one thing.”
Noooooo I don’t want thaaaaat.
“What? What are you whining at me for? He’s not here.” The body, Scott’s body, laughs, and the vibration of it is so pleasant a purr hiccups out of her.
“I don’t think he likes me,” Shelby mutters, squinting one eye open. Not much to see. Scott’s not wearing a shirt. She wants— She wants. She shifts restlessly.
“He has to like you,” Scott says. The hand on the back of her neck presses harder, leaving Shelby abruptly loose-limbed and gooey inside. She sighs, pleased, and Scott doesn’t judge her for it because he never does. “You’re my little sister. Don’t purr at me like you’re surprised, we’ve talked about this!”
Shelby thinks, distractingly, about Scott’s tits in her mouth. Would it be nice to catch flesh between her teeth, to nuzzle close and suck—? And then she blinks both eyes open properly, catching herself with her lips parted. Damn heatbrain.
Scott says gently, in a way that sends a little shiver of yes-please-pamper-me up Shelby’s spine: “How do you feel?”
Could be comfier…
Scott laughs again, this bright, jagged little noise. “Do you want me to leave you alone for a minute? Let you get comfortable?”
Scott’s in a good mood. Shelby has that thought, and then she’s stretching, wriggling partially free of the blankets and throwing an arm over Scott, who helps her, pulls her in closer and holds her tighter.
“No,” Shelby says, hiding under his chin. Without her permission: Help meeeeeeeee.
Someone’s feeling bold. She’s safe. She’s safe here, hearing the trill of Scott’s familiar subvoice.
“No, no, I don’t mean it like that, I just—” I’m in heat! Be nice to me!
“I don’t even have a dick for you,” Scott says, amused. “You should’ve said something earlier, if you wanted me to fetch an alpha to play with.” It’s just the heat, it’s just the heat, but Shelby twitches at the thought, why do her dang hormones love doing this to her, after Scott called them siblings—
Calm down, baby.
Shelby shudders. Scott’s holding her too tight for her to even adjust position. She doesn’t want an alpha in her nest; she tries to be open-minded but if Scott is so wary of their intentions— It’s hard to think. “I don’t even like. That stuff.”
“You’ve said,” Scott murmurs. Then he hums. Shelby’s legs are tangled up in the blankets; she becomes uncomfortably aware of them now as Scott’s hand tugs away the sheets, leaving lingering, too-light memories of sensation in their wake. And then he’s touching her, cool hand on the inside of her thigh, and she yelps, something like a garbled Slow down! She doesn’t know why she’s wet. No, she knows exactly why she’s wet and she doesn’t want to be.
Scott hums soothingly. “Lift this leg for me? Just for a sec.”
“Why,” Shelby complains, nosing for his scent glands, licking at them. Be nice, please be nice, please be nice.
“You’re acting like I’m going to rip your clothes off. I’m not an alpha, Shelby.” It’s a gentle admonishment, spoken low and with no real bite. Shelby doesn’t really know what to think, because Scott’s letting go of her, reaching behind himself, and shoving a pillow between her thighs. She clamps down on it with a squeak of surprise. Then Scott’s holding her again. “There, that should help a little if you don’t want anything inside.”
Shelby squirms against it. It’s— Well, it could be worse. It’s something to rock against, light pressure and tantalizing friction. It’s not bad. And she gets to stay where she is, nose full of Scott’s scent, warmth unfurling inside her. She groans, feeling stupid and hedonistic, and rubs against the pillow some more. Help meeeeee.
“Let me try something?” Mama can make you feel better.
Shelby freezes. Her body knows that call, or a version of it. Her body wants her to bolt. Her body wants her to melt against Scott so he’ll prove he’ll take good care of her. Before she has time to think through any of that spasm of instinct, Scott guides her onto her back and straddles her.
Help me help me help me, be nice—
“I’ve got you, you’re fine,” Scott purrs, subvoice sweet and reassuring. Mama’s here. Shelby’s hips jerk up, against Scott, and he doesn’t move away. In fact, he’s completely unyielding. He has her pinned and his chest is bare and she can feel him, the softness of his thighs on her.
The chirp tumbles out of her without her permission. That’s nice!
See? Just relax and listen to me and this can be nice for both of us.
He brings his mouth to her neck — no teeth, she whimpers until he stops threatening it, until it’s only a gentle lick, drying spit as another mark of his presence — and grinds down, delicious and intentional. Shelby yelps, her body trying helplessly to follow his lead.
“Scott,” she gasps. “I don’t know if—” He doesn’t try to kiss her, he doesn’t entirely ignore her, he just pauses. “I don’t know. Wait. I don’t—” Please, please…
Scott hums, the sound vibrating right over Shelby’s skin. “You’re the one who was asking me to help. Is it not working?” Be calm. Behave for your mother.
“You’re not my mom,” Shelby murmurs. Are there tears in the corners of her eyes? What’s happening? “This is— People are gonna think this is weird.”
Scott moves again, a deliberate little circle of his hips, and Shelby mewls despite herself, her guts full of heat and blood and thorns. “It’s just me and you right now, Shelby. Why should we care what other people think?” He presses lips to her neck and it’s so gentle Shelby starts shaking and can’t stop. “I told you, I can leave you alone if you want me to. That isn’t what you asked me for. I can smell how wet you are, you know.”
Shelby doesn’t have words. Sue her, she’s fucking— distracted. Scott’s not her mother, not like— Not like that. Not her sibling. Not her— what, her mate? None of those things, but god she wants to come and then sleep and then maybe have something to eat and she doesn’t want to think about this, the weird knot in her chest or the way she’s shivering or how the whole rest of the world is big and looming and not here in this room.
She bucks against him and he stays where he is. Exactly where she wants, in the most heat-licked parts of herself. He stays. In her nest, in her life. He croons, encouraging, while she ruins her underwear, panting and making high-pitched little noises all the while. It would be aggravating how long it takes, would make her yearn to be fucked even though she knows she never likes it as much as her hindbrain says she will, if not for the constant thrum of Scott’s subvocals, the promises that her big sister is right here, is going to look out for her, is keeping her fed and sheltered and satisfied in every way she could possibly need. Shelby’s orgasm arrives as a slow, exhausting shudder, leaves her slick and throbbing inside a memory of warmth, and Scott kisses her cheek as if she really is his pup.
Mama? she calls, once she’s settled into the aftermath.
Scott’s answer is a trill: Knew you could do it. Proud of you.
He moves back from her and she watches him get himself off. She feels dozy and strange, but then, he did push the blankets away. He lies down beside her with a plainly satisfied sigh. Proud of her, he said.
Stay? Shelby tries, and he replies, “Needy.” But it’s just teasing, and anyway, he does stay. All she had to do was ask. It’s that simple. No one outside these four walls knows. No one has any idea.