CHAPTER 8: WHISKEY AND FIRE

The evening air in the glass conservatory was thick with damp stone and the heavy, sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine.

James was holding a small, quiet gathering in the garden pavilion for a few senior pack elders and high-level investors. I had stepped out into the crisp air with a silver tray of refreshments, wanting to make sure everything was in order and keep an eye on how the family associates carried themselves.

As I walked toward the low marble seating area, conversations tapered off. Several heads turned, eyes trailing over my soft silk shirt, unbuttoned collar, and quiet posture.

Ivan, a notorious property tycoon and long-time business associate of James, leaned back into his leather chair, slowly swirling amber liquor in his crystal glass. A lazy, condescending smirk touched his lips.

"Well, look at this, James," Ivan drawled, his gaze sliding over me with mild amusement. "Who's the pretty little Omega? Serving drinks out in your private garden? Is this your new toy while Matthew is out of the picture?"

The temperature in the pavilion plummeted instantly.

Before Ivan could even raise his glass to his mouth, James’s heavy scent of smoked cedar and dark tangerine spiked with violent, suffocating pressure. James set his glass down on the marble table with a sharp, heavy clack that froze everyone in their seats.

"Watch your mouth, Ivan," James said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying rumble that made the ice in the buckets rattle. "Soren is not a toy. He is my partner, and you will address him with respect in my home."

Ivan’s face went pale, the smug look draining out of his eyes as he swallowed hard under the raw weight of James's Prime Alpha aura.

James turned to me, the harsh edge in his silver eyes melting away in an instant. He reached out, taking my wrist gently, and pulled me down to sit beside him on the deep leather sofa—completely surrounding me with his warmth.

"You don't need to serve anyone here, Soren," James murmured close to my ear, his hand settling comfortably over my waist. "Just sit with me."

He picked up a small crystal glass filled with a high-grade, aged whiskey and offered it to me, trying to help me relax after a long, tense day. "Here. Take a sip."

Not wanting to make a scene in front of his guests, I took the glass and drank a generous gulp.

What James didn't know was that I rarely ever touched hard alcohol. The heavy whiskey hit my empty stomach like a hot spark. Within ten minutes, my head was swimming in a sweet, foggy haze. A deep flush spread across my cheeks, and my body began running unnaturally hot.

The sheer exhaustion from the past few days, mixed with the sudden shock of alcohol, completely threw my system off balance—triggering a sudden, unexpected heat cycle right there in the open air.

The sharp, clean scent of rain and ozone began leaking from my scent glands in hot, frantic waves.

James’s head snapped toward me instantly. He caught it before anyone else could—the unmistakable, intoxicating scent of an Omega going into heat.

"Excuse us," James growled toward the table, standing up in a single fluid motion. Before the elders could even register what was happening, James scooped me up into his arms, using his broad frame to block me completely from their sight, and carried me swiftly out of the garden into the quiet hallways of the house.

The Corridor & Master Suite

As we reached the secluded corridor near the master suite, my vision was blurring at the edges, my skin feeling like it was on fire against the cool night draft.

"James..." I whimpered, burying my face straight into the crook of his neck, my fingers desperately clutching the lapels of his suit jacket. "It burns..."

I pressed feverish, disorganized kisses along his jawline, biting softly at his collar, completely overtaken by the sudden spike of fever and whiskey.

James let out a low, ragged groan. He pinned me gently against the wall, his large hands locking around my hips. His veins stood out against his neck, his silver eyes dark with an intense Prime Alpha urge to take what was right in front of him.

"Soren, look at me," James rasped, his voice trembling as he forced himself to pull his face back. Sweat beaded along his temple as he fought against his own deepest instincts. "You're tipsy, and the drink triggered your heat. I am not doing this with you right now."

"I want you!" Hot, frustrated tears spilled down my flushed cheeks as I tried to pull his head back down. "Why are you pushing me away?!"

"Because I want you so badly it's driving me insane!" James snapped softly, his voice raw and unscripted. He cupped both sides of my burning face, his large hands shaking against my skin. "I’ve wanted you from the second you walked into my life! But I am not taking advantage of you when your head is clouded by whiskey and a sudden fever. I want your heart, Soren. I want you to look at me with clear eyes when you give yourself to me—not because a drink forced your hand!"

The words hit me through the heat like a cold splash of water. The fierce, absolute sincerity in his voice shattered every lingering doubt Matthew had ever built in me.

Without saying another word, James lifted me back into his arms and carried me into the master bedroom. He laid me down on the wide bed, pulled the soft duvet over my shoulders, and turned the air cooling system on high.

When he turned around to grab a cool cloth, I reached out from under the blanket and caught his wrist. "Don't go... please stay."

James let out a long, shuddering breath. He kicked off his shoes and slid onto the bed beside me, pulling me over the blanket flush against his warm chest. He wrapped his arms around me tight, resting his chin on top of my head, letting his heavy, grounding cedar scent blanket the room until the worst of my fever shakes began to quiet down.

"I'm right here," James murmured softly into my hair, his lips pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead while his heart pounded heavily against my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Just rest."

Wrapped in the arms of an Alpha who cared enough to protect me even from my own body, my breathing finally evened out, the wild fever settling into a safe, quiet warmth.