Palate Cleanser

Amy writhed.

Every inch of her either ached, burned, wept fluids, or a horrid combination of the three. Her head throbbed under the oppression of a high fever. Sweat drenched her fur and quills. Her lower realm contracted painfully every few minutes, sending another spritz of slick to run down her thighs and further soaking the nest she’d constructed on her bed.

Mechanically, her hips jutted forwards and back, mindlessly chasing friction and pressure from the three fingers she had inside her. The penetration was woefully inadequate, and her fingers were long since pruned from the damp. There wasn’t an aspect of her existence at that moment that was right in any sense of the word. She was alone, sick with desire, and boiling alive in her own skin for lack of touch. She pinched her eyes closed, salty tears running down her face along well-trodden tracks.

Amy had been wrong.

She thought she could endure. Amy had weathered her heat unaided several times over the life of her maturity. Each instance had been a single-way, non-stop ticket straight into the deepest reaches of hell and insanity. A harrowing trip to be sure, but one she’d shakingly emerged from a whole person once more.

This time, however, embracing the misery of her heat without a dick in sight was a new beast. It had coiled within her almost playfully the previous evening, disguising the monster it would become. She apologized to Silver for the mess in his backseat, claiming that she’d simply been on the rag, and promised to pay for whatever cleaning was necessary. She apologized and apologized. And Silver reiterated, over and over, that it was fine, really.

Sonic, however, was not fooled and confronted her once they were in the privacy of their apartment. That had required a new lie. No, no, no, she promised, Amy wasn’t on her heat, it was just all the excitement! Yeah…that was the ticket…stress. Sonic said okay with the same sad look as when she’d denied knowing how Shadow knew her.

Then he turned and offered her his back.

Amy trembled.

Sonic, with his back turned, perfectly fine with allowing their messed-up situation to keep going just as it had. Her chest constricted. How disfigured he allowed his life to become to accommodate her. She didn’t even allow him to hug her.

This could not continue.

Amy opened her arms. Her muscles ached and her mind resisted what she was about to do. It had to happen. No matter how much it hurt her, she owed Sonic this and more. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Sonic in a weak hug.

He gasped and jerked to support her sudden weight. “A-amy!” He held his arms away from him awkwardly, still trying to minimize contact with her despite the arms encircling him.

Amy’s flesh screamed in protest. The slight pressure of the hug crushed her nerves, sending wave after wave of searing panic through her entire body. She clenched her teeth and forced herself through the pain. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Amidst all the discomfort, there was a flicker of relief from the control she had over the situation. If she could just feed that flicker…This aversion wasn’t the reality she wanted, so she rejected it.

“I love you.” Amy said into the quills of Sonic’s back. “I-I don’t deserve everything you’ve done for me.”

“I love you, too, Amy. You’re my best friend. I’d do anything for you.” He took a deep breath, and Amy felt his chest expand. “I can feel you shaking, Amy. It’s okay, I promise.” Promise. “You don’t have to force yourself to touch me.”

“I want to.” She insisted. “I want to be able to hug you.”

Slowly his arms descended, covering hers. She shuddered as the added layer intensified the phantom distress. Sensing her rigidity, Sonic started to lift away, but Amy forced herself to hug him harder. “Amy...You’re hurting yourself.”

“I don’t care.” Amy said through clenched teeth. “I want this.” Sonic sighed and they stood in silence for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Amy mumbled.

His head turned to the side, trying to see her. “What?”

“I’m so sorry for everything, Sonic.” Amy could feel his heartbeat against her cheek.

“Amy...” Sonic sighed. “I don’t really know what happened today, but I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“Not just for today.” Amy shook her head, though the action was more like a nuzzle. “For everything.”

“Are you…think about-“ Sonic fumbled for words. “Seeing that fucker drug up memories, did it?”

“…Yes.” She admitted. “But I realized something. Avoiding thinking about what they did, pretending it didn’t happen…that’s just running. Its like I’m stuck. I’m not getting better. And I want to be better, Sonic. Because it’s not just holding me back…it’s holding you back too. And I hate that.”

“Amy, it’s not-“ He started to protest, bless his heart.

“You can tell Silver about me.” Amy interrupted.

“W-what?” He shifted in her arms. She wished he wouldn’t, it was taking so much just to keep a hold on him, but she didn’t protest. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She squeezed as hard as she could, which wasn’t much. “Please stop lying for me, Sonic.”

“A-amy-”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to cause trouble for you anymore and I couldn’t live with myself if I messed up things with Silver for you.” Sonic seemed so happy with Silver. The idea made her feel sick. “So, please, stop lying for me.”

Sonic was silent as he thought. “Okay.” He finally answered. “If you’re sure.”

“I am. I promise I am.” She smiled, but her heart was shuddering. A sudden weight had been removed, but it’d been a blanket as well. She was free, but she was exposed.

“Okay, Amy.”

She started to pull away, and Sonic released her immediately. He turned and his face was a battleground of emotions. Tenderness and excitement, concern and trepidation, fear and shame. Amy gave him a reassuring smile, though her arms still tingled. She embraced the feeling though. Growing pains.

“So,” Sonic rubbed the back of his neck, “I was gonna spend tonight with Silver, actually…but that kinda fell through. So, like, Amy, would you be okay if I spent tomorrow night with him?”

“Of course it’s fine. You don’t have to ask me.” The throbbing heat was growing in her abdomen. An empty apartment would be a big convenience, actually. “Spend two nights.”

“I just want to make sure, Amy.” He looked down, his free hand fidgeting. “Sometimes I feel like…I feel like you’re not telling me everything that’s going on with you…and that’s cool and all, not like you got to tell me everything, but, like…I don’t want to accidentally hurt you or something…so I just feel better asking.”

Sonic was one hundred percent correct. He didn’t know the specifics, but he wasn’t stupid. Amy really wasn’t fooling anyone. Shame weighed her gaze down until she was looking at his scuffed dress shoes. “You’re right.” She admitted in a small voice. “I’ve been…keeping secrets.” She griped her forearm and hunched her shoulders.

“I get it, Amy.” She watched his leg twitch. He’d been standing still too long, and the conversation was too heavy. “I promise I do. I don’t have to know everything, and I trust you to tell me the important stuff.”

“I don’t want to keep things from you. I-it’s not helped anything…” Amy dug her fingers into the flesh of her arm.

“I guess,” His foot tapped, “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

Amy looked up into Sonic’s sparkling green eyes. So honest and trusting, he was drowning her in affection and acceptance, but she couldn’t bring herself to embrace it. Not yet, at least. “No…” She whispered. “Not tonight, I-I can’t. Not tonight.” She blinked and tears broke free of her eyes.

“Okay, Amy.” Sonic’s shoulders sagged. “I’m going to put some ice on my eye and turn in. It’s been a long day.”

Amy silently nodded.

Sonic went to the kitchen and filled a ziplocked bag with ice from the tray in the freezer. Wrapping it in a dish towel, he told Amy goodnight and went to his room. Suddenly alone, Amy felt cold. She stood there for a moment, just stewing in her feelings. Her head sparked with exhaustion, slick dampened the fur of her thighs, and a gnawing heat gestated in her belly. All the activities of the day felt like a bad dream in the quiet of her apartment.

Though she was exhausted, Amy got to work.

She stocked her room with bottled water and a few of Sonic’s protein shakes as well as all the spare towels, sheets, pillows, and blankets they had. Cream had rescented a cloth for her the last time she’d visited Vanilla’s and Amy placed it on her bedside table along with Shadow’s card. His scent had melded with hers on its surface, an alluring aroma.

She got on her knees and retrieved a large plastic container from under her bed. Inside were all her various heat palliatives. Medicines meant to relieve pain and help her retain fluids, scented candles, a fan of Vanilla’s packeted remedies. And strips of her old crusty black dress in a ziplocked bag that hardly had any of Shadow’s scent left on them.

Her favorite sheets came off her bed and she wrestled a thick rubber fitted sheet over the mattress to protect it from her flood. Next, she took an old, worn fitted sheet and started lining the inner edges of it with folded blankets and towels. The plush fabrics formed the outline of the nest and the sheet held them together and kept the nest contents on the bed. Nothing was worse than losing needed softness when a blanket fell to the floor. Constructing the nest was a calming, satisfying affair. It took time to get every sheet folded and every blanket interwoven just right but the low purr she emitted as she worked was soothing.

Then Amy took a long, cold shower and downed probably an irresponsible amount of over-the-counter painkillers and drank a mouthful of nighttime cold and flu syrup. Cracking the window in her room and activating the outside lock on her door, she crawled into her nest and tried to sleep, praying she’d at least get a decent night’s sleep before her heat drug her into hell.

She’d managed to sleep mostly until morning. Towards dawn, the cramping became strong enough that she was pulled into consciousness briefly to cringe, moan, and turn over before dozing off for another twenty minutes or so. This cycle continued until nearly noon when the pain overpowered the analgesics. Amy slowly climbed out of her nest and slowly shifted the stuffing, pulling out cloths that were too soaked with sweat and slick and replaced them as best she could. Her own scent hung heavily in the air.

Her overheated skin soon felt icy removed from the warmth of the nest. The air in her room was cold from the open window, but if she’d left it closed, she’d be so heat-muddled that she’d scarcely be able to move. Amy was nearly done with her adjustments when a wave of need cascaded over her. Her thighs clamped together as a fresh pulse of slick escaped her. She fumbled to quickly intercept the fluid with a towel before it got on her carpet.

With a groan, Amy crawled back into her nest. The nesting compulsion was one of the few Omega instincts that Amy didn’t hate. There was nothing more comfortable or cozy than a well-constructed nest. Sonic enjoyed Amy’s nests, but he said she got strangely particular about the exact positioning of every single scrap of cloth and pillow. Allegedly (because she sure didn’t remember doing this), Amy had hissed and scratched him in the past when he’d foolishly tried to adjust a part of her nest.

Nests were a deeply personal construction. No two Omegas nested the same and nests had an almost sacred air to them. Pregnant Omegas would maintain a singular nest for the full gestational period and an Omega that refused to take down a heat nest was seen as the first sign of successful fertilization. That Amy allowed Sonic, a Beta, into hers would be considered improper. It was a wholly Alpha and Omega space and perhaps the only place an Omega held dominance.

Amy dug through the soft folds to find her phone. Based on the time, she had at least forty-eight hours of increasing discomfort left. She had a message from Sonic reminding her that he’d be with Silver that night and wishing her a good day. That would save her from his scrutiny until tomorrow evening, but what then? She’d be incoherent and if Sonic found her door locked, he’d know that she’d lied to him again and wouldn’t hesitate to try to help her.

She bit her lip, a mixture of arousal tempered with shame as she fought back a flare of jealousy. Silver was getting cock but she wasn’t? Before she knew it, her fingers were slowly stabbing at her phone. She blinked and squinted at her screen. She’d produced a long, vicious scree that she was about to post to her Promptagram. Shit! She was about to start heat posting…Fuck. She deleted the message and tossed her phone over the wall of her nest.

The availability of telephones and later smart phones revealed to the world just how depraved and uninhibited Omegas got during their heats. There were entire websites devoted to the ridiculous and wanton things unaccompanied Omegas posted or texted whilst inebriated with hormones. The aggressive solicitation of sex from anyone they knew with a penis was commonplace and open demands made on social media were particularly shame inducing once the heat dissipated. The OO forum had an active board where strategies and apps were discussed to avoid the practice.

Amy had an app on her phone that fully blocked the wifi for a set amount of time or until a special password was inputted by a trusted third party. Unfortunately for Amy, that third party was Sonic and he even received a text message with the password every time she activated the app, so he’d know she was in the thick of it and come home straight away.

Ugh, why hadn’t she thought this through? She sighed and rolled to her back. Her cotton pajamas were becoming a burden. She wiggled out of her pants and underwear, exiling the sticky garments from her domain with a flippant flick of her wrist. Her fingers ghosted over her hips and dipped into her flooded valley. A volcano was growing below the surface and a team of explorers entered the den of the fire demons. Amy clenched her thighs around her hand, feeling a marginal return of relief.

As Amy stroked herself and pumped her fingers in as deep as she could, she couldn’t resist the allure of her imagination. The inadequacy of her own touch filled her with petulant desires for better company. There was Sonic, of course, be his warmth and seed felt hollow now. Lacking. Empty calories that would fill her briefly and leave her woefully vacant and haunted by shame and regret.

The thought of reaching out to Barry replaced the spartan diet of Sonic cock. There was a sickly-sweet dish. Altogether too kind and strangely pure, as if she’d taint them in some way. Which, she realized, she would. Amy felt nothing for Barry except desire for their firm, hot length and the sticky Alpha cum issued there from. The bite of the depths of her selfishness stung. If she used Barry like a tool, she’d be nothing more than a lustfully whorish Omega.

Amy whined as she pushed harder against her swollen nub. Her hands began to ache with the strain, her fine finger bones not designed for such forceful work. Why was she doing this to herself? God, she was so stupid. She only ever had two options. Suffer until Sonic inevitably noticed and endure the shame of accepting his help, or call Shadow.

Shadow.

A shudder began in her thighs and rippled up her back until it escaped as a gasp. Had it really already been a month since she last felt his hands caress her sides? Her needy cunt clenched around nothing and the disappointment speared through her. Amy sobbed. She couldn’t do this alone. How could she have thought otherwise? She was such a stupid little Omega. Small and weak and in so much pain. She whimpered and twisted in her cold, empty nest, desperately trying to cocoon herself and escape the freezing loneliness.

Nothing worked. No position rid her of the aches. No fake scent satisfied her. Nothing she could do to herself lessened the pain. She boiled. She froze. She cried and screamed. Yearned to be delivered from her loneliness and the vast emptiness inside her. Amy came apart at the seams. She’d been filled. She’d been happy. She’d been good, had attracted a strong, kind Alpha. Why wasn’t he here? Why was she doing this to herself? What good was her suffering? Why was she so intent on fucking that all up? What was she trying to prove?

She…couldn’t remember. Why was she alone? She didn’t have to be alone. The weird glass rectangle she’d thrown away contained the power to make all her problems go away.

Weakly, she lifted herself and looked over the wall of her nest. Below, in the dim light of her room, lay her phone. She blinked slowly, the knowledge of how to operate the device feeling distant. She needed it. It could summon her Alpha. That was…she needed that…needed…Shadow.

But…

could she…

trust him?

---

Shadow traced the tender flesh below his eye pensively. For the third time, he was sitting in the executive conference room on the top floor of KLS’s headquarters, nursing an injury, and wasting his time and money over this ridiculous farce of a no-confidence vote. At least he hadn’t done the damage to himself this time.

The scrawny, blue asshole had gotten in a cheap shot when Shadow had been distracted by Amy removing herself from the rapidly devolving situation. Shadow was man enough to admit the hit was solid and…not entirely inappropriate. He’d already shoved Rouge out of the way, something he profusely apologized for on the long ride back to the City, and was not trending towards a positive frame of mind. How could he given how choked the air was with Amy’s distressed scent?

Frankly, Shadow should be thankful to the puny, blue Beta. Without that idiot drawing his attention, Shadow would have broken his promise to Amy and injected himself, high on her pheromones and out of his right mind, into her personal space uninvited. That didn’t excuse that little shit, though. Getting between Shadow and what was his? Who the fuck did that cuck-!

Eclipse elbowed Shadow and the CEO straightened. Right…the vote.

This was it. After the weeks of meetings and organizing reports and strategizing, everyone’s hard work was on display and utterly useless. It made his heart ache to see Blaze and Dr. Quack meticulously defend him before the other board members knowing it was a complete waste of efforts.

Shadow had lost KLS. All that remained was the official vote to seal his fate. He’d be dismissed as CEO (he would not be taking the ‘opportunity’ to resign, those fucks would have to fire him) and then removed from the Board as well. This official meeting was just a bit of theater to give the hanging a façade of legitimacy. At the end of the day, Shadow’s performance had never really been in question. The joint forces of Robotnik’s scheming and his mother’s ire had brought him low.

His father would be very disappointed. However, not disappointed enough to leave Shadow be. This failure would certainly be used as a weapon against him, a noose around his neck by which his father would try to yank Shadow back into the more ‘traditional’ part of the family business. He would need to regroup quickly after this defeat in order to steel himself for the next battle. He’d die before he returned to Mizuri.

Blaze concluded her presentation to the board of directors in Shadow’s defense and thanked them for their time and attention. The four directors on the video conference were unmoved, bored even. Shadow swiveled his chair as Blaze passed behind him “Thank you, but you should be on your honeymoon.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I’m where I mean to be, sir.”

Shadow fought to keep his ears from wilting as she joined the other KLS employees on chairs lining the back wall. He sighed as he turned back to the screen. Ms. Sally Acorn began to fill her allotted time with a banal list of grievances she had with Shadow. Absently he drummed his fingers along the arm of his chair. Everyone else had declined to comment (thank god), so when Her Royal Pain-in-the-Ass was done, the official vote would be held.

His hand lifted to his face once more. « Stop touching it. » Eclipse growled. His brother maintained immaculate posture, ostensibly to lend the occasion the gravitas it warranted, but Shadow knew it was because she was watching.

Mrs. Irena Kintobor attended the computer in front of her with a venomous disdain. Her scathing stare darted over the screen, but would settle and glare at a particular corner, at the location of Shadow’s image on her screen no doubt. Watching his mother fumble to utilize technology generally lifted his mood, but not this occasion. The old harpy’s ineptitude did nothing to lessen the vindictive harm she was about to deal him.

Though the resolution on her web camera was lower than her fellow board members, Shadow could tell that Mother had taken the time to have her quills freshly dyed and styled into a short, wavy bob. In his youth, she’d been a vibrant red, but now she maintained a gradient, the fiery hue at the tips lightening to nearly pink before meeting reality with silvery greys emerging from her scalp.

If anything, she looked even more emaciated than the last time he’d laid eyes on her. A slowly petrifying mummy in a string of pearls, pickled by her own hatred and vitriol, Irena would likely live forever. That’s how curses worked, right? She’d be an eternal scourge on this world until some dragon was slain or holy relic returned to its proper place. Until then, she ruled as queen of the vipers, scorpions, and wasps, tainted dagger ever poised to shank Shadow in the soft tissues.

Ms. Acorn turned to her third page of notes. Eclipse leaned over slightly. « You’ve been busy, Brother. Where do you find the time to be such a menace to her royal imperiousness? » He grinned.

« How do you think I received this black eye? » The pair shared a subdued snicker as the squirrel continued unassuming.

Shadow checked his phone for, perhaps, the hundredth time that day. He estimated the odds that Amy would reach out as minimal at best, especially with how he’d acted the previous day. Shadow simply couldn’t help himself. After their talk in the garden, he’d returned to the bar to wait patiently for Rouge to get bored and demand to be taken home.

When Amy had rushed into the ballroom, her beautiful face flush and distressed, he’d gripped the enameled wooden countertop but remained still. Amy had locked eyes with him and that had settled his soul. She knew where he was. If she needed help, she would ask, he told himself. Over and over and over again. Wait for her to ask.

That was the promise. That was what she’d ask for to prove his trustworthiness and, by god, he had intended to go to the ends of the earth to earn her trust.

Shadow had lost sight of her. Which was fine! She was working, after all. This was a test. All he had to do was nothing. Sit. Wait. Don’t fixate. So easy a child could do it. Which meant he was particularly disappointed in himself when Shadow lifted from his seat and meandered the ballroom, looking for alluring pink wrapped in elegant black.

He would just lay eyes on her, he told himself. Make sure she was fine and then return to his seat. Easy. Simple. Stalking. Hunting. She wouldn’t even see him.

Then Amy screamed.

Shadow had lost all semblance of control as the sound rippled through him like an earthquake. Coherent thought dissipated in the wake of impulsive instinct. He had to be with her, had to make sure she was safe. Punish whoever caused her suffering. It didn’t matter who he had to run over, to push past, to kill. He just needed to be with Amy immediately or he would simply die.

And, gods alive, her scent slammed into him as he got closer. Panic, distress, misery. How-? How could he have allowed her to feel these terrible things? How could he have let her out of his sight? He was a worthless Alpha and her distrust was absolutely justified. The self-revulsion failed to pull the veil of rage from his eyes, and he had almost done something truly regrettable…until that blue prick got in a lucky shot.

Shadow pressed his index finger into the bruise on his cheek. Nicole had gotten him an ice pack quickly once he had been forcefully pulled away from the hedgehog bleeding on the floor by Rouge’s situationship, so the swelling was minor, and his dark fur disguised the discoloration. Eclipse had seen it immediately, of course, judging by the exasperated look he’d given Shadow upon laying eyes on his brother at the beginning of the meeting, but had declined to ask after its origins.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Shadow flinched. Eclipse noticed and gave him a curious sideways glance. Shadow slid his phone out of his pocket and held it below the table. Unlocking it with his thumbprint, his eyes went wide. He had a text message from an unknown number.

u meen it

A short message and not signed, but Shadow had no doubt it was Amy. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly flooded and heart pounding against his sternum. His very bones thrummed with the conviction that something was wrong and that he had to fix it immediately.

Yes, he replied, his fingers flying across the screen, Anything, anywhere, I will be there for you. I meant it with all my heart and soul.

He stared at the screen intently. The rest of the world had faded away. Only Amy’s next words mattered.

“Shadow?” He vaguely registered his brother’s voice. « What are you looking at? » Shadow ignored the question.

Finally, Amy’s answer appeared. Two quick messages.

need u

heat

Shadow drew in a deep breath as he felt every nerve and neuron in his body activating all at once. His eyes dilated, brightening the harsh lighting of the conference room to an almost intolerable level. His heart thundered manically, forcing searing hot blood through his body in preparation for action. He quickened so sharply he almost grunted.

Amy.

In heat.

Right. Fucking. Now.

Alone.

WITHOUT him.

Indignant rage erupted. Amy was suffering, right now, alone and he wasn’t with her!**

His fingers twitched as he replied. Send me your location. I am on my way. He looked up. Eclipse was glaring at him. Ms. Acorn was still speaking, but Shadow’s sudden movements had drawn the attention of his mother and Mr. Mogul.

« Is something wrong? » Eclipse asked, irritation starting to be overtaken by genuine concern.

Before he could answer, Shadow’s phone buzzed and his attention was drawn down to it.

no claim

Of course not! He would never! I won’t. His reply was much calmer than he felt.

promis

I promise, Amy. A million, billion times, he would promise. Yes, he wanted to Claim her. Shadow couldn’t deny that rabid desire inside him, but of all his impulses, this one was easy to resist, as if, without Amy’s consent, the act was impossible.

A stream of messages followed as Amy slowly typed out her address and a few instructions. Where a key to her apartment was hidden and…Shadow’s blood ran cold…the entry code for her bedroom door.

A door that locked from the outside…just like Maria’s. Amy was locked in, trapped, wasting away just like-

Focus. He had one last piece of business before he could leave.

Shadow glanced at the large screen displaying the other directors. Irena was intently staring at where he was on her screen. The strange angle and inability to make eye contact sapped the woman of some of her oppressive presence. She hated using technology for anything other than making phone calls. It had taken years to convince her to send text messages. That she was willing to use a video camera demonstrated the lengths his mother was willing to go to just to torment him.

He thumbed through his phone, typed out a quick message, and sent it. There, you old hag. Be appeased and haunt me no more today. He was about to be extremely occupied and was feeling generous.

Shadow stood and buttoned his suit jacket. “Frère?” Eclipse gave him a concerned look. « What are you doing? »

Ms. Acorn broke off mid-sentence to glare at him. “I have not yet finished speak-“

“I am finished listening.” Shadow interrupted. “There is no longer any reason for my presence.”

“We haven’t even voted!” Her little squirrel voice was so shrill. Maybe it was the inbreeding.

Shadow looked directly into the camera. “I cede my vote to Mrs. Irena Kintobor.” He declared. The room and teleconference erupted with a range of surprised voices.

“Shadow!” Eclipse exclaimed.

Mother squinted at her screen but remained silent. She was smart enough to know something was amiss. Behind her, Shadow spotted Eliza approaching her mistress with a cellphone and he stared directly into the camera capturing his image. With a large toothy smirk, he said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have more important business to attend to.”

He turned on his heel and headed for the door. The indignant sputters of the three independent directors was music to his ears, but the surprised and panicked calls for his attention from his employees was harder to ignore. Shadow would find some way to make it up to them, no matter the outcome of the vote.

He exited the boardroom and spotted Nicole shooting to her feet. “Sir?” An energy drink can sat by the legs of the chair she’d been sitting in, and her eyes were a bit sunken, artifacts of her overconsumption the previous day.

Shadow did not break stride. “I need a car waiting for me by the time I get off the elevator.”

“Of course, sir.” Her thumb worked rapidly for a moment before she put her phone up to her ear and turned away.

A firm hand wrapped around his bicep and squeezed with a painful grip. « What the fuck has gotten into you? » Eclipse hissed. He looked back to make sure the conference room door had closed behind before he raised his voice. « First you show up with a black eye and now this? Explain yourself, god damn it! »

Shadow shoved down his impulse to rip himself free of his brother’s grasp. There was a distinct and fierce challenge in Eclipse’s eyes and the Alpha’s aggression raised Shadow’s hackles. However, there was something else swirling about. Hurt.

Anything biting he was about to say died in his throat. « I had to get her attention, Eclipse. » Shadow tried to explain.

« Throwing away your vote? Have you given up? » Eclipse snarled. He…he was really angry.

Shadow felt a swell of shame. His brother had always been his staunchest ally. « It was a calculated risk, not a condemnation of you. »

Eclipse studied Shadow’s face, desperate to believe him. « You’ve made a play? »

« Yes. Trust me, I haven’t given up. Even if I lose, this isn’t over. » He vowed. He wasn’t sure what the next steps were, but he’d figure that out later. « Please have faith in me just a little longer. »

Eclipse sighed. « Very well. »

« I’ve made my final gambit and now I have places I must be. » Shadow pulled away lightly.

Eclipse’s grip on his arm tightened. « What could possibly be so important? »

Shadow looked directly into his brother’s yellow eyes. “My Omega needs me.”

His brother released him immediately. “Godspeed, brother.” Shadow gave a curt nod and headed for the elevator.

A car was waiting for him as he exited the building. The driver opened the sedan door and Shadow entered the backseat without a word. Once inside, he leaned forward to show the driver Amy’s address but the driver already had it. Shadow grimaced in confusion. “Miss Nicole already provided it.” The driver explained.

Shadow ground his teeth. A pattern was starting to get too hard to wave off as coincidence. But now was not the time to worry himself about trivial matters. He pulled out his phone and sent Nicole a shopping list. You seem to know where to send it, he typed before thinking better of it and erasing the line.

They entered the highway, and Shadow leaned forward. “Though I don’t wish to encourage you to break the law,” He addressed the driver, a spotted leopard. “I will commit to bearing the burden of any consequences should you choose to exceed the speed limit or disregard any traffic signals within reason.” The driver chuckled like it was a joke.

His phone buzzed and Shadow frowned to see it wasn’t Amy texting him.

You crazy son of a bitch, how did you do it? I am speechless. Shadow smirked at Eclipse’s message. YOU WON? HOW? What could you have possibly told Mother to change her mind? She was going to have your liver on toast and now you’ve got her eating out your hand? What devilry!

Shadow’s grin spread into a full smile and he released an amused snort. Then a huff. Then a chuckle. Then a lough eruption of laughter. He had won! What a day! He felt giddy! He felt high! His skin was crackling with restless energy and relief. He must have looked like a lunatic, but Shadow did not give a fucking shit. He couldn’t believe his luck. He’d keep control of his company, and he was on his way to fuck the brains out of an amazing, gorgeous Omega? He should pinch himself to prove this wasn’t a dream.

A stream of congratulatory messages and emails from his employees began to flood in. The level of bold-faced surprise was a little concerning, but Shadow couldn’t begrudge anyone their doubts.

Congratulations, sir. I hope Miss Rose is feeling better. Nicole’s message made his brow crease. Think about it later, he commanded himself.

You’ve developed a flair for dramatic timing that I don’t care for, sir. Blaze sent.

Shadow smiled as he typed his response. If I see an email, call, or message from you before your honeymoon leave is up, you are fired. He wouldn’t follow through, of course.

I wouldn’t dream of it, sir. I’m about to head out the door to the airport. A picture of a collection of rolling suitcases standing ready in the corner of Blaze’s office followed.

Don’t push it. Where were she and her wife going? Somewhere warm, he hoped. Shadow would ask her how it was upon her return. Maybe it’d be a place Amy would like to visit.

Shadow saw that he had a response from his mother. His gambit in the meeting hadn’t had much thought behind it. Perhaps Eclipse was right, he had the luck of the devil himself, because his bet had fully paid off anyway.

Shadow’s message from the meeting sat above the response from his mother. Do whatever your dark heart desires, Mother. He’d texted her. The mother of your future grandchildren needs me.

I look forward to meeting her at the Garden Party. Irena’s reply was short. If you are lying to me, there will be dire consequences. Shadow did not respond. Instead, he watched the City rush by outside his window. His smile faltered a bit as his thoughts ghosted over the upcoming garden party. The thought of Irena digging her claws into Amy made his lip curl. But this was a worry for a later time.

Shadow didn’t know what he had been expecting, but Amy’s apartment was located in a part of the City he’d never visited or paid any attention to. It wasn’t the slums…per say, but given the amount of trash on the sidewalks and stores with bars over their windows, Shadow found himself growing concerned. Was it safe for Amy to live in this neighborhood?

Perhaps foolishly, he hadn’t really considered Amy’s economic position yet. Yes, he knew she did photography for pay, but was it more a hobby or something more vital? Judging by the neighborhood, the gap between his and her wealth was…considerable. Part of him was already scheming ways to whisk Amy away from her entire world and lavish her in anything her heart would desire, but did she want that? He’d need to be careful to not substitute his desires for hers. Shadow wanted her to be happy, but only she could tell him how to make that happen.

A new message arrived that snapped Shadow out of his thoughts. An icy, slimy tendril ran down his spine.

I hear congratulations are in order.

Such a simple statement and perhaps the closest thing to praise Black Kintobor had given his eldest son in years. Shadow swallowed. He needed to think about his response very carefully. Six little words constituted a mine field.

Father would not be ignored, so that option was out. Under normal circumstances, Shadow would verbally spar with his father, but the activity would consume his time and attention for hours. Shadow needed all of his concentration reserved exclusively for Amy’s use, so a sarcastic response was a non-starter. That left the more detestable option.

Submission.

So, Shadow gave his father what he wanted. Thank you, sir. He cringed as he wrote his reply, the surrender stinging his soul.

He did not receive another message from his father, rendre grâce à dieu.

Shadow didn’t wait for the car to fully stop before he opened the door. The driver was saying something, probably asking if he should wait for Shadow, but the dark hedgehog wasn’t paying attention. Amy’s apartment building was a non-descript five story angular building made of brown brick. Metal boxes were attached to many of the windows and Shadow had to think for a moment to remember that they were individual air conditioning units.

An impatient courier stood at the entrance, looking at his phone. As Shadow approached, the partridge looked up. “Are you…Shadow?”

“Yes.” Shadow snatched the large brown paper bag from the man’s hands.

“Dude, rude!” The courier grimaced, before he saw the bill Shadow extended with his other hand. “Oh, shit, thank you, man.” His tune changed quickly when faced with the magnitude of the tip.

The building was clean, but old. The elevator was taking too long, so Shadow mounted the stairs. The concrete shaft smelt dusty. He ascended four flights quickly, his heart racing from the exertion and anticipation. He checked the apartment number several times before feeling above the door frame for the spare key taped there out of view.

He couldn’t get the key into the lock fast enough. Pushing the door open, his senses were assailed by Amy’s scent, and he experienced a full body shiver. Every inch of the place was coated in her essence. And another strangely(?) familiar scent that Shadow actively ignored.

It was a small space. The door led immediately into an open room with a small dining area, kitchen, and living room all tightly packed together. He shut and locked the front door before pushing forward, looking for Amy’s room. There was a single hallway leading away from the living area with three doors. He approached the one with a small keypad lock near the handle. He entered the code she had sent him, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the handle.