HEAT
CHAPTER 1
JAYDEN
The first thing I notice is the burn.
It starts low, in my stomach, but spreads like wildfire—up my chest, through my throat, under my skin. My palms sweat, my body shakes, and every inhale drags Alpha Ryder’s scent through my nose like a drug.
“s**t…” I press my back to the pack house wall, clutching at my shirt. My legs won’t stop trembling. My body feels wrong—too tight, too hot.
I stumble down the hall, dragging my hand along the wooden panels. Wolves pause mid-conversation as I pass. Heads turn. The scent rolls off me thick and sweet, and I hear the low growls, the sharp intakes of breath.
“He’s in heat.”
“First rut.”
“Poor pup. Didn’t even make it outside.”
Their voices blur together, but every word cuts through me. Shame and need twist until I can’t t
