as fast as you can.

11:43 AM. That was the time the clock on Henry's radio read when he finally pulled into his drive. Henry felt horrible for lying to Taylor. He had promised he'd be home the night before, but he had received another call right before his shift ended. The moment he opened his door, Henry's heart plunged to his stomach.

Adrian.

Why did he smell the alphas scent in his yard? Trailing up to his front door? Slamming the door closed to his car, Henry didn't hesitate even a second. Within moments, he was inside. The pit in his stomach only growing larger when he realized Adrian's scent came past the door way. Every muscle in Henry's body stiffened. He slowly closed the door, putting the lock in place.

"Taylor?" He called, the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand up. The house was eerily quiet and he didn't like it one bit. Stepping further into his home, Henry felt like a stranger. Like he was the intruder. He would have to rescent everything. His jaw clenched when he moved into the doorway of the kitchen, noticing Adrian's scent was even stronger there. It didn't seem to go any further in the house.

Henry frowned, turning to move up the stairs. "Taylor?" He called again, beginning to move a little faster. Was Taylor even here? Had she left with Adrian? His heart began to beat rapidly as he made it to the top of the stairs. Relief washed over him when he dashed into his bedroom, hearing the shower running through the bathroom door.

Thank God.

Pushing the door open, Henry stepped into the steamy bathroom. Taylor's scent permeated the whole room. It was everywhere, hanging thick around the room. How it hadn't knocked him down, he didn't know. She was in heat. Henry felt his heart sink further. His sweet Omega had gone into heat and he was no where around to help her. "Omega?" He grunted, taking just a few long strides towards the shower. Pulling the curtain back, he unveiled her body. Her arms wrapped tightly around her trembling torso. Her skin red from the scorching water. "Sweetie, aren't you burning up?" His brows shot to his hairline when he saw her, quickly leaning down to turn the burning water off.

Something was wrong. Something more than just heat pains.

@ castle.

Taylor has been desperate for Henry to get home. She wanted him to comfort her but the moment she thought she heard him calling her name, she whimpered and pressed herself into the cool shower tile. It was a relief against her heated skin. She had spent the better part of the last hour scrubbing at her body, particularly her sides and hips and thighs because Adrian had postlude touched those. By the time Henry appeared, all she was doing was stare at her feet as big, crocodile tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn’t sobbing any more, but she was doing a deep, gut wrenching cry that she couldn’t even think through.

Taylor didn’t even acknowledge Henry until he turned the water off. She let out a sharp whimper as she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “I-I... I can’t get... I can’t get it off,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Taylor’s bottom lip wobbled as she swayed slightly. She was exhausted and traumatized, not to mention her body was fighting the heat she was going through.

“S-Still... smell.. him,” Taylor whined. She felt pathetic as she stood in front of him, her mascara still covering her cheeks and hands as she looked up to him for the first time. She wanted to reach out to him. Taylor wanted to wrap herself in his scent and never leave the house ever again. “Please,” she managed to choke out after opening and closing her mouth several times over, as if she had so many things she wanted to say and she had no clue where to even begin. “‘M sorry... I-I.. I tried to... s-stop him,” she croaked, hanging her head in shame. She didn’t want to see the realization on his face when he figured out what had happened.

Henry stared at the shower floor, Taylor's broken crying causing his heart to stop. He didn't want to look up at her. Peeling his eyes away from the floor, they ran up her legs and over her curves. The way her whole body trembled. "Taylor," he whispered, his voice catching in his throat when she began to speak. Henry couldn't wrap his mind around it. Adrian had... His blue eyes finally shot up to meet her gaze. Henry rose to his full height, immediately reaching out to grab Taylor's arms. Forcing her towards his chest, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and just held her. "It's okay, it's okay,..."

His first instinct was to protect her. From everyone and everything, except for himself. It ultimately led back to him. He hadn't been here to protect her, to stop her from opening the door, to stop him from entering his home. He hadn't protected his omega. His hands ran down her arms and when he eventually pulled away, he felt sick to his stomach.

Grabbing her robe, he came back to her and wrapped her up, drying her off gently. "Don't cry, baby. It'll be fine. I'll get his smell off ya'," Henry did his best to comfort her. Sweeping one hand under her knees and the other around her waist, Henry hoisted her up into his arms and packed her out into the living room. Gently lying her down on the bed, he stepped back and tried to take in the situation. His omega had been attacked. His heart was beating rapidly, he could feel it coursing through his whole body.

Without saying a word, Henry left the room. Hurrying down the hall, he grabbed every extra blanket and all the spare pillows from the hall closets and the guest bedrooms. He brought them back to Taylor and began to build a nest around her. "This will help, right?" He asked, piling the blankets and pillows around her, forming them into a fortress around her. To keep her safe.

@ castle.