The place is a little busy but not terrible—mostly betas milling around, with a few alphas here and there, and the occasional omega drifting through the aisles.
It’s loud, chaotic, and overwhelming.
And judging from the way Skyla’s eyes go wide, it might just be the best thing she’s ever seen.
Tadeo spends a solid five minutes finding a cart without any squeaky wheels, then we make our way toward the back, starting with the nesting supplies.
The shelves are stacked high with comforters and pillows, bins full of fleece blankets and duvet covers. I used to roll my eyes at this kind of stuff when my sisters dragged me out shopping, but now I’m actually curious to see what’ll catch Skyla’s eye.
Our timid omega moves slowly, fingers brushing along the edge of a comforter before pulling back. Skyla checks the discount tag first, every time, squinting at the red clearance stickers like she’s memorizing the numbers. Only when she’s sure it’s “cheap enough” does she let her hand linger, stroking fabric, lifting a corner to feel the weight.
It kills me a little, watching that hesitation, the way she doesn’t quite believe she’s allowed to want things. But then Tadeo nudges a stack of throw pillows closer and Knox says, “Pick whichever ones feel good, little one. Don’t worry about the price.”
Skyla nods with a soft “Okay,” before letting her hands linger longer, and, slowly, her smile flickers brighter.She moves from shelf to shelf, lifting a blanket, folding it against her chest, and pressing her cheek to it like she can’t resist.
Alex and I trade a quick smile over her head as her excitement grows.
One fleece blanket becomes two, then she’s tugging a comforter set into the cart with a strength that surprises me, muttering about how the purple and pink pattern is “cheerful.” She even laughs when she finds a ridiculous sequined throw pillow shaped like a rabbit’s ass.
“It’s a bunny tail,” Skyla corrects me, showing me the fluffy ball pinned to the center.
“It’s an ass,” I snort, and Alex snickers too.
“You’re an ass,” Skyla cuts back, then slaps a hand over her mouth as if shocked she said that out loud.
I can’t help the laugh that erupts from my chest. Skyla’s giggling too, her face bright red.
“Fuck,” Alex says through his deep chuckle. “I knew I loved this omega for a reason.”
Skyla’s eyes flicker to Alex’s face when he says ‘love’. Her laugh slowly fades, replaced by the warmest smile.Fuck, she’s pretty.
“Alright,” Knox says as he takes the pillow from Skyla, placing it in the overflowing cart. “How about sheets?” Knox asks her as he pulls out his phone. “Do you need sheets?”
“Ours are pretty old,” Tadeo says as he reaches out, curling one of Skyla’s long curls around his finger. The omega leans a little closer to him, clearly liking his touch.
“They probably have some good deals on sheets,” Skyla says brightly as she picks up the sequined pillow again, showing us the red sticker on the tag. “See? Even the bunny is on clearance.”
“It’s an ass,” I mumble, and Alex wheezes a laugh beside me.
Skyla narrows her eyes at me, sticking out her tongue.
Thankfully, Knox doesn’t yell at us this time. He’s frowning at his phone, thumb scrolling. Finally, he speaks up, voice a little distracted. “We’ll need a waterproof mattress cover. Slick-resistant sheets. And some… post-rut ointment.” His tone slows like he’s struggling to read fine print. “It soothes and heals the chafing that can occur along an omega’s vaginal opening after a prolonged rut.”
The voices in the aisle beside us go dead silent, and I swear I can feel half the store holding its breath.
“Dude.” Alex leans in, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m pretty sure there are kids in here. Cool it on the ‘vaginal opening’ talk.”
Knox shoots the red-haired alpha a look, clearly unbothered. Skyla, on the other hand, ducks her head, a shy smile tugging at her flushed face before she spins back toward the bedding aisle—suddenly very invested in a stack of beige flannel sheets.
I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. She looks torn between giggling and crawling into that pile to disappear entirely. Knox, of course, is oblivious—or pretending to be.
We find the omega medical supplies, and less than twenty minutes later, the cart’s loaded down with every boring thing on Knox’s list. Alex disappears to grab another cart, laughing that we’re gonna need a U-Haul to get everything home.
Knox, of course, just keeps going, tossing in post-heat pain relievers, heating pads, and something called bonding cloths. I lean over the side of the cart and read the description.
Help your omega snuggle in comfort. These soft, scent-holding squares are designed to wrap your omega in the familiar warmth of the pack for a deeper, peaceful sleep.
Finally, Knox grabs a little black box with the words “Scent Booster” printed on the side. Then he gives a firm nod, “I think that’s everything on my list.”
