My involuntary shudder startles her and she pulls back. “Oh my god, I am so, so sorry. That is really gross.” She stands up, pulling me up and trying to wipe my chest off with her sleeve.
“That’s not really workin’, but I sure do appreciate the effort.” She sniffs loudly, before she starts giggling. “Fuck, that is so nasty. Let's get you cleaned up.” She runs into her bathroom and turns on the shower to warm up, then brings back a handful of toilet paper that she tries to wipe me off with again. It works marginally better than her shirt.
“It’s ok, sweet girl. Get yourself cleaned up and get a change of clothes on. I was headed for my own shower before I heard you anyway, so it’s all good. Wash off, get into some comfy PJs, and meet me in the living room for a movie, alright?”
She sniffs again, but nods, takes her handful of tissue back to the bathroom, and closes the door behind her. I wipe at my chest without much success, and head back to my own room. After I get cleaned off, I’ll talk to Xan about the applicants we got today, and about fixing these pictures for her.
Things’ll settle down soon… hopefully.
Leo
Jacks smells like my Kitten, and while part of me wants to thrash him in jealousy, the other part just wants to stand in the kitchen and sniff him.
Yes, I realize I sound psychotic.
But my Kitten makes me feel that way, out of control, lost from my normal sense of logic and structure. My own mind no longer makes sense when she’s around. That is hardly a complaint, I’m enjoying every moment of the madness, however, I often feel out of sorts whereas before I felt…if not happy, at least content. Now I think about her constantly. I worried about her safety before she was staying with us. Now I know it was for good reason.
Even before my Kitten, I was a firm believer in the strength of the fairer sex. True they had to work twice as hard to build muscles, but that is simple biology. Even I will readily admit that several of my female colleagues are more intelligent than myself, or at least they have more worldly experience and insight into our work. That may be partly due to my specializing in exotic animals as opposed to a general practice, but it holds true nevertheless.
Now, I just want to bundle her up in her nest and care for her, bringing her shiny things and sustenance. I still feel that most women are more than capable of taking care of anything that comes their way, but with her, I can’t help this damnable primal urge to not let her do anything for herself and it is beyond madness.
Logically, I know she’s lived alone for the last three-plus years. I know she can feed and care for herself, but my fucking alpha is not listening, and the feeling of being cleft in two is disturbing, to say the least.
She arrives downstairs, looking simply delectable in a pink flannel nightgown, and I can't help but wonder what she has on under it. I was never a sex maniac before. I have enjoyed the company of women, mostly while I was in college, but I never felt like the raging pervert I feel I have become. Never felt the desire to be with anyone the way I want to be with her.
Getting off the couch, I walk over to her, wrapping her in my arms and just breathing her in. She is so tiny. Yes, she is an omega, I understand that they are, as a rule,small. But I am also the tallest of our pack, and her head barely comes up to my nipples. Though I suppose even that would be useful for some things.
Dear god, what is wrong with me?
Bad alpha, stop being a pervert!
As I pull her close my body relaxes, taking in that she is safe and among my pack, and no one will harm her within these walls. I would trust my packmates over anyone else in the world to protect our omega, but having her settled against me just lets me breathe easier. I lift her up, and she laughs as she reaches over my head to touch the ceiling fan when we pass it.
“Sorry, I need a ladder for everything. How does it feel to be so tall…this is so cool.” She laughs in my arms, breast pressed against the side of my face as she flails her arms in the air. “Wow, if I could get a saddle for you, I could just ride you around like a horse and look down on everybody.” she slides down my chest, kissing my cheek in passing. I don’t think she realizes the double meaning in her words, and I groan at the thought of her riding me anywhere.
I fold myself onto the couch, settling her into my lap so I can breathe in her heady scent. Jacks comes to sit on one side, rubbing his hand along her spine, while Xan sits on my other side and pulls her feet into his lap. We discuss movie options, I want something romantic, something I can enjoy with our omega cuddled in my lap, possibly Shakespeare in Love. Jacks and Xan groan, at my suggestions, but agree wholeheartedly when the omega suggests a cartoon with a walking trash-heap,Howl’s Moving Castle. I haven’t voluntarily watched a cartoon in years, but for her, I will try to pay attention. I may even enjoy it, I suppose there are romantic cartoons.
Twenty minutes into the film and I am pleasantly surprised that yes, they do make romantic cartoons. At least, I hope that is where this is going. Gabe finally makes it downstairs to join the rest of us, and sits in the chair beside Xan, talking quietly about applicants and work. I know he feels the need to rush everything along with Candice’s heat coming up so soon, but I dislike when they talk about work at home, it means they don’t relax, and if they don’t relax, then Jacks won’t relax, and if he won’t relax, then I can’t either because everyone around me will be keyed up and just…shit.
I’m working myself up over nothing. Take a deep breath of my Kitten, yes, that’s it.
My muscles relax and I turn my focus back to the television…where we have a talking fire. Strange, but ok. My Kitten is curled against my chest and my purr is a quiet rumble, lulling her to sleep. She blinks a few times, trying to stay awake, but after the stress of the last few days, I don’t think it will be long before she is out for the evening.
I turn to Gabe, he shares my recent stress about her, my fear of what might happen when she is away from our protection. Now he’s asking Xan something about photos, ahh, it must be all the family photographs they retrieved from her house. I pet her hair, half-listening to their conversation. Gabe wants Xan and Jacks to look into photo restoration, since several of thedamaged images were of her now deceased family. I pull her close to me, mentally dissecting the bastard that invaded her home and destroyed her sense of safety, and she lets out a weak grumble and thrashes lightly until I loosen my grip.
Of course Xan and Jacks will work on it, he says, but they should start calling in applicants tomorrow with her impending heat, or look at closing up the garage for the duration of it. I have rescheduled all of my appointments for the next two weeks, just in case. I have four coming in tomorrow, and then more on Friday. After that I will work as needed and be on call to assist with providing time off for the doctors that have to cover my shift while I am out.
My gaze wanders back to the television, and yes, as it turns out, this is a love story. I'll need to watch it again sometime then, with my Kitten, but for now, I would rather get her to bed.
“Kitten, Kitten wake up. Do you want your nest or your bedroom?” I stroke her hair gently.
In truth, I would rather her go to her nest, so that I might snuggle with her there. Thus, I am not trying hard to wake her up. But I don’t want to take away her choice if she would be more comfortable in the bedding that Jacks brought back from her home.
She burrows her face against my chest. “Leo,” she murmurs, and my heart melts more at her gaining comfort from my scent. I guess that means we’ll go to the nest again tonight.
Oh no, how awful.
I don’t even try to hide my smile as I leave Xan and Gabe to their discussion. Jacks slides over to my now vacant spot, probably to discuss more about our omega’s photos, as I slowly take the stairs, reveling in finally having time alone with her, even if it is just to sleep wrapped around her soft, warm body, and drift off to the sound of her breaths.
