And then I start building.
Instinct takes over as I weave the clothing together in a pleasing combination of scents, creating a small wall on the perimeter of the mattress. Smoky pepper mixes with gunpowder and rain, mint and chamomile wrap around whiskey, until I’ve gone through all the clothing. I only have one side of the nest done, but my omega is settled considerably, and I feel a heck of a lot better as I sit back against the pillows and admire my handiwork.
“Was that all that was bothering you?” Sam asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He tried to move when I started building to get out of my way, but my omega wanted himrightwhere he was. “Can we do anything else?”
Having them see me have a meltdown about the nest was bad enough, they don’t need to witness my crisis over fucking paint too. I shake my head, but my eyes, determined to betray me, dart to the walls briefly. Unfortunately, the action does not go unnoticed.
“The…” he trails off, looking between me and the walls. “The walls?”
Despite my hesitance, my head nods. Welp. Guess we’re going full-on omega now. “It’s the wrong color.”
“That’s okay, we can fix that.” West says quickly in a soothing voice as he comes next to me. ”What’s the right color, Siren?”
My mouth opens, but no sound comes out. Whatisthe right color? I’m kicking up a fuss about the color of the walls, and I don’t even know what I want to change it to? I frown. “I…I don’t know.” My bottom lip wobbles, and West and Sam exchange a panicked glance.
“How about this,” Hayden crawls so he’s sitting in front of me and grabs my hands, “we’ll get your brother to have someone bring in some paint samples or something and you can pick what color you want the walls.And…we can even get them to bring in some samples of nesting items and we can place an order, and have it all delivered before your heat hits so it’s exactly how you want it. How does that sound?”
The thought of someone coming into my space unsettles me, but I know we can’t really go out to a nesting store right now. Maybe Maeve would go for us…
Sniffing once, I nod. “Okay.”
A huge grin lights up Hayden’s face. “Fuck yeah. Rich-boy upbringing for the win!”
West shakes his head, chuckling. “I’ll go ask Declan now.”
He climbs out of the nest, careful not to disturb my carefully constructed wall. “West?” He pauses at the sound of my voice, tilting his head back towards me. “Can you ask him to send Maeve?”
He gives me a small smile. “Will do.”
Four hours later, I’m holding two different paint cards against the wall. One is a sage green, and the other a pale blue. “What do you think, Maeve?” I look over my shoulder at her. Maeve, angelthat she is, got here about thirty minutes ago with fifteen bags of nesting items and four gallons of different colored paint. She had sent pictures of the paint samples to my phone, and I couldn’t decide without seeing them in person, so she just got them all.
“What’s the point of your brother having all that money if he doesn’t spend it on anything?” she had scoffed when I told her off for it.
I’m not complaining now though, not as she thoughtfully considers my dilemma without making me feel like a silly omega. Weirdly enough, I don’t mind having her in my space like I thought it would. Maybe it’s because she’s a beta, or maybe it’s because she’s always been so sweet to me.
The guys, as much as they wanted to stay with me, made themselves scarce at my request once Maeve arrived, giving me privacy to make the nest exactly how I want it.
“Well, the blue is light and calming, while the green is more…serene.” Her shiny black hair falls over her shoulders in waves as she tilts her head to the side. “They’re both good options, Jo.”
Pursing my lips, I turn back to the wall. “I think the green is good.”
Maeve smiles. “Great.” She goes into the hallway, then returns holding two one-gallon buckets of the green paint. She places them by the wall before turning to me, clapping her hands together. “Alright. Do you want me to help you go through the nesting items? Or are you feeling territorial?”
I pause, considering the options. Since my complete meltdown earlier, I’m trying to listen to my omega side more, and while it’s somewhat calming to have her nearby, and I’m aware that she’s the one who picked it all out, I don’t necessarily want hertouchingeverything…
“Would you…would you sit with me while I go through them?”
She smiles as she hands me a giant paper shopping bag overflowing with pillows and blankets, then sits on the plushcarpet floor and pats the space next to her. “Of course, Jo. That’s what big sisters are for.”
I can’t help but return her smile as I plop next to her and start sorting through the first bag.
One hot pink blanket that has this shaggy faux-fur on it…no.
A pillow with the same material and sequins…nuh-uh.
More of the same material items make my skin itch, and then I’m pushing the bag away, shaking my head. “Sorry Maeve, can’t do that one.”
She grins. “I figured, but I had to do my due diligence. Now, we can get to the good stuff.” Another bag finds its way into my hands, this one filled with a cream-colored, almost velvet-like material.
