I was so worried on the drive here that Ghost would vanish without a word. He’s out there hunting Deidre, and when he finds her—what then? Will he just walk away?
My mates can feel my anxiety through the bond. Silas’s eyes meet mine in understanding, but Orion reaches for my hand, a question on the tip of his tongue.
“I know all about heat,” I deflect. “But what’s a nest?”
“You know when your omega feels the need to…” Silas clears his throat, and he fucking blushes. A scarred, shaved head, tattooed beast of an alpha—blushing. It’s wonderful. I can’t help it, my smile draws wider, and for just a second, I forget about Ghost leaving me. I cross my fingers and rest my chin on my hands.
“Yes, Silas? When my omega needs to, what?”
He narrows his eyes mischievously and mirrors my posture, tucking his chin on top of his fingers. “When you need to bury yourself in our scents, build a little, comfortable pile of it beneath you so you can present your ass in the air for your alphas to fuck and knot.”
I purse my lips, and he laughs darkly. Now I’m blushing. I look away, shrugging one shoulder, as if I’m not at all embarrassed by my omega.
You should not be. Your omega is a queen. They are only jealous they do not have the nesting instincts,Beep says.
God, sometimes I wish they could hear Beep’s nonsense. Ignoring her, I mumble, “Sure. I seem to recall the nesting instinct.”
Orion interjects, “You stole some of my clothes, remember? And Gray’s. You kept them close.”
“Yeah, yeah, get on with it.” With my red hair, blushing furiously isn't a great look on me.
His lips curve gently as he explains, “What you’re doing—gathering our things—that’s nesting behavior. In pack dynamics, the omega creates a nest. Though technically any central mate might do it, only omegas feel a biological need to surround themselves with their mates’ scents.” His eyes drift momentarily to the ceiling, considering. “We each have our own spaces, sure, but we’re drawn to wherever you are. Problem is,” he smirks, “your bed can’t fit us all.”
Too small for when Ghost joins, too, Beep adds helpfully.
A sudden flash hits me—Ghost’s lean body stretched across my sheets, his bright golden amber eyes peering at me, taunting me. My other mates, waiting beside the bed for me. For us. I wonder if Ghost would be as serious in those moments as he is about everything else, if his careful control would slip away.
Orion continues, “The room at the end of the hall, in your bedroom, was designed to be our pack’s nest. Grayson’s been fixing it up. Gray’s father built it, knowing Silas, Gray, and I all bonded as pack mates, that we’d have at least a fourth mate—you—and need the space. Technically, the room belongs to all of us, but…” he shifts his weight, voice softening. “It’s really yours. To invite us in when you’re ready.”
The way he says that, as if I hold some ancient power over them, as if a world existed where I might not let them in.
You’d be doing them an honor, formally inviting them, Beep suggests.
Why bother with formalities? It’s not like we’ve followed the rules so far. We were supposed to bond in ceremony, too, remember?
I don’t think it’s about rules, Mona.
She's right. I can let them handle the nest thing however they want, and take cues from them. If they want me to formally invite them in when it's finished, I will.
“I think you’ve got a little—” Silas reaches across the table and flicks Orion’s lip, like he’s clearing drool. Orion growls, rears back, and slaps his hand away.
I chuckle nervously. I mean, we already share a bed. Kind of. And I’ve had sex with them together. Kind of.
But all of them? At once? And… all of them… with Ghost?
I shake my head. One problem at a time.
I refocus. “Silas, I need to speak with Ghost. You and Kendrick seem to be the only ones who know where he’s at these days, and I’d rather not talk to that creepy fucker.”
Orion chokes on his bite of frittata, then downs the rest of his juice. “Sorry. Sorry. Umm, is Kendrick the creepy fucker?”
I shrug. “I dunno, he’s always looking at me weirdly. And I know you all say he’s super powerful or whatever, but he feels almost like Doc to me. Like a beta. Speaking of, I really need to check in and say hi to Doc and Hilde.”
Yesterday, Kellen and Cynthia hung out with me and Andrea in the gym while she made me run drills, happy to join in the hazing. Cynthia is still a little standoffish with me. I wish she’d get over it. I mean, getting kidnapped wasn’t her fault, but I can tell she still blames herself.
It was nice hanging out with Kellen. He blames himself too, but at least it feels like he wants us to go back to normal. But I’ve been so busy, I’ve barely got to spend any time at all with Doc or Hilde.
Maybe I’ll swing by after tracking down Ghost.
