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“Easy to fix, no problem,” I announced.

Popping up, I grabbed the sides and flipped over to land on the floor. I motioned to the man who’d been assisting us and pointed to the bin. “We take it all.”

“Certainly, I’ll get it emptied right away,” he said.

“No, we take it all, whole thing as is,” I explained, stopping him from grabbing the bin. “We will bring up for you, she decided to be done.”

He hesitated then determined it was above his pay grade and headed off.

“Um… V, what are you doing?” Warrick asked.

“Our kitten comfortable and half asleep. She wants to stay there so we take it all home,” I answered. “You guys disagree?”

They all shook their heads, smiling as they grabbed hold of the bin, and we got to rolling.

When I woke up, I found myself still in the pile of pillows, but there was no noise like I would expect if we were still in the store. Stretching, I knocked a bunch of pillows off and discovered I was in our home. I had no recollection of us leaving The Snuggery or arriving home, where I had been unloaded and placed in this mountain of fluff. Wiggling out of the nest, I reached the edge of whatever was holding the pillows, and it buckled under my weight. This caused me to ungracefully roll out into the middle of the floor.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for someone to comment about my entrance. When I didn’t hear anything, I glanced around to discover I was in one of the side rooms that didn’t have a purpose yet. All the items we bought were in boxes and bags along one wall waiting to be given a home.

Vili entered with a mug in his hands and a charming smile on his lips that had me remembering just how soft they were. “My kitten is awake.”

Combing my fingers through my hair, I tried to get it to calm down after all the static buildup from the pillows. “How long was I asleep?”

“About two hours,” he answered, offering me a hand. “I came to wake you. If you keep sleeping, then you not sleep tonight.”

I let him pull me to my feet and accepted the sweet-smelling tea. “Good call. I’ve been known to overdo it on the naps and throw my whole sleep schedule off. Although I’m not sure what schedule I really have these days.”

Vili cocked his head. “Why is that?”

I quickly covered my mouth as a yawn overtook me. “Sorry,” I mumbled, sipping on the tea, hoping it would help clear my head.

“Come, let’s sit with the others,” Vili suggested as he grasped my hand.

Like a duckling to its mother, I followed along, shuffling my feet as I tried to drink and walk. I hissed as some of the tea sloshed over the side and ran down my arm, but it didn’t stop me from getting another taste. Vili clicked his tongue disapprovingly at me and snatched the mug away, causing me to pout.

“I will give back once sitting,” he assured me.

“What kind of tea is it? I don’t think I’ve had anything quite like it,” I asked.

“Serenity is the name I gave it,” Vili shared.

Shocked, I dug my heels in, which had Vili jerking to a stop. “Wait, it’s a blend you came up with? Meaning I can’t find it in a store?”

He smiled and hummed his acknowledgment. “I love tea, so I experiment. This is a favorite, and I only share with you.”

That had me grinning like a fool as we joined the others, relaxing in the living room and watching some sports game.

“Well, look who finally woke up,” Gareth teased, patting the spot next to him. “Seems like that nap did you wonders, baby girl.”

Slipping my hand from Vili’s, I joined Gareth who apparently decided against me sitting next to him. Instead, I was snatched up and curled into a ball to be cradled on his lap. He nuzzled his nose into my hair, breathing in my scent. “God, I love how small you are. It’s like you’re our own personal Omega teddy bear to snuggle.”

I preened under the affection, loving every second of it. Why Omegas were built to thrive off this sort of interaction, I’ll never know. What I do know is now that I was getting major doses of it every day, I felt complete. It was as if I was a flower, and my Alphas were the sun which gave me vital nutrients I needed to grow. To my delight, the soft vibrations of my purr echoed in my chest as I nestled into a more comfortable position.

Gareth kissed my head a few times before he sat back and returned to watching the game. It was hard to stay awake when I felt so content, but the aroma of the tea had me cracking an eye. There was Vili offering the enticing drink he’d made just for me. Admitting defeat, I sat up, but Gareth wasn’t having that. He widened his legs and settled me between them so I could lean back against his chest. This way, I could sit up to drink my tea safely and continue to cuddle.

“Are you hungry?” Warrick asked, scooching forward so I could see him. “You didn’t really get any lunch.”

I grabbed Gareth’s wrist and looked at his watch. “Dinner should be happening shortly, right? I think I can wait until then.”