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He puts it in my lap. I tremble with the effort of maintaining control over myself. He reaches into the next bag and pulls out three pillows. One is covered in ginger fluffy tassels. My stomach clenches. The next one is velvet and deep blood red. The final one is covered in the same material as the blanket but is shaped like a giant square. I bite the inside of my cheek while he places it next to me.
He pulls out seven more blankets, all different textures and materials. I swallow thickly, my eyes wide.
There isn’t a food on the planet that has been more tempting to me than these scraps of material are. Lukas stares at me, looking disappointed. I know I’m supposed to react, but I’m not sure how.
“Give us a minute,” Seb says to Lukas.
He waits until he leaves and then moves so he’s sitting on the coffee table opposite me. He takes my hands, and I feel the tremble and know I’ve given myself away.
“Missy, being true to who you are won’t hurt you.”
I swallow hard and blink rapidly. “If I admit I need them now, what happens when I don’t have them?” I ask in a small voice.
Seb stares at me and then gets up and hugs me tight. “Missy,” he lifts my hand and kisses my palm. “We will not leave you with nothing. We will not leave you period, full stop, the end. This is forever.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and I jerk my head in a nod. “I know you keep saying that…on the inside I hear it, but I remember seeing all the omega things we are supposed to like and need, and I remember seeing Elise needing medicine, and Muse needing new school clothes, and I…I pushed it all away. You can’t promise me all these things and forever when your pack isn’t all onboard. It isn’t fair. And giving into temptation now will only hurt me later.”
“You don’t need to do that anymore,” Seb insists.
I sit stiffly, and after a while, Seb murmurs that he needs to cook dinner and leaves me there. I don’t know when I start touching the blanket on my lap. I thread my fingers through it and let out a whine.
Darion pauses on his way past and pulls off his hoodie. He drops it on the pile of material. I wait until he’s gone and lift it to my nose, inhaling deeply. The gate of restraint that I’d built crashes open with the one whiff. It’s all my instincts need to take control.
“Huh,” Lukas says from behind me. I whip around, feeling like I’ve been caught peeping or something nefarious. He winks at me and disappears.
Ten minutes later, he returns with a huge pile of clothes. My eyes widen, but I can’t make myself move. I’m frozen, staring at the pile, two sides of my personality at war with each other.
He dumps it beside me, and stomps off again, muttering. I pick some up, inhaling Seb’s scent and Lukas’. I can’t fight the urge anymore and start adjusting the blankets, layering the scents around me. I look up at the roof and let out a discontented whine, but then focus back on what I’m doing.
When I’m finished, one half of the couch is covered in blankets and clothes that completely circle me. Lukas stomps over to me and holds out a candle.
“Sniff.”
I sniff and wrinkle my nose. He does it with seven more until I find one I like and puts it on the table.
He mutters and types something on his phone and disappears again. Seb returns and puts down a tray of snacks and foods. I glare at him when I realise they are all foods that I’ve been snacking on when I’m sad.
I reach out and pick up a handful of apricots while he leaves without saying a word.
Darion wanders past and pauses. He puts the TV on and picks out one of the movies from the list that I created, then he dims the lights. He, too, disappears for a few minutes and returns with more pillows and blankets, but these smell of him. I grab at them with no shame.
He brushes my hair back and kisses my forehead. “What else do you need?”
I open my mouth but pause because I have no idea.
“It’s okay, we can figure it out. Can I sit?”
I nod and drag him into the spot I was sitting in and then curl up in his lap, my ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. This feels better but not right.
I don’t feel safe in this house. I wish we could be at their other estate, but I’m too scared to ask. My room isn’t right, I need something…I look up at the ceiling and let out another whine. I don’t know what I need.
Lukas flops down beside me, and I tangle my fingers in his hair, dragging his head into my lap. He lets out a contented sigh.
Seb puts a tray of homemade pastries on the table and sits on the other side of Darion.
“Thank you.”
Darion brushes my hair away from my face and kisses my cheek. “Just tell us what you need. Any little thing. You need a hug, say so. You want new blankets and pillows? Tell us. We want to make this as comfortable as possible for you.”
