Chapter 8 Summer
SUMMER
The four of us stood on the weathered steps of the hall as townspeople filed out around us. Processing. Short-circuiting.
“You know none of what they said in there is legally binding, right?” I chuckled nervously.
“Do you have anywhere else to go?” Mercer asked bluntly.
“My parents—”
“Somewhere that actually has what you need .”
He was so stern. Stern and concerned for me. Jaw clenched, brow low. His thick arms were crossed across his broad chest, giving me a great view of the fine hair along them. Why was I into this? Why did I want to find all his buttons and push them until he lit up like a Christmas tree?
“They’re right, Summer,” Lucien said smoothly. “We have the space. You’re welcome to it.”
Phew. Now Lucien…he was undeniably alpha . Assured, controlled, and dominant. I suspected I could make a pouty face at him and he would take care of whatever I needed.
I frowned. “I don’t even know how long it’s going to take to get my apartment back.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jae said instantly.
“How does it not matter?”
“Um.” Jae scratched the back of his head, mulling over my question for a while. “It just doesn’t,” he said with a winsome little smile.
He was so fucking cute I was going to eat him up if he wasn’t careful.
Lucien was much more pragmatic than his little brother. “I’m sure by the time we leave at the end of the summer there will be enough progress.”
I was certain they were offering because they didn’t fully know what they were getting into. “I get up really early.”
“So does Mercer.” Jae shrugged.
“Aren’t you doing renovations? Won’t I be in the way?”
Lucien’s blue eyes crinkled. “We’ll be working during the day when you’re at the patisserie. Any changes to the nest can be done once you’re gone.”
Immediately feeling territorial over being kicked out of the nest I hadn’t even seen yet was not a good sign.
“We haven’t even discussed how much I should pay in—”
“Summer, I need you to not finish that sentence.” Mercer massaged his forehead, as if my perfectly reasonable question regarding rent had given him a migraine. In fact, the idea made all three of them look ill.
We were really going to do this?
The four of us. Under one roof. All summer.
Seemed like a hormonally implosive idea.
Maybe I was the problem. It had been too long since I’d gotten laid.
And even longer since I had a heat. My last one was when I was dating an alpha/beta couple in college.
Nothing serious but god, it was fun being twenty-one and going off heat suppressants for the first time.
That was probably all I missed about being in a pack.
The thought of emotionally babysitting a bunch of dudes didn’t really appeal to me.
I prayed to god that the nest room had a thick door so they wouldn’t hear my vibrator.
“If you’re absolutely sure—”
“We are.” Lucien stood firm.
“Let me at least make sure all my options are exhausted first,” I hedged. I could see my friends and family hovering along the footpath waiting for me.
I really wanted to check on Lucy.
“Hey.”
So I might have to stay in the house your exes used to live in. The ones who treated you like shit and wouldn’t even let you build a nest there. Which I will now get to do because the town just voted on it.
Lucy clicked her tongue as she watched me wrestle over what to say to her.
“Summer, it’s fine. I’m fine. More than fine.
What I had with my exes was literal trash compared to what I have with my pack now—three of the most amazing bonds I could ask for.
” Her eyes flicked furtively at her huge, firefighter alpha.
“And even more bond marks,” she giggled.
Wilder wrapped his enormous hand around her waist, his head dipping down to scent-mark her. “I’ll give you another if it makes you feel better.”
“Then I’m devastated over this,” Lucy said breathily.
“Okay, message received!” I interrupted them hurriedly before they began rutting in the town square. “Still, it’s a little weird, right? Maybe there’s another way I haven’t thought of yet.”
“The nest is down here,” Jae called over his shoulder.
Lucien, Mercer, and Jae were being gentlemen (or valets, however you wanted to look at it), carrying my bags through the house. All five of them.
Well, I wasn’t about to spend all summer pretending I was a simple girl who only needed a toothbrush and a comb to look this good. I had ten steps’ worth of skin care, an extremely precise hair wash day routine, and six pairs of black shorts that all served different purposes.
Not even Mercer made remarks about my mountains of stuff. They must really be feeling sorry for me.
“I promise it’s all essential,” I assured Mercer as he adjusted his grip on my duffel bag.
“There’s a lot of storage in the room,” Lucien assured me. “It’s good that you brought everything.”
I kept the fact that this was only a quarter of my wardrobe to myself.
Jae stopped at the door at the end of the hall. “We’ll, er, leave it here for you,” he said nervously.
“Thanks, that would be great.” I smiled.
It was cute that they were so cautious of omega nest etiquette when I hadn’t even set foot inside it yet. Mercer rolled the final bag off his shoulder, letting it land with a soft thud .
It began to vibrate. Loudly.
“Well…I guess we all have different ideas about what’s essential,” Mercer said wryly.
“Wait, that’s not—”
I stopped myself just in time before I said it wasn’t even the right bag. It wasn’t! My toys were in a cute satin pouch with my nest things. I knelt down and unzipped the buzzing duffel.
Jae smacked his palm over his eyes. “I’m not gonna look.”
“Summer, are you sure you want to do that here?” Lucien asked, his voice strained.
“I’m telling you, it’s not what you think it is.” I fought against the tangled cords of my styling tools before finally emerging victorious with my electric toothbrush, whirling away happily. “See? Totally innocent.”
The muscle along Lucien’s jaw tensed as he kneaded the crease between his brows. “Great. That’s…great. Just a toothbrush,” he muttered to himself.
Jae pushed the door behind him open with his elbow. “Nearest bathroom is just in here. You’ll be, uh, sharing with me. I’ve cleared two shelves for you already.”
Did he not know that was the equivalent of a marriage proposal? Why was he doing this to me?
“Thank you.” I took stock of my belongings, and overwhelm surged up my throat. “I’m pretty tired,” I admitted, quietly.
“Get settled in and rest. No early start—come by the patisserie tomorrow when we’re open,” Mercer said firmly.
So bossy. I resisted the urge to argue just for the sake of it. He was lucky I was so sleepy.
The nest room was as large as Marisol had described it at the town meeting.
But she failed to mention the exposed wood beams and wainscoting lining the walls.
Gorgeous. If I looked closely I might notice where they would have to do touch-ups.
But from where I was standing, the heritage design had held up beautifully and timelessly.
It was intimidating. I was supposed to make it mine, even just for a short while. But my nest didn’t really… go with this room.
All omegas were particular about their nest—every element down to the fabrics, textures, and materials that made up the bedding was specifically chosen. But mine definitely didn’t look like the ones on the #nestgoals Insta feed. No harmonious blend of beige neutrals for me.
I carefully opened the bags Olive had packed for me earlier.
Out sprung the brightly colored printed comforters.
Mismatched pillows with tassels. Frills next to polka dots, florals atop checkerboards.
My cushions came next. Fruit-shaped, toast slices, a croissant three times as big as my head.
Some had little smiley faces embroidered on them.
My cat collectibles were the finishing touch—dozens of grumpy roly-poly plushies lining one edge of my nest.
If it made me smile, it belonged in my nest.
I knew it wasn’t for everyone. I’d kicked an alpha out of it once because he asked how he was supposed to fuck me in a Barbie Dreamhouse.
My nest wasn’t even pink. Idiot.
But rejection—even from an idiot—still stung.
Fatigue tugged at me as I worked, and I fell asleep wondering what the brothers would think of my nest.