11. Calliope
Calliope
The room they open for me is bare. Based on the house's elegance, I was at least expecting some decor. But the walls, the floors, and even the bed are blank. I turn back to the men still standing in the door with a confused expression.
Seth explains. "An omega suite is something that packs fortunate enough to afford them tend to have. All packs at least provide a space for omegas to have their own nest."
An entire suite with a nest. Even before the cottage, I'd only had a standard room. Since my parents had been betas, they never dreamed they'd need a house with a nest available. And, since they decided to raise me as a beta despite my designation, they'd never gotten one.
"I have a nest-room-hybrid at the cottage," I admit.
As a librarian, my salary doesn't stretch to afford a proper omega-based apartment, which tends to be pricier due to the specialized nesting spaces they require.
I manage to make do. Seth wants to say something about that, but Bax returns with an armful of blankets and sheets.
I hadn't even noticed he'd slipped away.
He pauses before entering the room. "Do you mind if I come in?"
I gape at him.
"It's your house," I remind him unnecessarily. He chuckles, and the sound is deep and velvety against my skin.
"This is our house, but this room is an omega suite.
We combined two rooms, hoping that one day we would be honored with an omega to bond with our pack.
We took this risk even though we knew there was a chance we might never find someone.
While we're courting you, this is your room, and we hope you'll eventually decide to make it permanent.
" I struggle with what to even say to that.
"So, can we come in?" he asks again.
"Yes," I whisper, feeling heat rising in my cheeks.
Bax brings in the softest blankets, and Connor grabs the pillows.
Seth trails closely behind me, his warm hand resting on the small of my back, sending shivers down my spine as he guides me to the door at the far end of the room.
Each step feels charged, the air thick with anticipation.
"Behind this door is the nest part of the suite. It's also blank, waiting for our omega to make it theirs." Bax explains.
I remain silent, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep over me.
An entire nest suite felt excessive. These guys have to be out of their minds.
There's no way they expect me to decorate a whole room in their house.
But as I watch each of them—making my bed, tucking in the blankets, and arranging the pillows—they appear serious.
Seth's fingers trail in slow, deliberate circles around my lower back, each movement igniting a subtle warmth that spreads through me. It's as if he's unaware of his effect on me, and completely present simultaneously. After the bed is made, he turns to me.
"Can I hug you?" he asks, his voice low.
The question catches me off guard, but they did say that the omega set the physical pace.
Little touches are obviously fine since I said they could in the library but these larger steps, I realize they're always going to ask.
I find myself nodding, drawn to him despite my uncertainty.
Seth leans down, enveloping me in his warm embrace.
The rich scent of coffee lingers around him, grounding yet intoxicating, while a hint of cinnamon wafts up, wrapping around me like a cozy morning treat.
A soft, keening sound escapes my lips, igniting a low purr from him as he pulls me closer, squeezing me tighter, sending delightful shivers through my body.
When he finally pulls away, I feel a pang of disappointment echo through me, but I can't quite reconcile it in my mind.
I've just met this man, yet every instinct urges me to draw him back in, to taste the electric connection that sparks between us.
I'm not disappointed for long, though. Each of the others also asks and embraces me.
Bax's fire scent mixing with the cinnamon left behind by Seth, and Connor's vanilla makes me feel like I'm snuggled next to a fireplace with a hot pastry.
After, they each file out the door and close it.
I'm alone again. It leaves me with such a bottomless black pit in my stomach that I almost call them back.
Instead, I stuff the instinct down, like I have with every other omega instinct my entire life, and I crawl into the incredibly soft and comfortable bed.