Chapter 6
Charity
I'd had a peaceful wakeup with Matthias this morning, so peaceful, in fact, that it had taken more than a little convincing to get me out of bed.
Atticus had told me to meet him in the greenhouse after breakfast, so after Matthias made me another delicious smoothie, I started exploring the house until I got there, the other guys already needing to get ready for work.
I stepped through a clear glass door and into a well-kept flower jungle.
Butterflies and birds flew around and above the endless flower beds, millions of different colors shouting out at me.
I slowly walked across the carefully placed concrete slabs until I saw Atticus sitting down on a cute, pastel purple couch by the end of the greenhouse.
He seemed relaxed, knees spread wide, with an arm resting on the back of the couch.
Without realizing it, I quickened my pace and sat down next to him, pulling my knees up to my chest and looking up at him curiously. He smiled down at me before looking at the flowers and vines and wildlife.
"Do you like the greenhouse?" he said, glancing back down at me.
"I love it!" I told him. "It's beautiful, and it has flowers I've never seen before!
" I scooted closer to him, my shins brushing his forearm.
He moved his hand up my shins to my knees, and down the tops of my thighs, my skin growing more sensitive as he brushed closer and closer to my core.
I whined softly, that aching feeling pulling at my core again.
I noticed that the aching hadn't gone away since I woke up this morning.
"What's wrong, Charity? Are you feeling needy, darling?" he asked me, the roughness of his voice washing over me. My omega perked up in my chest, and I whined again, unable to form words. I squeezed my eyes shut and tensed my core, taking a few quick breaths.
"Hurts," I whimpered, a long whine escaping me. I didn't think I'd ever whined this much in my life, much less in front of someone who was basically a stranger. But he was my alpha, so I decided to trust him.
"Where does it hurt, darling?" I took his hand in both of mine and pressed it to the lower part of my abdomen.
A strong cramping sensation overtook me, and I keeled over, squeezing his hand with almost all of my strength.
I whined uncontrollably, a pool of slick pouring out of me and soaking my underwear.
Atticus cursed under his breath, and before I knew it, four more alphas were running through the greenhouse.
I opened my eyes, meeting each one of theirs before looking back at Atticus.
Five different scents and purrs blasted at me, acting as a kind of anesthetic for a moment before another cramp ripped through me.
I tried as much as I could to breathe through it, but it was hard, and I whined again, their scents and purrs not enough to distract me from the pain in my core.
I saw Matthias squat down in front of me, and he reached up, gently holding my chin in his thumb and index finger.
He lightly rubbed his index finger back and forth on the underside of my chin, his other hand moving to gently squeeze my thigh.
I whimpered at his touch, a few tears falling from my eyes.
"I know, baby. I know," he said quietly. He brushed a few of my tears away before resting that hand on one of my knees. "I know it hurts, sweetheart. Daddy's gonna help." I nodded, too lost in the pain to notice what exactly he said.
He muttered something to the others, and one of them quickly turned and started walking away. I whined loudly, reaching out to who looked like Zade through my blurry vision. I didn't want any of my alphas to leave, and my omega felt like him leaving was an act of rejection.
"He's gonna be right back, sweet girl," Matthias said. "He's just gonna get you some water to cool you down." I hadn't noticed that on top of the cramps and aching, I was burning up, sweat beading at my temples.
Zade, who had turned back around to face us, jogged over to me and peppered my face with kisses.
Distracted by the affection, I giggled softly.
He pulled away and grabbed my jaw, turning it towards him and forcing me to look up at him.
"I'm not rejecting you," he said, a slight rumble behind his words.
"I just don't want my precious omega to be working up too much of a sweat.
" He pressed a light kiss to my lips, being the first to kiss me there. "I'll be back before you know it."
I nodded and took a few deep breaths, watching as he quickly left the greenhouse.
Marcel moved to sit behind me, his hand slipping underneath my shirt and rubbing up and down my back soothingly.
I moaned softly, closing my eyes for a few seconds before opening them again to see Xander smirking down at me.
"That feel good, princess?" he asked, and I blushed, adding to the rosiness of my cheeks. Atticus gave him a sidelong glare, to which Xander rolled his eyes. Atticus growled loudly, snarling at him.
I reached out and ran my hands across Atticus's chest, pressing circles around where his purr reverberated out of.
"Atticus, I'm okay," I whispered, moving my hands up to run them through his dark hair.
His stormy gray eyes met mine, immediately softening.
"Xander's just joking around. He probably just wants attention.
" I looked up at Xander through my eyelashes.
His gaze flitted around the room, brows furrowed, like he was looking for some hidden camera.
He crossed his arms, pouting like a toddler not getting their way.
"Oh, Xander, you're just a precious little boy who wants attention, aren't you?
Yes you are, yes you are," I said, like I was talking to the family dog.
He looked at me and narrowed his eyes. There was an edge in them that sobered up my playfulness.
"I should put you over my knee and teach you a lesson, princess," he muttered, and my brain short-circuited, my breaths coming faster. Part of me was scared of what seemed like a punishment, and part of me was eager — so undeniably eager — to see what he was talking about.
Matthias cleared his throat, and I blinked a few times, broken out of my stupor, as I looked down at him. "Are you feeling better, sweetheart?" he asked me, and I nodded, smiling softly.
"I am," I said. "Thank you. I don't know what came over me." Zade walked back into the greenhouse and handed me a water bottle. I took a few sips from it, the water tasting better than it ever has in my life.
"Your body was probably just giving you a taste of what your first heat will feel like," Matthias said, and some more slick leaked out of me as Marcel pressed kisses across my shoulders from behind me.
I tried to push my way through the brain fog and realize what he was saying. My first heat? When was I getting my first heat? "When is that gonna happen?" I asked, my brows drawing together as nervousness attacked my features.
"That's the problem," Atticus said. "We don't know. And there aren't a lot of cases like yours to tell us what to expect."
Matthias nodded. "So right now, we're playing the guessing game. Your heat could come in two weeks, or it could come in two months. We don't know."
I processed through everything in my head, leaning back against Marcel, his hands moving to cross around my waist, still underneath my shirt. Somehow, the intimacy of his touch didn't make me feel uncomfortable or scared at all. It only comforted and reassured me.
"For the time being," Matthias continued. "You — specifically, your omega — need to nest somewhere in the house. We have a room set aside for nesting, but we want you to choose where you want it to be, because it's not our nest — it's yours." I tilted my head at him.
"If we're all supposed to share it, then why are you saying it's mynest? Wouldn't it be ours?" I asked, confused as to why he told me I could choose wherever I wanted in the house.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl," Matthias whispered, chuckling softly under his breath.
He kissed my forehead lightly. "It's very kind of you to think of us.
But the nest is yours and yours only. It's a safe space for you and your omega, and is a place of warmth and comfort.
Omegas often get very territorial over their nest, and others — including their alphas — must be invited in.
It's a sacred place for you, and we want you to treat it as such," he explained.
I nodded a few times, understanding what he meant.
"You can have whatever pillows and blankets you want in it; it can be whatever size and shape you want; it can have whatever color scheme you might prefer; it can be located wherever you'd like in the house. It's all up to you," Zade said, smiling at me.
"A lot of omegas also have some articles of clothing or pillows of their mates, but you can decide whatever you want to have in the nest with you," Xander told me.
"And it's not all or nothing. You can try out different kinds of bedding, and you can see what kind of setup you want your nest to have.
Just because something goes in the nest, doesn't mean it's stuck there forever.
Just follow what your omega says. I imagine she'll take over once you start making it. "
"My mom and my sisters all said that when they built their nest for the first time, it was like they blacked out and their omega just started doing shit," Marcel said. "So I wouldn't worry too much about it. And you always have us to help you, should you need it."
Matthias placed my hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of mine. "For now, just focus on feeling better, and when you're up to it, you can start building your nest."
Atticus carded his fingers through my hair before letting his palm rest on the back of my neck, squeezing gently, but not in a way that felt threatening.
Rather, in a way that felt supportive. My omega preened in my chest, and a soft, velvety rumble vibrated out of me.
I looked down at my sternum, unsure what just happened, the sound cutting off almost as quickly as it begun.
"Did our omega just purr for her alphas?" Marcel asked, his breath curling around my ear.
"I think she did. Didn't you, sweet girl?" Matthias said, his voice shooting straight to my core, where I was still soaking wet. I blushed and blinked at him, too flustered for words.
"Come on, princess," Xander crooned. "Try it again." Atticus's hand squeezed the back of my neck again, less gently this time, but it still didn't feel threatening.
I closed my eyes and focused on that feeling in my chest, tapping into it and pushing it out, that same rumble returning. It was softer and more delicate than theirs, sounding sweet and gentle. I smiled softly at the sound.
"Such a good girl," Matthias said. Xander moved to kneel in front of me, right next to Matthias. I could see a twinkle in his eyes, like he was trying to decide on something.
"Kiss me, Charity," he said. And without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.
He tasted smoky, almost like a campfire.
Our lips moved against each other in a delectable rhythm, moans softly escaping my throat.
His tongue pressed gently against my lips, and I opened my mouth slightly, letting his tongue move with mine.
The pure dominance and assertiveness radiating off of him perked up my omega even more, and the purr in my chest stuttered slightly before getting louder and more confident.
The kiss was perfect, and I never wanted it to end.
I arched towards him, goosebumps of pleasure skating down my back.
I ran my hands through his soft, dark brown locks, moving my tongue in harmony with his.
I could hear his purr right alongside mine, the sound of them filling the room.
It was so deliciously overwhelming that I almost didn't hear Atticus growl from beside me.
Xander's mouth was ripped from mine, and as I panted heavily to get my breath back, I saw Matthias's hand gripping his shoulder firmly.
"What the hell, asshole?" Marcel gritted angrily, seething as he glared at Xander.
"Yeah, you're supposed to askfirst, nut job. Ever heard of consent?" Matthias said. Xander just glared back at them, and they all had a silent conversation through their eyes.
I giggled, and three sets of eyes shot to mine, clearly looking at me like I interrupted something important. My giggle turned into a laugh, before I pressed my lips together and tried to sober my expression.
"I was just trying to see if kissing her would amplify her purr, dinguses," Xander said, explaining his reasoning.
"And you were right, Xander. It did amplify my purr," I told him, biting my lip softly as I looked at his in hopes of reliving that kiss.
"Still could've asked," Matthias whispered under his breath. I pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead.
"Don't be frustrated, Matty," I said. "And besides, I liked the kiss." I licked my lips, looking at Xander's again. "A lot."
Atticus's hand stayed on the back of my neck, his thumb running up and down the column of my throat.
I looked at him and noticed the formidable expression on his face, as well as how much quieter he had gotten in the presence of the other guys.
I knew he was more reserved, but I found it interesting how quiet and calculating he was while everyone was around, as opposed to it just being the two of us.
My eyes bore into his, which were staring off into the space of the greenhouse, and before I could get lost in my thoughts, Marcel's arms tightened around my waist , pulling me closer to him.
"I think that's enough excitement for today, kitten," he said into my ear, before dropping his head and pressing kisses to my shoulder.
a/n: that's chapter six ??
- kinda thirsty, I know...but I've made you guys wait far too long to for some scenes like this
- thank you so so so much to everyone who commented and voted on the last chapter.
It means the world to me to have an audience that is so supportive of my work, and you guys will never understand just how much it means to have people still supporting me after a six-month hiatus. you guys are the best ??