ALEX
The next morning I wake up feeling like I’m in a whole new world, one I’ve never known before.
Maybe it’s a world that needs to be redesigned from scratch?
Bay’s path and mine have been so rough that it feels like the shocks we’ve gone through will keep shaking us for a long time, just from momentum alone.
Thankfully, the day greets me with a strange, quiet sense of normalcy.
And…
The first thing I do is start working on the nest.
Yeah, I know, unbelievable but true. Something inside me is pushing me to create at least a basic nest, a beginning of sorts, a symbol of change in me, in us.
I pull the pillows out of the closet, the ones I packed away a long time ago, flattened and tightly rolled up. I look through them and pick out the pretty green and purple ones.
Staring at the materials, I can feel something inside me, in my chest, a kind of tremor, a need to show that things are changing.
A lot of omegas build nests when they’re unhappy.
Those nests often grow big and almost armored, solid, a reflection of their need for safety.
But that wasn’t my case. When I lived with depression and loneliness, a nest never felt like a refuge.
It felt like lying to myself, creating a false sense of security amid the ruins, and that wouldn’t have been healthy for me.
Now I’m building a nest because it comes from my need to create a place where I can sleep with my True Mate, where the nest’s unique energy can support our relationship, help it find stability, and guide it toward a new path, a new future.
When the nest is finally ready, I let out a sigh. It’s not big or beautiful, but it’s there, and it’s actually pretty cozy. I hope Bay notices that I wove his T-shirt into it too! I smile to myself and walk out of the room.
I step into the living room and find Bay in the kitchen nook, dressed casually in a black tank top and black sweatpants, barefoot, which gives a kind of everyday, relaxed vibe.
His long hair is tied back in a ponytail.
He’s standing by the counter, slicing tomatoes, with fresh toast lying next to him.
He turns to me and gives me a smile that’s that familiar Bay’s mix of slight sadness, mild amusement, and a touch of flirtation.
I grin back. Then, almost shyly, I step toward him, realizing I’m not wearing gloves, and wow, that feels weird.
I stand behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, which probably looks a little funny given our size difference.
Goodness, his body is so hard, like steel, with all those sculpted planes.
I stay there for a moment, pressed against him, feeling his strength. I notice a subtle scent I’ve never smelled on him before, a delicate citrus aroma, grapefruit with just a hint of lime.
"Wow, Bay, I think I’m smelling your Allure!" I say. I let go and he turns, setting down the knife he was using and wiping his hand with a paper towel.
"Ah, really? Funny, this morning I caught a faint hint of strawberries and raspberries on you. Something’s definitely going on!" He lightly pokes me in the nose.
"Do you think it’ll all heal completely?" I ask, looking up at him with a bit of hesitation.
"What?"
"The… incompatibility. For now, Compatron is masking it. But you know, through the Joining, my body might start adjusting naturally to you. Blue suggested that," I explain, my tone slightly uncertain.
Bay smirks subtly. Why does he have to look so good, with his red strands falling softly around his face?
Even though Skye was always considered the most handsome of the Nolan brothers, I honestly have no idea why he gets that title instead of Bay!
Bay has this natural, effortless kind of attractiveness, a bit of a bad-boy vibe, something darker.
Skye looks more like a classic runway model.
If you ask me, Bay is the most beautiful one, but I’m definitely biased.
I reach out and tuck a few strands behind his ear. His expression is peculiar, like he’s experiencing something new, or remembering something he’d forgotten—that we can touch each other freely now.
I don’t know why, but the fact that we can suddenly be close without any barrier makes me feel a strange shyness.
It’s not paralyzing, but there’s this weird sensation that everything has reset, that the day I’ve waited for almost a decade has finally come.
He’s here, real, present. And I’m buzzing inside!
Bay watches me for a moment.
"Anything’s possible with fated mates like us. Sit down, Alex. I’m just putting the finishing touches on breakfast. It’s not a chef’s masterpiece, but it’s a start," he says apologetically.
I flop into a chair, still a little dazed, my nostrils taking in his scent. I remember that before everything fell apart and went to hell, I imagined it would smell like grapefruit. I was ninety percent right. There’s still an additional, subtle lime note.
There’s a quiet in the room. Part of it feels slightly awkward, but another part feels like it’s something we’ve both grown used to over the years.
Ten years without a relationship, ten years without real intimacy.
We probably got used to the silence. But I can appreciate that this quiet has suddenly stopped being tied to bleak emptiness.
While we eat, I work up the courage to ask him.
"Do you think the day will come when we can go to your parents’ house?"
Bay slowly strokes his chin, leaning back in his chair.
"I think so. You know, Rain’s wedding was a big event recently. Things are calm now, but it’s up to you. If you want a few more months of peace, without, you know, the chaos, the whirlwind that’s always part of my family life, we don’t have to rush anything."
I exhale, feeling relieved. I love Bay’s family, but I have to be aware of who I am after ten years of a hermit-like life.
Definitely, I’ve become a bit of a recluse.
While I used to get along so easily with his younger brothers and enjoyed their company, now they’re adults, and it’s a lot to take in.
"I won’t lie, I’d prefer that. Let’s wait a bit longer. I just want to enjoy us for now, then we can move to the next stage," I say, waving my hands apologetically, feeling a little awkward.
Bay studies me for a moment, then reaches out and takes my restless hand.
Instantly, a wave of soothing warmth flows through me.
I glance at our fingers intertwined. The last time I looked at them like this, we were eighteen.
My hand is small and bony, his large and muscular, yet they fit together in a strange way.
I trace the inside of his hand with my fingertips, moving through the small crease between his fingers, then along his wrist.
Bay closes his eyes slightly, seemingly melting into the touch. Then suddenly he speaks.
"You know, all these years there were situations where someone wanted to have sex with me; people I met at different parties or during group outings to restaurants. Most of the time I avoided networking, but sometimes I couldn’t get out of it, because meeting sponsors and doing interviews is part of being a musician.
It often happened that after the business part was done, some of them: omegas, sometimes betas, even alphas, tried to get with me.
I was literally besieged at times, but I was unable to feel anything.
Many were very disappointed, and it probably cost me some lucrative deals, but I just couldn’t force myself. " He pauses, collecting his thoughts.
Letting out a breath, I slightly squeeze his fingers.
"Well, I figured as much. In the comments under your videos, people kept wondering why you were so private about your personal life, since no one could ever tell who you were dating. But that’s the reality of being a popular musician; there are plenty of opportunities.
I’m… glad you didn’t take them," I say this with an approving smile.
Then I lean a bit and add, "See, a few people were interested in me also, but the touch itself made me feel repulsed, almost physically pained, or at least uncomfortable. "
Bay taps his fingertips lightly over the back of my hand.
"For me it was a little different. That touch didn’t hurt, but it didn’t make me feel anything either. You know, for years I thought I might have become impotent, because no one could spark the emotions you bring out in me, even with just one touch."
He lowers his gaze to our hands, his eyes looking a little darker now.
"I remember what you were like right before we broke up. The fire in you, Alex, everything you did in bed… it worked perfectly for me. So after we were no longer a thing, my standards stayed pretty high."
I feel my cheeks flush. "You know, we’re both twenty-eight now, but that doesn’t mean we’re old. And besides, True Mate magic rejuvenates us, pulls us back to our early twenties. Remember? Your parents are proof. We’ll lose a few years!"
"Are you saying your libido dropped and you’re counting on a reset?" Bay teases, a playful smirk on his face.
"I’m not saying that," I pout. "I blocked it for years, yes, but you know omegas’ libido doesn’t fade with age," I narrow my eyes mischievously. "It only grows, up to forty, then it stays strong for at least another decade, so…"
"Hmmm, omegas’ libido? What about alphas? Their libido is supposed to peak between twenty and thirty. Am I already at the tail end?" Bay’s tone is flirtatious and lighthearted. The last time I remember him like this was a decade ago.
"We’ll see. But in our case, there’s also the True Mate factor. They’re fucking multiple times a day," I add jokingly, and simultaneously slide my hand along his wrist. Bay tilts his head slightly, watching my actions.
"I wonder if that revenant look of yours was temporary or something you could call up on demand?"
There’s a pause. I stare at him, mouth slightly open, caught off guard. Could it be…?
"Seriously, you liked it?"