Twenty-Three
I catch sight of myself in the mirror; tattooed face, semi-shaved head, torso covered in script, piercings all over…
then look over to a nest I never thought I’d be carefully arranging.
Even assuming my omega will be okay with me and Anderson doing this for her is a big display of trust, because it’s very possible she’ll walk in and scream at us that we ruined it and want us nowhere near it.
Just the thought of her huddled on that hospital bed the way she was when we got there though, the way she looked so small and lost, and I know we made the right call in wanting to get this set up for her.
I’m sure she’ll want to re-arrange some things, but at least now when they get her here, she won’t have to unpack anything or start from nothing.
She’ll be able to sink under the blankets and turn out the harsh, big light of the room and just tune the world out.
Anderson returns from his house hunt with an arm full of used t-shirts, making sure to scatter them equally so everyone’s scents are evenly distributed through the nest. I lay in the nest bare-chested so I can roll around in it as well, then Anderson joins me, neither one of us talking about how awkward it is to be doing this with no one else here.
When my corner smells like soft, fresh laundry air dried by the sea, and I can smell Anderson’s cedar heavy lavender from across the nest, we wordlessly carry out all the packaging from Fable’s new things and dispose of it, hurrying around to bring drinks and snacks up to the nest before she gets here.
I’m loading the last few water bottles in when I hear the telltale sound of doors closing, and Anderson and I freeze and stare at each other, then race to the front door.
We end up getting stuck in the front door, but I make myself step back and give it to him.
Going to trust that our omega will see to all of us as she’s ready.
Fable looks good as she’s walking up the drive, refusing to be carried by the looks of it, offering soft smiles to Moon as she walks with her arm through his.
He’s different. The trauma of watching her get taken and understanding how wrong in his assessment he was reset something in his brain, and all his cocky demeanor is gone, replaced by the absolute devotion that Fable’s been needing.
Anderson is like a dog, bouncing on the balls of his feet and running ahead a few feet, turning around, running back to check on her and then repeating, and I can’t leave my post in the door because my pack is functioning so well and I can’t stop watching it happen.
I’ve never seen them like this. Everyone is involved in a conversation and speaking in contented tones, everyone completely in tune with our mate.
They’re all checking on her every few steps, orienting themselves around her as they walk up the steps, silently coordinating to carry her things and get her inside, and when I shut the door behind us all, I breathe out a deep, long overdue breath. We’re going to make it.
“What are you still doing down here? They said you did most of the work in the nest. Are you…going to show me it?”
I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d still been standing here with everyone else upstairs; but one look from my omega and I’m picking her up, wrapping my arms round her hips and burying my face into her neck.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. When Moon messaged us, I…
Fable, I’ve never been so scared in my life. We’re going to make this right.”
She presses a kiss to her mating bite and wraps her legs around my hips, giving herself over to me fully as I carry us upstairs.
“It was scary. I was furious for the first few hours, thinking that you guys somehow knew about the arrangement with that pack, that you wanted me gone. I’m sorry I shredded up the bond, I was reacting more than I was thinking.
I couldn’t process anything beyond feeling safe again. ”
I shake my head, holding her fast to me.
“Please, I don’t want any apologies from you about the route you took to protect yourself.
There’s nothing you could possibly do to make us mad at you.
If you doubted us, then we weren’t doing a good enough job of being your alphas.
We thought we were, thought the courting we were doing was good enough, but it wasn’t.
You just need us, don’t you? I get that now.
You needed more time with us, more connection. ”
“You guys do seem different, more intense,” she says quietly, laying her head on my shoulder. “You don’t think I need to make Moon grovel more, do you?”
“I think that if your heart says he’s yours and you know that he was fuck-ing torn up after what happened, and you believe his reactions are genuine and he’s ready to do right by you, then you get to make whatever call you want to.”
“I’ve just had enough of fighting things.
It makes me sick to think Winslow was going to give me to that other pack, and I can’t stop imagining what that would have been like.
I would have been trapped forever probably, because I’m sure it was only a matter of time before they gained access to my house.
Yet another future where none of you would have ever known I existed.
Kind of makes it hard to hold a grudge. I just want to feel like a normal vampire and not waste any more time focused on why things aren’t going to work out for me. ”
I set her down right in front of the nest, smoothing her hair away from her face, then steadying her with my hands on her hips.
“If we hadn’t come, you would have gotten out of that house, I know it.
You never would have just sat by while those assholes moved in and took over.
You would have seen right through their bullshit and found your way to us and made us see you.
Even if you had to maim some people to do it.
You don’t always act tough, but when you do, it’s your best quality.
You’re a survivor, and now it’s your turn to sit back and enjoy the life you should have always had. ”
“Starting with a real heat, in a proper nest, with all my bonded alphas?”
A smile breaks over my face. “You gonna give Moon a bond?”
“Kind of thinking about biting his dick to do it.”
I throw my head back and laugh, kissing the fuck out of her.
The sound is unusual, something I’m unaccustomed to making, but I’m finding that I like the way I’m growing, being a part of Fable’s life.
“Please never change. Please, yes, bite his dick. I hear he’s always been curious about getting a dick piercing, this will be a good trial run.
Might want to bite him again afterwards though, on his neck, in case that girl you told about his toenail collection sees him around and gets ideas. ”
Now it’s her turn to laugh. “I forgot about that. Yes. Can’t have anyone unsure about his status. Maybe a few extra, just to be sure.”
“Perfect. Come on, let’s see if we messed up your nest too badly. I’ll help you move anything you say is in the wrong spot.”
I open the door for her and spin her around, and she gasps, hands flying to her mouth. “Edric, its…it’s beautiful.”
She walks in carefully like she’s not sure she should enjoy it so much, but she’s never had a real nest before and I’m sure it feels surreal, finally giving into what her body wants.
She starts by walking the perimeter of the massive, round, sunken mattress framed by pillows, hand touching the fabrics on the wall that Calloway hung up weeks ago.
She does a slow spin to look at the twinkle lights on the ceiling with the quiet fans that keep the air moving, peeking into the bathroom with the overlarge bathtub and gleaming marble sink.
Then she’s checking out the full refreshment station we have set up with a beverage fridge and a mini pantry, opening the door that leads to the laundry chute so we can shove dirty stuff right out of the room as soon as we want it gone.
She takes a peek into the linen closet that’s overflowing with extra linens, mattress protectors, and so. Many. Fucking. Blankets.
She squeals, pulling every last one out and throwing them into the middle of the bed, diving in like it’s a swimming pool instead of a solid surface.
She doesn’t emerge for a solid 60 seconds, but when she does, she’s somehow completely naked, eyes gleaming.
She crooks a finger at me, head peeking out from under a blanket she’s got draped over her head, and I pull off my shirt and leave my jeans and socks by the door, walking down the small set of steps to meet her where she is.
Already, the smell of her slick is permeating the space, and I have a feeling she spent that minute under the blankets spreading it around so we’d all go feral the second we walked into the nest.
She did a very thorough job.
I let out a groan, pinning her to the mattress so I can gnaw on her throat. “You’re not too sore, are you? We could run you a bath, perhaps? Or maybe you should sleep…”
She pulls away from me, face scrunched in concentration. “What are you doing? I know my heat spike is eased for now, but it’s growing again, I promise. I think this might be the real deal. Do you…do you not want to help me through it? I just thought—”
I let out a growl of annoyance, aimed at myself, cutting her off.
“Of course I’m going to help you. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You seem so delicate; I know you’re strong as hell and you were literally made for this, but I can’t help but to want to coddle you, wrap you up and keep you to myself.
It’s very at odds with the need to pound my cock into you until you’re screaming. ”
She wiggles her legs until they’re free of blankets, wrapping them around my hips. “I choose option B. Though it might feel like it, you’re not actually going to break me in half by fucking me. I promise I can take it like a good girl.”
Somehow her slick cunt is already rubbing against my cock, and I’ve never wanted my underwear off so badly.
I don’t even bother removing it completely, I just yank it down far enough that my balls are free so I can slide around in that glorious puddle of slick between her legs, notching myself against her entrance.
“You can’t say shit like that to me, Fable.
You’re goading me and I know you can take me, but if you wind me up, I might hurt you. ”
Oh, she does not like that at all.
The guys start trickling in one by one, silently watching from the doorway. Fable gets a gleam in her eye when she sees there’s an audience, and I just know she’s ready to misbehave again.
“Sorry, daddy, for being bad.”
Understanding what she wants, I retaliate by flipping her over and pulling her ass in the air, spanking her a few times for punishment before shoving my face against her and coating my face in her slick.
I use my teeth, tongue, and lips to tease her more, to get her close to where she wants to go, so by the time I’m ready to really slam my cock in her, she’ll be desperate.
I don’t know how long I spend there, consuming her, but it’s long enough for the guys to make themselves comfortable and help me remove my boxers.
Fable is squirming underneath me, her skin getting hotter by the second.
Her body must have been waiting for her to feel safe and content to have another spike, and I know sometimes omegas get a few of them before their heat fully hits, but with how hot she’s getting, this might be the real deal.
Trying not to panic, I make eyes at my packmates, trying to convey what’s happening. A few of them get the hint, moving into the nest faster.
Fable looks at me over her shoulder, eyes gone a bit hazy, tracking her alphas and making sure they’re all where she wants them to be. They’re not all in the room yet, which she notices right away.
Jos picks up on her panic through the bond, poking his head out of the room to call Moon and Calloway in.
They come practically sliding in, seconds later, Moon especially frantic to be next to her.
He undresses quickly, diving into the nest not dissimilar to how Fable entered it and has her in his arms within the span of a few seconds, comforting her.
“I’m right here, Omega. Not going anywhere. I’m here as long as you want me to be.”
“Hurts, alpha,” she mutters, hanging her head further down as she hunches over.
Moon doesn’t even need to send me the look of warning he does, because I’ve already got my dick in hand, and I’m pushing into her to ease her pain.
She lets out a sigh of relief as I bottom out, losing myself in how incredible it feels to be connected to her like this.
Her pheromones start dragging all of us under, the bonds in my chest flaring bright as we fall into a heat haze right along with her. Moon gets too close, not being careful enough, and I’m actually somewhat shocked when she truly does bite the side of his dick with no hesitance whatsoever.
Moon looks completely blissed out, uncaring she marked him first, even though it’s more customary for an alpha to make the first bite.
When Fable pulls away to get a breath in and moan, Moon takes advantage by wedging himself further underneath her and getting his teeth wide open around her neck, choosing the most obvious place to place his bite.
Most of our bites are going to be in one small space of her body, likely making it look as if wild animals mauled her, but the rush of him entering the bond, completing our pack’s union to her, is unlike anything I could have imagined.
The peace that floats through me, carrying fragments of my packmates’ thoughts and feelings, with our stunner of a mate at the heart of it all, is almost overwhelming in its intensity.
Now Fable’s sucking at Moon, but I’m not sure if it’s to get blood or to just suck his dick, or maybe both.
Whatever it is, she’s currently satisfied.
Once Moon pulls his teeth out of her, I have more freedom to go wild.
I take advantage so I can ease my omega, pumping into her and brushing against her cervix with every thrust. She’s wanton underneath me now that she feels fully secure in her pack, clawing at everyone that’s surrounding her, looking for ways to further satiate the relentless heat.
She’s begging for a knot within seconds, and it will never get old, never not be soul-altering to knot this woman. Desperate for a taste of her, I bite into the back of her neck and pull just a few sips, her rich blood coating my palette as I continue to work her.
When my knot is fully locked into place, she’s satisfied long enough to hold still on it, but all it takes to make her want more is for Moon to kiss her.
I know we need to pace ourselves, but we’re not strong enough alphas to hold anything back when she’s being so sweet, being so needy, calling for us all by name.