Chapter 29
Hestia
The smell of food tickles my nose, sneaking in under the sweet scents of my mates.
It rouses me enough that I sit up in Magnus’s lap, rubbing my eyes and looking around for the source.
“How do you feel?” Orion asks, cupping my face.
“I’m fine,” I say, voice scratchy and my throat sore.
I clear my throat, and Henri is already handing me a glass of water. I gulp it down, some of it spilling on my chest.
I sigh and stretch my legs out toward the fire, which now has a cast-iron cauldron hanging over it.
“What are we eating?” I ask.
“It’s beef stew. I used our dried meat and some canned vegetables from the pantry. The meat should be soft enough if we let it boil a little longer,” Henri says. “It won’t be as good as our usual dinners, but it should be decent and filling.”
“I’m sure it’ll be great,” I say, already salivating.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Orion asks again.
I smile and nod, and he rubs the top of my head.
My freakout about Cato rejecting me seems so far away, like it happened to someone else. I’m totally fine now. Amazing even.
“You don’t need to keep watching over me. You can go shower if you want,” I say.
After a little more prodding, they finally accept that I’m all better, and Charm and Orion leave to clean up.
As they go, I catch sight of Cato leaning against the wall. His hair is damp, and he’s wearing different pants, so he must have bathed while I was out.
He’s sitting as far away as possible, but watches me through half-lidded eyes.
If Cato wants to avoid me, that’s his prerogative. Maybe he realized his teasing was getting too real so he backed off.
That works for me. We shouldn’t cross that line while they’re my bosses.
I’ve found my resolve again. I’ll stay focused on the job until it’s safe to confess my feelings.
I settle back against Magnus, using him as a recliner while I watch Henri stir the stew.
My stomach growls as Henri scoops me a second bowl.
I waited (impatiently) to ensure there was enough left after my giant teammates got their portions before going for seconds. Henri gave me a large bowlful to start with, but it went fast.
Thankfully there’s still plenty left in the cauldron. The canned carrots and potatoes turned out delicious, especially if you avoid wondering how old they are.
The only thing missing is fresh, crusty bread, but obviously I’m not going to complain about that.
I eat through my second serving just as fast, but this one fills me up.
I flop against Magnus after I scrape the bowl clean, letting it dangle from my hand. Henri quickly takes it and sets it aside.
Magnus transferred me to a pile of pillows earlier when he went to clean up, but I’ve found he’s a much better seat than anything else. I climbed right back in his lap when he returned.
They’re all freshly showered now, and even though I can tell they used descenting soap and sprays, their clean, natural scents are still obvious without air filters.
It’s just like I thought, the six of us smell like the perfect winter evening.
Winter has always been my favorite season, and even after surviving a blizzard, my mind hasn’t changed. There’s just something special about it. Winter, that is, not the blizzard.
The short days and cozy nights, colorful lights everywhere. It’s a season of slowing down.
I flex my toes, pink socks pointed toward the fire.
Orion pulls a blanket over me, even though I already pushed off the other ones they covered me with before dinner. I quickly slide this one off too.
“Do you not like the feel of it?” Orion asks.
I still as my omega brain whirrs, excited that an alpha is trying to help us nest.
I shake off the thought and say, “The blanket is fine, I’m just hot.”
“Are you sure?” Henri asks, peeking at me before quickly looking away.
“I’m warm enough here by the fire,” I say.
“Sure, but it’s still drafty,” Charm says.
As if on cue, an extra powerful gust of wind rattles the cabin. It’s been doing that off and on, and it’s mostly background noise at this point.
The fire has been going for hours, I don’t know why they’re so worried about a stray draft.
I catch Charm staring at my clothes, and when he realizes I see him, he hastily turns away to poke at the fire.
I look down too, confused about what’s wrong with my pink cotton shorts and tank top. This was all I had in my pack, obviously more suited for summer wear, but it’s just a backup set. I didn’t think my spare clothes needed to be fashionable.
“Do you not like my outfit?” I can’t help asking.
“No, it’s not that, your clothes are nice, I mean, lovely! Wear whatever you want. They just seemed…thin. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable,” Orion says.
I pull on the hem of my tank top, stretching it out. It doesn’t look that thin to me. I let go, and it snaps back in place, clinging to my skin.
There’s a chorus of growls from the surrounding alphas.
I roll my eyes. It’s not that thin. And sure, my shorts are short, but I’m not cold.
“I’m perfectly comfortable,” I say, crossing my arms.
That only makes them stare harder at my outfit.
They’re being so weird about my fashion choices.
Orion is the first to look away. He clears his throat and says, “We’ll get the beds together for tonight. I was thinking we would all sleep in here if that’s alright with you, Hestia. We can make you a private sleeping space if you’d prefer.”
“I don’t mind sharing. It’s the correct protocol in this situation,” I say.
Conserving heat and fuel is one of the most important things we can do.
After one last judging look at my outfit, they’re off to gather our bedding.
They can be a little too solicitous sometimes.