30. Twinkling Acceptance Of Us #2
Cole is slumped in an oversized armchair that definitely wasn't here this morning, his head tilted back at what has to be an uncomfortable angle.
He's snoring softly, the sound almost drowned out by Luna's continued excited squeaks.
Even in sleep, he looks exhausted, shadows under his eyes and his clothes rumpled like he's been working non-stop.
"Of course the old man couldn't stay up. Pathetic." Mavi's groan is all fond exasperation as he guides me fully into the room, closing the door behind us with a soft click. "We've been home for two minutes and he's already failing at the grand reveal."
River rolls his eyes, the gesture so dramatic I can see it even in the soft lighting.
"He worked himself half to death setting all this up.
Cut him some slack." His fingers absently pluck a few notes, the melody sweet and sleepy.
"You should've seen him earlier—measuring everything twice, adjusting pillows like the fate of the world depended on perfect cushion placement.
I've never seen anyone take nest building so seriously. "
"He even made a diagram," Austin adds with a laugh that makes Luna giggle in response. "An actual diagram, Willa. With measurements and optimal scent distribution patterns. I think he might have used some of his old firefighting tactical planning."
The image of Cole, gruff and practical Cole, carefully diagramming pillow placement makes my throat tight with emotion I'm not prepared to handle.
These men who barely know me, who have no obligation to care, spent their evening creating this space.
For me. The girl who showed up on their doorstep like a stray cat, all sharp edges and trust issues.
"Got it all on video too," Austin continues, shifting Luna to one hip with practiced ease. "For the family memories. Figure Cole will want to see your reaction even if he couldn't stay awake for it." He grins, mischievous and boyish. "Plus, future blackmail material is always valuable."
"You're recording this?" I squeak, suddenly aware that I'm standing here in Mavi's flannel shirt and nothing else, hair probably a disaster, eyes red from exhaustion and other activities I don't want to think about with an audience.
"Just on my phone," Austin assures me. "Nothing fancy. Just... we don't get many firsts anymore, you know? First time seeing your nest seemed worth documenting."
My nest.
The words hit me like a physical blow, and I have to reach for the doorframe to steady myself. This isn't just a transformed room—it's a nest. Something I never had, never knew I needed, never thought I deserved.
I stand frozen in the doorway, my legs suddenly unable to remember how movement works.
The fairy lights blur in my vision, and I realize with mounting horror that I'm about to cry.
In front of everyone. My emotional regulation is shot to hell lately, walls I spent years building crumbling like tissue paper in the rain.
"What's this for?" The whisper escapes before I can stop it, small and vulnerable and nothing like the capable woman I try to project.
My voice cracks on the last word, and I have to swallow hard against the lump building in my throat.
The room goes quiet except for Cole's soft snores and Luna's happy burbling.
River's fingers still on the guitar strings, Austin's playful expression softens into something tender, and Mavi's hand finds the small of my back, warm through the flannel.
They're all looking at me with expressions I can't decode—or maybe I can, and that's what's making it hard to breathe.
"It's for you," River says simply, like that explains everything and nothing all at once.
The fairy lights catch on the glass jars, sending tiny rainbows across the walls.
Every detail screams thoughtfulness—from the color scheme that matches my eyes to the way the pillows are arranged in a perfect circle, creating a cocoon of softness.
There are blankets I recognize as belonging to each of them, their scents mingling into something that makes my omega instincts want to burrow in and never leave.
Someone cleared out an entire corner for what looks like a reading nook, complete with a small bookshelf already half-filled with worn paperbacks.
A silk robe hangs from a hook near the closet—not my ratty old one, but something new and beautiful in a shade of amber that probably cost more than I want to know. There's even a small electric kettle on the dresser, boxes of tea arranged beside it like soldiers.
"You did all this today?" My voice sounds strange, thick with unshed tears. "While I was gone?"
"Started planning it the moment Cole got back from town," Austin says, bouncing Luna gently when she starts to fuss. "He was like a man on a mission. Dragged us all into it, not that we minded."
"River contributed the flowers," Mavi adds, his thumb rubbing small circles on my back. "Austin handled the comfort items. I managed the lighting because apparently, I'm the only one who understands ambiance."
"And Cole?" I glance at the sleeping Alpha, noting the way his hand still loosely holds what looks like a pricing tag from one of the pillows.
"Cole did everything else," River says with quiet admiration. "Drove to three different stores for the right kind of cushions. Spent an hour arranging and rearranging until everything was perfect. Pretty sure he interviewed the sales staff about thread counts."
The tears win.
They spill over despite my best efforts, tracking hot down my cheeks as I stand there in the doorway of a room transformed by love I don't know how to accept.
Luna makes a distressed sound at my tears, reaching harder for me, and that breaks the spell holding me in place.
"It's a nest," Austin says gently, as if I might spook if he speaks too loud.
"Cole told us that Iron Ridge never taught you about nesting, never let you have one.
That's..." He pauses, jaw working like he's biting back words that want to be violent.
"That's neglect, Willa. Criminal neglect.
Every omega deserves a safe space to rest, to feel secure, to be surrounded by pack scents when they need comfort. "
River nods, his dark eyes serious in the fairy light glow.
"The moment Cole told us, we knew we had to fix it. You've been running on empty, trying to sleep without the basic comfort your biology needs. No wonder you're exhausted all the time."
"But this is—" I gesture helplessly at the transformed room, at the obvious expense and effort. "This is too much. You didn't have to?—"
"Yes, we did." Mavi's voice brooks no argument, that Alpha edge creeping in. "You're ours to care for now. That means giving you everything you need, everything you should have had from the beginning."
Austin steps forward, and I finally give in to Luna's demands, reaching for her with shaking hands. She practically launches herself into my arms, immediately snuggling against the soft flannel with happy little sounds.
Her weight grounds me, familiar and perfect, and I have to bury my face in her dark hair to hide the way my shoulders shake with suppressed sobs.
"It's past your bedtime, star girl," I murmur, my voice thick with emotion as Luna giggles and rubs her head against my chest. She smells like baby shampoo and that particular sweet scent that's uniquely hers, with undertones of each of her fathers clinging to her onesie. "Way past. What are you doing up, hmm?"
"Waiting for you," Austin says softly. "She absolutely refused to sleep. I think she knew you were coming home. Babies are intuitive like that."
Luna makes a contented sound, her tiny fist catching the edge of the flannel and holding tight.
Already her eyes are drooping, the excitement of my arrival giving way to exhaustion now that she's where she wants to be.
River and Austin exchange one of those weighted looks that makes my stomach tighten with apprehension. There's more coming, something they need to tell me, and I can see them silently debating who should speak first.
"Cole told us," River finally says, each word careful and measured. "About Blake showing up today. About the things he said."
My body goes rigid, embarrassment flooding through me hot and sharp.
Of course Cole told them. They all know how Blake stripped me bare in the middle of town, announced my failures as an omega for everyone to hear. The fairy lights suddenly feel too bright, the room too warm, and I want to run but Luna's weight keeps me anchored.
"We ain't giving up on you," River continues, his voice gentle but firm as granite. "Whatever poison that man put in your head, whatever lies he told you about yourself—none of it's true. You hear me? None of it."
"River's right," Austin adds, moving closer until I can feel the warmth radiating from his body.
"Blake's a pathetic excuse for an Alpha who wouldn't know how to care for an omega if someone gave him detailed instructions.
Which, frankly, someone should have. Preferably with a two-by-four to the head. "
The violent sentiment from gentle Austin startles a wet laugh out of me.
Luna stirs at the sound, making a sleepy protest before settling again. Her breathing is already evening out, tiny body going limp with approaching sleep.
"There's something else," Mavi says, and I watch as he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out an official-looking document folded in thirds.
The paper looks crisp and new, some kind of government seal visible even from here.
"We did something without asking you first. Normally I'd feel bad about that, but given the circumstances. .."
"What is it?" My voice comes out smaller than intended, anxiety spiking despite the men's gentle demeanors.
He unfolds the paper with careful movements, like it's something precious.
"Our approved application to register as a pack. We filed it three days ago, the morning after you arrived."
The words don't compute.