Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ASTER
Morning came soft light coming through the clinic windows.
I was still wrapped in Nolan's arms, still surrounded by his scent, still feeling the echoes of last night in every relaxed muscle of my body.
He was awake. I could tell by the way his fingers were tracing lazy patterns on my shoulder, the way his purr had shifted from the deep rumble of sleep to something lighter, more conscious.
"Morning." His voice was rough with sleep, warm with contentment, his lips brushing against my hair as he spoke, his arms tightening around me like he was afraid I might slip away.
"Morning." I tilted my head up to look at him, finding his green eyes soft and a little uncertain, my voice still thick with sleep, a smile tugging at my lips as I pressed closer to his warmth. "Stop looking at me like I'm going to disappear."
"Can't help it." He smiled, but there was vulnerability beneath it, his hand coming up to cup my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone with a tenderness that made my chest ache, his green eyes searching mine. "I keep expecting to wake up and find out this was all a dream."
"Not a dream." I turned my head and pressed a kiss to his palm, feeling him shiver at the contact, my lips curving against his skin, my voice soft but certain. "Very, very real."
His smile widened, some of the uncertainty fading, replaced by something warm and wondering. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, there was a knock at the clinic door.
"That'll be breakfast." He sighed, pressing one more kiss to my forehead before untangling himself from me, grabbing a blanket to wrap around my shoulders, his movements reluctant like he hated putting even an inch of distance between us, his hands lingering on my arms. "Kol's been texting me for the last hour asking if you're okay. "
"He's going to be insufferable, isn't he?" I laughed, pulling the blanket tighter around myself, breathing in the mix of our scents that clung to the fabric, warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of Kol's worry.
"Absolutely." Nolan was already pulling on his shirt, running his fingers through his disheveled hair in a futile attempt to make it lie flat, a fond smile playing at his lips as he glanced back at me. "But that's Kol. He shows love through food and worry."
He crossed to the door and opened it, revealing not just Kol but all three of them — Kol with a tray piled high with food, Reid leaning against the doorframe with coffee, and Sawyer hovering behind them both, his amber eyes scanning the room like he was checking for threats.
"She's fine." Nolan stepped aside to let them in, his voice amused but firm, his hand gesturing toward where I sat wrapped in blankets on the cot, his green eyes crinkling with warmth. "Better than fine, actually."
Kol was the first through the door, his golden eyes sweeping over me with transparent relief before he set the tray down on Nolan's desk with a clatter, his whole body seeming to relax once he'd confirmed I was in one piece.
"You scared the hell out of us, little flower.
" His voice was warm but chiding, his brow furrowed with residual worry even as his lips quirked into a smile, his golden eyes drinking me in like he needed to make sure I was real.
"One minute you're in the nest, the next you've vanished into the night like some kind of ghost."
"I couldn't sleep." I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, suddenly very aware that I was naked underneath it, that the room probably smelled like sex and slick and satisfaction, heat creeping up my cheeks as I met his gaze. "I needed..."
"You needed Nolan." Reid crossed the room to hand me a cup of coffee, his voice quiet and understanding, no judgment in his dark eyes, his fingers brushing mine in a brief, deliberate touch that sent warmth up my arm. "That's okay. That's what pack is for."
I searched his face for any sign of jealousy, any hint of resentment, but found nothing but warmth, my heart hammering against my ribs as I waited for the other shoe to drop. The relief that washed through me was almost dizzying.
"You're not upset?" My voice came out smaller than I intended, my hands wrapping around the warm mug, my eyes flicking between the three of them, searching for cracks in their composure.
"Why would we be upset?" Kol dropped onto the cot beside me, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine, his cedar and brown sugar scent wrapping around me like a second blanket, his golden eyes warm and sincere as he tilted his head to study my face.
"You needed something. Nolan gave it to you. That's how this works."
"We're not competing." Reid settled into Nolan's desk chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, his coffee cup cradled in his hands, his dark eyes steady on mine, his voice low and certain. "We're a pack. Your happiness is our happiness. All of ours."
Sawyer hadn't said anything, but he'd moved closer, positioning himself near the door like a sentinel, his amber eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my breath catch, his scarred face unreadable, his massive arms crossed over his chest.
"Sawyer?" I looked up at him, searching his expression for his reaction, suddenly needing to know he was okay too, my voice tentative, my fingers tightening on the mug.
"You smell happy." His voice was rough, lower than usual, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in, his hands flexing at his sides like he was fighting some instinct, his amber eyes never leaving mine.
"Content. Satisfied." A pause, something flickering in his expression, something soft beneath all that hardness. "Good."
It was possibly the most words I'd ever heard him string together about emotions, and it made my chest tight with something I couldn't name, tears suddenly pricking at my eyes.
"I am." I reached out toward him without thinking, my hand extended, an invitation, my voice thick with emotion, my heart pounding against my ribs. "I am happy."
He stared at my hand for a long moment, something warring in his expression, then crossed the room in two strides and took it, his calloused fingers engulfing mine, his thumb rubbing across my knuckles in a gesture so gentle it made my eyes sting harder, his amber eyes holding mine with fierce intensity.
"Eat." Nolan's voice broke the moment, gentle but firm, his hand warm on my shoulder as he pressed a plate into my free hand, his green eyes soft with understanding, his thumb stroking once across my collarbone. "You burned a lot of calories last night. You need to refuel."
"Nolan!" I felt my face flush, heat rushing to my cheeks, my mouth dropping open in shocked embarrassment, my eyes going wide as I stared at him.
"What? It's true." He settled on the arm of the cot, his thigh pressing against my side, his scent mingling with Kol's in a way that made my Omega practically purr, his voice matter-of-fact, his green eyes dancing with mischief. "Your body needs fuel. Eat."
I ate, but I found myself leaning into Kol's warmth as I did, my shoulder pressing against his, my body seeking contact without conscious thought.
He noticed — of course he noticed — and shifted closer, his arm coming up to rest along the back of the cot behind me, not quite touching but close enough that I could feel his heat.
"So." Kol's voice was light, curious, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief as he watched me eat, his body angled toward mine like a plant toward sunlight. "Now that you're stuck with us, we should probably get to know each other better. What's your favorite color?"
I nearly choked on my eggs, a startled laugh escaping me, my hand flying to my mouth to keep from spitting food everywhere.
"My favorite color?" I repeated once I'd swallowed, raising an eyebrow at him, amusement threading through my voice, my lips twitching toward a smile. "That's what you want to know?"
"It's important information." Kol's voice was mock-serious, his expression earnest even as his eyes danced with humor, his hand coming up to gesture emphatically.
"What if I buy you flowers and they're the wrong color?
What if I make you a birthday cake with the wrong frosting? These things matter, little flower."
"Green." I found myself smiling, something warm unfurling in my chest at the absurdity of it, at the normalcy of it, my body relaxing further into his warmth. "Like... forest green. Deep green. The color of trees after it rains."
"Noted." Kol nodded solemnly, like I'd just imparted sacred wisdom, his arm finally dropping to rest across my shoulders, heavy and warm and grounding. "Favorite food?"
"Anything I don't have to fight for." The words came out before I could stop them, darker than I'd intended, my voice going flat, and I felt the room shift, felt their attention sharpen.
Then I shrugged, forcing lightness into my voice, pressing more firmly into Kol's side, refusing to let the moment turn heavy. "But if I had to pick? Anything with cheese. The more cheese, the better."
"A woman after my own heart." Kol clutched his chest dramatically, his golden eyes wide with exaggerated joy, his voice rising with theatrical enthusiasm. "Reid, are you hearing this? She likes cheese. She's perfect."
"I heard." Reid's voice was dry, but there was a smile playing at the corners of his lips, his dark eyes warm as they watched me, his coffee cup raised to hide the curve of his mouth. "Favorite season?"
"Fall." The answer came easily, and I found myself relaxing further into Kol's hold, my body craving the contact in a way that surprised me, my head tilting to rest against his shoulder. "When everything's dying but it's beautiful anyway. The air smells like woodsmoke and apples."
"Morbid." Kol's voice was teasing, his fingers starting to trace absent patterns on my shoulder through the blanket, his breath warm against my hair. "I like it."