Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
TYDE
A gorgeous blonde and purple haired queen is sleeping in my arms. She fixed her car, went upstairs to shower, and then invited me into her nest to sleep.
It’s almost like I can feel the jealousy coming from further inside the house, wherever it is that Caleb and Lars chose to sleep. I’d rather take that than an empty space where they should be, because that just hurts Nova even more.
We’re in the small closet space instead of the larger bedroom.
Nova wanted the enclosed safety of the nest that she seems to be gladly claiming.
She said that it wasn’t small enough to be panic inducing, and that it was really smart of me to have used the curtains to limit the height of the ceilings.
The truth is that I’m a nerd with endless resources at my disposal. I researched the psychology of nests and then created something I thought she might like. I was unfortunately limited by not knowing what her favorite colors were, but she seems to feel comfortable and safe in here.
I’ll take the win.
I hate that I have to work so early tomorrow. I really should go back to sleep since I haven’t slept much, but I need to have a conversation with a pair of alphas. My lips brush Nova’s temple as I ease my body away from her, my fingers pinching the edge of a weighted blanket to cover her with.
My hands bunch the fabric of my long sleeved shirt as I sit up, pulling it over my head to lay it over her as well. Hopefully, this will help her stay asleep until I can come back to her. Easing into a crouch, I stand carefully and leave her nest before looking over my shoulder.
Nova whimpers in a way that shows she noticed my absence and I immediately purr in response.
“Stay asleep, baby. I just need a few minutes,” I whisper.
Snuggling under the blanket, her body relaxes again as she falls deeper into sleep.
My bare feet pad out into the hallway, and I don’t even have to look for the brothers because they both slip out of the rooms two doors down from me.
“I don’t know that I would have been able to tear myself away from her,” Lars murmurs.
“Her happiness is more important than my comfort,” I grunt, moving closer to them before I lean against the wall.
I don’t want to walk too far away in case she wakes up. She already woke up alone once, I don’t want to make it a habit.
“That’s adorable,” Caleb grumbles. “This doesn’t need to be a competition.”
I take a beat before responding. I need it to realize that he’s talking to himself and his brother.
“No, it doesn’t,” I say. “Look, Nova wants someone who understands that she’s fucking capable of doing things. You both see the damsel in distress. She’s so much more than that.”
“Her sister said that to Caleb and I the other day,” Lars sighs. “She also accused me of being attracted to you and not wanting Nova because it was like fucking her. I love my best friend, but her tongue is sharp and her words brutal.”
“So are you attracted to me?” I chuckle. “It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest, but to have a chance with all this, you need to figure out your shit with Nova.”
Lars’ eyes follow my teasing hand down my chest before rolling his eyes.
“That’s adorable,” he mutters.
“Fucking minefields,” Caleb says, and I have a feeling that’s an echo of a conversation I’m not privy to. “It’s really difficult to not be needed. I can say that she’s a lot of work, but she’s been functioning just fine alone. I feel like she’s been very lonely though. All she does is work.”
“And work on her car,” I grunt. “She also hangs out with her feral cat. Where is she anyway?”
“I pulled a cat bed out of the room and placed it in the living room. It’s warmer there,” Caleb says.
There’s a bit of color in his cheeks, but I can’t tell if that’s embarrassment or not. As long as I don’t have to deal with the cat’s mercurial moods, I’m happier for it.
“Great,” I sigh. “She goes back to what sounds like a hectic schedule tomorrow, guys. Do you have some sort of game plan? Also, Lars, maybe you should find something else to call her. It’s not as dangerous as calling her a ‘good girl,’ but I have a feeling it’s close.”
Lars cringes before nodding. “Noted,” he says. “Let’s take her out for breakfast, try a change of scenery. Maybe remind ourselves to schedule a lobotomy or personality change.”
Well, we started out strong at least.
Caleb smacks Lars over the head and my lips twitch.
“Breakfast sounds great,” he mutters. “She’s going to want to go back to her house. Even though I think it’s tiny and she shouldn’t be living there.”
“It sounds palatial compared to the van,” I remind him. “You’re judging her for things outside of her control. Nova probably pinches pennies in between jobs. Not to mention the fact that her van needs constant attention.”
“Bertha is a real bitch,” Lars says.
My shoulders shake inappropriately because I find them funny. They’re just so clueless.
“Nova does the best she can with what she has to work with. We’re not going to restrict her movements, because she’s not a fucking prisoner. The best way to have her dump the three of us is to treat her like one,” I say. “Remember her past, guys.”
Caleb nods as he drops his head back against the wall with a soft thud.
“It feels like she’s a breath away from rejecting us,” he mumbles. “There’s this weight of pressure to not fuck up, but I do anyway.”
“Try remembering that she’s an omega with a lot of feelings that she spends a lot of time trying to hide,” I say, throwing them both a bone.
“If you had any idea… Her mind is a place of constant redirection. Meaning, a really bad memory will pop up, and she’ll force herself to think of something else.
I will never use the word fragile to describe Nova, but she is hurting.
A part of me wonders if she’s holding out until she’s home so she can fall apart. ”
“Crashing out alone is a dangerous thing,” Lars breathes. “We can’t push her though, because I have a feeling she’s tottering on the edge of something big, based on what you’re saying.”
“She needs space,” I growl. “Less than you’ve been giving her, though. Be here but stop pushing so hard. It’s…confusing when I put it like that. I’m sorry. Let’s try that again: hold space for her and give her the choice to tell you things. Pushing Nova will make her run.”
“We’ve seen how that goes,” Caleb says. “I pushed Nova to leave at the hospital because I didn’t listen to her. I just wanted her to stop hurting so badly.”
“Too bad it doesn’t work the same way for her emotional distress,” I say before I can help myself. “Trust me, you’d fold like a deck of fucking cards if you felt one tenth of what she does. I’m struggling not to bubble wrap her as it is.”
“That’s going to give me nightmares,” Lars grunts, pushing his hand through his mussed curls.
His dark rimmed glasses are slightly skewed on his nose, and he looks rumpled from sleep. Somehow, it makes his large frame feel a little less intense.
Taking in a deep breath, I take in their scents, thinking about Nova. She needs them, even if she doesn’t want to. They just need to stop being so dense.
“I’m willing to give you nightmares if it means you start acting right,” I mutter. “I’m going back to bed because I have a warm, soft omega waiting for me in her nest.”
I listen to Caleb and Lars groan and smirk in response.
“Nova isn’t going to let you back into her nest unless you earn it,” I add.
“I’m sure the same will be true for her home.
And yes, we are not standing in the way of her returning there, tiny or not.
Nova has very little stability in her life, her familiar places give her that. Don’t try to dictate her.”
“I think I liked it better when you were in the dog house too and I wanted to kick your ass,” Lars mutters.
“Well, now you just want my ass. How the tables have turned,” I say with a smirk.
Both their scents become stronger, and I grunt as I feel my cock jump. Hazelnut and nutmeg have never been sexier. Ignoring my baser nature, I turn and head back to bed.
I’ve gotten used to denying myself what I want, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. These alphas are going to need to figure their shit out.
Laying beside Nova, I smooth back her hair, causing her to turn in her sleep and throw her leg over my waist. I love how casually she does it, and I snuggle her against me. I’ll never take this for granted.
I’m not perfect, and I’ll own that. I meant it when I told Nova that I felt responsible for her future and I wanted it to be a good one. I’m willing to help Caleb and Lars to a point, but they have to do the work too.
Breathing in Nova’s sweet scent, I close my eyes and allow myself to drift off. I find myself purring without realizing as I do, and the weight of my omega’s body pulls into a deeper sleep than I’m used to.
As I open my eyes, I find myself somewhere unfamiliar. The sheets are wrong, there are windows everywhere where none existed when I fell asleep, and I’m no longer wrapped around my omega.
I also can’t move.
Moonlight streams through the windows, and when I yank down with my arms to sit up, I find that they’re tied tightly to the bed frame in a Y shaped position. Turning my head I see blonde hair in my peripheral vision, and my heart stops for several beats.
I’m in a dream that’s not a dream, and not only that, I think this is a goddamn memory.
Pulling harder, I feel the fluttering of Nova’s heart beat, and the way her thin legs kick at the sheets.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
A door opens slowly, the hinge not making a single sound as heavy footsteps enter the room. Nova whimpers, but the sound is muted. That’s why my mouth feels funny: there’s a rag stuffed inside of it and tape over my lips.
There’s no way to spit out the gross tasting rag, and I gag despite knowing that it’s a nightmare. Sometimes, there’s a very tangible feeling to a memory, and I can’t say it’s not real.