Chapter 54
Chapter fifty-four
Red
For the first time in my life, I wake up in my apartment with all my alphas surrounding me. I smile, even before opening my eyes as the combination of scents showers over me. The mix, now complete, serves as a healing balm for my tattered soul.
Zack snores into my chest as he holds my leg possessively over his thigh, his body vibrating with a faint purr.
I stretch a little and immediately bump into Callisto, who clings to my back.
Somehow we all jammed into my bed, with Zack taking the side closest to the door and Rickon nearest the window.
Extracting my leg, I turn onto my back and rise on my elbows, my smile widening as I catch sight of Rickon snuggled into Callisto’s spine.
Seeing Rickon’s dream come true has been every bit as exciting for me as for him, and I don’t feel even an ounce of jealousy because I know Rickon’s got a big enough heart for all of us.
Callisto stirs, his black lashes fluttering a few times before he opens his eyes.
The moment he catches sight of me, a contented smile lifts his lips.
Fuck, he’s a sexy man, and seeing him lying here unguarded and shirtless while gazing lovingly at me reminds me of those sex scenes we did together.
My belly melts, and I lean over to kiss his forehead.
“Don’t even think about it,” Rickon slurs.
“I wasn’t,” Callisto cries. The guilty spark in his eyes makes me think he was, at least a little.
“Not you,” Ricky mutters, throwing his arm over Callisto’s hip and poking me.
I giggle, heat flaring in my cheeks. “Spoil sport,” I mutter, draping myself right over Callisto so I can reach my first alpha to kiss him.
“You’ll thank me tomorrow,” he murmurs, eyes still closed.
“Probably,” I concede, knowing we have a couple of rough filming days ahead of us.
Still, it’s not enough to dampen my wonderful mood.
It’s so perfectly . . . normal. Waking up together, teasing, sleeping in the same bed.
Well, that bit’s a little cramped. I accidentally dig an elbow into Calli’s ribs as I retreat.
He lets out a soft oof and shields his ribs. “I think we might need a wider bed. Since my old room’s bigger, why don’t we move in there?”
I nod. “Sounds good, if Zack agrees.” I crawl halfway down the bed and do a few stretches, adding some groans to clear my throat. Callisto eyes my body as my tank top rides my curves, admiration shining in his eyes. Nice to know my alpha’s obsessed with me.
When I get louder, Callisto glances over at the softly snoring Zack.
“He’s not a morning person,” I remind Calli, tucking the blanket back around Zack and patting him lovingly before climbing off the bed.
“The Nest House stuff should be delivered at ten,” Rickon says, dashing bed hair off his face as he sits up. “That gives us enough time to eat.”
Callisto stares at him, not moving.
“What’s the matter?” Rickon asks, grinning. “Don’t know what to do with a day off? Well, you’ve probably never had one before. We’ve entered the realm of fiction for you.”
“Pfft!” Callisto shoves him lightly. “I just had an entire weekend of them.”
“Fucking us senseless doesn’t count as a day off,” he bites back.
I grin as I slip into clean underwear, sweatpants, and a loose t-shirt, anticipating lots of moving around with the garden supplies.
Rickon’s vanilla scent rises as Callisto captures him around the waist and drags him against his chest. “Red’s the only one who has to ride tomorrow, right?” he asks mischievously, leaning in to savor his pheromones.
Rickon swats his head. “Ha! Ride, yes, but I need to keep up with her.”
“Fine. I’ll let you off this time,” our newest alpha says, dropping a kiss in his platinum hair. “Love you, Ricky.”
“Love you too,” Rickon replies, blushing furiously.
Callisto chuckles, and when he catches me watching, he winks. I haven’t seen this side of the lawyer since he’s always consumed with work, but it strikes me this is the person Rickon grew up with. No wonder he fell in love. A happy, relaxed Callisto’s quite the breathtaking sight.
I smile and head to the bathroom.
We take our time starting the day, and it’s thrilling not to race off anywhere. By ten even Zack’s up, though he’s not talkative. When Rickon gets the call for the delivery, Zack reaches for his leash.
“No, Zack,” I tell him, pushing his hand away. “We aren’t leaving the house. This is just like going upstairs.” I point to the ceiling.
“Where?” he grumbles, turning toward the central staircase.
“Not there.” I take his hand. “Let me show you the roof.”
We head out into the corridor and up the service elevator.
“Wow,” Callisto says, popping his hands on his hips as he studies the finished structure on the rooftop. “I saw some photos, but this looks so much better in person.”
I agree. The glass expanse twinkles in the bright sunlight, the peaked roof giving us plenty of height to work with. Rickon’s done an amazing job with the materials, from modern glass to faux stone non-slip flooring, which will suit my design plan perfectly.
The Nest House delivery team bring in the big furniture first, starting with the day bed.
I avoided anything that looked like an actual bed, opting instead for a bamboo platform which fits under the existing timber gazebo.
A huge, low quilted daybed mattress goes in the middle of the platform, and we use special Velcro patches on the floor to surround it with firmer cylinder bolster cushions designed for marine vessels, since we’ll no doubt make a mess in here.
The lovely aqua color makes this area look like a refreshing pool.
Lattice goes up on two sides, making the space a little more intimate.
I clap my hands as my guys help the delivery team get the structure assembled. Even Zack pitches in, watching Rickon and Calli from the corner of his eye and copying them. Bless his soul.
Once the framing’s all up, the Nest House staff lug in crates of all the things we ordered.
I simmer with glee as I pull out the beautiful red-orange sheer curtains I picked out, the gold threads woven inside glimmering with every movement.
Those go up on the corner posts and along the timber outside of the platform’s frame.
I’m up a ladder arranging the drape when I realize I’m making a nest without even a trace of fear in my heart. I sit locked in place for a full minute, the sun warming me through the glass panes as I stare down at the sanctuary I’m creating; a place I intend to bring my alphas for my next heat.
On impulse, I dig my phone out of my pocket and dial Dr Leanne.
“Well, hello blessed girl,” she sings.
“Leanne, have a guess what I’m doing right now,” I say, louder than I intended.
My alphas look up, watching me with questions in their eyes, and Callisto comes to stand at the bottom of the ladder.
My therapist hums. “Gosh, that’s a hard ask. Are you painting?”
“No,” I say with a snort.
“Eating?”
“Not even close.” Unless you can feast on happiness.
“Do I get a clue?”
“I’m up a ladder.”
She pauses, but I’m too giddy to wait for her.
“I’m building my nest, Leanne,” I crow. “Can you believe that? A real nest with pillows and sheer curtains.” I glance over at the rows and rows of plants gathering on the floor space just outside the door, possibly more than I can fit inside.
“And a fuck-ton of pot plants.” A laugh bubbles out of me.
“Red, I can just hear the joy in your voice, and it’s giving me goosebumps.
” Trust the doc to say something cringe, but it still makes me grin.
She squeaks happily and goes on. “I’m so proud of you, my darling.
Can I get a photo of any part you’re willing to share when you’re ready?
I’d love to see what kind of space you create. ”
I click my tongue a few times while I think. Then my gaze lands on the open space over the door. “I will, if I can have that blue mountain painting you did in our last session.”
“That was a rough sketch. Should I touch it up a bit?”
“Nope.” No fucking way. I grin down at Callisto. “Rough seems to suit our pack pretty well.”
He winces, probably thinking of what he put us through going into rut, but what I really mean is all the shit that’s brought us to this point.
“I think I’m healing, Leanne,” I say, smiling and reaching one hand down to Calli. He mounts the lowest rung to reach me. “I heard all about omegas who loved making their nests, but I thought I could never have that. Just walking past a nest used to give me nausea. But look at me now.”
“Indeed, look at you,” Leanna says, pleasure all through her voice. “You’re glorious, Red. You’re doing a wonderful job.”
I roll my eyes a little, deserved considering the shit that phrase put me through, but I keep those thoughts to myself. “Hey, I gotta go,” I tell her. “I’m about to hang some lights on my mountain.”
Leanne laughs and tells me to go get ‘em before we hang up.
“I’m so proud of you, too,” Callisto says softly.
I squeeze his hand in reply, and then he promptly orders me to get down from the ladder since I can’t risk a fall before filming. With a laugh, I comply, but only because I’m already finished with the curtain.
Once the bed’s done, we get to work positioning the planter boxes and biggest pots. The fountain I ordered goes up on the wall in the back corner, and Rickon calls a plumber to come out next week to get it working.
When he gets off the phone, he sets the top 100 pop list to blare from his phone as we lose ourselves in potting soil. Within hours, the space transforms from bare bones to a luxurious Persian-inspired courtyard full of greenery, bright mosaics, and textured wood surfaces.
I can’t wait to see how it looks after sunset with the globe string lights hanging from the rafters.
“That’s the last plant,” Rickon says, pouring white stones into the top of a planter box. “But did you miss that pot?” He juts his chin toward one of the biggest containers.
“No.” I pop my hands on my hips, puffing for breath. “I decided to put an orange tree there. And I’ll order some lanterns for the pillars and—” I break off and giggle. Hard to believe I’m this excited over a nest space.
Rickon feels the mix of emotions and pulls me into his arms. “It’s stunning, Red. Full of life and vibrancy.”
I snuggle into his chest and sigh. “It is wonderful,” I echo. This space is all mine. “I promise I won’t try to burn this one down,” I add.
Rickon laughs. “I’m over the moon to hear that.”
He graciously doesn’t mention the fire sprinklers installed in the rafters, but I know we won’t be needing them. The only future fires will be the ones in my body.
Callisto walks over. “I think we’re done for the day. And it looks like Zack’s claimed the egg chair.”
We turn together and study the big alpha slotted into the egg-shaped swinging chair in the back corner in time to see him dig one foot into the floor to swing himself.
I laugh. “Well, that’s the downtime corner anyway, so I’m glad he likes it.” A daybed couch, the swing chair, and a pair of recliners give my alphas plenty of choices to catch some zzzzzz’s when they take turns during my heat.
Zack sees us and waves, his contentment blazing through our bond. The omega’s happy, so her alpha’s happy.
“Come on,” Rickon says, dusting his hands off. “Let’s get dinner and have an early night. You have to be on set by dawn.”
I groan and strip my gloves, but I’m not really upset. It’s been a tiring day.
Before locking the door, I take one last look at the hot house. It’s lush and colorful, and a truly inviting space to step into. For the first time in my life, I wish my heat were closer.
Not that we have long to wait now.