Chapter 25
Hailey
Imay have gone a little overboard in the fabric store, but I couldn't find it in me to be unhappy about that. If Preston was going to moan about how much money I’d spent on his credit card, well, that would take him actually getting in touch with me first, so…
When we pulled up outside Merrick's house, he came out the front door with a serene smile on his face. “It looks like you guys have done some damage.”
I nodded enthusiastically, taking a sip from my milkshake. “Nesting supply store and the fabric store! All paid for by Preston.”
Merrick's eyebrows rose, looking both surprised and amused. “Does Preston know he's paying for it?”
I shrugged. “I'm not sure, honestly. All I know is that Wilder had his credit card, and I decided it was fair game.”
“I also highly encouraged her to do some damage.” Wilder smirked as he grabbed a couple of bags out of the car. “Also, I picked up a bunch of the good prenatal vitamins. I’m going to put them on the kitchen counter so we all know where they are.”
Merrick nodded approvingly. “Good. Put all the fabric in the den. Nolan is stuck on a client call. Judging by how exasperated he sounded, it’s been going on a while.”
“Ah, yeah. Sometimes the calls are like that.” Wilder grimaced. “I do pity the guy at times. He’s so smart, but deals with so many idiots.”
“Wait. The fabric in the den?” I asked dumbly.
“Yeah. That space is hardly ever used, so I thought we could turn it into a little sewing room for you. We mainly hang out in the living room, anyway. Plus, because the rooms are connected, it means we’ll be close while you're working away on your creations.”
A sewing room?
Ever since I was a teenager and first got into making things, it had been a dream of mine to have a room dedicated solely to crafting and sewing.
Unfortunately, it just hadn't been feasible.
I was used to making do with what little space I had.
The den in Merrick's house was considerable.
I could do a lot with a space like that.
“Are you sure?”
He smiled. “I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. I've seen the way your apartment either has some fabric or sewing mats or something to do with crafting shoved into every nook and cranny. Actually, it may be beneficial to have one room to keep it organized for all of us. That way none of us will accidentally sit on a sewing needle.”
“I don't know. Sometimes I think Wilder could deserve that…” I laughed.
“Hey, I thought I was your favorite today!” Wilder pouted playfully. “I got you all the pretty fabric and nesting supplies.”
“Technically, Preston got me those, but he is definitely not my favorite.”
“How about we all grab some dinner and then go down to the antique store?” Merrick suggested. “They usually have a selection of beautiful cabinets you could use to store your stuff in the sewing room. We can even get a fun drink along the way.”
“A fun drink and furniture shopping?” My brows shot to my hairline. “I feel like a princess today. What is this?”
Merrick laughed, kissing the top of my head and pulling me into a hug. “We’re just treating you like the amazing woman you are. You deserve nice things. Now, are you feeling tired? You could always take a nap before we go.”
I paused for a moment, thinking. “I am a little tired, but I don't want to delay getting a fun drink. I can always sleep after, if I'm exhausted. I also napped earlier.”
Yes, I had a milkshake with Wilder, but I wasn’t going to admit that in case he decided I needed something with fruit in instead.
“Okay, but please don't run yourself ragged. Remember, you're pregnant and need to take care of yourself.”
“I ate fruit at breakfast! That counts!”
Merrick raised a brow. “I'm not sure chocolate-covered strawberries do, in fact, count.”
“It totally does!” I shouted over my shoulder as I rushed toward the house and away from the judgy alpha.
I followed Wilder upstairs, intending to supervise him putting the nesting supplies away, as I doubted he would let me do anything.
Well, at least I would be able to set up the nest properly later. Wilder simply left the things neatly stacked in the corner of the room.
“Once you've had a rest, we’ll decide where everything goes, and I will do exactly what you tell me while you sit in the corner like a pretty princess and tell me what to do,” Wilder beamed.
I laughed. “Oh, fine.”
“All right, I've got to go get the vanity table stool. I will be right back.”
After he bounded out of the room, I looked around the new nest room in awe.
It was perfect, light and airy with large windows and so much natural daylight. The bed frame the guys had brought up was gigantic. It could easily fit an entire pack, even though I didn't intend to fill it with stinky alphas anytime soon.
While I waited for Wilder, I started rummaging through one of the piles of blankets. I definitely went a little overboard, but considering how large the new bed/nest was, I wanted to be sure I had enough.
I was unfolding one of the pink, fluffy sheets when a cramp hit me with surprising force. Grabbing my midsection, I groaned, doubling over.
My first thought was panic. Was something wrong with the baby?
Then, a second later, a wave of arousal hit me.
Heat. Oh no.
I was painfully familiar with that type of cramp, having been through a heat several times, usually by myself or with the help of some suppressants.
Wetness gathered between my legs, and my heart started to race.
“Hails, wh—Hailey!” I heard Merrick’s voice as I was doubled over.
Strong hands grabbed me, righting me.
“Need release,” I muttered, his scent swirling through my nose.
“What’s happening?” Merrick shook his head.
“Heat,” I whined. “Maybe? It feels like the early stages.”
“But you're pregnant.” Merrick shook his head again, his face scrunching up all the more. “You're not supposed to go into heat.”
“I know. I don't know what's happening.” I groaned, sort of dizzy. “Maybe it's just a spike?”
Merrick tried to steady me, but another swell of need washed over me, and I yanked him to my mouth without thinking.
After a second, he pulled back. “Hails, I—”
“Shh, no talking, only helping.” I reached for his hand, being so much more direct than usual, and shoved it between my legs. “Please, I need something to make it better.”
“I, uhh…” But his words trailed off, and then his nose was in the crook of my neck, breathing me in. I knew my scent had to be flaring brightly, and in two seconds flat, Merrick had me on my back in the bed, shoving my leggings down so that he could get to me.
I was dripping.
“Goddamn, Hails,” Merrick growled, as unable to control himself as I was.
His fingers went right for my slick pussy, and I sobbed at the overwhelming sensations, both needing more and being totally thrown for a loop.
But it was what I needed.
My hips rocked as Merrick slid his fingers inside me, his thumb taking care of my clit, and I moaned loudly, unable to care about what I sounded like or how I looked. His oakwood scent was all around me, our bond singing in my blood, and I was already so close.
“Yes, please! Right there, right there, right there!”
Shattering, I clamped down on his fingers, and the need softened, the lingering sensation of cramps fading. As quickly as it had come on, I was already all sleepy, unable to keep my eyes open in Merrick’s arms.
I didn’t think much time had passed when I woke up again. Merrick smiled down at me, still tangled around me, and I chuckled.
“Well, that's one way to christen the nest.” I laughed, throwing my head back.
“We'll have to do it again once this place actually has bedding and furnishings.” Merrick chuckled. “How are you feeling?”
I sat up on my elbows, looking around the room, taking a mental stock of my body. “I feel totally normal now. What the hell?”
“I mean, that's a good thing. Maybe you can talk to the doctor at your next appointment? I've heard that heat spikes can occasionally happen, and your pregnancy is far from normal.”
“When did you hear all that?” I asked. “I'm the medical professional.”
Merrick scratched the back of his head. “I overheard Blaze talking about it because Sunny went through something similar a while ago. That man doesn't know how to lower his voice.”
That was very true. Blaze was basically a giant toddler who lacked volume control.
“Well, it looks like I missed out on all the fun!” Wilder’s voice boomed from the doorway.
Thankfully, nothing was on display because the T-shirt of Merrick’s I was wearing was so large it acted like a dress. So, instead of being annoyed at his pouting mood, I simply laughed.
“You snooze, you lose, cutie,” I said, repeating the same nickname he had been using on me.
The way his mouth opened in shock made me giggle as I sat up, embracing Merrick one more time before pulling up the leggings and sliding off the bed. I went to the bathroom to clean up.
There was something about a damn good orgasm that just made everything seem easier. Was that why omegas were always so happy with the copious orgasms from their pack members? If so, I could get on board with that.
“What’s happening? It smells like a fruit shop exploded in here,” Nolan said from the nest room as I padded back out.
“Heat spike,” Merrick explained.
Nolan frowned. “I thought those were uncommon in pregnancy.”
“Apparently, my body decided it needed an orgasm.” I shrugged. “I can’t explain it, but I feel fine now.”
“Should we talk to your doctor about it?” he asked, brows all wrinkled over his concerned eyes.
I shook my head. “It feels like a one-off, but if it happens again, we’ll reach out to them. Pregnancy makes women hornier in general, right?”
Wilder nodded. “Totally, but what you're describing isn’t just feeling a little spicy, it’s full-on heat symptoms. With cramps?” I nodded at him. “If they persist, we need to chat with someone, because I don’t know how uterine cramps from a heat will affect the baby.”
My hand rested lightly on my small bump. It was hardly noticeable. It looked more like I had gas than anything else, but I wanted to cry a little at the thought that the cramps could potentially hurt the baby.
Maybe I needed to book a doctor's appointment sooner than I thought.