8. Nate
Chapter 8
A s Daisy steps out of the room, my mind clears. My pulse slows, and the room comes back into sharp focus. Calvin sits up, running a hand over his face. Peter sighs.
I look at Calvin first, searching his face for answers. He meets my gaze and shakes his head, his brown eyes wide with confusion. Peter remains quiet, his lips pressed into a thin line as he stares at the empty doorway.
I break the silence while rubbing the back of my neck. "She’s our Omega, right? Because I’ve never met an Omega who smelled that good. It felt perfect being inside her."
Calvin exhales, shoulders dropping. He nods, his eyes narrowing with thought. "I couldn't stop thinking about her at practice. Couldn’t focus at all. When I came home, she still smelled like she might be in heat, but acted normal until William fell asleep." He glances at the doorway again. "Now that he's awake, she's back to caring for him like nothing happened. I was still young when my youngest sibling came along, but during my mom's heats, they'd send us off to our grandparents. I don't know what she was like while caring for one of the babies. They always did leave the baby at home with them."
Peter leans forward and swings his legs over the side of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. "My parents were alphas, but my aunt was an omega. I overheard her once tell my mom that her heats changed after she had kids. Even though William isn't Daisy’s biologically, maybe her Omega instincts respond the same way. She’s focused on caring for him, so her body puts the heat symptoms on hold."
Peter stands and moves to gather his clothes. Calvin follows, searching for his own garments scattered around the room. I sit on the edge of the bed for a moment longer, trying to collect my thoughts before grabbing my pants from the floor.
"We need to talk to her now." Peter pulls his shirt over his head. "While she’s clear-headed. Once William goes back to sleep, we might lose control again."
Calvin gives a slow nod. "We should check on her. She seemed worried earlier."
We dress quickly, each lost in our own thoughts. I button my jeans and pull on my shirt, glancing at Peter. He looks serious, even more than usual. Calvin rubs a hand over his jaw, sighing as he watches me.
I lead the way downstairs, my steps careful and measured. Daisy’s scent hangs in the air, softer now, less overwhelming. When we enter the kitchen, Daisy is at the counter, preparing a bottle. William rests quietly in the crook of her arm, watching her movements.
She glances up, startled by our appearance. Her cheeks flush a deep pink, but she shifts her attention back to the bottle in her hand. Her fingers tremble, betraying the nerves she tries to hide.
Calvin leans against the counter, folding his arms. Peter takes a seat at the kitchen table, leaning back and observing Daisy. I step closer to her, noticing how she avoids my eyes. She focuses on twisting the lid onto the bottle, her movements precise.
"Daisy." I keep my voice gentle, sensing her unease. "We need to talk about this."
Her shoulders tense. She places the bottle down and adjusts William in her arms. He fusses a little, and she gently rocks him until he settles again. She nods, swallowing hard, still not looking at us.
Peter clears his throat, drawing her attention as she turns around.
"We hired you because you were a Beta. That wasn’t accidental. Bringing an Omega into this house complicates things. We need to figure out what to do now."
Her jaw tightens. She lifts her chin, meeting Peter’s stare. I recognize the defensive spark in her eyes. Daisy holds William closer, protectively.
I reach out, placing a careful hand on her shoulder. She flinches, but relaxes after a moment. "We aren’t upset," I reassure her. "But this changes everything. You're not just a late-presenting omega, you're our omega. Scent-matched to us."
Her brows come together. "I thought being scent-matched was a trope in romance novels and movies? How is it possible? I just met you all. I thought I was a beta. I was told I was one when they tested me at sixteen. They said my pheromone levels were so low I couldn't be anything else."
I shake my head. "It's not just a trope. It's rare, but it does happen. Most omegas and alphas never find the one, and settle for what they can get."
Calvin steps closer, standing beside me. "That being said. We know this is new to you and that you never signed up for this, thinking you could be our mate or bonded to us for the rest of our lives. We won't force you into anything you don't want. But your presentation can't be ignored."
Daisy exhales, relaxing as she leans against the counter. She picks up the bottle again and offers it to William. Her eyes flick from me to Calvin, then Peter. "I’m sorry. I had no idea. I never even considered this possibility. I’m just as surprised as you are."
Peter shifts, adjusting his position. "Regardless, we need to make arrangements. We can't pretend this hasn't changed the dynamic in the house. We need to understand what you want, too."
She nods. "Can we just take things slowly? I don't want to make any rushed decisions. Especially with William here."
Calvin and I exchange a glance. Peter’s expression remains neutral, though his eyes soften slightly. I give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"We can move at your pace. Had this been a normal, we would've courted you well before your heat. Worked up to being intimate, but the instincts took over. I hope you don't regret what happened."
Her blue eyes widen. "No. No. I may have been so horny that I wanted to crawl out of my skin, but everything that happened I consented to. I just hope you don't feel like you were pulled into unwillingly. I have no idea how pheromones work or anything. I hear about alphas taking advantage of random omegas and hurting them during a rut, and then they claim not guilty due to being put in a rut madness."
Calvin lets out a growl. "Alphas who claim that are knotless assholes. I was aware of what I was doing. I would've had to have left the house if you didn't want me, but I would've never attacked you."
I clear my throat. "He's right. We were pulled into the haze with you, but had you asked us to stop we would've walked away and put distance between us."
Daisy meets my gaze, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you."
The tension in the room eases. She clears her throat. Her eyes glisten as she looks at me. "I'm sorry this happened now. Not that I could control it, but you have the funeral next week. You already have enough on your plate. This is the last thing you need."Her voice quivers, betraying the tears she's holding back.
I shake my head, stepping closer so I can wrap my arm around her shoulders in a side hug. "Don’t worry about it. None of this is your fault. Besides, I took care of the final funeral arrangements this morning. I hired professionals to handle everything. All I have to do is show up and deliver a eulogy for my father. My stepmother’s family is taking care of her side of the arrangements. It's going to be a joint funeral, but they’re handling their end. There's nothing left for me to stress over."
Calvin nods, unfolding his arms. "Exactly. You're not adding stress, Daisy. This situation is unexpected, but we're in this together now. I'll have to request time off while you're in heat, but a simple blood test will show you're matched to us, and that I'm not taking time off for a random omega."
I've never been a fan of needles, but I know we'll need to do that so I can take future heats off as well.
She nods. "Just let me know where to go and when and I'll help you prove it."
Calvin shakes his head. "Nate and I are on one of the top teams in the league. They'll come to us. They'd want it to stay under wraps until it's confirmed."
Peter nods. "That's how it was when I was still playing hockey. And as one of the team's investors now, I would want it to stay out of the limelight until we could do an exclusive on it." He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. His glasses slip down his nose, and he pushes them back up with his finger. "I know things didn’t start ideally. But even though we've done things backwards, I still want to court you. I want the chance to get to know you better, Daisy. I admit I've been cold since you arrived, and for that, I'm sorry. I didn’t know how to handle the changes you brought."
Daisy looks up, surprise flickering across her face. Her lips part as she processes Peter's admission. The wary edge in her expression fades, replaced by cautious hope. She glances toward Calvin and me, seeking reassurance.
I smile. "Peter’s right. We all want to move forward, Daisy. We're not upset or burdened by what's happened. The timing might seem unfortunate, but it brought clarity. You're our Omega, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Calvin nods. "We’re here to support you, Daisy. Take all the time you need to decide how you want to move forward, but we want to build something real. If you're willing. We will never mark you until you're ready."
She nods, relaxing more. A faint smile touches her lips, the worry lines on her forehead easing. "Thank you. That means a lot. I’m still overwhelmed by everything, but I want to explore this with you, too."
Peter’s lips curve upward just a fraction. "Good. Then let's start fresh. We’ll figure this out together."
William lets out a soft coo as he pulls back from the bottle, having finished it. It breaks the tension further. Daisy smiles down at him, her features softening. Watching her with him stirs something deep inside me—a protective instinct, an urge to claim her fully as ours. For now, though, slow is best. One step at a time.
She gives me a reason to be distracted from everything else. I don't know how I'm going to handle my father's eulogy. We had such a complicated relationship after he left my mother for Stacey. Especially since Stacey was nearly thirty years younger than him, and then they shocked us all by having Will. Now I'm his guardian, and it's all so strange.
But Daisy helps lessen the blow of it all. I'm so thankful to have her here.
She clears her throat. "I don't feel right having you pay me if we're going to have a relationship like this, but I also don't want to not make any money. I've always worked hard to make money. I don't want to be a stereotypical omega surviving off my alphas because I can't do anything else."
I frown at that and glance at the others. "Alphas always care for their omega. The heats, even once you're claimed, are hard for employers to work around. It sucks, but that's the truth. Most omegas, if they work, have their own business or do some kind of work that doesn't require them to work for someone else so their schedule can be what they make it."
She frowns in return. "I guess I'll have to find something then, that I can do for myself. It's important to me to keep making money."
Peter nods. "We'll never keep you from working, but know that we can care for you, and never expect you to bring money in."
Putting the bottle down, she lifts Will to her shoulder to burp him. "I'll figure out something. I suppose I should tell my mother, if she picks up her phone. She's going to have a field day. She always said she thought I would be an omega."
I rub her back. "I'm glad that you are, and that you're our omega."
The last week of my life has been insane, but it brought us Daisy. And for that I'm grateful. All we can do is move forward from here.