Chapter 25
Mable
The next night, I settled into my dorm room, unable to keep the grin off my face.
Spending so much time with the guys had become part of my normal routine almost overnight.
The only reason I had spent the day apart from all of them was because I had classes and was feeling a little crappy, like a cold was coming on.
So, when there was a knock on my door late at night, I didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Hey,” I greeted as I opened the door to see Devin standing there. “What are you doing here?”
His face was slightly flushed, and his eyes were unfocused. I’d never seen Devin look quite like this before, and the urge to usher him to a chair pulled at my instincts.
He was leaning heavily against the doorframe as he smiled deeply at me. “You’re not well. I came to look after you.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “I had a mild cough and a bit of sleepiness. I assure you, I’m fine. Aren’t you supposed to be at some fancy dinner for your team?”
As I spoke, I opened the door further so Devin could come in. I still wasn’t liking the way his gaze seemed a bit unfocused and how his eyelids looked too heavy for him to lift fully.
“I was, but I would much rather be here, taking care of you,” he declared as he walked toward my desk, swaying slightly.
“Err, Devin? Are you okay?” I asked, turning him around gently and placing my hand on his forehead.
His skin was so warm, I almost recoiled. That is not a good sign.
“Jesus, Devin, you’ve got a temperature. You should be in bed.”
He looked at me, all confused, swaying on the spot. “No, you should be in bed. You’re the one who’s sick.”
I bit my lip and did my utmost to stop myself from giggling. How it was possible for the grumpy daddy of Pack Garnett to be absolutely adorable when he was sick was beyond me. But as I looked at him, it was so true.
“Devin.” I met his eyes, folding my arms over my chest as I stared him down. “There’s only one of us here that’s really sick, and I don’t think it’s me…”
“Baloney! I’ll have you know, I’m healthy as a horse.” He straightened up to his full height, but it lasted a whopping two seconds before he was slumping again.
“That’s a very weird saying, but why don’t you sit down for a moment?” I asked as I pushed him toward my desk chair.
He frowned down at the seat. “That’s the chair for a little omega. I am a big alpha. I won’t fit in it.”
I looked at him for a moment. He was so tall, his head nearly bumped the ceiling of my tiny dorm. “Okay, how about you take off your shoes and lie down in the nest?”
He looked between me and the nest, his face creased with confusion. Was my invitation to let him lie down in my nest really that baffling?
“Is everything all right?” I asked, stepping forward and laying my hand on his arm.
He nodded. “Yeah…I think…it would be a good idea if I lie down for a bit. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Smiling, I nodded. He was so concerned about my comfort, even now. What a sweet, soft grump. I shoved him lightly toward the nest, and thankfully, he did as I said, kicking off his shoes and crawling in.
As I helped him stretch out, I covered Devin with a blanket. It looked ridiculous, hardly big enough to reach from his waist to his feet. But Devin sighed, curling onto his side and burying his face in the soft expanse of my nest.
Seeing him there did something to me, my heart pitter-pattering in my chest like it did so often around these guys. Taking care of him was nice. It warmed me to know that I was helping the broody pack lead who would certainly never ask for it himself.
“All right, do you think you need any—”
A snore cut through my words, and I grinned, covering my mouth so I didn’t actually laugh out loud. Leaving Devin be, I slipped from the nest, as quietly as I could. I pulled out my phone from my pocket, going to the group chat.
Mable
If you’re wondering where the head of your pack is, he’s passed out in my nest right now.
Jasper
Damn, Maple girl! You must have really ridden him hard for him to pass out entirely! I’m jealous.
Mable
There’s been no riding here. He turned up at my doorstep, insisting I needed to be looked after because I was feeling a little rundown, when in fact, he is the one running quite a temperature.
Percy
Is he okay?
Mable
It doesn’t seem too serious. I think he just needs to sleep it off and have some fluids.
Percy
Do you want us to come get him?
Mable
I don’t know. He seems pretty comfortable here. I’d hate to wake him.
I snapped a quick photo of Devin cuddling one of my pink fluffy throw pillows and added it to the group chat, a little tickled with myself because I knew he’d hate it.
Jasper
He’s going to be so mad at you for taking that, Maple girl.
Maple
The price of falling asleep in my nest.
Maple
And before you say it, Jasper, no, you cannot fall asleep in my nest butt naked so I can take dirty photos of you.
Jasper
Damn. It’s like you’re reading my mind.
Percy
You’ve got a very simple mind, Jasper. It’s easy to guess what you’re going to say. If you need us to do anything, Mable, let us know. We can come and get him if he starts to annoy you.
Mable
Thank you. I’m just going to eat my ramen and try to get an hour of sleep myself.
Percy
Instant ramen?
Mable
Too lazy to cook anything else. I’m sure I will eat plenty of vegetables when I come to the penthouse for dinner tomorrow. Also, this is what the baby wants to eat. Are you really going to deprive the baby of what it wants to eat?
Percy
No, I’m not that stupid.
Mable
Good boy.
Jasper
OMG, Maple girl. Please call me good boy while you ride my cock. Fuck. Fantasizing about that all night.
Percy
Dude! Group chat! Ugh. I need to wash my eyeballs now.
Laughing, I put the phone down and turned toward my nest, where Devin was lightly snoozing.
Thinking for a moment, I picked my phone back up and opened a takeout app. Thankfully, there was a café not far from me that was open late and would deliver chicken noodle soup.
Because when you were sick, the one thing that could make you feel better was chicken noodle soup.
Twenty minutes later, the intercom buzzed as I sat at my little table, studying. Devin hadn’t moved, only continued to snore as I worked on my latest assignment.
After thanking the delivery driver and giving him a tip, I padded back to my kitchen area, grabbing one of the extra-large mugs I used for tea. The alpha had seemed pretty out of it when he had come to my dorm, so I didn’t want to give him a bowl and a spoon. That felt like a recipe for disaster.
A mug would be much easier to hold.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” I said softly, crawling into the nest and lightly nudging Devin.
“W-what?” he mumbled, turning over and pressing his face into my nest. If I hadn’t been so concerned about his health, I would have been howling with laughter at the sight.
“I’ve got food for you, and water,” I said softly.
“Food?” He was so groggy, his voice muffled by fabric as he decidedly did not move to sit up.
“Yeah, chicken noodle soup. How does that sound?”
With a groan and a long exhale, Devin finally sat up, looking at me through hazy eyes. “I’m not hungry,” he grumbled.
“You’re sick. You need to eat your soup and drink this bottle of water, and then I’ll let you sleep some more, okay?”
His eyes narrowed, like he was assessing me for a moment, before he frowned. “What happens if I don’t?” he asked like a petulant child, arguing about what would happen if they didn’t eat their vegetables.
“Then you’re not allowed to sleep in my nest,” I said simply, clocking him with a stare that brooked no argument. “Your pack mates will come get you, and you’ll have to go back to the penthouse.”
He glowered at me before holding out his hand and taking the mug. He sipped at it, humming appreciatively as I cracked open the bottle of water, taking a sip myself before handing it to him.
Devin didn’t say anything, just made small noises of happiness while he ate the soup. I don’t know why he’d come to my dorm instead of going home and taking care of himself, but I wanted to make sure he was all right.
Silly alpha thinking he’s immortal, most likely.
Not for the first time, I wondered if it would be better if I moved into the penthouse. The pack was so busy that having to come back and forth between their place and the dorms to see me was probably a bit much for them. Even when I went to them, they had to pick me up because I couldn’t drive.
If I lived with them, then we would always be around each other, there to help and there to support.
They would be able to get real-time updates on the baby too.
Knowing them as well as I did, I also knew they would be a lot more relaxed if I was living in the same house as them, where the security was much better than the rundown dormitories.
Devin finished the soup, smacking his lips together as he started drinking the water. He was moving as if he were in a trance. I knew that kind of sickness all too well, when your entire body felt heavy and your mind was blurry, all stuffed full of cotton wool.
“Come on, let’s get you some more sleep,” I said, taking the mug off him. He looked at me, almost confused, but did as I said, handing me the empty water bottle, too, and lying down.
Snuggling into his side, I rested my head on Devin’s chest. That smoked applewood scent invaded my senses in the best way, lulling me to sleep, right along my sweet, sick alpha.