The Nesting Room #2
“You don’t have to call them, Tansy,” he says quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “In fact, you never have to speak to them again if you don’t want to.”
“I know,” I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s…complicated.” I shift in his lap, but I don’t pull away. “I love them. And I know that they love me. We just have a very strained relationship.”
Cass cups my face, and I look up, his dark blue eyes searching mine. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shake my head, and a burst of Cass’s curiosity moves through our bond. It’s a gentle pressure rather than a push. He wants to understand, but I know he won’t force me to talk.
“No,” I say simply, and he quickly nods.
“That’s okay.” He kisses my lips softly. “I’m right here if you change your mind.”
I lean into him for a second, wrapped up in his arms, letting myself take all the comfort I can get. But once my heart settles, I pull in a deep breath, square myself, then sit up.
“Okay,” I say, more to myself than to him.
I smooth out the Post-it in my hand, flattening the creases. Cass hands me his phone, and I dial the number. I tap “call” then put it on speaker. The phone rings, and I set it on the desk in front of me, waiting, shoulders set, ready to do this.
It only rings twice.
“William Payten,” my dad answers. “Who’s this?”
My throat tightens as all the air rushes out of my lungs, and a tidal wave of emotion crashes over me. I thought I was ready for this.
"Hello?" My dad’s voice grows louder, impatient. “Is someone there?”
“Um…” I finally find my voice. “Dad?”
Silence rings on the other end of the line, and my heart hammers a frantic, painful rhythm against my ribs.
Then he says my name. “Tansy?” he whispers in disbelief. “Tansy, is that you?”
“Yes,” I squeak, squeezing my hands into fists. I honestly didn’t expect to feel so emotional.
“Are you hurt?” His voice drops, serious. “Tell me where you are.”
“I’m okay,” I say quickly. “I’m safe. I promise.” My voice trembles as a fresh wave of emotion threatens to crack me open. Tears prick my eyes, and my nose starts to run.
And then suddenly I feel Cass’s steady presence in my mind.
He pushes his strength through to me, like a warm, steady tide washing over my own chaotic feelings. He pumps our bond with calm, safety, and unwavering support. I cling to it like a lifeline, then I take a deep, shuddering breath.
It’s just enough to keep me from completely breaking down.
“Where are you?” Dad asks again, his voice a little softer. “Why did you leave your mother at the dress shop? She was so scared. Where did you go?”
“I didn’t leave,” I say, and Cass’s hand presses gently between my shoulder blades. “I was taken,” I say. “But I’m safe now.” I don’t bring up the black market or anything that's happened since. There’s no point.
“Taken,” Dad repeats, like he’s struggling to believe it. “Are you still with the people who took you?” His voice drops to a whisper, “Do you need me to come and get you?”
“No,” I say with a nervous laugh. “I really am okay.” I take a breath. “I’m with my new pack. They saved me,” I say, knowing full well it’s a very simple way of explaining things, but I don’t care.
There’s a pause on the line, but when my dad speaks again, his voice is quieter, almost sad. “Are they being good to you, Tans?”
His gentle question hits me square in the chest. Guilt creeps in because I can hear how worried he’s been. I should’ve called sooner.
“Yes,” I say, and Cass’s hand moves over my back in slow, thoughtful circles. “They’re very good to me.”
“Sweetheart, I’d like to speak—” Dad stops short, but I hear movement on the other end. Then there are voices overlapping. “No,” Dad says loudly, as if he’s talking to someone else. “No. It’s Tansy!”
Someone gasps on the other end of the line, and my pop’s voice cuts through first, thick with relief. “Tansy?” It sounds like he almost drops the phone. “Holy shit! Tansy? Are you there?”
“Yes,” I laugh, picturing the smile on his face.
“She has a pack, Daniel,” Dad says. “She’s mated now.”
“Oh, thank the stars!” Mom’s voice cuts through all the noise, and my smile fades.
There is a beat of silence, and then her voice grows louder.
“William? Did she say why she left me at the dress shop?” She sounds stern.
“I turned around for one second, and she was just gone. Does she know how frantic I was?”
“She knows, Renee,” Dad says, and I close my eyes, pressing both my hands to my forehead.
The memory of that day flashes hot and sour in my chest. The saleswoman’s polite smile. That lovely green dress. My mother’s hand on my arm, steering me back into the dressing room like I was an unruly child. And then I walked right out the front door.
Dad huffs loudly. “Renee,” he says, clearly losing his patience. “She didn’t leave you. She was snatched.” His words have bite to them, even through the phone.
“What?” my mother whispers.
“Someone took her,” Dad says. His voice is steady, but I know that tone. It’s the one he uses when he is forcing himself not to lose his temper. “She was grabbed from the shop. She didn’t leave you. I knew she never would have done that.”
A sound breaks out of my mother that is half sob, half gasp.
“Oh my god!” she cries. “Oh my, I knew it! I knew this would happen.” Her breathing turns uneven.
“That was always my worst fear. Ever since she presented as an omega. I told you, William! I told you that the world is not safe for an omega like her.”
I just sit and listen, waiting for her to finish her little fit.
Cass’s hands find my hips, his thumb moving in a slow, thoughtless circle through the fabric of my shirt. He doesn’t interrupt or speak. He just holds me, while my crazy family yells at each other on the other end of the phone.
“I was right there,” Mom goes on, crying harder now. “If I hadn’t trusted that she would stay put…” There’s a gargled sob, then there’s movement.
Mom’s cries grow more distant, words blurring together as the phone is carried away. Footsteps echo faintly, the acoustics changing, my mom’s crying trailing off into the distance.
Then there’s the click of a door, and my mother’s voice completely fades. I hear Pop exhale, long and tired, before his voice comes back.
“Hey, kiddo,” Pop says. “You still there?”
“Yeah,” I say softly.
“We want to meet your pack,” Daniel says without hesitation. “All of them. I want to see where you are and who you’re living with. I need to see that you’re okay.”
My stomach tightens, and I tilt my head up, looking at Cass. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say to that.
My pack alpha’s gaze drops to mine immediately, steady and focused. He shifts slightly, adjusting me in his lap, holding me closer before he speaks. “This is Cassian Vexler,” he says into the phone. His voice is calm and even. “I’m Tansy’s pack alpha.”
There is a brief beat of silence on the other end.
“Cassian?” Pop repeats. “I’m Daniel. William is our pack alpha. I know he wants to speak with you, but he’s comforting our omega right now.”
“Understandable,” Cass says calmly, but I can feel an irritated edge move through our bond. I’m not sure how, but I know in my heart that it’s directed squarely at my mother and the way she reacted.
The realization sends a quiet spark of satisfaction through me, warmth settling low in my chest. It feels weirdly vindicating.
I lean more fully into him, smiling to myself.
“How many are in your pack?” Pop asks.
“There are four of us,” Cass says. “Five with Tansy. Three alphas and one beta.” Cass’s chest puffs out with pride. “We were an established pack before we claimed your daughter.”
Pop is quiet for a moment. When he speaks again, his voice is firm, careful, threaded with restraint.
“I appreciate you allowing Tansy to call us,” Pop says.
“And I hear the pride in your voice when talking about your pack. That matters to me.” He clears his throat softly.
“I understand that you’re her pack alpha now, and I respect that.
I’m not here to make demands. But I want to see my daughter. ”
My chest tightens at his words.
“So,” Pop continues, tone steady, almost formal, “tell me when we can see her. I’d like to look her in the eye and know she’s alright.”
“Of course,” Cass replies. “You’re welcome to come to our house, or we’d be happy to come to you.”
“I’d prefer to see your home,” Pop says. “I want to see how my daughter is living. I want to make sure she’s safe and being taken care of.”
“Tell us when.”
The relief is immediate. I hear it in the way Pop’s breath leaves him, the tension draining out of his voice like he has been holding it in for far too long.
“Thank you, Cassian,” he says, and I can tell he means it.
“William will call you back so we can arrange everything properly.” His tone softens then, losing that careful edge as it turns back to me. “Tansy,” he says gently. “I love you.”
My throat tightens. “I love you too,” I say, my voice quiet but steady.
“We’ll talk soon.”
Then the line clicks, and the call ends.
The quiet that follows feels heavy, like the air after a storm finally passes. My eyes close as the adrenaline drains out of me.
I sag against Cass, every muscle in my body suddenly aware of how tired I am. It feels like I just ran a marathon without stopping. My chest is tight, my limbs heavy, and my head is buzzing in that dull, hollow way that comes after a really hard cry.
Cass’s arms tighten around me immediately, firm and sure, holding me tight. He shifts me closer, my cheek pressing into his shoulder as he tucks my head under his chin. I breathe him in, pushing my nose against the column of his throat.
His scent erupts around me. Smoked amber, leather, and dark cedar.
“Easy,” Cass murmurs, low and close to my ear. “It’s okay, Tansy. I’ve got you.”
I nod weakly, exhaustion settling deep in my bones.
Cass’s hands move, holding me so I’m cradled against his body.
Then he lowers his head, his mouth brushing the sensitive skin at the edge of my mating bite.
He nips, controlled, nothing sharp or claiming, just enough pressure to make my body respond.
A shiver runs through me, tension bleeding out of my shoulders as my breathing slows.
His mouth lingers there, soothing, grounding, his scent wrapping around me until the noise in my head fades.