Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Ansel
Almost as soon as the alphas and our omega disappeared into the bedroom, the deliveries started.
Then they didn’t stop.
Trucks and guards came and went in a steady stream, bringing in enough bags and packages to fill the front porch.
There was one guard who was permanently stuck outside, a beta who seemed perfectly content minding his own business, at least. He’d knock once on the door before retreating, probably not wanting to risk getting mauled by an alpha.
Kane was singing softly to himself as he tore open the packages, stacking them into neat piles to make it easier for us to put everything away.
I was bringing the necessities into the room: sheets for the bed, soft wall hangings that made it feel like a cozy little nest, light-blocking curtains to keep it dark, and string lights to give it a gentle glow.
I didn’t expect my omega to react beyond being happy that our mate was getting what she deserved. Yet, with each new addition, my omega seemed a bit happier, more content. I found myself wondering what little touches I could add… and then I stopped myself.
I’d never really wanted a nest of my own. Even now, I’d much rather share Audrey’s. But that wasn’t something I could ask of her.
An omega deserved a nest of their own.
My chest ached at the thought of having one by myself. It seemed so isolating and lonely.
Maybe something was wrong with me. I shouldn’t be this damn needy.
Kane brought in another handful of pillows, placing them gently around the room.
“I think it looks great,” he observed, taking in our hard work. “But I’m not an omega. Is there anything else we should do?”
“Our scents should be in here,” I said. “She’s going to want every single one on every surface.”
“Then we can start with ourselves,” he said, placing the final pillow against a pile of soft blankets. He laid down and started rolling around on the fabric, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
It was nice seeing Kane not lost in his usual daze. Though, even when he was, he was more observant than he realized. Even before she came to Arc, he always kept us together.
Kept me together. A calm force among the confusion and fear of that place.
Knowing our time was limited, I joined him, rubbing my scent across every surface. It was weird, but my omega was loving this, especially with Kane’s scent in here, too.
Sharing with Audrey would mean it would have all of our pack’s scents. My omega wanted them close, too, just not their knots.
Fuck. I knew I was a complicated omega, but every time I had those thoughts, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would always be this way. Was I missing out on something by only choosing Audrey?
Yet, the moment I imagined touching an alpha, my body physically recoiled. Sometimes trauma ran too deep, changed us in irreversible ways. I could tolerate these alphas but I despised the thought of them touching me in that way.
“Hey,” Kane said. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
I blinked, realizing he was no longer scent-marking the nest but focusing on me. I had his full attention now.
There was no fighting it. The words just spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Is it wrong that I don’t want an alpha?”
Kane didn’t look surprised. “Would you ever shame someone for being gay? For having any kind of sexual preference?”
“Of course not,” I said quickly, confused where he was going with this one.
“Then how is this different?” he demanded. “You wouldn’t shame two alphas who chose to love each other. Two omegas is the same. You deserve to be happy in whatever context you choose.”
I should’ve known Kane wouldn’t let me off easy. Maybe that’s why I talked to him in the first place.
“I think you need to give yourself permission to be who you are,” Kane continued. There was no gentleness in his tone now. It was firm and grounding.
“It just feels different to me,” I admitted. “Like there’s something broken inside of me.”
“There’s something broken inside of all of us,” he countered. “We’ve all been through trauma. Who would understand that better than us? Even Audrey gets it. And while I think she’d be willing to share her alphas with you, I don’t think that’s what you want.”
“I don’t,” I admitted quietly. “But what do I do if my suppressors stop working, or sedation isn’t safe anymore? There’s going to come a time when that happens.”
“You’re right. It could,” he said. He emphasized the word could, like it wasn’t inevitable.
“And we can cross that bridge when it comes. Just because you might need an alpha to get you through a heat doesn’t mean it has to be anything more than that.
They’ve already said they’d help you if it came to that. ”
“And what if I can’t stomach the thought of it?” I whispered.
“They make toys, Ansel,” he said with a small smile. “Have you ever had a heat without the drugs?”
“No. They’ve always given me suppressors.”
“But did you ever need them? You might not have normal heats. They might be small. Manageable. If Audrey had to help you through one, you know she would. Our omega would do that happily. What we’re not going to do, though, is borrow trouble before it’s here. You hear me?”
“When did you get so wise?” I teased, letting out a relieved breath. I really needed to hear someone tell me that this was alright. That I get to choose and it didn’t matter what the world thought about it.
He chuckled. “It’s crazy what my mind’s capable of when it’s actually mine.
I think we’re going to see new sides of each other a lot more.
For now, just trust our pack, Ansel. Trust our girl.
You’re enough as you are. She chose you first and I don’t say that with a hint of bitterness.
It’s just a fact. You were enough for her then and you always will be.
You gave her back a part of herself she thought she’d lost. You gave her the confidence to be with the rest of us. You’re a necessary part of this pack.”
The bedroom door opened, cutting our conversation short. Kane gave me one last, pointed look before Ledger stepped around the corner.
“Wow, guys. This looks incredible,” he said with a bright smile, completely ignoring the fact that he was only in his boxers. I was going to have to get used to seeing them all like that.
“You think she’ll like it?” Kane asked, shy now. Funny how he was just talking me down and now he was the one worried.
“Oh yeah,” Ledger said. “It fits both of you.” He was looking at me now.
“What?” He lost me this time.
“Audrey mentioned before that you guys would be sharing a nest. I just assumed,” he said with a shrug.
Of course, she did.
My heart warmed, and I glanced at Kane who looked smug. I laughed softly and shook my head.
“Okay, maybe you were right,” I admitted.
“Our omega here was worried that wanting to be with Audrey romantically would be a problem,” Kane said. “And probably afraid she wouldn't still want to share a nest.”
Ledger looked at me like I was crazy. “You know Audrey wants you, right?”
“I do. It’s just… hard to shake these insecurities. I still feel like damaged goods sometimes.”
“Don’t we all?” Ledger sighed. “Healing takes time, but we’re working on it, right? Plus, our head alpha said he’s going to get us out of there, so we just have to put in the work. Stick to therapy, keep healing, and we’ll be fine.”
He raised an eyebrow until we both agreed out loud.
Satisfied, he nodded and pointed at the door behind him. “I’m going to go clean up our omega and bring her into her nest where she belongs.”
Ledger disappeared into the bathroom first, and then into the bedroom. He returned a few minutes later with Audrey in his arms.
Our omega was naked, her skin glowing from being freshly washed and lotioned. He laid her out on the mattress. It was now covered in black silk, the perfect backdrop for her blonde, wavy hair.
She hummed happily as she burrowed into the pile of blankets, never even opening her eyes, content in the nest we built for her.
Her nest was now a mix of black and pops of jewel-toned colors that made it look vibrant, almost like neon lights in the dark.
With her laid out on it, her bright blonde hair fanning around her, she looks like an angel. Her scent was strong, and I breathed her in with deep breaths.
My cock was hard now, my own slick leaking and scent swelling in response. I glanced nervously at the others knowing they could probably scent me, too, but being the gentlemen they were, neither one of them called me out.
“I’m going to give you two a minute,” Kane said, slipping out. Ledger gave me a pat on the shoulder before following, pausing in the doorway and looking back.
“You’re enough for her, omega. I think you’re going to find out soon enough. She’ll wake up quickly. If the heat is too much to handle, you call me,” he said firmly. Ledger started to turn away but I stopped him.
“Wait,” I said quickly. He turned back, waiting for me to say more.
I’d thought it over. Ledger was probably the alpha that I trusted most in this world. I’d known what I needed to do but it took a bit longer for my omega to agree. Now, we both knew this was the right decision.
“Will you bite me? I want to be in the bond, too.”
Ledger didn’t even have to consider it. “Yes. You do know that it will hurt, though, right?”
“I do,” I promised. “I still want it.”
“Tell me when,” he said, tapping the door frame before leaving us alone.
Content now, too, I snuggled into Audrey’s side as she slept peacefully. Her nose wrinkled when she pressed her face into the pillow. Right now it was still too new, but soon our packs’ scents would fill every surface in this nest.
They were right, she didn’t sleep long. I was watching closely enough I could see her starting to wake up. It started slow, small twitches, her body slightly curling in on itself before she slowly blinked open her eyes.