Chapter 30
Imogen
My mother finally noticed all my things were gone, and I came up with a somewhat convincing lie that I'd gotten rid of most of my things so Stevens could buy me a new wardrobe when I moved in. She praised me for the idea, agreeing my new pack should outfit me, befitting a mayor's wife.
Tomorrow is the party, and while I've tried not to think about it, falling into blissful days with Dante, it's always there in my mind, reminding me of what's to come, not letting me fully enjoy my new life.
But tomorrow, one way or another, it’s finally over, and I’ll be done with Stevens. Everything important to me is gone from my bedroom; my nest is all that remains.
I’ve not used it much over the years, never for a heat. My mother chose the pillows, the color scheme, and all the bedding. Just like everything else in my life, she dictated and designed it. I give it one last long look.
I don't know when my nest at Dante’s will be ready, but I’m certain it will be the finest nest I've ever had.
Red took me to a small nesting store downtown, and we picked out a few things, but I hated spending their money, so I smiled serenely and assured him I didn’t need more than a few pillows. I need to learn to live with less, anyway.
Knowing the house is empty, not having seen or spoken to my fathers in weeks—not since Bowen treated me like just another submissive omega unworthy of his time and patience—I wheel my luggage downstairs and out the door.
My heels clicking over the tile in the grand foyer feel ominous. Even Gerald, the cook, and most of the staff are long gone for the night. Mother told me she was preparing for my engagement party today at the Stevens estate.
I don’t even know where my fathers are. And I don’t care.
It’s not bittersweet, leaving for the last time, though the change feels strange. The moment I start driving toward South Loop, I feel a weight lifting from my shoulders.
I’m relieved to see all their vehicles when I pull into the garage beneath the warehouse and into the parking spot the guys organized just for me, beside my cherry red scooter.
Cass meets me halfway up the stairs and takes my bag. Kissing the top of my head, he hugs me close. Even in heels, he towers over me. The tallest of his brothers, less lanky than Iggy, but still thin, Cass hides his ripped figure beneath baggy t-shirts, making his hugs even more comforting and protective.
I kiss him back and greet Iggy and Red in the kitchen. Iggy’s only an inch or so taller than me when I’m in my heels, but I still love to wear them. My wardrobe has morphed into some amalgam of my previous OFA-style clothes and ones I feel more comfortable wearing when we hang out in South Loop.
High heels, skinny jeans and a t-shirt—a nice one, or something I stole from one of my mates, depending on my mood—and, always, red lipstick.
Cass stands in the kitchen, grinning wide, still holding my luggage. There's a tense silence in the room. Frowning, I glance around and notice all my things are missing. Previously stacked high along the wall, my belongings no longer take up space in the living room.
I open my mouth to ask where everything is when Iggy grumbles and grabs my hand, tugging me toward the stairs. Red slips behind me and lifts, carrying me bridal style up the stairs with Cass at our back, and I squeal in surprise.
"Guys… what’s going on?"
As Iggy pauses outside the door to the nest, my breath catches, and my heart races. The last time I was in there, the room had a bad-smelling carpet, a half window with broken blinds, and a whirring fan that clicked as it spun all the dust around.
Red sets me down, then we follow Iggy inside.
I stare, mouth agape, trying to take it all in. Tears well, and I try to form words, but I’m at a loss.
Cass threads his fingers through mine, pulling me toward the far end. "We put a half wall in front of the bathroom to break up the space since it was such a large room."
"Thanks to Iggy," Red tacks on.
Cass nods. "Thanks to Iggy giving up a lot of space."
I turn to Iggy to chastise him, but he cuts me off, literally, with his hand across my mouth. Staring those dark eyes into mine, he says, "This space is yours, Imogen. All I want is for you to have everything you’ve ever wanted. That’s what makes me happy. Okay?"
He releases my mouth, but I lock him in a hug. "You didn’t have to do that, Iggy."
"I wanted to, okay? I don’t need much. I’ve got a bed, some drawers, and now, no fucking windows, so I can sleep. It's great. Besides, I’ll probably spend most of my time with you, anyway."
He’s right. The bed is massive, the biggest one I’ve ever seen.
I love what he represents. He doesn’t need a lot, he just wants his omega happy. And I feel the same. We don’t need more things to make us happy, we have each other. Before I can start crying at the sheer amazingness of it all, Cass grabs my attention again.
Opposite the half wall, they built a custom closet, and though it’s not a walk-in, it’s huge and fits all of my things with even more space to spare. I ignore the embarrassment that I like so many pretty things, knowing they don’t judge me.
Red pulls me into the bathroom, and they replaced everything. There’s a massive tub with jets, a small shower stall, and a vanity with a long countertop and multiple sinks. I run my hands along the tile, feeling the cool material, marveling at all this work. They built all this, just the three of them, with their own hands, just for me. I must be the luckiest omega alive.
Cass pulls me back into the bedroom side of the nest. Gone is the nasty carpet, replaced with thick wide, light-colored hardwood planks and plush rugs covering the space. The bed, also custom-built, has more drawers underneath.
The walls are neutral, and all the windows have blackout curtains. Red said they were handmade by the woman who made all my lingerie, and I laugh.
The bed is covered in pillows—in fact, everything I touched when Red and I went to the nesting store is here, not just the things I settled on. He catches me staring at all the bedding and plush materials.
"We can provide for you, Im." Red smirks, daring me to counter. But how could I?
"I know. You didn’t have to do all this—"
"We can provide for you. You weren’t asking for a lambo. You wanted pillows for your nest. A soft space that you chose. Not your mother, not the OFA, and not us. This space is yours. It should have everything you need. Trust us to provide. Okay?"
I nod because I can’t bring myself to say anything more.
Then Red lifts me again and tosses me in the center of the bed. "Now, what’s say we christen it?"
My mates spend the next two hours showing me all the perks of the room and how we can have fun together with enough space to sprawl out.
They fuck me senseless, and when I nearly pass out in cries for mercy, they show off the new bathroom and the tub with the jets. Red joins me in the bath while Cass makes dinner, and Iggy calls the Constantine Pack to prepare for tomorrow.
The reminder of what’s coming, that I have to pretend with Stevens one more time dampens the mood, but Red keeps running cups of water through my hair, massaging my shoulders, trying to get me to relax.
He can tell I'm tense and eventually says, "Your folks will regret their choices someday. I’m sorry, it likely won’t be anytime soon."
"It won’t be… and it’s okay. I’m making peace with it."
"Will be weird to meet your folks while we’re dressed like caterers tomorrow," Red laughs.
I bury my face in his shoulder. Even clean, sitting in the tub, the scent of his skin, his essence, that masculine leather and oil, lingers, making me feel safe in his embrace.
"I’ll call Ophelia later. They’re supposed to come pick me up."
"But you’ll leave with us." It wasn’t a question.
"Yes, Red. Finally, I'll leave with you. No more hiding." Not that we’ve done a great job of keeping our relationship a secret in the last two weeks, but we haven’t bonded, and we haven’t gone anywhere outside of South Loop. Besides, I only need to convince Stevens Pack that I’m their fiance for a few more hours.
When my fingers are pruned, and my body relaxed, we climb out of the tub. Every nook and cranny of this new space, all the way down to the cubbies they built, the caddies for my towels and products, my pajamas, all of it screams permanence.
"What will we do when we have kids?" I ask, thinking about space. Cass and I were too preoccupied to bring it up with Red and Iggy the other night.
"What do you mean?" Red runs a towel through his wet hair, showcasing his few chest tattoos, his biceps casually flexing overhead. I sigh, taking in all his beauty, when he laughs, reminding me I asked a question.
"Oh, yes, of course. I meant, well… I guess, for starters, do you want kids? Cass said, conceptually, you guys did but hadn’t thought much about it."
"Arms up." I do as he says, and he slips a t-shirt—one of his, by the scent of it—over my arms. Fully dressed, we go downstairs, finding Cass plating dinner and Iggy hanging up the phone in perfect timing.
"Guys, Imogen wants to know when we can have kids."
Iggy’s eyes shoot to mine. "Let’s start right now."
Red snorts while Cass smacks the back of Iggy’s head. I shake my head and sit down. "This smells amazing, Cass. Thank you so much."
He kisses the top of my head. "You’re welcome. And about this baby business. I told you the other day, we’ve all talked about it before, and if you’re ready…"
"Are you?"
Cass takes a seat, picking up his fork but pausing. "I mean, I’d like a little more time with you. Just us. But yeah, I’m ready."
"Gestation's like nine months."
Cass shoots Iggy an amused smirk. "Thank you, Iggy, so glad to hear you paid attention in health class."
Iggy shrugs, "I’m just saying. Nine months. And she’s not going anywhere after that. Plus, pregnant women are super horny."
This time, Red smacks Iggy on the back of the head, and I’m in stitches, laughing so hard. "Iggy!" I cry between fits of laughter. "That’s not a reason to knock up your mate!"
It earns me a smile. "Imogen, all you’ve ever wanted was a big, happy family. We’ve been bachelors all our lives. We’re ready when you are."
I look at Cass and Red to be sure he isn’t speaking out of turn, but they both nod in agreement. This is probably moving too fast, right? Am I crazy for wanting this? We haven’t even bonded. We haven’t even said I love you.
With the pressure of tomorrow, it’s a lot. What if I'm pushing them all too far, too fast? They’re so agreeable. Why is this so easy for them? They wanted nothing to do with an omega in their pack two months ago. Now, suddenly, they’re ready to settle down? Have kids?
"Woah, woah, woah, Im, what’s going on, what happened there?"
I swallow down the worry and fear and smile at my mates. "I apologize. I'm fine."
"You’re not fine… where did you just go?" Red leans close, sniffing my neck like he can scent my thoughts. But I’m better at this than they are.
I slow my breath, squeeze my hands, then release them in a soft fold in my lap. "Truly, I'm fine. I had a moment of worry that we were moving too fast—"
"Too fast?" Red contemplates me for a moment, scrutinizing my expression, my rigid posture and fake expression. "Imogen, you gotta let it go."
"Let what go?" I whisper.
"Everything." Red prompts softly, "Look at me."
I don’t want to, but I look up. "Imogen, we’re not going anywhere. Yell, fight, scream, rage. Be scared, worried. Just let your emotions out. We’re not going to judge you. If you need to keep secrets, we get that. But don’t hide yourself from us."
"I'm not hiding," I argue.
"Okay. You had a moment of worry we were moving too fast… tell me more. Why’d it freak you out?" Red asks gently.
"It didn't," I lie.
"We were talking about having kids. You were smiling. Then you shut down and locked yourself up. Don't lie to me. If you don't want to tell me, fine, but don't lie."
Sighing, I admit, "I'm worried we're moving too fast."
"Being with us?"
"Being with me… you didn’t want an omega. And now we’re talking about settling down and having kids. I'm afraid of how much I want it. That you’re just saying yes because of the scent-match."
Iggy comes around the table and lifts me, transporting me onto his lap. Cass takes my hand while Red rests his on my thigh.
"I know you use the mask as a defense mechanism. But you can be real with us. You can be messy and ugly and let all your bullshit out, and we’ll still be here. Okay?"
I sniff and nod my head. "Okay."
"Do you really think we’d tell you we were ready to settle down if we didn’t mean it? That Iggy would?"
Aside from their honest nature, they’ve always shown me who they are as people. I may not have known them long, but it feels like we’ve been together for years, not months. Weeks, really.
They can’t walk down the street without someone recognizing them, thanking them, wanting to hang out with them, talk to them. I know deep down they’re good men.
"I’m still getting used to… trusting good intentions."
"That’s okay. We’ll get there."
"I guess we should table the baby-talk for now," I say, leaning back in Iggy's lap.
"Nah, fuck that. After we bond, after we’re out of this mess—we’re in this. Feel me?"
"I feel you, Red," I laugh.
"You’ll make a beautiful pregnant woman," Iggy growls against my skin.
"Dude, did you just develop a pregnancy kink? You know you can’t electrocute your pregnant wife, right?" Cass laughs, getting up from the table and cleaning up dinner.
Iggy pauses, then kisses my neck, dragging his teeth across my skin. "It’s mild stimulation, not electrocution. And no problem. Just means I need to get creative."
"You three are ridiculous." And intense and sincere and make me feel shaky and vulnerable, like I'm walking on new legs.