Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Jex
“You don’t even know me,” she whispers, like the words hurt to say.
I huff out a low, humorless laugh and reach back, gripping her waist and hauling her tiny frame into the front seat before she can even squeak out a protest. I settle her right on my lap, her knees falling to either side of my thighs, her warmth pressing against me in a way that’s going to drive me insane if I think too hard about it.
Her mouth parts in shock, but I keep going. I need her to hear me. Really hear me.
“I know you scrunch your nose when Dare teases you,” I murmur, letting my hands rest lightly on her hips. “I know you give Fox these soft, adoring looks when you think no one’s paying attention.”
She opens her mouth to protest, but I don’t give her the chance.
“I know your shoulders relax every time I touch you. Like I’m grounding you. I know you mutter to yourself in the middle of the night when you get a glass of water every night.”
Her eyes widen, lips twitching as if fighting a smile.
“I know you love the color purple—every shade of it. I know your best friends are your whole world, and you’re worried about your friend Odette.
We haven’t met her yet, but you’ve mentioned her enough times for me to know she matters to you.
But you’re not too worried because you trust the man watching over her. Henry, right?”
A little nod, her expression dazed but alert. Good.
“I know you’re the cutest gothic mate ever, and you call yourself a ‘black cat girlfriend,’” I continue, smirking when her cheeks turn pink. “I laughed like hell when I looked that up.”
“Of course you did,” she mutters, but there’s a smile tugging at her lips now.
“I know your fingers twitch when you get the urge to paint. It’s been three days, Violet, and I’ve paid attention to every single moment. You think I don’t know you?”
“Well now he’s just making us look bad,” Dare grumbles from the backseat, but the warmth in his tone says he’s not actually annoyed.
I glance over and see Fox smirking, shaking his head like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.
Violet swallows, her gaze searching mine. “I take it back. You know a lot about me. But... I still stand by the fact that you don’t know me. Not all of me.”
“Then help us learn,” I say softly, my voice a low rumble. “Help me know everything about you. The good, the bad, the things that scare you and the things that make you smile.”
Her eyes glimmer with something hesitant but eager. She leans forward, her lips brushing softly over mine. It’s like she’s testing the waters, seeing if I’ll pull away.
As if I could ever.
A groan escapes me, deep and guttural, as I grab a fistful of her hair, my fingers tangling in those wild purple curls and deepening the kiss. She tastes sweet, her lemon frosting scent clinging to my tongue and making my entire body tighten with want.
Everything else fades away. It’s just her—soft, sweet, and fucking perfect against me.
The sudden, raucous sound of laughter from outside the truck breaks us apart, both of us breathing hard, our chests heaving like we just ran a damn marathon. Her lips are swollen, eyes glazed, and the way she’s looking at me makes my heart twist painfully.
She giggles, the sound pure and light. “You’re... wow.”
“I could say the same about you, sweetheart,” I rasp, my voice like gravel. I feel her body shift against mine, and my hard cock twitches in response. There’s no hiding it, especially when her cheeks turn that pretty shade of pink again.
I clear my throat, brushing a gentle thumb along her cheek. “Now, we’re going to go inside. You’re going to pick out everything you want. And then we’re heading home to build you the best damn nest you’ve ever had. Yeah?”
She nods, her lips quirking into a tiny smile that hits me straight in the chest. “Yeah. Okay.”
This is it. The beginning of everything. And I’ll be damned if I let anything ruin it.
***
The moment I step into Fluffed Up , I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face by a pastel cupcake.
The scent hits first—vanilla bean, fresh linen, something vaguely floral that makes my wolf recoil like it’s just sniffed a glitter bomb.
The lights are warm and hazy, and the entire store glows in soft hues of blush, lavender, and cream.
Everything is plush. Cushioned. Padded. Stuffed.
There’s enough faux fur in here to make a grown Alpha weep.
I blink, overwhelmed, and Fox lets out a low whistle behind me. “Well, this is… aggressive.”
Dare mutters something under his breath about sensory overload, but I don’t respond. Because while the place is an interior design nightmare from hell for someone like me, she is already lighting the place up.
Violet walks in like she owns the floor—tiny combat boots clunking against polished tile, her short purple curls bouncing with each step.
The skin-tight velvet dress she wears is in some shade of violet that matches her name, her vibe, her everything.
The moment she enters, the energy in the store shifts.
Every Omega nearby clocks her immediately.
I watch as they instinctively turn—some visibly curious, others shrinking slightly behind their Alphas as if sensing the weight of ours behind her.
Fox and Dare aren’t exactly subtle. We tend to radiate something…
unapproachable . But this isn’t fear, not really.
It’s awe.
Violet doesn’t notice, or if she does, she doesn’t let it show. She throws her arms out wide and twirls once, half-laughing, half-dramatic. “Holy nesting heaven, Batman.”
Dare huffs a laugh, and I have to fight a grin. She’s too much.
“Well,” she says, eyeing a nearby stack of lavender-scented body pillows shaped like cartoon foxes, “guess I’m officially the luckiest girl in the store.”
Fox chuckles behind her, voice thick with amusement. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“More than you know,” she replies with a wicked smile tossed over her shoulder. The way she looks at him—like she knows exactly how hot she is when she teases—it hits like a punch to the chest. My chest.
And then she winks .
Fox rolls his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tug upward, betraying his affection. Dare laughs under his breath, already moving to intercept her before she wanders too far into the fluffy chaos.
As for me, I grab a cart like I’m gearing up for deployment. I am preparing for deployment, just of a different kind. I’ve seen Omegas nest before, but this is Violet. This is our Omega. And if she so much as glances at something with too much longing, it’s going in this cart.
I catch her looking at me from the corner of her eye. That look she gives me—like she knows exactly what I’m doing and thinks it’s both adorable and absurd—makes my jaw clench.
Because if she wanted me to, I’d build her a damn nest out of silk and starlight.
“Alright, little Omega.” Dare’s voice cuts through my thoughts as he loops an arm around Violet’s shoulders and starts steering her toward one of the larger furniture aisles. “First order of business: furniture. Gotta pick your base before we pile on the fluff.”
Violet mock salutes him. “Sir, yes sir. Fluff comes later.”
She lets herself be tugged down the aisle, wide-eyed and curious, already reaching out to touch things as she passes— textures, fabrics, pillows with sequins and blankets so soft they might as well be made of clouds.
I follow behind, pushing the cart, watching her with a quiet ache in my chest.
Because this— this right here—is what I never thought I’d get.
A mate. Our Omega. Free. Safe. Smiling.
And if it takes a dozen pastel nightmares to build her the nest of her dreams?
Then I’ll burn every credit I have and start all over again.
The furniture aisle is practically a warehouse on its own. Every type of couch, chair, and bed frame imaginable is laid out for display. Sleek, modern pieces right next to antique-looking monstrosities, and a few things that look too fluffy to be real.
But then I see it—the holy grail of nesting furniture.
A massive hanging bed, suspended by thick, sturdy ropes attached to a beautiful dark wood frame. It’s big enough to sprawl out on with plenty of room to spare. My fingers itch just looking at it, my mind already whirling with ideas of how to decorate it.
Dare watches me with an amused tilt to his lips. “Guessing you like that one?”
“Like it?” I say, eyes sparkling as I trace the sleek lines of the frame with my fingers. “I need it. It’s practically begging me to make the best nest ever.”
He chuckles. “Alright, let’s get someone over here to scan the barcode. Wouldn’t want anyone else snatching it up.”
I wave him off. “This is the display.” I laugh. “No one else is going to drag a massive hanging bed home. And besides…” I waggle my eyebrows at him. “It swings. Can you imagine the kind of fun we could have on something like this?”
Dare’s eyes darken, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. “Now you’re just trying to kill me.”
“Maybe a little,” I admit, laughing when his expression turns downright predatory.
By the time the sales associate wanders over to scan the tag, Dare and I are already cackling like idiots. And when Fox and Jex catch up with us, they exchange looks that are half exasperation, half curiosity.
“You guys done flirting, or do you actually plan on picking out more stuff?” Fox asks dryly, though the smirk tugging at his lips says he’s anything but annoyed.
“Just getting started,” I say, popping my hip and throwing him a wink. “That giant swinging bed? It’s coming home with us. And I’m not even sorry.”
Jex’s eyebrows shoot up, but he just nods like he’s already prepared to toss it over his shoulder and haul it out of here if that’s what I want. The possessive gleam in his eyes makes my stomach do funny little flips.
“Alright,” Dare says, giving my hand a tug. “What’s next, Violet?”