Chapter Thirty #2
She doesn’t answer, too busy making moon-eyes at Blaze as he dances through the kitchen, but the grime on her skin speaks for itself. After hours of rolling on dirty sparring mats and sweating through training, she definitely needs a good scrub.
I herd her towards the bathroom, and gather her toiletries with a clean towel, and if I select my own clothes for her to wear afterwards, that’s my business.
I settle her on the closed toilet lid and start the shower, testing the temperature with my hand.
The place might be little more than a rundown shack on the edge of a forgotten military outpost, but by some miracle, the water’s warm.
Not hot, there’s no steam, but it’s far from freezing, and that feels like a small victory.
“Come here, sweet thing.” I scoop her up with a grin. “Quick rinse, then we’ll nest hard.”
I turn to leave, but she grabs a fistful of my shirt.
“No! Don’t go. Why are you all trying to leave me?”
“You want me to stay?” I ask.
She gives a fierce little nod, mouth set like a soldier bracing for orders. Turns out there is some fire left in our Omega in this state.
“Bossy girl,” I tease, tapping under her chin. She huffs, and I can’t help but laugh. “Alright then. Let’s get you out of these clothes.”
She’s wearing bulky black tactical pants and a compression top that clings too tightly.
It’s nothing like the custom-fit uniform Knox made just for her.
I happen to know he’s already working to remedy that oversight, spending hours stitching together a new set.
He claims he doesn’t know how to be soft, but there’s more than one way to show care, and that is his. A selfless act of service.
“Arms up.”
I peel her shirt over her head, careful, slow, trying not to notice the way her breasts spill over the top of her sports bra like they’re aching to be touched. The fabric is strained, clearly not made with an Omega’s curves in mind. Our Omega is… generously gifted.
One flick and the bra loosens. Her breasts fall free, her nipples peaked and flushed. My mouth waters as I imagine them wet with my spit.
Focus. I need focus.
“Trousers and panties off next, sweet thing,” I say with a far steadier voice than I expected.
She doesn’t hesitate, just slides them down with a dreamy little sway of her hips that makes it tough to remember what we were doing. The way her lashes flutter and her body moves is sensual without her trying.
The patch of curls between her legs is exactly as I remember. I wonder if the pretty pink petals are just as lovely as I recall too.
I force my gaze upwards and away from temptation.
Care and support, Specialist Shade. Halley needs a caretaker right now, not a horny Beta who wants to curl against her hip and hump like a dog.
“Right, er, in the shower with you.”
I strip down to my boxers but keep them on for both our sakes, tuck my raging boner into my waistband, and step in behind her as the warm water starts to mist around us.
She doesn’t flinch or question, just leans into the comfort like she’s done it a hundred times.
I keep my movements steady, gentle, reminding myself that this is about her.
Not me. Not the ache I’m trying to ignore.
I pick up the soap, ignoring the scent-canceling one sitting beside it. I want to smell every nuance of her perfume.
Her back is to me, and I take my time lathering the soap, working it into a light foam before running it over her shoulders and down her front.
I tell myself I’m being clinical and efficient…
but my fingers linger, tracing soap suds that track lines over her clavicle and down over the swell of her breasts.
When I step backwards to wash her back, I have to take deep breaths through my nose at the sight of her ass. How many hours have I spent watching the tight pull of her trousers, enamored with how this ass jiggles when she walks.
Her body is all soft lines and warmth, so unlike the world we come from. Where we are cut muscles and hard bodies, she’s got plush curves.
My hands settle on her rounded hips, and I squeeze before I can stop myself. Her flesh dimples under my fingers, and something hot twists in my stomach. I love how her body yields to my touch, ready and willing to cushion everything and anything I give it.
A dribble of wetness spills from my cockhead into my waistband, evidence of my treacherous body.
Shit.
Halley leans into my touch, swaying dreamily as she tilts her head back and smiles at me, completely trusting.
I press my forehead to the back of her head, just for a second, so I can get a tighter grip on my restraint.
“It’s alright, baby girl. I’ve got you,” I breathe.
And I do…even if I’m shaking from the strain of it.
I help Halley towel dry, doing my best not to focus on her chest, ass, or between her legs. I’m moderately successful.
By the time she’s dressed in my clothes, I’m painfully aware just how bad of an idea that shower was. I can’t stop thinking about how eager she’d be to please when she’s like this. So docile and loving.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
If I told her to bend over and spread her cheeks for me, she would. Happily. With a sweet, wanting smile.
I bite the inside of my cheek hard.
"Do you want to get in your nest now?" I ask.
Halley nods, eyes wide and glistening with that soft focus she gets when her Omega instincts are running the show. She tucks herself under my arm, cheek pressed to my bare ribs, her breath warm against my side.
“Yes please,” she whispers.
The nest is still a chaotic heap of blankets and bedding from earlier, a colorful disaster zone sprawled across the mattresses.
Halley doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she lights up, crawling into the middle of it like it’s a treasure trove.
She begins to sort through the mess with single-minded purpose as she folds, pats, rearranges with delicate care, following an invisible blueprint only she can see.
I hover at the edge, unsure, trying not to disturb the ritual.
"Uh, how can I help, baby girl?" I ask, scratching the back of my neck, feeling a little too big and clumsy at the foot of the nest.
Halley pauses, brow furrowed as she stares down the blankets. Her lips press into a pout and I can practically see the pheromone haze slowing her thoughts, fogging up the usual sharpness behind those violet eyes.
Then, she lifts one dainty hand and points to a lopsided tower of pillows in the corner.
"Fluff," she commands softly.
I nod like I’ve received a direct order from the brass. I’m her Beta, her helper, her anchor. When she says "fluff," I move without question.
I grab a pillow and start kneading it into shape while she mirrors me.
We fall into an easy rhythm, working side by side to build something that matters.
She’s precise about every item’s place, and I guess it makes sense because with only a handful of worn pillows, frayed blankets, stiff towels, and a couple sets of clothes, she’s got limited resources to work with.
She lays down a blanket with soft reverence, smoothing each wrinkle. I try to help by placing a pillow next to it, but she bats it away with a huff.
“Wrong place,” she scrunches her nose up, and I turn away to hide my smile at how adorable she looks.
Halley then spends the next few moments agonizing over where to put the pillow steeped in Knox’s ink and spice scent.
She’s bossy in the cutest way, all determined little noises and narrowed eyes. Watching her delve deep into her inner Omega is an honor, and I feel good about myself for supporting her through it.
Finally, she flops back onto the mattresses, arms spread wide, beaming a smile of satisfaction.
“Done!”
I stand up and make a show of inspecting her work. I can’t decipher the arrangement. It just looks like a ring of cushions with a few blankets tossed on top, but it’s perfect to her, and that’s all that matters.
"It’s amazing, baby girl. I'm so proud of you. Come on, let's get you tucked in."
Her purple eyes are glowing. I’ve seen that happen to the Alphas when they’re gripped by rage or arousal. But Halley’s shine is different. It’s lit with joy.
And I helped put it there.
She wiggles in place, adjusting her position with determined little huffs until she finds a spot she’s happy with. Then she looks up at me, face soft and hopeful, her lips parted just slightly.
“Hold me?”
“Of course, baby girl.”
I can’t deny her a thing, and she immediately cuddles up to me, her head on my chest, her legs tangled with mine. I drag a blanket up over us. Viper’s aroma wafts from it as I tuck it around her.
"How's that?"
"Perfect," she sighs.
I run my fingers through her hair, and she purrs, the vibration rumbling in her chest.
Blaze drops to his knees beside us, arms overflowing with what looks like every edible scrap of food from our stash and canteens of water.
Then, without warning, he pulls out his combat knife.
My stomach clenches. That blade has seen things. Done things. The kind of violence that keeps me awake some nights.
He flips it casually in his grip, and for a heart-stopping second I tense.
He slices an apple, and I exhale.
Neat, thin slivers fall away from the fruit like everything he’s done with this knife before was just preparation for serving his Omega apple slices.
He spears one on the tip and holds it out to her, gaze soft, waiting.
"Open wide, Sparkles. Dinner has arrived."
Her purr stops dead.
Halley cracks open one glowing eye and turns her head, locking him in place with a glare sharper than his knife.
"No Alphas in the nest," she snarls, voice low. Her fingers tighten, her little nails digging in with enough pressure to sting.
Blaze blinks, confusion flickering into hurt, as he slowly pulls back his hand.
“But… I made you food?” he says, voice breaking, like a child watching his handmade gift get thrown aside.
Halley sits up and the growl that rips from her chest is nothing short of feral. It’s deep, primal, and protective in a way I’ve never heard from her. Not when she was angry, or scared, not even during her heat.
It makes Blaze scramble backwards, throwing himself off the nest.
This nest is different than the one she made during her abandoned heat. That one was made with pure desperation and soaked in fear. This one is hers. A real nest, and she’s defending it the way an Omega is hard-wired to do.
I want to fist pump. This proves my research!
In a Pack, a Beta is allowed into an Omega’s nest without hesitation. It's expected. But an Alpha? Only if invited. Not even a bonded Alpha gets automatic entry. The nest is sacred territory, and the Omega is its sovereign with her Beta as her right hand.
Only once she senses the Alpha won’t breach her sanctuary does she melt back into my arms, nuzzling me and chirruping in quiet pleasure.
Blaze’s face crumples in confusion and hurt. “Shade, she’s not letting me in. Why isn’t she letting me in?” His voice is small, raw around the edges.
There is a flicker of unease in my gut.
Is this the moment that tips him back into the dark?
I offer him a gentle smile, careful not to let the worry show. “It’s okay, Blaze. She just has to invite you in first.”
"But she let you in," he says, lower now, eyes flicking to where Halley curls in my arms. There’s jealousy swimming in his gaze, but at least it’s not the dead-eyed emptiness that used to be there. That’s something.
“Because I’m her Beta,” I explain softly. “Right now, she’s vulnerable, and trust is everything. She’s just not ready to offer that to you yet.”
He nods, his jaw clenching. "How do I change her mind?"
“Keep doing what you’re doing. Stay present with us.”
He nods, but his eyes slide away. I can feel him pulling back, retreating to whatever space inside his head still feels manageable. I hate that I can’t follow him there.
"Hey, come on. Talk to me."
He shrugs. "I don't know if I can keep my head straight. Everything is so confusing. So loud."
“Do you feel the Pack bond? Can you hear us when we talk to you through the connection?”
"Yeah, ‘cept it’s like a radio I can’t tune right. Sometimes I catch your voices, but then I’m lost in a static storm again. Drowning in my own thoughts and feelings with no way back."
“Fuck man, that sounds awful,” I say earnestly. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugs again, and I’m struck by how weary he appears, like an adventurer who has been in the wilds for too long.
"What if I’m not… Blaze anymore? What if I never earn her trust back?”
"You will always be our Blaze. No matter how you return to us. You're our brother, and we love you." I mean every word, and his pale eyes well up with tears.
"I want to believe you, but it's hard." A tear wells and falls down his scarred cheek. "I'm so tired of fighting the darkness."
A soft chirp breaks the tension, and Halley stirs, reaching out.
"Blaze?" she calls.
He looks at her, his eyes wide. "Yeah?"
"Stay. Don't go," she says, her voice soft and pleading. "You... You can come into the nest if it’ll help. It’s a soft place to land. It’s safe here. Promise."
His breath catches in his throat.
I may have underestimated her grasp of reality. The little minx was listening to our conversation all along.
Blaze’s expression shifts to open and hopeful.
I give him a small nod and shuffle aside, making space.
As Blaze slips into the nest, Halley reaches for him without hesitation. He folds into her, arms embracing around her small frame, and she tucks against his neck, purring softly.
“This is nice,” he whispers into her hair. “It’s quiet in here. Thank you.”
I smile, heart full. “Get some rest. Both of you. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Halley’s purr is steady and low, thrumming through the small space like a lullaby. I can feel it ripple through the nest, wrapping around us like a living thing.
Blaze’s shoulders, usually braced against unseen threats, begin to loosen. His breath shudders out in a long, quiet sigh as he melts into the blankets, into her and this moment. The haunted edge that clung to him for so long finally softens.
I’m watching over them. My girl curled against my chest, my brother held close in her arms, both of them trusting me enough to take care of them when they’re vulnerable.
This... feels right in a way nothing else ever has.
The ancient records, the forbidden journals, the whispers in deleted files… they were right. Betas aren’t just filler. We’re the foundation, and I’m not broken for craving this kind of closeness. I’m not soft for wanting to soothe and protect. I was born for this role.
I’m a Pack Beta.
And they are mine to keep safe.