Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Roxie
Time felt like it was in a weird stasis where it was passing, but I couldn’t feel it. I blinked, and an hour was over.
Rylan held me through everything. The hockey game was playing softly in the background, and I felt like a failure of an omega for not going to watch the game and supporting my pack.
My skin felt tight, like it didn’t fit right. The lights were too bright. Even my breathing felt wrong and ragged.
“Are you alright, little bat?”
“No,” I admitted. “I shouldn’t be shaking like this.”
“What can I do?” he asked gently, stroking my hair away from my face.
I could see that I was worrying him, but I couldn’t seem to snap myself out of this.
“Would it sound pathetic if I said I wanted to call my mom?”
I was still learning how to rely on other people, but my mom was the one constant in my life, and she was the one person who would understand.
“Of course not,” he promised.
I pulled out my phone and hit her contact, putting it on speaker between us.
“There’s my baby. I thought you forgot about me.” My mom’s voice instantly soothed me. The familiar rasp that she’d passed on to me was something that automatically had comfort washing over me.
“I’m not the one who’s out there going back to school and kicking the world’s ass,” I said, trying for light.
She let out a chuckle. “You’re not wrong. That conference was amazing, and I’m enrolled and starting classes in a month.”
“I’m so proud of you, Mom.”
She started to speak then paused. I wasn’t sure how to start, but, of course, I should have known Olivia Crane was never one for subtlety.
“Okay, I’m walking away from people, and you’re going to tell me what’s wrong because I can tell something’s up.”
Her heels clicked on a hard floor and then a door closed behind her.
“Alright, baby. Talk to me.”
I started at the top, explaining about the guys, the pack, how quickly everything was happening, how they were hockey players but different, and how I trusted them.
“I never wanted you to hate hockey players just because your dad was a bad egg.”
“The coach, the one I said I was mated to, knows my father. He stopped by to visit him the other day and we ran into him.”
“Oh.” Mom sounded stunned.
I’d managed to silence the woman. That might be a first in our lives.
“He didn’t even recognize me. My omega called him out, and then he practically begged me to meet him for lunch. I guess he wanted to say his piece, and honestly, I wanted to say mine.”
“Was that today, baby? What did he say to you?” Now she was in full ‘protective mom’ mode. The woman was small, but mighty. I had a feeling if my guys didn’t get to him first, she’d kick his ass.
“It’s hard to talk to me when you don’t even show up. He stood me up, Mom. I sat there for hours, and sometime during that wait it just felt like all of the fight just drained out of me. Now I’m just sitting here unable to get out of this weird funk.”
“Oh, baby.” Her voice cracked. “I’m so sorry. I hate that man for what he’s done.”
“I hate him, too, and now I know never to trust him again. But my pack doesn’t deserve this, and I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve never been this emotional.”
“Did you bond with any of your pack members?”
I’d left that part out. It felt like a bit of an overshare, even with my mom, who I told everything to.
“Yes. Two of them.”
“I’m going to hold your hand when I say this—digitally, of course, because we’re not exactly close—but I’m guessing this is a pre-heat and your emotions just got to be too much and your omega sort of shut down on you.”
“I’m not due for a heat and only half mated,” I argued. “This doesn’t feel like heat, either. It’s like instant melancholy to the extreme. I’m numb.”
“It happened to me once. It was my first heat after he was gone. I had suppressed it, but for some reason I couldn’t shake it. I went to the clinic, and ended up in heat. After it was over I was feeling normal again. I probably would have sooner if I had a mate to help me through it.”
“I don’t want to wait a few days if this is our first heat together.”
“The difference is they’re there with you, baby. They can take care of you if you let them. You just have to reassure your omega that it’s okay to let it happen.”
That was easier said than done. She was just as wounded as I was.
As far as omegas went, rejection wasn’t exactly something we handled well.
Apparently, even parental rejection fell in that category.
“Have those boys take you shopping for your nest. Spend some time building it with them, and I think you’ll be fine. If you don’t want to go through the heat right now, though, then you need to get to the clinic. Now.”
I looked at Rylan.
“You know all four of us are here for you,” he promised.
Relief flooded through me. “No. I don’t need the clinic.”
“Then, it’s time for some of those really awkward conversations. Make sure you talk boundaries, bites, the works.”
“How long do I have?”
“With the way you feel… hours or days. You never know. The first heat as a pack, especially when there are uneven bonds, can be dicey. But don’t let that force you into something you’re not ready for.”
“Okay, Mom. I’m going to go handle this. Thank you.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I heard that young man talk. I’m going to need his information so I can check in on you.”
I handed my phone over to Rylan before resting my head against the pile of soft jerseys, breathing in my pack and trying to convince my omega that we were safe, that this was okay.
Or was I convincing myself?
When they hung up, Rylan pulled me closer, squeezing me tight. “The game will be over soon, and we’ll go get your nesting supplies tonight. I looked it up while you were talking. They’re open late.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
My eyes drifted closed, exhaustion finally taking over. I woke up to someone picking me up out of the nest.
I blinked my eyes open to see Hayes smiling gently down at me.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Rylan filled me in. Kota is already arranging for us to go private shopping. Are you up for this?”
“Yes. I don’t know how fast it’ll hit. She just thought it might help settle me.”
“Then we try it,” he promised, kissing my forehead before walking us out of his office.
My alpha carried me all the way down to the car before putting me inside. I drifted in and out as they drove.
Anytime I opened or closed my eyes, I could hear my alpha purring, a calming lullaby that kept me relaxed.
Sometime later, Greer nudged me awake. I was feeling a little more like myself as I opened my eyes and stretched.
At least I was rested enough to function.
“You know, I was thinking,” Kota said. “We have so much space to fill. What if we had a family nest, so to speak? A big nest we can use on nights the pack needs to be together. Something all of us can use to get through heats or things like this. Then individual nests for each of you so you have your own space, just like we would.”
“I actually love the idea of a pack nest. Something that fits all of us.”
“Exactly,” he agreed before hopping out and holding out a hand to help me from the car.
“We can start at the omega store then hop over to the pack store,” Greer offered. “Then we can come back when you’re better for a full shopping trip.”
Honestly, the last thing I felt like doing was shopping, and the pack picked up on it. They closed ranks around me, guiding me through the stores, encouraging me to look around.
The more aisles we went down, the more I felt my omega perking up, pointing things out that she loved.
My choices were almost entirely black, I even found some sheets with little bats stitched into them for the nest.
Kota handled ordering the mattresses with Hayes while everyone else picked out little things they liked. Rylan’s selections added more color to our nest. Almost everything would complement my choices perfectly and I loved that I’d see bits of my pack in this nest.
Picking out the family nest felt less intense than my own. My omega was content knowing she was getting one, but with us feeling so off, this wasn’t the time to shop for our personal safe space.
Right now, I needed to be surrounded by my pack. Even during a heat.
We quickly filled one cart, then two.
Despite the practically two-hour nap I’d taken on the way here, a few more aisles and I was ready to pass out again.
Once again, my pack proved they were perfect.
Greer picked me up right there in the middle of the store, nestling me against his chest.
“I’m taking her out to the car. Somebody else buy this. If you need money, I’ll send it over.”
“No, I can pay for my stuff,” I protested weakly.
“Hush, little bat. Let us take care of you,” he ordered, his voice stern.
I was drifting off again before we even got to the car. When I woke back up again, we were home.
My skin felt like it was burning, and I knew that a heat spike was imminent. I wasn’t needy yet, just uncomfortable.
This stage of pre-heat was the calm before the storm.
“Let’s get you inside. You’re burning up,” Hayes said.
I was practically sweating where our skin was touching, but he didn’t seem to mind. When I tried to wiggle free he only held me tighter.
“Take her to the living room. We have to have a talk before she goes into heat,” Hayes said. The alpha tone wasn’t a bark, just serious enough to snap me back to reality.
He was right. This had to happen before I fell under the heat’s spell.
Greer sat right down in the center of the couch with me while Kota and Rylan took either side of him.
Hayes stood in front of us as he took charge of the situation. He looked so powerful and confident standing there that I found myself shifting until Greer gripped my hips, holding me still.
“You’re killing me, little bat. Let’s get through this then we’ll take care of you,” he promised, nipping at my ear. I shuddered but forced myself to focus on the alpha.
“We need to talk boundaries and consent.
“Look, I’m so tired, but I’m not in heat yet. When I am, I’m going to want all of you. I don’t want any fighting or jealousy. We’re just going to have a good time if you’re all willing. I want you to be willing.”
“I’m in,” Greer said without hesitation.
“Same,” Rylan and Kota agreed.
“Me, too,” Hayes added.
“Okay. Then that brings me to bites. I want the last two bites from my pack. This will be easier if we’re bonded, but the truth is I’ve wanted them for a while.”
“Good, because I’ve been dying to give it to you,” Kota practically cheered.
“If you want my teeth on you, omega, you’ve got it,” Hayes said. “You can bite me back, too.”
“Other than that, just keep me safe and happy,” I said with a shrug. “I promise you, if I don’t like something, my omega will tell you very firmly.”
“I have no doubt about that, little bat,” Greer chuckled. “You can be vicious when you want to. I love it.”
The way his scent swelled told me he was thinking about his rut.
It was one of the best experiences of my life. I certainly wasn’t going to discount it.
“For now, I just want to go to bed with my pack.”
“I’ve got rush delivery on that nest, and we’ll pick out a room in the morning. For now, let’s get you upstairs.”
Everyone quickly rushed through their nighttime routines before we all piled into my room. They didn’t care that it was a bit too small, finding room to settle and stay close to me.
I lay on Greer’s chest while Rylan lay on Kota. Hayes was at my side, his hand running up and down my back.
It was perfect.
Now that I wasn’t hiding the bond, I could feel how excited and happy my two bonded mates were.
I couldn’t wait until I could feel all of them.