51. Sunny
Chapter 51
Sunny
“ W hat on earth are they up to?” I asked as I watched Walker and Rune carry two gallons of paint outside as I handed Luka bits of his breakfast. I had decided to join them again for breakfast, even though when they tried to discuss my heat the day before, I had scampered back to my room.
Blaze passed me several slices of banana for Luka. They had been working on something for several days now, disappearing out into the backyard and not telling me what they were up to. If I wasn’t so sleep deprived, I probably would have insisted on answers.
“They’re just making sure the house is finished completely.” Blaze smiled. “You want some bacon?”
I shook my head. I had already eaten most of Luka’s leftovers, and my appetite wasn’t the best. The stomach cramps were ramping up, and as a result, my desire for food was minimal.
“Sunshine.” Blaze frowned, something that looked downright unnatural on him. “You need to eat more.”
“Rune said he was going to make his burgers for lunch. Don't worry, I will demolish that with a pile of fries,” I assured him, slowly handing Luka each individual slice of banana. My son didn't even seem fazed by the fact he had been kidnapped. It was a blessing, because I didn’t want him to have any bad memories, but he had been clinging to me a little more than he used to.
“I like how Rune listens to your requests for food but not mine.” Blaze pouted.
“What can I say? I’m cuter than you.”
He chuckled. “I’m not even going to refute that, sunshine.”
I had a visitor.
A very pissed-off-looking one.
“You and I need to talk. Right now,” Storm grumbled as he dragged me into the living room, displeasure rolling off him in waves.
At the appearance of my brother, Walker had merely smiled at me and told me I was on my own before scooping Luka up and taking him upstairs to the playroom with the others.
“Hello to you too, twin,” I grumbled. “Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?”
Storm crossed his arms, glowering at me. “Well, finding out my sister was dating an abusive cunt who hurt her and never told me did put a dampener on my day!”
I stilled, eyes widening. “H-how?”
“How do you think? Walker called me as soon as Luka was taken. I had to admit that I didn’t even know who this Gregory douche canoe was!” He raked a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” I sighed, deflating, all defensiveness gone. “How the hell did you stop yourself from coming here the moment you found out?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Storm sighed. “Kennedy was sick, and your guys insisted almost forcefully that they were watching over you. My own pack mates may have also convinced me to take a few days to digest the information because I have a tendency to fly off the handle…”
I snorted lightly. “It’s like they know you.”
“How did this happen?” he asked.
I chuckled lightly. “I feel like we need to go to a bar and have a round, or ten, of drinks to tell that story, but I'm not leaving my baby anytime soon. So, how does chocolate milk sound?” I asked, pointing toward the kitchen.
Storm laughed, shaking his head. When we were kids, chocolate milk had solved everything.
“Is it normal chocolate milk or that organic crap your alphas keep buying for Luka?”
“We have plenty of the organic stuff, but I have a carton of cheap, chemically enhanced goodness in the back of the fridge,” I declared as I grabbed his forearm, dragging him toward the kitchen.
Two minutes later, we were both holding glasses, and I had to start talking. “Look, I never meant to keep any of it from you. It happened so quickly. I didn't want to drag you into my mess.”
“Sunny, we are family. We share the mess! How did you even meet this asshole?”
“At college. He was charming, and it all happened really quickly. Before I even realized what was going on, he was isolating me more and more from my friends, and in a matter of weeks, he took advantage of me. Our relationship wasn't longer than two months.”
Storm shook his head with a grimace. “All those times I asked you about who the father was?”
I winced. “Yeah, that was a complete lie.”
When I had finally told my brother I was pregnant, I said it was a random hookup at a party, and I couldn't get a hold of the guy or even remember what he looked like, because I'd been drinking. Storm hadn't liked that, but he’d quickly gotten over it and focused on helping me with Luka instead of tracking down this imaginary mysterious party-going baby daddy.
“But why?”
I tapped my fingers on the side of my glass. “Honestly, I was scared. It's been you and me against the world for so long, Storm, and he had power and connections, and I didn't want to drag you down by one stupid decision of mine.”
“Trusting someone who came across as a decent guy is not a mistake. It is not your fault he ended up being an asshole. I just hate that you felt like you couldn't talk to me about it. Just like you didn't tell me when your apartment building burned down.”
“Kennedy had just given birth to Samuel. You missed out on so much when Charlotte was a baby, and I didn’t want to distract you from that time with him.”
“Still, we would have loved to have had you with us.”
I glanced around the kitchen, a smile gracing my face as I took in the chaos of my new home. “I think going to the firehouse worked out rather well for me.”
Storm chuckled, raising his glass. “I'm going to have to agree with you there, twin. Your guys are almost painfully good. None of them have given me an excuse to punch them yet, and I'm actually semi disappointed about that.”
As young teenagers, we would often joke that Storm was going to deck the first guy I got serious about dating. The memory made me chuckle as I thought about him trying to punch Rune, who was easily twice his size.
“Luckily for me, I'm dating a pack that includes a giant.”
Storm looked at me for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. “When I heard what happened to Luka, I swear to God, it took five years off my life.”
Looking at the ground, I blinked rapidly to try and stop the flow of tears that were threatening to spill over. “Yeah, this isn't something I'm going to forget anytime soon.”
“Can you promise no more secrets? If you've got any more skeletons in the closet, can you just tell me now so it's out in the open? I don't think I could take any more surprises.”
Walking around the counter, I put my arm around Storm and pulled him in close. “No more secrets. I’m serious,” I muttered, squeezing him tightly.
When we pulled apart, he smirked at me, that usual glee back on his face. “Luckily for me, I've made friends with your pack mates, so they’re on my side and more than happy to help me out.”
“That’s not fair!”
“That’s family.” He laughed as I threw one of the bags of marshmallows that was sitting on the counter at him.
After the emotional exhaustion of dealing with my brother, I had opted to take a long nap in my nest. Instead of leaving, my brother had lingered, saying he wanted to hang out with his nephew and his new brothers-in-law.
Having him around did make me feel that little bit more secure.
Eventually Luka had joined me in the nest for a nap. We were both exhausted, and he had been starting to fuss. We hadn't been asleep for long, only an hour or two at most.
Luka had woken before me, and Walker had come into the bedroom and plucked him out of my arms, insisting I get a bit more rest. In my half-sleepy state, I had listened to him, rolled over, and gone back to sleep.
I was starting to regret that now.
There were people in my house.
Not my usual people, but different ones. I could just make out a feminine voice.
Biting my lip, I shuffled down the stairs.
“Sunny!” Kennedy’s happy voice called out, right before I was engulfed in a tight hug. “How are you?” she asked, pulling back, holding me by the upper arms as she took me in. Her violet and vanilla scent hit me right in the face, and my hands itched to pull her in for another hug. Omegas were just made to be cuddly, and their scent was especially soothing to other omegas. Kennedy was also part of my family, so her scent was just good vibes all around.
“O-okay,” I stammered. “Why are you here?”
Kennedy scrunched her nose. “Girl, I mean this in the nicest way, but you stink. Why aren’t you hiding in your nest while your guys service your every need?”
“It’s not that bad,” I mumbled.
Kennedy matched my expression. “You look like death warmed up because you are putting off going into heat. It looks like I came just in time.”
“Why are you here?” I asked.
Kennedy bit her lip. “I think I'll let your pack explain,” she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered.
Storm and his pack, Blaze’s mom, and even Kennedy’s best friend Beth, who I hadn’t seen in a long time or even hardly spoken to, were standing in the kitchen, snacking on all the treats Rune had, no doubt, spread across the counters.
I looked questioningly at Walker, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, a bottle of beer in hand as he talked with Eli. I couldn’t make out their conversation, but they seemed happy enough.
“Sunshine!” Blaze shouted, spotting me. “How are you feeling?”
“O-okay. I would like an explanation as to why our house is so full of people.”
“We’re here for your heat!” Kennedy exclaimed, bouncing on the spot next to me. “Well, we're not here for you, technically. We are all here to keep an eye on Luka.”
I looked at her with a blank expression, unable to form words. “W-what do you mean?”
Storm shook his head, gently pulling Kennedy away before tugging me in for a hug. I didn't realize how badly I needed a hug from my twin. Sagging in his embrace, tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as the stress of the last few weeks crashed down on me.
“So,” Storm said as he pulled back, throwing an arm over my shoulder, “your guys summoned us because, given everything that’s happened, you’re a little nervous about going into heat. By the way, are you aware you reek?”
I lightly punched his arm, glowering at him. “Explain better,” I growled.
He burst into laughter at my fury before his face became sober and he explained. “You're worried about not having someone with Luka full time while you're in heat, yes?”
I nodded. “I need to make sure he’s safe.”
Storm nodded. “Well, that’s what we’re here for. All of us are going to be staying here for the next week or two and watching over Luka. Rune has stocked up with enough food to feed an army several times over, which is probably useful because we do eat a lot.”
My eyebrows flew up. While I appreciated the idea of them looking after Luka while I was in heat, there were some drawbacks. “You want to be in the same house as me while I'm going through heat?” I asked in horror.
Storm grimaced. “Twinny, I don't want to even think of you even having heats. We discussed various arrangements, but we realized taking Luka out of the house would probably stress you out more.”
“It would,” I agreed. “When did you guys discuss all this?”
“They called a few days ago, said you were holed up in your nest with Luka.”
“Oh…”
“Well, your guys found a solution.”
Blaze looked at his pack mates. “Guys, let's show her!” he said as he bounded over to me, pulling me away from Storm.
I looked between all the people gathered in my house and my pack mates, trying to make sense of what was happening. Had I woken up too quickly? Had I woken up in a dream? This didn't quite feel real.
“Come on,” Walker said softly, pushing me toward the back door.
Just having him near made my core clench. I was wearing several pairs of thick leggings, but I was certain I was going to start leaking through them.
Walker, ignoring my perfume, grabbed my hand and led me out the back door, over the patio to the old, run-down carriage house we had never used. I hadn’t even looked inside it since the day we’d moved in.
“Have you been decorating?” I asked as we approached. The exterior had a fresh coat of paint, and the windows that had been broken were replaced with shiny new ones.
Walker nodded. “We have,” he said as he pushed open the door. I walked in, Rune and Blaze hot on our heels. All their scents combined was a potent and heady mixture, and I was having to breathe through my mouth.
The carriage house was beautiful. The previously crumbling walls were now in pristine condition and painted pale blue.
“You made an in-law suite?” I asked, confusion tugging at me. I didn't know if it was because I was sleep deprived and horny or if I was just misunderstanding.
Rune shook his head. “Not really.”
I walked through the kitchen and stopped when I entered what I could only describe as a nest room. It was huge. It had probably been two or three rooms before they had gone to work on it. A pack-sized bed stood against the far wall under the large windows that had several sets of blinds and curtains.
Scattered around the room were several bags from one of the big nesting stores.
“It’s a nest?” I asked, even more confused. “Why is there a nest out here? Are you having another omega stay with us?”
“It’s for you,” Blaze said animatedly.
“But I have a nest inside? A beautiful nest that I love a lot.” I scratched my chin, unable to wrap my head around what I was seeing. The space was beautiful, I loved it, but I didn't need it.
“Sunny,” Walker said, turning me to face him. “This is our solution to help you feel comfortable going through heat.”
I blinked at him. “I think you're going to have to explain that a bit better.”
Walker nodded. “Okay, let me spell it out for you. You are nervous about going into heat because there will be no one to look after Luka. You don't want him to be outside of our home. You don't want someone we don't know in our home, and you’re reluctant to have family stay with us because you don't want to be in the same building as them going through your heat.”
I nodded. “Let's be real, no amount of soundproofing is going to protect them in that case.”
“Well, that’s why we fixed up this place. It’s soundproof and far enough away from the house that no one will be able to hear what's happening. We can ride out your heat here while Luka is in the house with all our friends and family.”
“We called them and said we needed help, and every one of them jumped in. I'm pretty sure my mother isn’t going to leave Luka alone for a single minute now that she finally has a grandbaby.” Blaze chuckled.
“Between your twin, his pack, your friends and family, Luka is going to have several people with him at all times for the next few days while you go through your heat.” Walker spoke slowly, making sure the meaning of his words was getting through to me.
It took a moment for me to digest everything he was saying.
I didn't want to leave Luka alone, but at the same time, I knew I was going to go into heat. Having one of the guys sit out of my heat had seemed like the best option, even though that made me extremely torn because who would I kick out of my heat? That was cruel and unfair.
This way, Luka was safe, he was in our home, and I would have the privacy to go through heat with my pack mates. Plus, he would have his cousins around.
“You did all this for me?” I asked in a small voice.
They all nodded.
“We will do whatever it takes to make you feel happy, safe, and comfortable,” Walker assured me.
“We even reached out to a few of our friends on patrol who are working over the next few days, and they are going to regularly drive by the house and check in with the babysitters via text,” Rune said as he grabbed one of the bags and placed it on the bed.
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I looked around the room.
They’d refurbished an entire outbuilding to give me a second nest to make this happen. And I honestly doubted it was because they were eager to enjoy my heat. They did this so I would feel safe and comfortable.
Tears spilled over as I launched myself at Walker, as he was the nearest to me. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I smashed my face into his chest, sobbing wildly. Emotions poured out of me, relief that I could finally let myself relax. Excitement for what was about to happen, and pure fucking unadulterated love for these three sweet men I had somehow managed to build a pack with.
“Thank you,” I sobbed into his chest as he returned the hug, softly running his hand up and down my back.
“When are you going to realize that we will do anything for you, Sunny?”
Pulling back, I looked in the general direction of the house. “I should go thank them,” I said. So many of my loved ones had turned out to support me, and it was overwhelming in the nicest way. How would I ever thank them for this? Giving me the peace of mind to go through my heat safely meant more to me than they would ever understand.
“You can talk to them after, sunshine. I'm pretty sure your brother and his mate already told you this, but you are starting to smell extremely omega nice.”
Walker nodded, refusing to remove his arms from around me. “You've been in pre heat for days, I think it's time.”
Now that I was starting to relax, I could feel just how bad the cramps were.
I winced. “I think you're right. What should I do?” I asked, looking between them.
“Well, the first thing we need to do is set up your nest!” Blaze said, grabbing one of the bags. “We have several bags of new supplies. Things that we bought, and also Kennedy brought a lot of things she thought you would like. We can also go back to the house and grab any of the materials from your nest to bring here. Just tell us what to do. We are yours to command.”
I bit my lip as I looked over all the nesting supplies.
They looked far too tempting.
Putting nesting supplies in front of an omega was like putting crack in front of an addict. There was no way I could say no to it. Especially when I was starting my heat.
Turning to Rune, I pointed to several of the bags. “Put all the blankets in one pile, the pillows in another,” I instructed as I wiped the residual tears from my face. “We've got work to do.”