Chapter 32
Fern
Darion had placed Fern on his lap again while he read in Kyntha’s room that night, but she couldn’t relax or get comfortable.
Especially not with Kyntha sighing as she got up and sat back down every few minutes. Each time, she made sure to jostle Fern as much as possible.
“You’re restless,” Darion said, eyes still on his book.
“I’m sorry, I’ll try to be still,” Fern replied, but that seemed to agitate him further.
“This isn’t supposed to be a punishment. Tell me what bothers you.”
Kyntha continued working on her needlepoint, but she could tell she was listening closely to every word, and Fern didn’t really want her to know.
She cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered in his ear, “Someone took something from my nest.”
“Your nest?” he repeated out loud, causing her to wince.
She should have known better than to count on a man for any sort of discretion.
“Aye,” she said quietly. “I thought maybe an attendant had accidentally moved things at first while cleaning, but today when I returned to my room, something was missing. And Jena knows—”
“Who’s Jena?”
“My attendant. The… the mute one.”
He grunted his understanding and for her to continue.
“I told her specifically not to touch it.”
Kyntha scoffed and finally looked up. “And you expected her to understand you?”
Fern shot her a nasty look. “She’s mute, not deaf. And even if she was, she can read and write, so we’re able to communicate just fine.”
“Enough, she-wolves,” Darion said. “I have no tolerance for bickering.”
That one started it, her wolf growled. She always starts it.
I’m sure she feels the same way about us showing up in the middle of her courtship.
Her wolf chuffed. Our alpha chose us long before that one came along.
And then promptly forgot about us, Fern reminded her.
Her wolf did not like that. She bared her teeth at Fern and then turned around, sitting and showing her her back.
“What was taken?” he asked.
Fern knew she probably shouldn’t mention the tunic.
“A pillow…”
Kyntha rolled her eyes. “A pillow? Really? Is that all?”
“Kyntha…” Darion warned.
She sighed deeply and went back to her work.
“And you’re sure?” he asked. “I’ve seen your nest. There are many pillows. It would be easy to make a mistake.”
“It’s… it’s like waking up and discovering you’re missing a finger,” she replied, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “Nine is not so far from ten, but you’d notice it all the same.”
He thought for a moment. “And this theft leaves you restless?”
“Aye, you see, my nest is for only me and—” she stopped, her cheeks turning red.
Darion adjusted her on his lap, a low purr building in his chest. “And?” he asked, knowing what she’d meant to say but wanting to hear it anyway.
“… You.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, and he closed his book, putting it down. Then his hand landed on her cheek, his dark blue eyes staring straight into hers.
Fern’s whole body was tingling.
“And to know someone else was there, it feels… unsafe,” she said. “Violating.”
“Hmm,” he replied. “And what would make you feel safe?”
She looked away. It still felt dangerous telling Darion anything about her needs. Her wants. Because he’d promise to fulfill them, only to forget or withhold them as punishment.
But she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she didn’t speak up. And, if he decided not to do anything, she could always let Reinn and Eidan know tomorrow.
They would help her. Or at least try.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“Tell me,” he said softly.
Oh, could he be sweet when he wanted, breaking down all her defenses as though they’d been made from paper and not the bricks she’d intended.
Fern hid her face into his shoulder, breathing him in and letting his scent do what it did best.
“I need new bedding. Pillows. With… with your scent, if possible.”
And then she tensed, waiting for him to say it wasn’t the right time. That he’d see to it tomorrow—and then she’d wait all day and realize he hadn’t meant it. Or to chastise her for being so wasteful.
“That’s reasonable enough,” he said. “I’ll walk you back to your room and wait while they’re delivered so I can scent mark them before you go to bed.”
Fern looked up, feeling like she might burst into tears at any moment. “Really?”
“Ouch!” Kyntha cried.
Darion turned to look at her, red-faced and sucking her finger. He lifted an eyebrow, waiting for her to speak.
“I poked my finger with the needle, look!” She took it out of her mouth to show him, a small bead of blood breaking the skin.
Darion huffed. “Be careful, you’ll stain the work.” Then he started to rise, taking Fern with him. “Let’s fix your nest before it gets too late.”
“Wait!” Kyntha said, scrambling to get up. “Shouldn’t I come? Your time together, I’m supposed to be there.”
“Despite what your mother may say, I do not need a chaperone with my own omega,” he growled. “And Fern is aware of the ridiculous promise I made to you, so nothing will happen that you need to worry about.”
With that, he turned around, taking her out into the hall and ordering Lucas to fetch more bedding.
“How much, Alpha Darion?”
Darion looked down at Fern, and she pressed her lips together, averting her gaze.
“Gather much more than you think is necessary. And then double it.”
Fern’s heart felt so full it might burst, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you, Alpha.”
He purred in response, his small smirk growing larger. Then he took her hand, and they left for her room.
Inside, she’d already piled all of the old things into the corner, and felt almost ashamed to have no nest to show him.
It was such a strange, ridiculous feeling, especially when she’d never cared about what others thought of her “nests” before she’d shifted and her designation emerged. Her little collections, her soft blankets, her cozy spaces… they’d all been for her.
But now, it was like her heart was always pointing towards Darion. Always wanting to know his opinion of her, and hoping it was high.
And since it often wasn’t, she felt on edge almost all of the time.
So when Lucas and another attendant showed up with probably three or four beds’ worth of items, she gathered them up quickly and then shooed the two out so she could work with only her alpha’s eyes on her.
She couldn’t start until she’d inspected each item, felt them, weighed them, matched them with complementary shades or textures. And then she realized it might take a while with how much she had to work with.
“You… you can come back tomorrow when it’s finished,” she said quietly, holding a velvet pillow to her chest. “The process can be…”
He turned a chair around so it was facing her, then took a seat. “I don’t mind at all. I’m actually interested in your process.”
Fern smiled and gave a nod, then went right to work.
Lightest blankets made of the smoothest fabrics went on the bottom, then the heavier, thicker blankets were on top.
Pelts of fur went to the foot of the nest, as a place to sit or for easy grabbing in case she had a chill and wanted the extra warmth. It was still summer, but she needed to be ready for cooler days.
And pillows…
Firmest on the bottom. Softest on the top. The long, narrow pillows on the sides. Rounder, smaller ones in the middle.
It took some trial and error, some practice burrowing and rolling around, but finally everything had its proper place, and the rest went into the cedar chest in case she changed her mind.
Then she stood in front of it all and addressed Darion, who’d watched without commentary the entire time.
“What do you think?” she asked, her braid nearly undone and hair falling in her face, chest heaving slightly from all the exertion.
He was leaning forward in his seat, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together as he inspected her work.
Then he looked up and smiled. “You’ve done a fine job.”
She and her wolf both beamed as he stood and walked towards her. “If I lay in your nest, will I ruin it?”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. “No, not at all! I mean… that’s the…”
Point? Goal?
Her only wish?
He slipped off his boots, then carefully climbed in, taking pillows one by one and rubbing them along his neck and face. Fern’s heart filled when she watched him try to put them back in the correct place—he was terribly wrong—but the effort alone was enough to keep her vibrating with joy.
The blankets were next, and he slipped into them like dipping into water, letting his arms and legs spread and slowly move, rolling over to saturate it all.
Fern began bouncing on her toes in excitement, knowing how well she would sleep tonight, and a thought crossed her mind.
Was she pushing it? She hoped not.
“Can… can you leave your tunic?”
He paused, sitting up slightly to look at her. “My tunic?”
“It’s just… your scent is much more concentrated there. And then I can breathe it in all night and…”
When he tilted his head silently, she shook hers. “Never mind, forget it. You’ve done enough already.”
He chuckled and then tugged it off, tossing it to her without a word.
She caught it and brought it to her nose at once, inhaling him deeply as though his scent was an addiction and he’d just handed over her next dose. It excited her, calmed her, intrigued her… Fern didn’t think she’d ever get enough.
Then her mouth dropped open as she looked back at him, realizing she’d never seen him this close to naked before. Broad, muscular, with hair on his chest that narrowed into a line leading somewhere she’d only seen in the dark.
Her own scent must have strengthened, because when her eyes finally rose to meet his, his pupils were fully blown.
“Come here,” he ordered.
She only had one knee on the bed before he grabbed her and dragged her closer, flipping them over so she was beneath him, his arousal hard and pushing against her.
“You’re making it very difficult to keep my promise,” he growled.
Because it was a stupid promise, her wolf said.
Perhaps, she conceded. But he’d made it all the same, and she didn’t want to give Kyntha any more cause to hate her than she already did.
Even thought she was so close to getting what she wanted.
“I would not make an oathbreaker of you,” she said, holding him close.
He rolled them to their sides, looking at her more thoughtfully now. His palm on her cheek, thumb brushing her skin.
They stayed like that for a few moments, and then he said, his voice uncharacteristically kind, “Sometimes I think I had you all wrong from the start, omega.”
Fern’s brows pinched as she frowned, and before she could ask what he meant, he continued. “I had thought you… impudent. Presumptuous. That you refused to accept your place.”
When she let out a small whine, he shushed her gently. “But now I think you are just too pure hearted to recognize there even were different places to begin with.”
His eyes dipped towards her lips, and he leaned in closer.
“Alpha Darion?”
Lucas knocked and spoke from the other side of the door.
“Lady Kyntha calls for you.”
He let out a frustrated sigh, resigning himself to a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “We won’t have to wait much longer. Hopefully your new nest and my scent will be enough ‘til then.”
“And if it fades?” Fern asked, watching him put his boots back on.
Darion stood, then leaned over to give her one more kiss on her forehead. “Then I will give you as many tunics as you require.”
She watched him go, a lump growing in her throat that would not abate, and tears stuck in her lashes that would not fall.
Her stomach twisted uncomfortably.
Quickly changing into her nightdress, she burrowed back into her nest, breathing in his scent, surrounded by proof of his care.
And then she laughed.
She’d spent more time with him these past few days than she had when there were no such restrictions, all thanks to Katreena’s “limited schedule.”
And she couldn’t deny that it hadn’t helped her become accustomed enough to Kyntha’s scent, that, while still awful, it no longer stopped her from wanting to embrace Darion.
And because of it, Darion was softening towards her.
But… all she had of him now was scent, and her laughter turned to an empty sob.
It still wasn’t enough. He would never be able to give her enough of what she wanted.
Kyntha would always be there to take him away once they got too close, and he would have to obey her. His mate.
Sniffing, she got back out of the nest, grabbed the rocks from Reinn, and took out some of the spare blankets and pillows from her chest.
Then she laid on the floor and fell asleep with rocks lined up in front of her.