24. Chapter Twenty-Four
I step into the living room, the cool touch of water still lingering on my fingers and a giddy flush sitting high in my cheeks.
The guys are relaxed now. Alex and Jamie sit on the big couch with an obvious open spot between them, their bodies angled comfortably toward each other.
Adrian occupies one armchair with a book resting open on his lap, glasses slipping a little down his nose.
Chase sits in the other armchair, large frame relaxed, gaze fixed on the television even though the volume is turned low.
My eyes move across all four of them.
The couch feels like the safe, obvious choice. I could slip right between Alex and Jamie without a second thought, let their warmth bracket me on both sides.
But something tugs insistently at me instead. I have barely touched Chase at all really, and Jamie’s words from outside keep echoing in my head.
Drunken courage makes the decision feel simple.
I walk straight across the room to Chase and drop myself onto his lap without asking.
Chase’s arms spread out in surprise the second I land in his lap and he lets out a low grunt.
I giggle, the sound light and tipsy, and tilt my head to look up at him. “Do you want me to move?”
He shakes his head quickly, his voice coming out rough around the edges. “No.” His big hands rest tentatively on my waist, like he’s afraid I might disappear if he holds on too tight.
I realize then how much bigger he feels than the others, how completely he surrounds me. His chest is broad and solid beneath my cheek, his thighs firm under mine, and the sheer size of him makes something warm and fluttery and purely omega dance low in my stomach.
I rest my head against his broad shoulder and breathe him in. Pine forest and clean musk and the soft warmth of worn flannel wrap around me like the thickest blanket.
The other three start talking in hushed tones among themselves, giving us the illusion of privacy without making it obvious.
I stay right there, letting his scent fill my lungs until it feels like it’s part of my own breathing. My lips brush the side of his neck when I whisper, “You smell impossibly good.”
My perfume breaks free without warning, flooding the space between us with bright strawberry and peach. The scent blooms so suddenly and so strong that even I notice it, sweet and unmistakable in the closed space of the living room.
Chase groans low in his chest, the sound vibrating against me where I’m pressed to him. His hands tighten on my hips, fingers flexing once before he catches himself.
I tilt my face up expectantly, heart racing, lips already parted.
He looks down at me, his deep brown eyes dark and pained with want.
For a long second he just stares, breath heavy.
Then he speaks, voice rough around the edges, “I want to take you on a real date before I kiss you.”
I laugh awkwardly, surprised and touched at the same time, the sound hushed and a little breathless. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”
My nose nuzzles against his neck as I breath him in a moment longer, unable to resist.
The thought slips out of me before I can catch it, hazy in the quiet room.
“It feels weird that I’m moving from one of you to another like this.”
Alex answers calmly from across the room, his voice steady and reassuring. “It’s completely normal and not weird at all.”
I freeze as I realize I’ve spoken my inner thoughts out loud again. Heat floods my face and I quickly hide my burning cheeks against Chase’s broad shoulder while the guys chuckle around us, the sound gentle and fond rather than mocking.
After a moment I relax and snuggle deeper into his chest, letting the heat of his body and the low murmur of their voices lulling me.
Jamie reaches for the remote on the coffee table and changes the channel. A rerun of a lacrosse game fills the room with low sounds, the thwack of sticks and the distant cheer of the crowd turned down.
The even rise and fall of Chase’s chest beneath my cheek, the rhythm of his breathing, and the heat of his body wrapped all the way around me pull me under, like warm water closing over my head. A gruff rumble starts up and I realize that he is purring for me.
I fall asleep right there in his lap, completely relaxed for the first time all night.
A gentle hand shakes my shoulder, pulling me gently up from the fog of sleep. I blink my eyes open and find Alex crouched in front of us, his pale gray eyes reflecting the low light of the television.
“Would you like to sleep somewhere more comfortable?” he whispers.
I mumble something wordless and burrow back into Chase’s chest, pressing my face into the solid warmth of him.
“This is plenty comfortable,” I tell him, the words thick and sleepy.
Chase chuckles beneath me, the sound rumbling low through his body and into mine. “You’ll probably wake up with a crick in your neck for your nerdy study date with Adrian tomorrow.”
Adrian makes a half-amused protesting noise from his armchair. Alex holds out his hand, patient as he always seems to be. I sigh, reluctant, but slip my fingers into his and let him help me slide from Chase’s lap.
My legs feel slightly wobbly as I stand, the room tilting for a moment before it rights itself again.
Alex leads me upstairs, his hand firm and constant on the small of my back. We pass several closed doors, their surfaces smooth and silent in the dim hallway light, until we reach the one at the very end of the hall.
He steps back and gestures for me to open it first, respecting nest rules even though this is his house. The small gesture makes something tender twist in my chest.
I push the door open and reach for the light switch. Hundreds of tiny fairy lights glow to life all at once, bathing the room in a gentle, magical haze.
The room is breathtaking.
A massive sunken bed is built into a raised platform, making it look like it is nestled into the floor itself. Soft chiffon and gauze drape from a canopy overhead, creating an intimate cocoon.
Everything is decorated in the gentlest neutrals, earthy greens, warm browns, and glowing golds that feel like they were chosen just for me.
Brass butterfly knobs gleam on the closet doors, catching the fairy lights with every small movement.
An ornate mirror with a pretty frame sits above a delicate dressing table, and huge windows are covered by blackout blinds pulled down tight.
One entire wall is lined with empty bookshelves, waiting patiently to be filled.
I perfume without meaning to, the sweet burst of strawberry and peach filling the air the moment the thought flashes through my mind — how easily the whole pack could fit in that enormous bed with me.
I spin to Alex, stunned, the words already forming on my lips. “Did you—”
He cuts in gently before I can finish, his voice careful. “After the last time you were here we started making some improvements to the nest. We hoped you would like them.”
My jaw drops. They barely knew me then. Yet somehow, in only a day, they have made this space feel perfectly mine.
Alex watches me for a moment, eyes warm. “The nest is yours,” he says with an almost reverent tone. “Even if you only want it for tonight. But there is no other omega for my pack.”
He leans in and scent marks me softly on the temple, the touch of his jaw against my skin sending a shiver through me. Then he steps back and leaves me to settle, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
I stand there alone, heart racing so hard I can feel it in my throat. The fairy lights blur for a second as I stare around the room again. I grab my phone with shaky fingers and dial Sophie, hoping I’m not waking her or interrupting anything.
She picks up instantly. “Elodie? Are you OK?”
“Yes,” I say quickly, then correct myself. “Maybe? I don’t know.”
The words tumble out in a rush as I tell her everything, the nest, the fairy lights, the butterfly knobs, the way the colors feel like they were pulled straight from my own head.
“They’ve already started decorating their nest for you?
” Sophie exclaims, her voice breathy with disbelief.
She launches into an explanation of the Whitmore family, how Alex’s dad is the CEO of Whitmore Enterprises, how Alex and the pack are going to inherit the whole company and already have more wealth than most people can imagine.
Not to mention how attractive they all are.
I swallow hard. “I even liked Chase tonight,” I admit, the words surprising me as they leave my mouth.
Sophie sighs wistfully on the other end of the line. “It’s super unusual for alphas to decorate a nest for an omega before they have even properly decided to court her. Did you agree to a courtship the other day and not realize it?”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “The complete opposite. I told them I didn’t want a pack.”
Sophie is quiet for a beat. “Maybe they are being a little presumptuous,” she says, but her tone is thoughtful. “What did Alex say exactly?”
I repeat his words about the nest being mine even if only for tonight, that I’m the only omega for them. Sophie sighs again, almost dreamy this time. “You should invite at least one of them into your nest for the night, Elodie. Just think about it.”
A soft knock sounds at the door before I can answer her.
I quickly say goodbye and hang up, my pulse still fluttering as I turn toward the sound.
Opening the door, I find Jamie standing there, one hand still raised, looking a little shy under the golden spill of the fairy lights. His blue eyes flick past me to the beautiful room behind me before settling back on my face.
“Do you think we’re completely crazy?” he asks, gesturing at everything with a sheepish smile.
I glance over my shoulder at the glowing canopy and the sunken bed, then back at him. “I do,” I say honestly. “But I’m surprisingly kind of liking it.”
Jamie’s grin softens. He holds out one of his t-shirts, the fabric worn. “You might want something more comfortable than that dress,” he says, voice gentle. “I know it’s not exactly pajamas, but it should be better for sleeping.”
I take it gratefully, the cotton warm from his grip. I have to stop myself from burying my face in it right there in front of him, the faint trace of golden amber and vanilla already teasing my senses.
Jamie runs a hand through his floppy blond hair, the motion awkward and endearing. “We didn’t expect you here so soon,” he admits. “Otherwise we would have had proper pajamas ready for you.” He shifts on his feet, then offers a small smile. “Goodnight, Elodie.”
He turns and walks away before I can find the right words.
I close the door and lean my head against it for a second, heart still fluttering. In the beautiful en-suite I change quickly, slipping his shirt over my head.
The hem falls loose around my knees, carrying his scent like a secret. I climb into the huge bed and start to nest without thinking, rearranging pillows and throws until the space feels right, until every corner holds just enough of me.
Jamie’s scent on the shirt calms me, but something still feels missing. The alphas. I wish they were here with me, filling the enormous bed with their voices and their warmth and their comforting presence.
Inviting one in feels like too big a step, even now. So I curl up alone, pulling the covers higher and letting the fairy lights blur above me.
The blackout blinds make time disappear completely. I keep waking every twenty minutes, fumbling for my phone on the ledge only to see another tiny stretch of night has passed.
The bed is objectively perfect, the pillows plump, the throws impossibly soft, the canopy of chiffon drifting gently above me. But the emptiness gnaws at me anyway, an ache that grows with every restless shift.
I finally slip out of the nest, the sheets whispering against my skin as I stand.
My bare feet pad mutely down the hallway, the fairy lights from the open nest door casting long golden shadows along the floor. I stop outside what smells like Jamie’s room. A dim light glows invitingly underneath the door.
I knock gently, barely more than a tap.
When there is no answer I ease the door open, quiet so I do not wake anyone else, my heart beating fast with nervous hope.