Page 128 of Puck & Her Blades

I never thought that I’d have someone caring for me like this.

Zev pulls out a mug with the words emblazoned on it in red WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER, WE’LL PLAY ICE HOCKEY THERE TOO.

Then he drops in a tea bag.

He turns to me, resting back against the counter. “Don’t worry, Ash swears by this. The tea helps, after I’ve pinned him down and fucked his throat.”

I choke on my tongue.

Zev stares at me steadily.

I wet my dry lips. “Ehm, good to hear.”

Zev smiles, fondly. “Ash is a legend. Not only is he a seriously good fuck but he cares for all of us like he did over the heat. He didn’t rest for a moment. That’s why I offered to bring you here and stayed up with you to make sure that you were okay, so that he could get some sleep. He needs it. Cygnus is catching some rest too. He always pushes himself too hard because he doesn’t like to admit even to himself that he’s struggling.”

I smile. “You take care of both of them and their needs too then.”

“I look after all my pack. You as well, love.”

Steam rises from the kettle.

Zev pours the boiling water into the mug.

I stare around at the fairy lights and the fir tree, which has robins that look like they’re hopping on its branches. “Who decorated the cottage for me?”

Zev shifts, ducking his head. “Well, you did sleep for hours. I had to do something with my time, beyond rocking out. Many Omegas are deep sleepers after heats.”

“It’s beautiful,” I reply, “thanks. Last Christmas, I was in the Institute, alone. In there, it’s just like any other day. There are no decorations, gifts, or celebration. The kindest guard managed to smuggle me a mince pie, and fuck, that meant so much to me. You know, a single mince pie. My parents never believed in making a big thing of Christmas either because it got in the way of my practice. They never wanted to distract too much from our plans and ambitions. So, you bothering to do this for me is kind of…”

The lump is too big in my throat to continue.

Perhaps, I really need that tea.

Zev’s gaze appears too knowing.

He turns back to the tea, as if gathering his thoughts.

He squeezes half a lemon into it. Then he twists open the pot of thick honey and scoops a large spoonful, which he adds to the tea.

He picks up the mug, stirring it.

The spoon clinks on the sides of the mug in a way that feels achingly like the sound of home.

“My family rarely celebrated anything either.” Zev’s eyes are glassy like he’s lost in the past. I wish that I could wrap my arms around him and pull him into the present, where I’m wrapped in tinsel that’s scented chocolate, and he’s loved by his entire pack. “My Alpha dad, backed by my Beta Mom who was even smarter than him, even if she was officially only his secretary, made their millions in finance. We were the elite and should have thrown ourselves into the most dazzling parties, right? Only my parents never knew how to turn off. Everything was about the facts, figures, and the fucking business. They never bonded to an Omega. They didn’t see the use in them. There was nothing soft in my parents, and they’d never have been able to cherish an Omega. They just used a Government approved center to pick a female Omega and birthed me there.”

My blood chills. “What the fuck?”

Zev glances away. “Do you hate me now?”

“Of course not,” I rush to reassure, even though I’m shaking. “I’d never blame the kids for the parents’ choices.”

It’s every Omega’s nightmare to end up in the Omega Program, which is little more than a government approved breeding program for Rejects who can’t be placed but have high fertility rates.

They give birth for elite packs who want the Alpha babies who they produce but don’t want the Omegas themselves.

It’s only rarely used because it’s frowned upon.

It’s meant to be the solution to solve impossible pack problems and not a lifestyle choice.

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