Page 147 of The Heat of Us

This is where I’m meant to be.

Not just right now, but always.

53

BEN

I think Remy wanted me to be more surprised when I returned. Obviously I was happy for him and ecstatic for what it meant.

But he belonged to her. Of course she could recognise that, even when she was hiding herself away. We eventually all made it into her nest. Hazel slowly expanded it to fit us all and we became part of it somehow, warm bodies for her to nestle against.

Everything took ten steps back when Dr. Baird burst in after 24 hours were up, ordering us to let him monitor her. Hazel curled up into a ball, whimpering at the flood of noise and strange scents flooding in from the hall.

I was fucking furious. “What part of this room needs to only have her pack do you not fucking understand?”

“She is your omega but she is also our patient,” Dr. Baird boomed, refusing to back down. “You should understand that we have a duty of care to her, doctor.”

I stepped into his space and he subconsciously drew back. “I have been monitoring her vitals. She is just fine. I promise you if there was anything I thought you could do to help my omega, I would have been out here so fast demanding it.” I looked down at the notebook he had clutched in his hand. “If this is about some goddamn paperwork, I’ll give you what you need if it means you get the hell out of here.”

“The drugs should be out of her system. And she’s still the same, isn’t she?”

My words were tight, held close to my chest just like the truth. “She is improving every hour. And will continue doing so as long as this environment is maintained.”

His eyes narrowed as he left and I knew he wasn’t going to let it drop.

I immediately rushed to check on Hazel. She reached for me, adding me like another brick to her protective wall with Remy and Aleks. “I’m so sorry, Hazel,” I whispered, banding my arm around her. She still didn’t react to her name. I told her it was going to be ok, and for the first time since we began, a tiny sliver of doubt crept in.

I didn’t let it show on my face. I couldn’t.

We were doing a puzzle in the nest. It was now big enough that we could all lie in it comfortably. I don’t know where Aleks managed to find something big enough for us to use as a flat surface but I think there was probably a room somewhere missing their whiteboard.

Hazel watched us curiously, picking a piece up on occasion to examine before setting it back down.

“So…those were your parents the other day, huh?” Aleks asked.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Yep. That’s them.”

Remy cast a confused glance my way. “What’s this?”

I explained why I had been delayed in answering his calls.

“Shit,” Remy said after I was done. “Do you think they actually left and went back home?”

“Dunno. Doesn’t matter.” Thinking about them aged me ten years. “Either way I’m done with them.”

I’d blocked them when they didn’t stop trying to call and text me.

I had a family and it wasn’t them.

The nest was silent apart from the shuffle of puzzle pieces and the occasional click as it snapped in place.

“Well, it’ll be ok,” Remy said finally. “You have us now.”

Aleks punched my arm. “Yeah, Ben. We’ll take you to soccer practice.”

“Teach you how to ride your bike.”

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