Page 59 of Wild Card

My hair falls over my forehead as my head tilts. A slow smile crosses my face. “You got it, sweetheart.”

Lennox collects dirty laundry from all three of us and even snatches the pillows and blankets from the beds Bear and I normally sleep in. Although, she does leave the bedding in the pack bedroom alone.

I help her get everything she collected settled in a pile in the nest, wondering if I should turn the heat up.

I’m still shirtless, and it’s kinda cold.

“Great, thanks,” Lennox says, sniff testing the laundry. “I just need to set this up. You can go. I’ll come find you when it’s done.”

I open my mouth to offer to stay.

I shut it just as fast when I realize she just said I will be welcome when it’s completely set up. Omegas are notoriously picky about setting up their nest to their specifications. And even more selective about who they let inside their nest around a heat.

A slow smile crosses my face, and I assure her, “I’ll be around.”

Thorne pushes off his spot in the doorway and heads down the hall as I follow him out.

“Where are you going?” I call after him.

“Check your phone. There’s a storm on the way.” He turns and walks backward toward the pack bedroom. “I’m going to do inventory of the pantry and see if I should take another jog to the grocery store.”

I frown. That sounds like a pain in the ass. “My keys are on the hook by the door to the garage. You can take my truck.”

“Thanks.” He nods, stopping just inside the bedroom. “My SUV is still in my grandma’s garage. I had to store it when I went undercover the last time. I’m guessing this is a frequent enough thing that you have a generator?”

“Yeah.” I pull my phone from my pocket to text Bear. “It’s a fancy one that can run on propane or gas. I’ll ask Bear to grab another couple of tanks on his way back.”

Thorne grins. “Perfect. I’ll handle food, he handles the propane, and you can be on omega duty.”

I don’t know how I got that lucky, but I’ll take the win.

Chapter Nineteen

Lennox

Fluffing the pillows a final time, I fall onto my butt and swipe my hand over my sweaty forehead.

The nest is incredible. Entering through the door from the hallway, the bathroom is directly to the left. Past that, there are storage cabinets along the wall leading to the massive bench seat with a killer view out the oversized bay window.

It’s way too open for me to feel comfortable at this stage, so I left that part alone for now. I would like to spend some time snuggled up in front of the view once my need for a confined space lessens.

The den nest takes up the entire right side of the room. It has a mattress at least as big as the bed in the pack bedroom and plush carpet lining the walking areas around it.

This is the area I’ve spent all my time focusing on because it’s enclosed with full walls on three sides and a giant curtain that can be pulled across the front to completely close it in.

My eyes burn, like I’ve spent too long staring at my phone screen. Rubbing at them doesn’t help, and when I open them again, it becomes clear how fuzzy everything is.

The hair on my arms stands up as a shiver slides down my spine.

I’m far from cold, even though I stripped out of my pajamas at some point.

I glance around, checking to see where they landed. It’s time to put some clothing back on, so I can track down Rush or Thorne.

Having both would be nice.

My entire body pulses with heat, and I clutch at my stomach as I spot my Santa pajamas thrown carelessly by the half-closed curtain.

The really strange part is that I don’t remember taking them off. I’ve heard that omegas lose memories during a heat. It’s pretty common knowledge that we hyperfocus on sex and lose a lot of situational awareness. It’s why we’re told to have any important conversations well before the heat is supposed to hit and to make sure we’re in a safe place with people we trust.

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