Page 7 of The Flavor of Us

I let out a shaky breath, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m scared that I’m not what she wants. That… the things I want, the things Ilike—they’re not what an Alpha expects from a Beta. They never have been. And when she realizes that, she’s going to look at me differently. And I can’t handle that, Mom. Not from her.” I’m not sure why I thought rushing into this was the right thing.

If Carleen sees my nest, she’s going to freak. Carleen doesn’t want an Omega—and I’m not one—but all the cute shit that Omegas enjoy? I want that. I want all of it. I can do without the heats and the absolute submission to Alphas but everything else? Fuck, I’ve never craved something so much in my entire life aside from Carleen.

My mom hums softly through the earpiece. “You’ve always been different, Tati. Even when you were little, you had your own way of seeing the world. Your Omega friends might have rubbed off on you a little, but that doesn’t make you any less of who you are. You’re stillyou, baby. And Carleen? She’s not like anyone else. I think you know that already.”

I chew on my bottom lip, staring up at the glowing windows of Carleen’s apartment. “But what if she doesn’t want that side of me? What if it’s… too much? Or not enough?”

“Tati,” my mom says firmly, her voice cutting through my spiral of doubt. “You have to talk to her. Tell her. Be honest. If Carleen is the woman you think she is, she’s not going to judge you for being soft, or tender, or for liking the things that make you feel good and safe. You’ve been hiding that part of yourself for too long. Don’t hide it from her.”

The problem is that no Alpha I’ve ever been with has understood that. They’ve looked at me like I’m broken, like there’s somethingwrongwith me for wanting those things. And Carleen? She’s not just any Alpha. She’sCarleen. And if she looks at me like that, it’ll ruin me.

But my mother is right. I can’t go into this hiding parts of myself. Carleen deserves the full truth and I deserve to be seen for who I am.

I take one last steadying breath before grabbing my keys and stepping out of the car. The cool night air bites at my skin, but I barely notice as I grab as many things as I can carry and walk towards the building. By the time I reach Carleen’s door, I pause. This is it. The moment where everything either falls apart or falls into place.

The door swings open, my Alpha standing there like a breath of fresh air. Goddess, it feels like home.

I’ll tell her everything tomorrow.

Chapter four

TATI

The door clicks shut behind me and I’m officiallyin. Carleen’s apartment smells like warm spices and something faintly sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon had a love child and decided to set up camp in her living room. It’s soher—a mix of bold and soft, confident and cozy. And now, it’s about to have a little bit ofmetucked into one corner of it.

“C’mon,” Carleen muses. “Let’s get you set up.”

She grabs a few of my larger duffle bags, throwing them over her shoulder like they weigh nothing, and leads me down the hallway to the spare room. It’s familiar—it’s the same space I crashed in more times than I can count, back when things were easier. Back when I wasn’t so hyper-aware of every look, every brush of her hand, every second I spent too close to her.

I wonder if she knows she’s carrying the pillows of my nest but I decide not to dwell on it.

“Here we are,” she says, dropping the bags on the bed. The sheets are fresh, the pillows fluffed, and there’s this tiny vase of flowers on the side table. It’s nearly the same as when I left. The only difference is that it no longer smells like me.

“Thanks, Alpha,” I murmur, giving her a soft smile, not even realizing what I called her. I ignore that too—I’m getting good at it already—reaching for one of the bags full of clothes. And then I start shoving them haphazardly on the lingering hangers in the closet. It’s late and my brain feels fried from the emotional whiplash of the past twenty-four hours—which is why I naturally start building my nest without even thinking about it.

The clothes are always first, something hanging above me so that it makes the space feel smaller. And then the pillows. My gaze darts around the room for the duffel bag and I start unzipping it before Carleen’s chuckles break through my concentration. My head snaps up to meet her amused expression as she leans against the doorframe. “Tati, what the hell are you doing? Why are you cramming everything in the closet? You know you’re staying here, right? Like,reallystaying here.”

Heat blooms across my cheeks and I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly. Fuck, she knows, doesn’t she? I toe the duffel bag with my foot, hoping she doesn’t stare too long at the corner of the pink fluffy blanket popping out. “I—I don’t know. Habit? I’m used to… not taking up too much space.” That’s an understatement. I’ve been building nests for years and hiding myself away in them when the world got a little too loud. And they’ve always been in a small corner, tucked and a little bit darker than the rest of the room.

I swallow nervously as Carleen steps closer, gently pulling me into her arms. My entire body melts as she embraces me, her nose running along my cheek. “Take up space, sunshine.Please.This is your room, your home. If this is going to work, I want you to make it yours.”

Goddess, I want to tell her so fucking bad but everything is perfect right now. Tomorrow, I tell myself. “Right, of course.”

Carleen chuckles, still running her nose along my cheek, plastering her scent against me. It’s a possessive move, one that I’m 100% behind because it tells me that even her instincts want me. “I’m going to make us a little something and we can deal with the rest in the morning. Sound good?” Her voice has dropped a few octaves, an almost sultry edge to her words. My entire body responds, heating from the inside out but I tamper down those desires.

Neither one of us is ready to take that step just yet. We will be and when it happens, it will be glorious but tonight,baby steps.

“Yeah, food sounds perfect.” I watch her leave, a sigh of relief leaving me as I strip and head for the attached bathroom.

Steam curls around me as I step out of the shower, the hot water working its magic on my tense shoulders and the knots in my stomach. I let myself take a moment, my forehead resting against the cool tile of the bathroom wall as droplets of water trail down my spine. This feels… surreal. Being here, inherbathroom, usinghertowel. It feels like stepping into something sacred—like I’m being let in on some part of her that no one else gets to see.

When I finally pull myself together, I tug on the pajamas I brought—a pair of soft shorts and an oversized tank top with a faded band logo on the front. Cute but casual. Just enough to make me feel like I’m not trying too hard while still looking… y’know,presentable.

I rake my fingers through my damp hair, letting it fall naturally around my face as I pad barefoot into the kitchen. The soft glow of the under-cabinet lights spills over the countertops and the smell that hits me nearly knocks me off my feet.

It’s rich and savory—something with beef, garlic, herbs, and… oh my goddess, is that wine? Carleen stands at the counter, plating whatever culinary masterpiece she’s just created and I swear, she looks like something out of a magazine. Her brow is furrowed in concentration, her lips pressed together, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She’s got this look of intense focus, and it’s… distracting. Very distracting.

I lean against the entryway, arms crossed loosely over my chest as I watch her work. The way her hands move so deliberately, every flick of her wrist precise, every placement intentional—it’s mesmerizing.

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