Page 42 of The Flavor of Us

Carleen’s face softens in a way I’ve rarely seen. Her brown eyes shine, her lips part slightly as if she wasn’t expecting that. “Oh, Tati,” she breathes, leaning closer until her forehead nearlytouches mine. “Of course you can. You can be as selfish as you need to be right now. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I let out a shaky breath, the tight knot in my chest loosening just enough. My voice wobbles as I finally say, “I… I want all of you.”

The silence that follows isn’t heavy—it’s warm. It wraps around me like a cocoon as Carleen nods slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Alright,” she whispers. “All of us, then.”

Ashton’s grin is soft, his usual playful smirk replaced by something gentler, something warmer. “Whatever you need, little doe. We’re here.”

Chapter nineteen

ASHTON

She wasn’t kidding when she said “nest.”

I glance over at Ryder, and he’s frozen behind me, his sharp blue eyes flicking over the scene, taking everything in. I lean back slightly into him, my shoulder meeting his chest, and his arms instinctively slide around my waist.

It’s grounding, the way he holds me—firm and steady, like he’s anchoring me in place.

Tati stands a few feet away, still tucked against Carleen’s side, her tear-stained hazel eyes wide as she glances between us and the closet. She looks so small, sofragile, and all I want to do is pull her into my arms and keep her there forever.

Carleen clears her throat softly, her lips twitching upward in that soft smirk of hers. “We’re not all going to fit in the closet, sunshine,” she says gently, her voice warm and teasing. “The pillows are going to have to come out.”

Tati blinks, her brows knitting together slightly, and for a second, she looks so unsure—solost. But then she nods slowly, her fingers trembling as she starts pulling the pillows out of the closet and arranging them on the floor. It’s a slow process—careful, deliberate—but there’s something calming about watching her work. Each pillow is placed with purpose, each blanket smoothed out until the nest spreads out into a large, inviting space in the middle of the bedroom floor.

I swallow hard. I never thought about having an Omega before. Ryder and I have always been enough for each other even if we thought about having another one or two people in our pack. Ryder always thought we’d end up with an Omega. I wasn’t so sure.

But now, standing here, watching Tati arrange this little sanctuary, something in my chestclicks.

I want this.

Iwanther.

And not just her—but this. The nest, the safety, the quiet intimacy of it all.

I want to sprawl out with my mates and justexist.

Tati finally stops, sitting back on her heels as she surveys her work. Her tear-streaked face is soft now, her hazel eyes glistening as she glances up at us. She looks beautiful. Vulnerable and strong and soherself.

I kick off my shoes and step forward, my chest aching with something I can’t put into words. Tati watches me, her lips parting slightly as I kneel down at the edge of the nest. Her small hand reaches out toward me, her fingers trembling and I don’t even hesitate—I slide into the nest beside her, letting her pull me close. She curls into my side immediately, her face pressing against my chest, her sweet scent filling my senses.

“Hey, little doe,” I murmur softly, my fingers brushing through her short dark hair.

She doesn’t say anything, just takes a deep, shuddering breath, her small body relaxing against mine as if she’s finally letting go of something heavy. I feel movement behind me, and then Ryder slides in, his broad chest pressing against my back, his arm draping over both me and Tati. For a moment, it’s just the three of us—tangled together in the center of Tati’s carefully built sanctuary.

And then Carleen kneels at the edge of the nest, her brown eyes flickering over us before settling on Tati. “Is there room for me in there, sunshine?” she asks softly.

Tati nods, her voice barely above a whisper. “Always.”

Carleen smiles—a soft, genuine smile that makes something warm bloom in my chest—before she slides into the nest on Tati’s other side. Her strong arms wrap around Tati from behind, her face nuzzling into the crook of Tati’s neck as she lets out a slow breath. And just like that, the four of us are settled.

Tangled limbs, warm bodies, soft breaths filling the air.

No one speaks. No one moves.

Iwantto make her feel better. I want to take away every single bad thing that happened tonight, erase the fear from her hazel eyes, and replace it with something warm, something soft.

But I don’t know how.

I don’t know if Ican.

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