Page 87 of Lavender and Honey

"Please," I say, the word emerging steadier than I expected.

Lucian enters first, approaching the nest with measured steps. He pauses at the edge, looking to Elias. "Where would you like us?"

Elias gestures to the spaces he's created in the nest. "Lydia's in the center. I thought you could take her other side, with Finn and Soren on the outer edges." The careful planning touchesme—Elias has arranged us so I'll be surrounded by protection, with him and Lucian closest to me. I wonder if it's instinctual or deliberate on his part.

Lucian nods, then carefully climbs into the nest, settling on my free side. His larger frame radiates heat, a pleasant warmth that doesn't quite touch me but is near enough to feel. He arranges himself comfortably, his movements slow and deliberate as if not to startle me.

"Is this alright?" he asks, looking down at me with those intense gray eyes.

I nod, my voice momentarily caught in my throat at his proximity. "Yes."

Finn appears next, his tall frame filling the doorway briefly before he too approaches. He's wearing a simple t-shirt and flannel pants, his usual reserved expression softened by the dim lighting. "Room for two more?" he asks.

"Always," Elias says warmly, patting the space beside him. Finn climbs into the nest with surprising grace for someone his size, settling beside Elias. He arranges his long limbs carefully, making sure not to disturb the structure of the nest.

Last comes Soren, his boundless energy somehow muted in the quiet of the bedroom. He's wearing what look like sleep shorts and a tank top, less covered than the others despite the cool night. "The gang's all here," he says with a soft smile, his purple eyes taking in the scene before him.

"Last spot's yours," Finn tells him, gesturing to the remaining space. Soren clambers into the nest with less grace than the others but no less care, settling beside Lucian. The nest, large as it is, now feels pleasantly full—five bodies arranged in a loose semicircle, connected but not crowded.

"Everyone comfortable?" Elias asks, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the delicate peace we've created. Murmurs of assent rise from around thenest. I nod, surprised by how true it is. Despite being surrounded by four men, despite the unfamiliar setting, I feel more comfortable than I have in longer than I can remember.

"Good," Elias says, reaching out to adjust a blanket over our legs. "Let's get some sleep, then." We shift and settle, bodies rearranging into more reclined positions. I find myself naturally sinking deeper into the nest, my back sliding down until I'm nearly horizontal. Elias and Lucian mirror my movement on either side, creating a protective bracket around me.

As I relax into the soft bedding, surrounded by their mingled scents and the gentle sound of their breathing, a profound sense of safety washes over me. My eyelids grow heavy, the events of the day catching up to me all at once. I try to fight it briefly, wanting to hold onto this moment of perfect contentment, but the pull of sleep is too strong.

The last thing I'm aware of before consciousness slips away is a soft, rumbling sound emanating from my own chest—a purr, involuntary and instinctive, rising from some deep, primal part of me that recognizes when it's truly safe. It vibrates through me, a physical manifestation of the contentment that has settled into my bones.

Home, something whispers in the back of my mind as I drift toward sleep. I'm home.

Chapter Fifty-Two

The vibration in my chest startles me from the edge of sleep, a gentle rumbling that feels foreign yet undeniably mine. My eyes fly open, sudden awareness crashing over me like ice water. I'm purring. The sound—involuntary and intimate—continues to rise from my throat, a biological betrayal that might as well be a neon sign flashing "vulnerable" above my head. Omegas only purr when they feel completely safe, completely at home. It's instinctual, impossible to fake, and nearly impossible to stop once it's started. Heat floods my cheeks, embarrassment coiling in my stomach like a nest of snakes. I haven't purred since... I can't even remember the last time. Certainly not since I left my family's pack, since I began suppressing my Omega nature behind chemical barriers and careful distance.

I try to swallow it back, to cut off the sound, but that only makes it catch and stutter in my throat like an old engine refusing to die. My body tenses with the effort, musclesclenching against the purr that insists on rising from some deep, unguarded part of me.

A soft chuckle beside me draws my gaze. Elias is looking at me, his hazel eyes warm and crinkled at the corners, his expression so full of tender delight that my breath catches. He's not mocking me, not embarrassed for me—he's pleased, as if my involuntary purring is something precious rather than mortifying.

"Don't fight it," he whispers, his voice barely disturbing the quiet of the nest. "It's beautiful."

Beautiful.The word settles over me like a gentle blanket, easing some of the tension from my shoulders. Elias's own scent has sweetened with contentment, the honey notes more pronounced as he watches me with that soft, accepting smile.

Behind me, Lucian shifts slightly, his larger frame curving around mine without quite touching. A low, rumbling sound emerges from his chest—not quite a purr, but something similar. An Alpha's responding growl, soothing and approving, designed by nature to reassure an Omega that their vulnerability is seen, valued, protected.

The sound reverberates through me, a counterpoint to my own purring that somehow makes it less embarrassing, more natural. Like his body is saying, Yes, this is right. You are safe here. My purr strengthens in response, no longer fighting to escape but flowing freely from my chest.

"Lydia," Lucian murmurs, his breath warm against my hair. "Your purring is wonderful."

On Elias's other side, Finn has propped himself up on one elbow, his green eyes soft in the dim light of the room. "It is," he agrees, his deep voice pitched low. "It means you feel secure here. With us." The simple observation carries no judgment, only quiet satisfaction.

Soren, never one to be left out, peeks around Lucian with a grin that manages to be both mischievous and tender. "Do you have any idea how special this is?" he asks. "We've been trying to get you to relax around us for weeks, Lavender girl. This is like... winning the Olympics of trust."

A surprised laugh escapes me, briefly interrupting the purr before it resumes with renewed vigor. "I didn't do it on purpose," I admit, my voice vibrating slightly with the continuing rumble.

"That's what makes it perfect," Elias says, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from my face. His fingers linger for a moment against my cheek, the touch feather-light but sending warmth cascading through me. "It's honest. Real."

"We feel honored," Finn adds, his steady gaze holding mine for a moment. "That you feel safe enough to let your guard down like this." My heart flutters against my ribs, a bird testing newly healed wings. These four men—so different from each other yet united in their care for me—have created a space where my most vulnerable self can emerge without fear of judgment or rejection. When was the last time anyone gave me that gift?

"I do feel safe," I whisper, the admission easier than I expected. "With all of you."

---