Page 101 of Knot Happening

"You've been nesting," Theo observes, and there's something almost reverent in his voice. "This is what omega nesting looks like."

"Does it bother you?" I ask, suddenly uncertain. "I know it's not exactly normal to completely rearrange your living space in the middle of dating and campaign work..."

"Bother us?" Marcus steps closer, his eyes warm with something that might be awe. "Belle, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You're creating a home, a safe space. It's exactly what you should be doing."

"Besides," Felix adds with a grin, "I helped with some of it. I'm emotionally invested in this nest now."

We eat dinner sitting on cushions around their coffee table, the formal dining chairs abandoned in favor of the more intimate setup my omega instincts insisted on creating. The conversation flows easily, covering everything from the courthouse campaign to library politics to Felix's latest architectural project and the progress on the campaign strategy.

But underneath the casual chatter, there's an undercurrent of tension that has everything to do with the way I'm responding to having all three alphas in their space with me. Without suppressants, their combined scents are intoxicating from Marcus's warm amber, Felix's clean cedar, Theo's dark coffee notes creating a blend that makes my body hum with contentment and desire.

"Belle," Theo says during a lull in conversation, "how are you feeling? With the suppressants change, I mean."

"Different," I say honestly. "More myself, maybe? Like I've been living at half volume for years and suddenly everything is turned up."

"Good different or overwhelming different?" Marcus asks.

"Both," I admit. "It's like discovering I have senses I never knew I had. Everything smells stronger, feels more intense. And the nesting thing..." I gesture around at their transformed living room. "I had no idea that was something I needed until I was already doing it."

"What else are you noticing?" Felix asks gently.

Heat floods my cheeks. "You mean besides the fact that all three of you smell like the most amazing thing I've ever experienced?"

The question hangs in the air for a moment, and I can see the way their eyes darken with something that might be hunger or satisfaction or both.

"Is that a problem?" Theo asks quietly.

"No," I say immediately. "It's just... intense. Being this aware of how much I want to be close to you. All of you."

"Belle," Marcus says carefully, "are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Before I can answer, my phone buzzes with another work emergency, because there’s a burst pipe in the children's section that requires immediate attention. The interruption is jarring, pulling me back to practical reality when all I want is to stay in this perfect bubble with the three men who've become the center of my universe.

"I'm sorry," I say, already reaching for my coat. "I have to go deal with this."

"We understand," Felix says, though I can see the disappointment in all their faces.

"But Belle?" Theo adds as I head for their front door. "When you're sure about what you want, we'll be here."

The promise in his voice follows me all the way to the library.

Day seven, and holy shit, everything just clicked.

I wake up in my nest in their living room where I crashed last night after all that library drama, surrounded by soft blankets and sheets that smell like Marcus, Felix, and Theo. And for the first time in forever, I actually feel... right. Like, completely okay with who I am and what I want.

The week without suppressants has shown me what I've been hiding from myself. This isn't just attraction or compatibility or even the powerful pull of potential pack bonds. This is love. Real, transformative, forever kind of love with three extraordinary men who see me as I really am and want me anyway.

I'm still processing this realization when my phone rings. Marcus's name on the screen makes my pulse jump with anticipation.

"Good morning, beautiful," his voice comes through the phone, warm and affectionate. "How are you feeling today?"

"Like I've made a decision," I tell him honestly.

"What kind of decision?"

"The kind that involves three alphas and one omega and a future that's bigger than anything I ever let myself imagine."

The silence on the other end stretches long enough to make me nervous. "Marcus? Are you still there?"

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