Page 37 of Nesting With My Three Alphas
"All of us." The certainty in my voice seemed to surprise her. "We haven't had some big discussion about it. We didn't need to. When you know, you know."
Kit was quiet for a long moment, her scent shifting through a complex mix of emotions I couldn't quite parse. Fear, yes, butalso something warmer. Something that made my alpha sit up and take notice.
"What if I'm not who you think I am?" she asked finally. "What if I'm too damaged to be anyone's omega?"
The vulnerability in her voice made my chest ache. What had that bastard done to her?
"Then we'll love the damaged parts too," I said simply. "Kit, whatever you've been through, whatever scars you're carrying, they don't make you less worthy of love. They make you human."
"You don't know what happened."
"Tell me."
Kit shook her head immediately. "I can't. Not yet."
"Then I'll wait," I said. "However long it takes."
"What if it changes how you feel about me?"
"Impossible," I said with complete conviction. "You could tell me you'd burned down half of Chicago, and all I'd want to know is if you were safe and whether you needed help rebuilding."
That earned me a watery laugh. "That's not even close to what happened."
"Good to know. Chicago's architecture is too beautiful to lose."
Kit laughed again, more genuinely this time. "You're impossible."
"I prefer optimistically persistent." I reached across the table and covered her hand with mine, noting how small and cold her fingers were. "Kit, can I make you something?"
"Make me something?"
"A tea blend. I've been experimenting with scent-based teas, combinations that can help with anxiety, sleep, emotional regulation. It’s something I’ve always been interested in and how I could incorporate it into my baking eventually. Elias who runs the apothecary has been helping me learn. I think I could create something specifically for you."
"Scent-based teas?"
"It's a newer practice in the omega wellness community. The idea is that certain scent combinations can trigger positive emotional responses, help reset your nervous system." I studied her face, trying to gauge her interest. "Think of it as aromatherapy you can drink."
Kit looked intrigued despite herself. "That's really a thing?"
"Very much a thing. I've been studying it for the past year, ever since..." I paused, then decided to share. "Ever since I realized that traditional healing wasn't enough for me. I needed something that addressed the alpha-specific aspects of loss."
"The mate you had before."
"Laura. We were together for two years before she left." The familiar ache was still there, but it no longer felt like it would crush me. "She walked out in the middle of the night because she decided I wasn't enough. That I wasn't ambitious enough, that I couldn't offer her the kind of life she wanted."
Kit's expression softened with understanding. "I'm sorry. That must have been devastating."
"It was. But it also taught me that healing isn't just emotional. It's chemical, biological, instinctual. Traditional therapy helped with some of the psychological aspects, but I needed something that addressed the alpha parts of my grief. The parts that felt like failure."
"And scent-based teas help with that?"
"Among other things. The right combinations can help regulate stress hormones, promote restful sleep, even ease the transition into heat cycles." I watched her face carefully. "I think I could blend something that would help with the anxiety you've been carrying."
Kit was quiet for a moment, considering. "What would go into it?"
"For you? Probably chamomile for calming, lavender for emotional balance, maybe some vanilla to enhance your naturalscent profile." I was already mentally cataloging my supplies. "A little bergamot for mood lifting, and perhaps some cedar."
"Cedar?"
