Page 38 of Nesting With My Three Alphas
"It's Jonah's scent signature. If you're comfortable with the idea, incorporating complementary alpha scents can help promote feelings of safety and pack bonding."
Kit's cheeks flushed pink. "You'd include all three of your scents?"
"Only if you want me to. This is about your comfort, not our desires."
"What are Reed's and your scent signatures?"
"Reed's is leather and warm spice, cardamom, mainly. Mine is vanilla and sandalwood." I smiled slightly. "Though apparently I also smell like 'cinnamon and happiness' according to Charlie."
That made Kit laugh. "Charlie's scent descriptions are the best."
"She's not wrong. I do my best thinking when I'm baking, and I tend to be happiest when I'm feeding people I care about."
"Like now?"
"Especially now." I squeezed her hand gently. "So what do you think? Want to try some experimental tea therapy?"
Kit nodded slowly. "Yes. I think I'd like that."
"Excellent. Fair warning, my blending station is upstairs in my apartment. If you're not comfortable with that..."
"It's okay," Kit said, standing up. "I trust you."
I trust you. Three words that meant everything.
I led her through the back of the bakery to the narrow stairs that climbed to my living space above the shop. The apartment was small but cozy, decorated in warm colors and filled with the lingering scents of countless baking experiments.
"This is lovely," Kit said, looking around with genuine appreciation. "It feels like you."
"Good or bad?"
"Very good. It's warm. Welcoming." She paused by the kitchen window, which overlooked Main Street. "You can see everything from up here."
"One of the perks of living above the bakery. I always know what's happening in town." I moved to the cabinet where I kept my tea supplies, pulling out jars of dried herbs and flowers. "Though lately, the most interesting thing happening is watching Reed find excuses to drive past your duplex."
Kit turned from the window with a startled laugh. "He does not."
"Three times yesterday alone. I keep track." I began measuring herbs into a small mixing bowl. "Jonah's not much better. He's found at least four things that 'urgently' need to be repaired on your side of the duplex."
"They're just being neighborly."
"They're being territorial alphas who are completely gone on their omega," I said matter-of-factly. "There's a difference."
Kit was quiet while I worked, but I could feel her watching me. The careful way I measured each herb, the attention I paid to proportions and combinations. This was my meditation, my art form. Creating blends that could heal and comfort and restore.
"How did you learn to do this?" she asked.
"Trial and error, mostly. Online courses. A few workshops with omega wellness practitioners. Hollis has been a massive help. I might bug him a bit too much about all this stuff," I said with a laugh. I added a careful pinch of dried lavender. "Laura used to tease me about my 'mad scientist' phase, but she was also my first test subject until..."
I trailed off, realizing what I'd almost said.
"Until she decided you weren't enough," Kit finished quietly.
"Yeah." I focused on the blend, not wanting to see pity in her eyes. "She said I was wasting my time with 'hippienonsense' when I could be expanding the business, opening more locations, makingrealmoney."
"She sounds like she didn't understand what actually mattered to you."
The gentle observation, free of judgment, made something tight in my chest loosen. "No, she didn't. She wanted me to be someone I wasn't. More aggressive, more ambitious, more... alpha, I guess."
