Page 75 of One for the Money
“I need your shirt,” she says, not looking at any of us.
I’m about to rip mine off, the desire to give her anything she needs riding hard, when Dexter’s shirt goes flying past my face. She catches it and shoves it between two pillows before sighing deeply and lying down.
How did he know she was talking to him?
He stands there, shirtless and observing Alex’s ministrations like she’s a creature in a zoo.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever understand whatever is going on between the two of them.
I want to ask her if she’s satisfied, if it’s a good nest, if we’ve provided for her as we’re supposed to, but I don’t want to call attention to the fact that she lost her nest. And what if it’s not enough? What if she needs more than we can provide her right now?
Matteo, it seems, has no such worries.
“It’s a perfect nest, Omega,” he says gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Just perfect.”
“Yeah?” she asks, insecurity lacing her words. “It’s not got much.”
“Doesn’t need much,” Dario jumps in. “All it needs is good scents and to be cozy. Tell me, does it have those things?”
The two of them are so good with her, it makes me wonder if I should’ve paid closer attention in school when they went over the basics of caring for an Omega.
She nods and pulls the eyemask down. “Smells great. Like a fun day at the boardwalk, a trip to the carnival.”
Her scent, which until this point has been burnt and bitter, with an undertone of spoiled cream, explodes with a richness I’ve yet to experience from her. I can smell every note of it, like I just stepped into a bakery that only sells Black Forest cake. Sweet cherries, smooth cream, and decadent, rich dark chocolate overwhelm my senses and nearly take me to my knees.
The explosion of her happy, content pheromones has my cock twitching, despite the abuse it endured at the hospital, and its a fucking feat to keep my hands off of it. I’ve never been around a happy Omega that wasn’t related to me and was off suppressants. It’s intoxicating, and Iknow I’m not the only one affected if the awkward shuffling and quiet groaning around me is any indication.
“Uh, Alex?” Dario asks, not-so-subtly adjusting himself. “Do you want us to sit with you in your nest?”
She grunts something that sounds like a yes, so Dario climbs up and perches with his back against my paltry headboard. I don’t know how we’re going to fit all of us on this bed, but we try, Quinton and Matteo cuddling up on one of her sides, me sitting at Dario’s feet, and Dexter nearly hanging off the bed. I think we manage to do alright without messing up the organization of her nest.
I have no fucking idea what to do now.
I’m staring at the lump under the blankets that is my Omega, when a soft purr reaches my ears.
“Is she purring?” Matteo whispers.
Quinton’s smile is blinding as he shuffles a little closer to her, resting his hand lightly on her back. She probably doesn’t even notice the weight of it. “She is.”
It’s not long before she’s in a deep sleep, her body still in need of recovery from everything that it has gone through over the past few days. Fuck, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still trying to recover from what that fucking pack of hers put her through.
Collectively, it’s like we’re holding our breath, unsure of how to proceed now that she’s asleep and we’re cramped together on my bed. Dexter shuffles awkwardly on the edge of the bed, like he wants to jump off and run.
“I should go get everyone food,” he mumbles, looking toward my kitchen. “I can cook something.”
“I’ll order delivery,” I tell him, pulling my phone out and scrolling through the app. “Does anyone know what she likes to eat? Maybe if we order her her favorites, she’ll be more likely to eat and keep it down.”
Silence answers me.
“We don’t know her,” Dario whispers, one of his hands stroking the blanket over her head. “How is she our Omega, how do I feel so fucking close to her, like I’ll die without her, and we don’t even know her?”
Biology is a bitch, and I’m not talking about classes.
Quinton ruffles his hair and leans against Matteo. “Well, change that. Once she wakes up, let’s make it our goal to help her get better, and as we do it, we’ll get to know her. She’s all of our scent match, so we’re going to be a pack, right? It’s time we act like one.”
Dexter makes a noise of protest, and his twin levels him with a scathing glare. “What, are you going to say you don’t want a part of this? After the way your instincts took over when she was hurt? We all saw you. You can’t pretend like that meant nothing.”
The surly twin’s mouth gapes, like he can’t think of what to say. Dario scoffs and rolls his eyes. “That’s what I thought. You’re either in or you’re out, Dex. You’re not going to dick her around. She already is going to think you’re doing this purely because of the scent match since you’ve been so shit since the beginning, so you have an uphill battle. I’m not going to let you hurt her by having one foot out the door.”
