Page 26 of No Strings Attached
A grin tugs at the edge of my lips as I let him help me to my feet and into the bathroom. I always thought being taken care of meant giving up complete control, being told what to do, having to follow rules. But with Jamie, it’s more that I don’t have to worry about my wellbeing, that if I lean, he’s right there to catch me.
I think I kind of like it.
Jamie
I lean against the doorway of the guest room, watching Elias struggle to pull a shirt over his head, his movements clumsy with his right arm pressed to his chest. His red hair is damp from the shower, sticking to his forehead, and his beard looks scruffier than usual under the dim light of the bedside lamp. He grunts, frustration clear in his tense shoulders, before he yanks the shirt off and throws it to the floor with a muffled thud.
I raise an eyebrow as he steps out of the bathroom, his bare chest glistening slightly, the bruises from the hospital straps faint but visible. “What happened to the shirt?” I tease, trying to ease the tension.
Elias glances at me, his green eyes clouded with irritation, and shrugs with his good shoulder. “I didn’t want to wear it,” he mutters.
This version of Elias is almost adorable, his scent sweet enough to suffocate but I won’t point it out to him. He has enough to worry about.
I dangle his sling in my hands and cross the room to the bed. “Come here, sweetheart.” He sighs but lets me help him back into it, my fingers careful as I adjust the straps around his arm. His skin’s warm beneath my touch, a restlessness in him that’s been there for the last hour. He’s been stubborn, pushing back every time I try to help, unsure of when to let go and let me in.
We should’ve taken him back to his cabin but Olivia and I couldn’t stomach it—not after learning Tristan has a key to Elias’ place. Here, in our house, he’s safe, but something’s off. Elias is looking for something, his eyes darting like he’s searching for an anchor. He shuffles to the bed and sits on the edge, his good hand gripping the sheets. He looks around the room then back at me, his gaze dazed, like he’s lost.
“What do you need, sweetheart?”
He shakes his head, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Where’s Olivia?”
“She ran to the store for some food. She should be back in a few minutes. Do you want to get some rest?”
He shakes his head again, his eyes still clouded, and stands, wobbling to the right slightly. I rush forward, my hand steadying his good arm. “Easy,” I murmur, my heart twisting at the dazed look in his eyes.
He heads out into the hallway as I follow, concern tightening my chest. He starts patting along the kitchen table, his nostrils flaring, his expression almost pensive but I can’t help him because I don’t know what he’s looking for.
“Elias?”
He doesn’t answer me, his attention turning to the front door as Olivia steps inside, her arms loaded with bags, the spicy, tangy scent of Thai food wafting in. It’s way more than we usually eat, plastic containers practically spilling out of her hands.
Elias manages a small smile, but his disorientation lingers. Olivia sets the bags on the counter, her brown eyes softening as she looks at him. “Hey, are you hungry? I wasn’t sure what to get, so I got a little bit of everything.”
Elias nods, but his words still have an uncertain edge to them. “Something is missing.”
I tilt my head, trying to read him. “We can get some bedding and pillows and…” I trail off as his face lights up, a spark cutting through the haze in his eyes. I snort, a grin tugging at my lips. “Oh, are you looking for your nest?”
Elias' expression relaxes again as he frowns, his shoulders tensing. “I don’t have a nest. I’ve never built one.”
That doesn’t make any sense. All Omegas have nests, right? But then I remember I’m married to an Alpha who has a nest and mated to an Omega who is experiencing his first heat attwenty-seven.He must be so confused but it’s a good thing we have Olivia because she knows so much more than I do.
Olivia steps closer, waiting for Elias to acknowledge her. “Elias, since this is your first heat, I’m assuming a lot of the things that come with that, including nesting, haven’t really hit you.”
“We should have taken him home,” I tell her, wondering if he would have been more comfortable in his own space.
Olivia shakes her head, her eyes flicking to me, then back to Elias. “I brought Elias here for a specific reason. I suspected he hadn’t built his own nest from when we were at the cabin and with his arm he wouldn’t be able to.” She offers her hand to Elias which he gladly takes, Olivia guiding him to the one room she’s never let anyone inside other than me.
She’s offering a piece of her soul to our Omega, the last puzzle piece that will make this relationship real. She slowly pushes open the door to reveal the dark pillows along the wall to wall mattress, the air thick and twisted with our scents. I hold mybreath, waiting for his reaction, wondering if he’ll react the same way everyone else did when we told them Olivia had a nest to begin with.
Elias says nothing though, his gaze running along every pillow and blanket like he’s memorizing it. I almost wonder if he hates it until I catch his scent, sweetening to an almost syrupy honeydew. It’s intoxicating, pulling a moan from my throat before I can stop it. My cheeks heat, and I slap a hand over my mouth, my cock filling in my pants as my knot starts to throb. Elias glances at me, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’sperfect,” he rumbles, “but why…”
Olivia squeezes his good hand and brings it to her lips. “I’m not an Omega,” she begins, “but I grew up around them and adopted the things I liked. I’ve always had a nest, but I never had anyone in here until Jamie, and now you.”
Elias smiles down at her. “Well, I like it. I like you too.” He drags her into a kiss, his good hand cupping her face, but he winces, pulling back slightly, his injured arm twitching in the sling.
“Go find a spot, baby” she murmurs against his lips. “I’m going to enlist Jamie’s help to bring you some food.” He doesn’t have to be told twice as he moves into the room, dropping down to his knees to enjoy the plushness of Olivia’s nest.
I follow Olivia back to the kitchen, the happiness of the moment lingering but as we reach the counter, I catch the shift in her expression. “What’s wrong?”
