Page 62 of Verses and Blooms
“Has any of our stuff arrived?” Ares asked. “Someone was supposed to pick it up while we were waiting to be sent back here.”
“It arrived about an hour ago,” she said. “I had them put it in the bedroom. You guys can sort it from there. I figured your omegas wouldn’t want them to handle their nesting.”
I realized that Ansel and I hadn’t talked in a while, but from the discomfort I felt through the bond, I had a feeling, just like before, that he still didn’t want his own nest.
“I think we’ll only need one of the nesting rooms,” I clarified, looking to Ansel for confirmation. The pure relief on his face told me I’d made the right call.
“Only if you want to,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant. I could see right through it.
“Of course, I do. I think I’ve spent enough time alone in small rooms for a lifetime,” I reassured him.
Larissa gave me a sad smile and shrugged. “As far as my orders go, you can do what you want with your spaces. You can always use the other room for an alpha hangout or reading room. Whatever you want.”
“Do you think,” Kane said, looking thoughtful, “that we could get a TV and a game system? That used to be one of my favorite things to do. I haven’t had a chance to play in years. It might make some of the longer days a bit easier. Plus, pack bond, right?”
I looked at Ares. I really had no idea what was allowed and what wasn’t at this point.
“I’ll look into it,” he promised.
With that, we finally walked into our current version of home sweet home. They’d already made it look so much less clinical. There was actual art on the walls, not just generic prints. A large rug lined the checkered tiles that had always been a touch too cold.
Even the furniture was different. Plush and comforting, not just hard and cheap.
The removal of our beds had me pausing, but I tried to keep an open mind.
“Ares?” I asked, glancing up at him and trying not to worry.
“Sometimes change is good,” he reassured me softly, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze.
It was hard to blindly trust, but I held my tongue until I checked the other rooms.
Ares’s office had been left intact, which was probably for the best. His job wasn’t just to watch us, and having a data center at our disposal could come in handy.
His bedroom was also still there, unchanged. My muscles tensed at the sight of him being separate from us like before.
My doubts were definitely creeping in now.
The next two rooms were clearly nests. Bright white nesting mattresses were laid on the ground, and the walls were freshly painted the same clinical white. The fumes were still lingering in the air.
Chief was right, they had made an effort. I just hoped they’d made this effort universally, not just for us, but for all the other omegas here. They deserved it just as much as we did and a plain nest wouldn’t help anyone.
The group moved on, forcing me to follow them into the next room which used to be Kane’s. It was also freshly painted and was now set up for multiple people. I hadn’t realized his old room was this big until I saw all the beds pushed together. Seven in total, forming one giant bed.
It was definitely a tight fit, and they likely expected us to arrange it how we wanted, but I wasn’t upset about that. From the look on their faces, the guys didn’t mind, either. My alphas were one step away from purring and even Kane was smiling.
Our luggage and bags were piled high on the beds. I think Ares bought more even after the nesting supplies.
“Alright, let’s see what’s next,” Caspian said as he walked to the next room. His old room had been turned into a makeshift sitting room, plush couches filling the space, squishy and soft to the touch.
A comfortable place for our pack to sink into.
The changes were nice, but they felt too good to be true. It was almost as if I was afraid to be happy about it, because everything good so far in my life had been yanked away.
My pack was the only thing that could never be taken from me now. I had the mate marks to prove that.
“Why don’t we get your nest set up?” Rydell offered. He could feel my unease and he was right, that was one thing that could settle an omega. Maybe it would help me accept all of this.
Kane and Ansel had done such a beautiful job of setting up my nest for my heat, but I hadn’t gotten to truly appreciate it until after it was over. This would be the first nest that was ours, and I’d get to help put it together.
