Page 34 of Verses and Blooms
The moment I took my first bite, it was like I couldn’t stop until everything was gone. I groaned, grabbing my stomach and pushing the plate away as I chewed my last bite.
“Do you want more?” Ares asked, amused.
I shook my head. “No, but it’s nice that you know how to cook. I never got a chance to learn. We’d be in real trouble if none of us could.”
“Me, either,” Ansel said. “I always wanted to learn how to bake.”
“Well, maybe we can add that to your therapy plan when we go back,” Ares said. “They mentioned wanting some domestic skills included. A way to integrate you guys back into society and life as adults.”
“I’d make a joke about you making it sound like we’re criminals, but I kind of was when I was brought in here,” I laughed. “I really need to send them an apology letter, still.”
“You’re not prisoners,” Ares said firmly. “I’m going to get you out of here. All of you.”
It seemed my alpha protector had made it his own personal goal to make sure that happened. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I truly had.
“You wanted to discuss your heat,” Ares prompted as he sat down with his own plate. “Before it hits, you need to tell us exactly what you’d like this to look like. And again, we need to get you some nesting supplies.”
“Not to sound dramatic, but… would it be worth it?” I asked with a frown. “Will they even let me take something like that back to ARC with me?”
“They will because you’re not a danger to yourself anymore,” Ares said. “The way that Malik and Cross kept you guys like prisoners… that’s something that will never not make me angry. It was deplorable and something that’s changing as we speak. Denying omegas the safety of a nest during healing is counterproductive."
“What happens to the rest of the staff, now?” I asked quietly. “The ones who let us all suffer. Hell, even Cross. Technically, I went missing underhiscare.”
“It’s a long and complicated process that’s above my pay grade,” Ares said with a sigh. “But I’d rather discuss ARC later. We don’t know when you’ll have another flare, and from the way your scent is still strong, I have a feeling you’re not far off.”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. There was just something about knowing they could all smell my scent like that which felt embarrassing. Yet, when I looked at all of their faces, all I could see was desire.
“Here,” Ares said, sliding over a tablet. “My men are ready to go get whatever we need. In fact, everyone is going to bend over backward to make sure that you get it all. There’s no budget. It will come out of the Alliance for now, but they’ll be billing the Omega Network, so don’t hold back.”
A sick, twisted part of me liked that they were going to have to pay for something they did. They may not have broken us, but they kept us docile, agreeable, everything we weren’t, justbecause it was easier for them to handle us and in Malik’s case, use us.
My eyes widened as I looked at the extensive list. I’d seen the empty nest upstairs and knew the basics. There was already a fresh mattress, but it was all blank and white. Looking at the array of nesting supplies, I didn’t know where to start. I’d never had a real nest. Yet, I knew it needed something more than plain blankets and pillows.
As if my omega knew I needed her, she surged to the surface. She didn’t give me the chance to overthink before I was tapping on the screen, adding things to a cart. Anytime I questioned whether I truly needed it or not, I was promptly ignored.
Soon, I had a cart full of just about everything an omega could need for a heat: blankets, pillows, and fabrics that looked soft as butter.
When I was satisfied, it seemed Ares was not. He took it over from me, adding a whole lot more.
He gave me a sly smirk when he saw me watching him. “Don’t worry, omega. I’m sticking to the theme. I meant what I said about spending their money. There’s nothing they can do to fix it, but I truly think this could help. I’ll make sure your omegas are settled, happy, and safe through all this and after when we go back.”
“But you guys make me feel those things,” I argued. “I don’t need a bunch of stuff to do that.”
“Fuck it, buy it all,” Ledger said on a growl. “She sure as hell deserves it.”
When Ares was finally done, he passed the tablet around, each of my mates adding something to the list. I couldn’t imagine how they’d get it all to us before my heat hit, but I wasn’t about to argue.
For now, it was just nice to be taken care of.
“I wanted to talk to you guys about something,” I said, chewing on my lip as I looked around.
“You can talk to us about anything,” Ansel said when I paused, unsure how to get the words out. It was a promise.
I had a feeling Ansel was going to be a force to be reckoned with during my heat, ensuring that I was getting everything I could possibly need and more.
“I know that we talked about not wanting bites before, but the only thing I could think when I was gone was how much I regretted it. I wanted your marks on me, wanted a way to feel connected when I wasn’t by your side. It would have been nice to know you were with me in there.”
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re already bonded,” Ansel said. “A bite isn’t going to make or break that, and a bite given by you would only make that more true.”
