Page 143 of I Replaced His Husband
I sat up slowly, being careful not to disturb it.
Kay shifted and got up, stepping into the room with a smile.
"Hey, sleepyhead. Rested? It’s already ten."
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I gave a meaningful look at the nest and tilted my head.
He blushed.
"What?" he muttered, looking embarrassed.
I stood up, carefully lifting my hips over the edge and stepping down on the other side.
My gaze slid toward the half-open closet. It was nearly empty. Kay had shown mercy only to my underwear.
My beautiful omega bit his lip, noticing the way my eyes moved over the empty shelves.
"Sorry… I guess I got a little carried away," he murmured timidly.
The silence was kind of intense. I grew serious and stepped closer. He looked up at me, eyes wide and vulnerable.
"Kay… it’s the most beautiful nest I’ve ever seen," I said solemnly. "And I, well, I could wear Adam’s eye-stabbing lime-green cardigan for the rest of my life if it means you’re happy, satisfied, and nesting healthily."
Kay tried to stifle a chuckle, though his eyes shimmered with emotion as he let out a shaky breath. "Tempting, because you did look sexy in that cardigan. But…" He paused. His eyes shifted over my face and met mine. "Thank you for those words, Rain. It means a lot that you care for my—" He made a gesture toward the nest.
Then he suddenly turned his head to the side, frowning, his energy turbulent. "I’m a multimillionaire, Rain. I could buy you an entire truckload of clothes, but one thing I could not buy…" he paused again, but this time his wet eyes rose and met mine.
"What matters most to me is… you."
The air was filled with a sense of solemnity and reverence. So not… Kay.
"And what matters most to me is you," I responded with a gentle smile, and slid my hand down to his belly. "And little Ray."
Kay swallowed hard, a tear rolled down his cheek, but I leaned in to kiss it away before it could fall.
"I can’t wait to meet him," I whispered, tilting my head to catch his gaze when he tried to turn away, eyes full of tears.
Then, suddenly, Kay threw his arms around me, holding me tightly, burying his face in my shoulder. He was crying, but it wasn’t a sad cry. It was cleansing, full of hope, leading us into a new chapter.
We stood like that for a long time, wrapped in each other’s arms. Optimistic.
???
The weeks leading up to the birth went surprisingly well, and almost cheerfully, considering everything that had happened. Maybe there was some truth to the idea that going through hard times together brings people closer… and makes them stronger.
We both started feeling more mentally prepared for whatever life had in store.
My relationship with Kay flourished, and we grew closer. It was wonderful to witness the constant, undeniably sweet changes happening to him. That’s when I fully understood whatAdam had told me once: that Kay’s true nature wasn’t distant or cold, and definitely not cruel; it was gentle, caring, and kind.
Every day, Kay spent some time nesting, adjusting things, changing the layout, playing with patterns and colors. I loved watching him do it. It brought him this peaceful, meditative calm, just like nesting was meant to do for omegas. That missing piece finally clicked into place, and his energy settled even more, grounding him and getting him ready for parenthood.
His unexpected peacefulness and good mood even surprised Adam, who looked genuinely thrown off by the change.
The first time Adam saw Kay’s new nest was about a week after we moved into Marco’s mansion. He came in to ask about something related to Kay’s car, which was still parked in their garage, but his eyes immediately flew toward the massive structure on the bed. Kay was sitting in the middle of the nest, drawing on his tablet, while I was plugging in my laptop.
Adam froze, staring at the nest. Kay’s face turned bright red when he noticed Adam’s gaping mouth. I knew he desperately didn’t want Adam to comment on anything, so I put down my laptop and stood up, fixing my gaze on Adam, who looked practically hypnotized by the sheer size and complexity of the nest.
Well, of course, nesting wasn’t an intimate part of any beta’s nature. And Adam was well aware of how much of a taboo subject it was. We had already discussed it in our heated argument a few months back, and he knew it was extremely rude when betas made any sort of remark about nests, and Kay was fully within his rights to feel uneasy. But his brother obviously could not help himself and stared.
