Page 209 of Just Wait

When she shut herself away earlier, she brought every bit of our dirty laundry with her.

Hell, she even stole the sheets from the cabin. I assumed she wanted to tuck them around her space to ensure the nest would carry hints of our scents.

My nose twitches, and it’s clear she did stash our laundry around her. I can’t see it, but I can smell it. While it’s a bit too potent for my taste, omegas love to be surrounded by things that hold their alphas’ scents.

I stop at the top of the stairs. “Can I come in?”

She sniffles, nodding.

Damn.

We made the wrong call leaving her on her own.

I step over, grab the wand for the curtain, and pull it closed. It blocks off the fourth wall, making the space seem smaller and safer. Making my way to the edge of the bed, I pull back the comforter that rests over her legs and get settled next to her.

Her face is red, and I bring my hand to her forehead, checking her temperature. She’s a little warm, but nothing like the fever she experiences during a heat spike.

“Aww, baby doll.” I hold out my arms, trying to feel her out in the bond. It should give me some insight into what she’s feeling, but I’m not a pro yet. “Did we leave you alone for too long?”

She pulls the throw blanket off, tosses it aside, and chucks herself into my hold.

It’s awkward hugging while sitting up in bed, but I’m here for whatever she needs.

She cuddles her cheek to my chest without answering my question.

Riser or Kincaid really would have been better suited to this mission, but she’s my bonded mate. I want to be a good boyfriend.

“Here, let’s lie down,” I tell her, yanking her mostly on top of me as I scoot down the bed. Once we’re settled, she ends up with her leg tossed over mine and her face resting on my chest. “We thought you wanted some privacy to set up your nest. A nest is supposed to be an omega’s safe place, and we⁠—”

“You’re all getting your hopes up, and it kills me,” she whispers, cutting me off. “What if you’re wrong? You’re going to be so disappointed.”

“Not even a little bit,” I assure her. “I’m into you. Beta, omega, alpha… I couldn’t care less. I care about you as a human being.”

“You say that now, but what happens when you meet a compatible omega or one of you starts to go feral?” she sobs, then hiccups.

Goddammit.

I feel so underprepared for this situation.

I’m not eloquent.

I say the wrong thing at times, making shit worse.

“Focus on the bond, baby doll.” I reach across my chest, grabbing her hand and relocating it to rest over my heart. “Listen to what I’m telling you, and compare it to what you feel through the connection.”

It takes some effort, but I concentrate on forcing myself to purr. Sensing her discomfort helps jump-start my system into action, and a ragged, underused purr vibrates from my chest.

“I’m not the best with words, but I know you have to be able to sense how I feel about you.” I brush my thumb over the side of her palm. “I’m gone for you, Lumen. My chest gets warm and fuzzy when I think about you. I’ve never fallen in love before, but I listened when my dads explained what it felt like when they met my mom. The world stopped spinning. The same thing happened with you. Look, it’s fast, I get it. But that spark that grows into love is there.”

She sniffles, rubbing her cheek against my purring chest. “I’m losing my shit, Mal.”

“Nah, you’re having a pretty reasonable response to all the changes you’ve gone through recently.” I chuckle. “You’ll eventually see me have a full-blown meltdown over losing something. We’ll have to see if you still like me then. Or I’ll get my feelings hurt and start a fight over nothing, just to get you to pay attention to me. I have ADHD that came with a side of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. That shit always manages to rear its ugly head and fuck up whatever good things I have going at the moment.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for that,” she says softly. “Thank you for the warning.”

“Shit. I wasn’t trying to make everything about me.” I sigh. “I just wanted you to know it’s completely reasonable for you to struggle under the circumstances.”

“Maybe,” she admits. “But I don’t even know if I want to be an omega. I thought I did. For years, I dreamed about being one of those special, coveted omegas. Only, it’s nothing like I thought it would be. My emotions are all over the place to the point I’m afraid I’m losing my grasp on reality. I turn into a sex-crazed fiend every few hours. Not to mention, the cramps are physically painful if one of you doesn’t offer up your knot.”