Page 79 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

“Alright. I just didn’t expect to need this much.” She said. I remembered her tiny room back at her family’s house, and her little apartment above the store. She wasn’t used to anything at all. But now, she could be spoiled.

I started unloading everything while balancing Puff in my arm. Blankets, pillows, adjustable lighting, a sound machine, cooling sheets, a temperature-regulating mattress topper, and all sorts of supplies filled the space. The cashier had just started ringing everything up when I felt the familiar pull of my bond. I looked up to see Hunter rushing inside the store.

He was still in the suit he'd worn to his meeting, though his tie was loosened and his usually perfect hair was slightly out of place. He looked like he'd left the second he'd been able to escape. His eyes swept across the store until they landed on Ivy, and the tension in his face softened.

"Sorry," he said as he approached us. "The meeting went over. I left early anyway." He leaned in to kiss Ivy on the cheek, almost without realizing it. The moment passed so quickly that both he and Ivy leaned into it, and when he straightened, her cheeks tinged pink. She bit her lip. I swore I could smell a hint of her perfume wafting through the air, and felt grateful we were almost done.

The cashier announced the total, and Hunter’s card landed on the counter before Ivy could protest.

"I've got it." He said, and Ivy frowned.

"Hunter!" she started to argue, but Hunter gave her a look.

"I know you can afford it on your own," he said, his voice calm. "I missed a lot of opportunities to take care of you when I should have. I know buying things doesn't fix that, and I'm not trying to make it." He said, his voice hitching. Ivy stepped back from the register. “If you'll let me do something for you now, I'd really like to."

I watched Ivy carefully. She looked at Hunter, then at the products. She slowly closed her purse.

"Okay." She said, and seemed to relax as she let Hunter take care of her. His expression made me hold back a laugh. Hunter had negotiated deals worth more money than most people would see in a lifetime without showing a fraction of this much emotion.

We carried everything out ourselves. Ivy stood beside the open trunk afterward, arms crossed, staring at the mountain of bedding and supplies.

"I didn't think this through. How will all this fit in my place?” She asked.

"You don't have a dedicated nesting room?" Elias asked. “What about your spare room?”

"I use it for storage. I suppose I could move some stuff around…” Ivy said, pacing as she eyed the supplies. I’d seen the small storage room at her place. It wasn’t nearly big enough for a heat nest.

“Oh no, I don’t think I can have it there. The neighborhood won’t allow it!” She said, smacking her forehead. She was right - no alphas were allowed to live there, so having a heat there would be a huge liability.

Hunter and I looked at each other. "The guest house," I said.

Ivy turned toward me. "What?"

"You can use ours, if you want," I said. Her expression became hesitant, but Hunter stepped in before she could misunderstand what we were offering.

"You'd have the entire place to yourself. It's detached from the main house, so you wouldn't have to stay with us. But we would be nearby if you needed us.”

"It has a bedroom, bathroom, and a full kitchen. Everything you’d need." Elias added.

"Our property is safe," I said. "The grounds are gated and monitored.”

Ivy looked back at the supplies. I knew exactly what she was considering. A heat left an omega vulnerable under ordinary circumstances, and Ivy's increasingly strong scent made privacy and security even more important. At our place, nobody would get near her.

"You wouldn't have to let us inside," I added. Her eyes met mine.

"Even during the heat?" she asked, her voice soft but not scared.

"Especially then, if that's what you want."

Hunter nodded. "If you decide you want to go through it alone, we'll stay at the main house, and we can leave meals and anything else you need outside,” he added.

Ivy finally nodded. "That probably is the safest option." Hope surged through me so quickly I had to deliberately keep my expression neutral, but of course she noticed.

"Don't get too excited," she said, but she gave me a wry smile. "Okay. I'll use the guest house." I could feel my pack's bonds humming with happiness. "But I'm decorating it however I want." She said.

"Of course." Hunter agreed.

She looked at each of us. "And if I decide I want to go through my heat by myself, I need you to understand that doesn't mean anything about us. It just means that's what I need."