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I had a bad moment when I remembered I was supposed to be getting more clothes for me and West, but I shoved the thought away like the loaded gun it was. I put on one of Alejandro’s T-shirts and some of Rian’s sleep pants and crawled into Rian’s nest, unable to get comfortable. I shifted multiple times, cuddling each of them in turn before moving again.

“Sorry,” I muttered, climbing over West so I could slide between him and Rian. “I can’t get comfortable.”

“It’s fine.” Rian tucked his arm around my waist. “Whatever you need. We could curl up in any of the nests you want.”

I froze. Because I didn’t have a nest anymore, not really. I whined softly, and both alphas immediately touched me.

“I’m okay,” I whispered, willing my words to be true. Maybe if I said it enough, my brain would calm down.It’ll be fine, I told myself. No one was hurt. We’d make a new nest. It would be a great excuse to go shopping.

None of it worked. My nest was gone. The nest I spent years building with my soulmate. Shattered through cruelty and malice.

I didn’t know who did this, but when the police found them, I’d make sure they would feel this level of devastation.

Chapter 34

West

Ilay awake, starting at the dark walls of Rian’s nest.

It smelled like our nest, but my omega brain insisted it wasn’t mine. I shifted, smelling Ember again for reassurance.

Her lemon cake scent was burnt and sour. I’d smelled her like that before, long ago in the hospital. She wasn’t quite as bad off, but I hoped she would just sleep the worst of the sorrow off.

Sleep eluded me.

I’d never had a nest until Ember and I made one together, and now it was gone. I almost saw what Ember was afraid of. Of loving something so deeply, only to have it taken away from you. My nest wasn’t a person, but it was a part of me someone else had access to.

I was used to powerful people hurting me. Using me for their own sick pleasure or power trip.

This felt like an echo of those old violations. I shuddered, feeling sick, and crawled out of the nest.

I couldn’t sit still anymore. I saw a library; I’d read. After making sure Ember didn’t wake up when I crawled out, I wandered around the house.

It wasn’t my house. We were practically living with Ben and Rian, and even though the place was comfortable, it wasn’t mine.

I was just a guest. My instincts screamed at me to find somewhere safe, the grayed edge of sinking into my omega hindbrain getting bigger.

I had to stay coherent for Ember. She needed me.

I wandered around until I settled in the library. I grabbed a throw blanket and flipped through some books. I was cold, even though usually the house was at a comfortable temperature.

Someone came in and destroyed our nest. I’d asked about the pillows, if something could be salvaged, but Ember had gone white and shook her head.

I wished I’d gone instead of Alejandro, that I bore that burden with her. She wanted to protect me, and I loved her so much more for it, but nothing was worse than my imagination.

I shoved my feelings away, reaching for the aloof coldness that got me through my teenage years.

Someone’s scent tickled my nose. I looked up to find Ben walking to me.

“Go back to the nest,” I said flatly. “I can’t sleep.”

“Me either,” he said simply. He curled up next to me, his chest to my back. I went rigid, not wanting him to comfort me. Not wanting the feelings to leak.

He didn’t say anything, just pulled some Braille books down from the shelf and read them.

His spicy wood scent was comforting to my omega hindbrain. I wanted to rub my face into his chest again, but I resisted. It was fine. I already smelled like him, enough that a few coworkers commented on my alpha scents.

Instead of asking me if I was okay, he sat there. Not like he was waiting for me to talk, but just sitting with me.