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“I’ll go,” Alejandro said, sitting up. “I’m the chef.”

“That doesn’t mean you wait on us hand and foot,” West said, his voice husky. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes. I winced, feeling a fresh wave of guilt. I had for sure taken him into the heat with me.

“I’m not going,” Rian said, tightening his grip on my waist. “Too comfy.”

I laughed, surprised the sound could come out of me. “How about we settle this like adults?”

West sighed. “Fine.”

“Rock paper scissors,” I said, lying against Rian’s chest.

“Good call,” he said, kissing my shoulder.

West and Alejandro went first, and West lost. He muttered and rolled his eyes but crawled next to me.

Then Ben and Alejandro went, but Ben didn’t believe Alejandro had paper when Ben threw rock, so he covered his hands. That led to a short, heated struggle, making both of their alpha scents stronger.

Alejandro won and looked smug. “All right, my amors, what are we having for breakfast?”

“Can we just come out and watch you cook?” I asked.

They all wore identical looks of horror.

I shrugged. “I’m out of heat. I sort of want a bath and stuff.”

Alejandro stroked his chin. “I’m not sure I’m ready for you to leave the nest yet. You’re safe and warm in here.”

“And sore,” I added.

“I’ll draw you a hot bath,” Ben said at the same time as West.

I giggled again, but Ben gestured at my omega. “All right, West, you draw the bath. I’ll watch.”

“Fine,” West said.

“No blind jokes?” Ben said with a grin. “I’ll watch?”

West rolled his eyes, but I could tell by the look in his eyes he was amused.

West made me a bath just how I liked, and hopped in with me.

“Anything else you need?” He sat behind me and played with the bubbles from the bath bomb. Rian was the sort of omega who liked extravagant baths, thank all the heavens.

“No,” I said. I was back to feeling sort of flat. “Just drained. I want stuff for the nest but…”

“We’ll go shopping today,” West said like he was preparing for a siege. “Just pick up some stuff and get it over with. We’re not going to feel really settled until we do.”

“When are we going back to the cottage?” I whispered.

“Not any time soon,” he said in a tone that saidnever.

“I was thinking about bringing a lot of stuff over here when I went,” I confessed, stroking my hands over West’s fingers. He had white scars on all his knuckles from the extensive fighting he’d done as a teen. “Like the good bowls and spoons.”

“Seems like we’re welcome to stay here as long as we want,” he said. “And if we need to leave, we can find another open cottage.”

Something broke inside me. We weren’t going back to our cottage. I’d never feel safe there again, and neither would West.

I felt safer here, with the extensive alarm codes and with having the other three around.