Page 47

Vera’s arm shoots out, pointing to the mostly unused walk-in-dressing room. “I want that one. I don’t need anything else. That one.”
“Are you sure?” I eye her. It’s much bigger than she would normally choose.
It’s not unusual for her to choose a closet or something like that for a nest, that’s pretty normal, but this thing is a lot bigger than what she’s used before.
She nods, going over to it and opening the door. “I want this.”
“Well, that was easy.” Mathew laughs, relieved, before he goes over to her. “Anything you want to change about it? We can switch out the lights and do anything else you want.”
She steps inside what will soon be her nest and turns on the lights, blinking quickly. “I want fairy lights along the ceiling and a few small lights on the floor. You can keep the big lights, just don’t turn them on while we’re in here.”
I follow them inside. “Do you want part of it partitioned off, or do you feel the size is fine as it is? We can always decide on it later, once we get the bedding in here.”
She slips her fingers along mine, leaning against me as she looks around. With the way her eyes dart around the room, she’s building a mental image of what she wants it to look like and she’s clearly liking it as her pheromones spike, filling the space with her sweet honey scent.
“I don’t know yet…” Her voice goes quiet. “I think… Maybe this will work? Maybe it’s…” She starts to frown, going nervous.
“We can do anything you want. Just say it and we’ll do it.” Mathew’s voice is quiet as he stares at her, the blush on his cheeks revealing how much Vera’s pheromones are turning him on too.
“Here.” Jorge holds out a writing pad and a pack of coloured pens. “This might help. You can plan out what you want, and make lists and things like that.”
Vera nods quickly as she accepts them. “Thanks. That’s a good idea.”
Being able to write or draw out her plans seems to calm her nerves again and she promptly sits down on the floor and starts looking through the pens for the colour she wants.
“We’ll be out of your way. Let us know what you decide.” I ruffle her soft locks.
Vera’s voice is quick, short. “Mathew stays.”
The guy blinks, surprised, but then carefully sits down next to her, looking nervous.
I push at Jorge’s shoulder to get him out of the room and then close the door behind us.
The light scent from the diffuser is a welcome relief as I cross the bedroom and step out onto the balcony, taking in the fresh air.
I know it’s better to leave an Omega to do their own thing when they’re nesting. Alpha and Beta pheromones tend to only put them on edge when they need to focus on creating the perfect space to go into heat.
Vera is particularly sensitive to other people’s pheromones when she needs to create a new nest. It won’t help that she has to create one so close to her heat, especially when she just had her previous nest set up perfectly. That’s a lot of changes at a time when she’s already feeling fragile.
Jorge follows me outside, sitting on one of the chairs. “They’re going to have so much fun together, building a nest. I don’t think Mathew has ever made one before, at least not one where he could choose what it would look like.”
“Hmhm.” I look out over the fields, not sure how to start this conversation. “I hope you don’t have any meetings this week. I don’t think they’re going to let you go any time soon.”
“What?” He jumps up, standing next to me, frowning.
“I think Vera and Mathew will want you here when she goes into heat.”
“I heard that part.” He sighs, leaning on the railing. “I just think it’s a very bad idea. It’s dangerous, and not in a fun way.”
“You’re scent matched to Mathew and, from what I saw between Vera and you in the garden, she pretty much admitted the same.” I lean back against the railing, letting out a long breath.
“No.” Jorge shakes his head. “It’s not safe. You’re pair bonded to Vera,pairbonded, and you’ll already have an unmarked Omega with you. That’s going to give enough stress as it is.”
He turns to me more. “Adding me into the mix, an unmarked Alpha… Your instincts could kick in and you could kill me.” He looks me up and down.
“I have no idea how well trained you are, but you’re taller and broader than me. If you go into a frenzied haze because you feel that I’m threatening Vera just by being there, you could very well kill me.”
“I won’t.” I keep my voice as calm as possible because Jorge’s pheromones are agitated, which is not doing good things to mine. “I won’t kill you.”