Page 10 of All That We Keep (Always Yours #3)

Grayson

I never thought I’d be staying at my parent’s house again but I don’t mind the absence of them as much with my pack here.

Especially currently watching Luca across the kitchen table as he stares down at his cereal bowl, the colorful rings floating in milk that's turned slightly gray from sitting too long.

He's been picking at the same spoonful for the past fifteen minutes, ever since he stumbled downstairs looking for food and Blake quickly pulled together breakfast with the few ingredients leftover here.

But he hasn’t really touched it, not since Blake escaped back upstairs for a shower. Correction, since Luther stole him back upstairs and Maceo headed down the hallway to take a phone call.

Luca slept well enough last night, curled between Blake and I in the makeshift nest we created, but this morning he's been groggy and anxious in a way that goes beyond normal pregnancy fatigue. He’s probably focused on the fact that Hudson is wandering around the city somewhere, but I don’t feel fear or anxiety trickling through the bond.

There’s just… uncertainty. And weariness. Maybe even a little restlessness.

The Omega picks up his bowl with a soft sigh and carries it to the sink, the ceramic clinking against the stainless steel as he sets it down. I look up from my own breakfast and study his face with concern. "Baby, you didn't really eat anything."

Luca shrugs, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion. "I let it get soggy, so I don't want it anymore."

I can tell there's more going on than just soggy cereal.

Luca has been off since we arrived at this house yesterday, restless and unsettled in a way that has nothing to do with Hudson's escape.

Something about being uprooted from the careful nest he'd been building at our house has thrown him off balance.

"Maceo was going to go grab some things from the store later," I say gently, trying to find something that might help him feel more settled. "Is there anything you want him to put on the list?"

Luca shrugs again, frustration building in his expression.

"No. I'm just feeling a little restless, I guess.

" His hands drop to his belly as he rubs his stomach, a small but tight smile spreading across his lips. When his gaze darts around the room, ruining his barely there bit of happiness, I realize what’s wrong.

I put my hand out toward him, trying not to laugh as he waddles over to me.

"We shouldn't have uprooted you so fast. You were nesting all over the house, making it yours, and now you have to start over in a completely unfamiliar place.

I can't imagine how disorienting that must be for your instincts. "

He takes my hand, his cold fingers curling around mine. "Is that what this feeling is?" He looks genuinely confused, like he's been trying to puzzle out his own emotions without success. "I just thought I didn't like it here."

I lean over and press a gentle kiss to his cheek, breathing in his sweet scent that's still tinged with pregnancy hormones.

"No, sweetheart, it's just that you don't have anything here that feels like yours. Everything is unfamiliar and temporary. We didn’t have time to stop by the house and I don’t think it’s a good idea to go over there just yet. "

“No, that makes sense,” Luca whispers as he squeezes my hand, his smile returning. It’s as if giving a name to what he’s feeling makes it easier.

"Would you like to go shopping for some more pillows and blankets to make a proper nest?" I suggest, though even as I say it, I know Luther isn't going to be enthusiastic about the idea of leaving our secure location.

Luca's response is immediate. "We just went shopping for nest stuff a few weeks ago. I feel bad asking for more things when I'm not contributing anything to the pack. I need a job or something, but I can't work because of that whole ID situation and..."

He trails off, but I can see the shame and frustration written across his features.

Luca has always been independent, however, I also know what may give him a little push.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that Blake is the one paying for nest supplies?

He specifically budgeted for Omega comfort items when we expanded the pack. "

Luca blushes at that information, ducking his head in a way that's absolutely adorable. "Maybe?"

I can't help but smile at his reaction. "Uh huh, you and Blake are both trouble when it comes to accepting care from your pack."

Luca's blush deepens, but some of the tension leaves his shoulders at the reassurance that he's not being a burden. Still, the practical concerns remain, and I know he won't be fully comfortable until he feels like he's contributing something meaningful to our pack dynamics.

"I'll put shopping for nest supplies on the list of things to discuss," I promise him. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure Luther is going to like the idea of any of us leaving the house right now."

Luca's expression immediately shifts back toward anxiety. "I don't like the idea either, honestly. I don't really want to go outside where..." He doesn't finish the sentence, but we both know he's thinking about Hudson and the possibility of being spotted or followed.

"Then we don't have to go anywhere," Blake's voice comes from the stairs, and we both turn to see him wearing one of Luther's oversized shirts, his hair still damp. His color looks better after the shower, though I can still see the exhaustion lingering around his eyes.

Blake moves over to where I'm sitting and settles himself comfortably in my lap, before flopping his arms down on the kitchen table and resting his head on his crossed arms. "I don't know why I'm so tired all the time."

Luther comes down the stairs moments later, dressed in a full business suit, a stark contrast to Blake’s attire. Maceo enters the kitchen not even five seconds following, as if everyone just instinctively knows that Blake needs the support of his entire pack right now.

Blake looks up from where his head had been resting, his round glasses slightly askew as he takes in the serious expressions on everyone's faces. I can see the moment when he realizes this isn't just a casual morning gathering.

"What's going on? Is this about Hudson, or my test results from when Quentin was here yesterday? Because whatever it is, I can take it."

The brave front he's putting up breaks my heart a little.

Luther sits directly beside us, close enough that his presence envelops both Blake and me in the comforting scent of leather and musk.

Maceo settles across from us at the kitchen table, Luca immediately moving over to crawl into the Gamma’s lap, seeking the comfort and security that physical contact provides.

"Quentin gave us some preliminary results that might explain what you've been feeling," Luther begins. "However, it's not as simple as taking some medication like we've done for your heart issues in the past. This is something different entirely."

Blake frowns, his body tensing against mine as he prepares himself for bad news.

"As much as I wanted to wait and discuss this with you," Luther continues, "Quentin said that the fluctuations in your health don't give us the luxury of time. Your biology is changing, Blake, morphing between Omega and Beta designations."

Blake's breathing shortens, becoming a little shallower as he processes the information. The trembling in his body intensifies, and I run my hands up and down his arms in an attempt to soothe him.

"Quentin mentioned a designation called Delta," Luther explains.

"While he assured us that there's nothing inherently wrong with that designation, your body is being pulled in multiple directions right now.

You're susceptible to Luca's pregnancy pheromones, which are trying to push you into a heat cycle, while simultaneously your biology is attempting to complete the transition to Delta. "

Blake's voice is barely above a whisper when he asks, "What does that mean for me?"

Luther's expression grows even more serious, and I can see how much he hates having to deliver this news. "It means you might not be able to have children, Blake. If the Delta transition completes fully, you'll lose the ability to conceive or father biological children."

"Okay," Blake says simply, but his voice falls flat in a way that tells me he's not really processing the full implications of what he's just been told.

Luther leans forward, his eyes studying Blake's face. "Baby, look at me. I know you better than you know yourself sometimes. You are with your pack now. You are allowed to fall apart, to scream, to let me see what you're really thinking and feeling. You don't have to be strong all the time."

Blake just sits there in my arms, his body rigid with suppressed emotion. I can feel the war going on inside him, the part that wants to break down fighting against the part that's been trained to handle everything on his own.

"There's more, isn't there?" Blake finally asks.

Luther nods reluctantly. "You'll need us more than you have been - our knots, our biological support.

But honestly, Blake, that's the easy part of this situation.

" His voice grows more urgent as he tries to break through Blake's emotional walls.

"Baby, please talk to me. Tell me what's going on in your head right now. "