Page 17 of Fritillaria (Fortune Records Omegaverse #5)

Chapter 17

A spis

I stroke Matilda’s soft, furry ear, learning that it is a quick move to make her fall into a deep sleep.

The sun hasn’t come up yet, but we will need to get up for work soon. Unless… we don’t?

It’s rare for me to take a sick day, but with Matilda and I having gone home early yesterday, it’s an easy enough excuse. Finnegan will know what we’re really up to, and I doubt that my friend would judge me very hard for it.

I delicately extract my phone from the nightstand, afraid of waking up my mate.

With Matilda - we’re both going to take the day off. Can you let Tab know?

I quickly fire the text over to Finnegan before relaxing into my mate and drifting off to sleep again.

“Aspis, we’re late!”

Bright lights burn through my retinas as I open my eyes to see Matilda frantically trying to free herself from the sheets.

“Shh…” I am not a morning person, and I am already overstimulated. I grip her hips, pulling her back to me and try to snuggle her squirming body. “We have the day off.”

It takes her a second to realize what I’ve said, but she finally relaxes against me.

“What? We do?”

I nearly lose an eye to one of her horns as she whips her head around.

“Mhmm,” I nod, tucking her under my chin and a safe distance from my face. “I texted Finnegan. We’re good for the day. Just relax, we can go back to sleep.”

My brain starts to shut down as I begin my return to the land of dreams.

“The Head of Label Strategy knows that we’re together?! And you think that’s OK?!” I lose my grip on her and on sleep as she sits up in the bed.

“Darling, it’s OK. Finnegan is my best friend. No one will realize that we’re both sick together .” I reach out, running my fingers through her hair. The auburn waves hang forward, barely covering her boobs. I try to hide my boners, shifting a little. “I thought it would be nice to take the day and hang out with each other.”

“Sorry,” she giggles, a giant sigh escaping her. “I was in panic mode. Thank you, that was a great idea.”

Matilda leans forward, capturing my lips in hers and I melt against her. A fierce protectiveness washes over me as she snuggles back in, dimming the light again. It’s a good reminder that there was no way I would have been able to let her be around other people today.

“Mine,” I mumble into her hair, not sure if she can really hear me.

We attempt to snooze for a little, but unfortunately Matilda’s panic this morning woke us up. I order us breakfast and we sit and chat about ourselves, getting to know one another.

We decide that it’s best if we don’t actually have penetrative sex yet, both hopeful that Ivy will come around soon and we can share our first time with her.

I am grateful to have this time with Matilda. But I am worried that Ivy will go into heat, and that I won’t be there to protect her. I try not to let it ruin the day, but it’s always in the back of my mind.

I’m reminded again of how unprepared I am for all of this. I really need to figure out what we are going to do for a nest when it all happens.