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twenty-nine

JOSIE

M y heat went for three days this time, and I can feel Vic and Henry right beside my heart in my chest. Henry’s steady presence bolsters me, makes me feel like I always have someone in my corner.

Vic’s presence is a little more subtle, a steady affection and desire to ensure the ones he loves are happy and taken care of.

I’m not sure what I feel like, but it’s probably not all sunshine and rainbows.

When I woke from my heat, I cried for an hour straight.

I knew, I knew that Jesse and Simon weren’t ready, but they didn’t even try.

I watched as they left without saying anything to me.

Once I was lost to my heat, I could tell someone was missing, but Vic and Henry kept me so distracted, I could never figure out why things didn’t feel quite right.

My Omega is sitting in her proverbial corner, sad and a bit despondent that two of her Matches don’t want her.

Honestly? Same. I thought, well, I guess it doesn’t matter now.

I’ve managed to move myself to the couch today, now that the heat is over, but it’s only been a day since things ended.

Vic and Henry helped me get cleaned up, fed me, washed the sheets for me, and helped care for me the entire first day after the heat ended.

They both offered to stay longer, but I waved them off.

I thought for sure I was fine, but after they left, I curled back up in my nest, feeling like part of me was missing.

Today, though, today I manage to get to the couch to wallow instead of my nest. Improvement.

It’s been two days since my heat ended, and I’m torn between feeling comforted by Henry and Vic in my chest and absolutely devastated that there are two distinct missing bonds I can feel.

My 80s music playlist is filling my house with sound, so I don’t go completely crazy from the silence.

I snuggle further into the blanket pile I have on my couch and take a sip from the water bottle I promised Henry and Vic I’d drink.

I have zero desire to drink anything, but I promised them both I’d stay hydrated.

The moment I set my water bottle down next to me, the song switches to “Jessie’s Girl”, and I lose all semblance of the calm and cool I was pretending to have.

My throat closes up, and my eyes burn with new tears as I listen to the lyrics.

God, I wish I was Jesse’s girl, but I don’t know that it’ll ever happen.

The guys must feel my sorrow down the bond, because my phone begins to buzz with incoming calls.

I ignore it and choose to wallow. Fuck maturity, my heart feels like it’s in shreds from missing Simon and Jesse. Then I feel guilty for not being happier that I have Vic and Henry, and the tears double. How can everything feel so wrong and so right at the same time?

The songs keep playing, and while I’m no longer sobbing, there’s a steady stream of tears running down my face.

How do people survive this? This pain of knowing someone is missing, but threaded through with joy from who you have?

It’s maddening. Vaguely, I hear the door open, and my bonds flood with concern and love, bringing my awareness back to the moment.

Of course, the minute this happens, I start to giggle.

Turning in my blanket burrito, I see Henry standing there, hands on his hips and a teasing look on his face.

“Did you do this on purpose?” he asks.

“Do what? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I reply innocently.

He hums, “I think you Rick Rolled me on purpose.”

My giggles take over as “Never Gonna Give You Up” plays on the speakers throughout my house. Henry doubles down on my giggles by doing Rick Astley’s dance from the music video. Now my tears are from laughter instead of sorrow. How does he know exactly what to do? Maybe it’s a Match thing.

Henry walks over to me and forces himself into my blanket burrito.

I’ve never been more thankful that I bought a deep couch than in this moment.

It leaves plenty of room for us to snuggle up together.

He curves around me, the big spoon to my little.

So I obviously scoot back with my butt to try and tease him and get closer. Squeezing me once, he sighs in my ear.

“Better?” he asks.

I hum in happiness, “Everything’s better when you’re around.”

“Good.” With that, he rips the covers off, smacks my ass and gets out of bed.

“What the fuck?” I borderline yell at him.

“Where are your bags?” he asks, walking toward my room.

I scramble off the couch, following him like a newborn foal trying to walk.

The blankets have my legs so tangled I start to swear at them before finally getting free.

In the meantime, Henry has found two of my suitcases and is raiding my closets, throwing in sweatpants, soft shirts, hoodies, all soft, lounge clothing.

I dart in front of him to snag my favorite comfy pair of jeans. Just in case.

Henry starts to eye my bedding, and I step in between him and my bed. Nobody gets to touch my blankets right now. He’ll mess them all up, and I’m not allowing that. A growl surprises me as it escapes from my throat.

“Don’t touch my blankets,” I tell him.

Henry holds up his hands in surrender.

“Okay, pack them up for me, I’m taking you home and I want you to have all the things you need.”

I bite my lip, trying to figure out what to do next. Do I bring all my blankets? Do I bring things from my nest instead of my bed?

“Hurry up, Omega, or I’ll do it for you,” Henry threatens, despite telling me to pack things up on my own.

When I try to glare at him, he raises an eyebrow in challenge. My Omega wants to roll over and submit, and judging by the slow heat building in his eyes, Henry can tell. Deciding I want my nest blankets, I turn to stomp out of the room.

“Pushy Alphas,” I mutter.

A loud crack sounds in the air and my ass stings from the slap that Henry just delivered.

“Sassy Omegas,” he mutters back.

I grin at the interaction, my sorrow lifting for a few moments as we finish packing things up.

The second we step outside, though, I’m reminded that Jesse left.

My feet stop moving as I stare at his condo, remembering how connected I thought we were.

Apparently, it wasn’t enough for him to stand by me through my heat.

My eyes close against the pain as the memory of our time together plays in my head, and I feel a tear slip out.

Henry reaches around me to close the door before gathering me in his arms. I let myself lean into him, finding comfort in his strong arms. My eyes squeeze harder, as if I can block it all out by trying hard enough.

Jesse was happy to help spank me, but he wouldn’t stay with me when it pushed me into my heat.

I wasn’t far off, if I’m honest with myself, but I needed him, doesn’t he know that?

Heaving a large sigh, I pull my head back from Henry’s chest and look up into his light blue eyes.

When the sun hits them just right, they’re almost luminous, and it’s easy to get lost looking at their color.

He leans in and gently kisses my forehead.

My silly little heart jumps at the sweet gesture, and I can’t wait for him to do it again.

“Thank you,” I tell him.

“For the kiss?”

“For being my Alpha.”

His eyes soften as he gazes at me, “Thank you for being my Omega.”

We part, and once the luggage is in the car, I climb into the passenger seat of Henry’s car, which is a crossover SUV, so it’s plenty spacious with just the two of us.

I glance up once my seatbelt is fastened, and my eyes meet Jesse’s blue ones.

His blue is darker than Henry’s, but they still pull me in easily.

If I hadn’t met him before, I’d assume he was casually standing there.

Knowing him like I do, I can see the tension on his face and body, as if he’s holding himself together by sheer will.

Another pesky tear leaks from my eyes, and I look away.

Seeing him on the edge is too much, I can’t watch him be on the edge when he’s the one who walked away.

I hear the door shut and a seatbelt click before a soft rumble comes from the seat next to me.

I take a deep breath of Henry’s cedar and eucalyptus scent and make an effort to relax.

My eyes look up to his, where he’s glaring at Jesse.

“Let’s just go,” I say gently, taking his hand in mine.

He looks down at our hands and smiles, “Okay.”

When we arrive at his house, I feel even more tension bleed out of my shoulders.

How can just being in his driveway make me feel better?

I decide not to ask questions and heft my purse and tote bag over my shoulder.

Henry grabs both of my suitcases and we head inside.

It’s a bit different walking in as Henry’s Omega instead of a Touch Helper for Ray, but the familiarity is welcome.

“Did you finally get her?” I hear Ray call out from somewhere in the house.

Henry chuckles, “Yeah, she’s here.”

“Good! Maybe you’ll stop being so pissy,” she sasses before cackling and poking her head out from the living area to grin.

“Hey there,” I say, waving at Ray.

Still grinning, she replies, “Glad you’re here.”

I return her smile with my own before Henry grabs my hand and leads me up the stairs.

Pretty sure he’s grumbling about sassy Omegas again, and it makes me snicker to myself.

At the top of the stairs, instead of following the hallway in the direction of Ray’s room, we turn right where double doors greet us.

He turns the handles and pushes them open dramatically.

I give him the appropriate gasp in response.

The Pack Suite is perfect . There are two feet of hallway before we walk into the sleeping area, which houses a large Pack bed.

We would easily fit with some room to spare.

I walk through the room and find the door to the bathroom, which holds a massive whirlpool tub, a few sinks, and a luxury shower.

Seeing two more doors, one leads me to a walk-in closet and the other leads to a nest.

I open the door to the nest, and my eyes go wide, my mouth dropping in shock.

It has a massive in-set circular mattress, so you have to step down to get in, and I immediately begin planning out how I can use the low wall around the mattress as sides of my nest. The ceiling of the room has twinkle lights around the perimeter, but nothing else has been done yet.

Henry’s arms wrap around me from behind, “I wanted you to be able to change it as you see fit. Nobody else has used this room. Ever.”

Turning, I all but attack Henry with my body, my lips slamming against his, begging for a taste of him.

I hear the low, possessive growl that builds up in his chest, and he scoops me up, my legs reflexively wrapping around him.

I’m pretty sure this is the first man who has held me this way, and I will absolutely be begging for him to do it more.

His legs take us to the bedroom area, where he sets me down gently on the bed.

Breaking away from my lips, he apologetically says, “Unless we want Ray to hear everything, we should close the doors.”

“Yes, let’s not scar my former client and your chosen sister on my first time here as your Omega.”

The door closes, and Henry races back to the bed, grabbing me and caging my body with his.

Just a few hours ago, I was spinning in my solitude and sorrow, feeling like I wasn’t good enough because of the two Alphas who walked out on me.

Being here with Henry, though? I feel soothed, cared for, and content.

There are still two holes in me that can only be filled by Jesse and Simon, but they get shoved to the background as Henry and I relearn each other’s bodies.

As we snuggle later, I can’t help but feel Henry’s frustration and annoyance at himself through our bond. Wild.

“Hey, what’s going on? I can feel you’re a bit off,” I ask gently.

Henry huffs a laugh, “Completely forgot about that part of the bond, which is funny because it’s why I came to you today.

I’m kicking myself for not staying with you, or asking you to come with me after your heat.

Omega’s need extra cuddles and pampering after a heat to feel secure, but you insisted you were fine, so I didn’t push.

Next time I’m going to listen to my instincts and not the words you say. ”

“I wondered how you knew. I didn’t realize I was broadcasting it at all. Vic never called, though. He’s at home with Simon now, but I didn’t hear from him.” I reply.

“I called and told him I was going to you, so he didn’t have to worry. Fun fact for you that I learned last week, as Mated Matches, we can feel where the other person is. If it’s somewhere you know, I think it’s more specific, but you’ll always know what direction they’re in.”

“That’s so cool! It’ll make finding you guys easier if we’re all separated…” I realize at the end of that statement that we are, in fact, separated, but we don’t all have bonds.

“They’ll come around, I promise,” Henry whispers in my hair.

I hold him tighter, “I hope so.”