Page 110 of Mask and the Magnolia

She had to threaten us to get us to go and let me tell you, omegas can be just as scary as alphas. Especially when they threaten you after surviving something that should have killed her.

After one final goodbye, we take off into the woods, running almost as fast as we did on our way here and even though I knowmy alphas are happy they got to see Maggie, there isa lotof tension rolling off of them.

“I can’t believe that motherfucker did that to her,” Vin growls as he jumps over a fallen tree. “And he’s going to get away with it.”

“For now,” Des says as he slows down, his breathing more labored than it should be when we match his pace. “He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

I nod my agreement. “As soon as we can figure out how to make that happen.”

“Damn straight.” Vin smiles at me before he turns a worried look to our alpha. “You good?”

Des swallows hard but nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure?” Korvin stops him, grabbing the sides of his neck as he scans his face. “Your color is off.”

“I’m fine, pookie.” Des grins before giving him a kiss but we can both see that smile was forced.

I really don’t like this.

Something is wrong with Desmond and he seems hellbent on keeping us in the dark on it.

Confirmed when he changes the subject and starts running again.

“I can’t believe Maggie isn’t more upset about her nest.”

Not to say she wasn’t, she cried when she told us what happened to our clothes, but she kind of skimmed over that and didn’t bring it up again.

“I always thought omegas loved their nests,” I say thoughtfully. I’m still learning all of this stuff and have to fact check more than I’d like. “Right? Aren’t they super important or something?”

“They are,” Korvin grunts. “So her lack of reaction is strange.”

“Bet it’s because she made it before we bonded.” Des narrowly misses a low hanging branch as he stumbles a little. “I heard somewhere that can change the significance for them.”

I guess that makes sense. Sort of. Honestly I don’t really understand what he means but thankfully they both know that and elaborate a little.

“Nests are an omega’s safe space, sweetheart.” Vin gives me a brief smile. “It’s sacred to them

It’s where they go to get away from the world, to soothe their worries, or find their peace.”

“And when an omega bonds,” Des grunts in between heavy breaths. “When they find their pack and start making a life with them, their nest takes on a bit of a deeper meaning.”

My brow furrows as I try and fail to keep up. “How so?”

“To be blunt, it’s where they go to get railed during their heat.”

My eyes widen as Vin huffs, “Yeah, real fucking blunt, baby.” He shakes his head. “You know how Maggie and Isaak have been taking our stuff to put in their nests?”

“Yeah.” I nod, thinking back to when they explained it to me. “They took our stinkiest shit so they had our scents in them.”

“Right.“ He chuckles. “Because we’re bonded, because we love each other. They want as much of us in their space as possible at all times so they use our shit to build it up. If we lived together, they could invite us into that space if they wanted to for the same reason. It’s very rooted in our bond and how we’re all connected, and when an omega goes into heat, it amplifies that.”

“Because heat can be scary and painful,” I say as I nod slowly. “And having us in their safe space makes it even more comforting during something like that.”

“Exactly,” Des grunts. “They feel safe and secure, they can be vulnerable without having to worry about anything.”

“Because being in heat is when an omega is most vulnerable,” Vin adds. “We help them through it but they’re also protected because of that.”

I really love how patient they are with me, and how they explain things to me in a way I can understand even if they’ve already done it a hundred times.