Page 36 of Nesting With My Three Alphas (Hollow Haven #1)

Kit

I woke slowly, wrapped in warmth and contentment that felt like being cradled by sunshine itself.

My body ached in the most satisfying way, tender reminders of the past three nights scattered across my skin like love letters written in sensation.

The three claiming bites on my neck pulsed gently with each heartbeat, no longer painful but deeply present, marking me as completely and thoroughly claimed.

The nest around me smelled like paradise.

My own scent had transformed, no longer just vanilla and honey but something richer, more complex.

I could smell all three of my alphas woven through the fabric of who I was now.

Cedar and cardamom, leather and sandalwood, protection and love and belonging so deep it had changed my very chemistry.

We were bonded. Really, truly, permanently bonded.

I could feel them even with my eyes closed, their presence humming in the back of my consciousness like a song I'd always known the melody to but had never heard played.

Each connection felt distinct now that I was learning to recognize them.

Micah's calm was a steady heartbeat. Reed buzzed like lightning waiting to strike.

Jonah's presence felt like the moment before a wave breaks. Held, strong, inevitable.

"Good morning, beautiful," Jonah's voice came from close beside me, warm and rough with sleep. "How are you feeling?"

I opened my eyes to find him propped on his elbow, watching me with the kind of focused attention that made my omega purr with satisfaction. His hair was mussed from sleep, his chest bare and marked with evidence of our time together, and he looked absolutely perfect.

"Different," I said honestly, stretching in the nest like a cat in sunshine. "But wonderful different. Complete different."

"Your scent changed," Jonah observed, leaning down to nuzzle the claiming bites on my neck with gentle reverence. "You smell like pack now. Like ours."

Like ours. The possessive satisfaction in his voice sent warmth spiraling through me.

"I can feel you," I said, pressing my hand to my chest where the bonds seemed to originate. "All three of you. It's like having pieces of your hearts tucked into mine."

"That's exactly what it is," Jonah said softly. "Pack bonds aren't just emotional. They're biochemical, instinctual. You're part of us now in ways that go deeper than conscious thought."

The profound intimacy of that truth should have been overwhelming, but instead it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Of course I could feel their emotions, their presence. Of course we were connected at levels that transcended the physical.

"My heat is over then?" I asked, taking inventory of my body and finding the desperate urgency completely gone, replaced by deep satisfaction and bone-deep contentment.

"Completely," Jonah confirmed. "Three claimings did the job. The urgency's gone, though you might feel tender a day or two."

Satisfied. That was certainly one way to describe the thoroughly claimed feeling that had settled into my bones.

The bedroom door opened softly, and Reed appeared carrying a tray that smelled like heaven and wearing an expression of such smug satisfaction that it made me laugh.

"Look who's awake," Reed said, settling the tray on the bedside table before leaning down to press a possessive kiss to one of his claiming bites. "How's our thoroughly claimed omega this morning?"

"Thoroughly satisfied," I said with a grin that made both men's eyes darken with renewed interest.

"Good," Reed said with characteristic directness. "Because you look incredible with our marks. Like you were made to wear them."

Before I could respond, Micah appeared in the doorway with his own offering. A steaming mug that smelled like the custom tea blend he'd created specifically for me, but somehow different now. Richer. More complex.

"I adjusted the formula," Micah explained, settling on the other side of the nest. "Now that you're fully bonded, your scent profile has changed. This blend will help maintain the balance and support the bond integration."

Even the practical aspects of our connection were being tended to with the same careful attention they'd shown throughout our entire relationship.

"You're all taking such good care of me," I said, accepting the tea and breathing in the perfect blend of comfort and chemistry that would help my body adjust to its new reality.

"Always," all three said simultaneously, then looked at each other with surprise before breaking into laughter.

"Well, that's not ominous at all," I said teasingly. "Should I be worried about you all developing a hive mind?"

"Pack bonds can create some synchronization," Jonah said with amusement. "Especially in the first few days. We might find ourselves responding to your needs before you're consciously aware of them."

"Speaking of needs," Reed said, settling more comfortably in the nest, "what do you need today? Food, rest, gentle activity? Your body's been through a lot."

What did I need? I took careful inventory. The pleasant ache between my legs, the tender sensitivity of my claiming bites, the deep satisfaction that came from being thoroughly loved. But underneath it all was something else, something that surprised me with its intensity.

"I need to know that this is real," I said quietly. "I need to know that when I wake up tomorrow and the next day and the day after that, you'll all still be here. That this isn't something that will fade when the excitement wears off."

The vulnerability in my admission made all three of them go very still, their attention focusing on me with laser intensity.

"Kit," Micah said gently, setting down his own mug to take my free hand in both of his. "Look at me."

I met his warm brown eyes, seeing nothing but love and certainty reflected back at me.

"Pack bonds are permanent," he said simply. "Not just emotionally, but biologically. What we created last night can't be undone, can't be taken back, can't fade with time or distance or disagreement."

"You're stuck with us," Reed added with his characteristic bluntness. "Forever. Even if you wanted to leave, which you won't, you'd still feel us, still be connected to us. The bonds would stretch but never break."

"But more than that," Jonah said, his voice carrying the quiet authority that made my omega sit up and take notice, "we don't want this to fade. We've been building toward this moment for weeks, laying the foundation for something that's meant to last lifetimes."

Lifetimes. The word sent a shiver of anticipation through me rather than fear.

"What about when Charlie comes home?" I asked, voicing the practical concern that had been lurking in the back of my mind. "What about when normal life resumes and we have to figure out how this actually works day to day?"

"Charlie's going to be over the moon," Reed said with a grin. "Kid's been planning this outcome since the day you moved in next door."

"She'll be back tomorrow afternoon," Jonah added, checking his phone. "Emma just texted that they're having such a good time at the natural history museum that they're extending the trip by one day."

We had another full day together as a newly bonded pack before reality intruded.

"And normal life?" Micah continued. "This is our normal life now. Waking up together, taking care of each other, building something beautiful as a family."

"The logistics will sort themselves out," Jonah said practically. "Work schedules, household responsibilities, parenting decisions. We'll figure it all out together. That's what partners do."

Not just lovers or even mates, but true partners in building a life.

"I've never had partners before," I admitted. "I've never been part of something where my opinion mattered as much as everyone else's."

"Well, you're about to learn," Reed said with satisfaction. "Because you're not just our omega. You're Charlie's mom, you're an equal voice in every decision we make, you're the heart of this family."

The phrase made my chest tight with emotion.

"I can't believe this is my life now," I said softly. "Six weeks ago I was running from everything I thought love was supposed to be, and now..."

"Now you're home," Jonah finished simply. "Now you're exactly where you belong."

Home. The word didn't scare me anymore. It felt like a promise instead of a trap.

The morning passed in a haze of gentle touches and quiet conversation, my three alphas taking turns feeding me perfect bites of food and making sure I stayed hydrated while my body finished processing the intensity of the bond formation.

Every interaction felt charged with new meaning, every casual touch a reminder that we were connected now in ways that went beyond the physical.

"I can feel when you're thinking too hard," Micah observed, his thumb tracing patterns on my wrist that sent pleasant tingles up my arm. "Your emotions get tangled, and it translates through the bond."

"What does it feel like?" I asked, fascinated by this new dimension of our relationship. "When I'm thinking too hard?"

"Like static," Reed said immediately. "Like you're trying to tune into a radio station that's just slightly out of range."

"For me, it feels like a knot in my chest," Jonah added. "Tension that I want to smooth away."

They could feel my emotional state. The thought should have been invasive, but instead it felt like the ultimate safety net. I would never have to suffer in silence again, never have to pretend everything was fine when it wasn't.

"Can I feel yours too?" I asked.

"With practice," Micah said gently. "Omega senses are naturally more attuned to alpha emotions than the reverse, but it takes time to learn how to interpret what you're feeling."

"Right now, what are you feeling?" I asked, closing my eyes and trying to focus on the bonds humming in my chest.