Page 118 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus (The Exchange)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Melody

Dr. Blake makes it clear it’s too early to determine gender. He gives me samples of prenatal vitamins to try, and he suggests I try each for a week to see if any cause symptoms like nausea.

If they don’t, I can get a permanent prescription once I find a doctor in Virginia. He also gives me a prescription for anti-nausea meds, but that’s only when Nik pushes the issue.

My estimated due date is September 18th. Which is crazy. I’m going to turn twenty-seven while pregnant. Not that I usually drink or go out partying.

The more I think about it, nothing will really change on that front.

The trip to the airport is hazy at best. My brain is elsewhere, but no matter how I try to focus, it’s all one big jumble of stress and things that need to be done.

Miller is a huge comfort. Carver drives.

Oliver stays glued to his phone. Nik talks a little about the OPA investigation into the unsanctioned bonding and how shitty he feels to be leaving Nathan with that mess.

He may end up needing to fly back to give a statement, but he’s clear about flying to Virginia with us.

Check-in at the airport goes smoothly. The plane isn’t huge like a commercial airliner, but it’s ridiculously large and spacious for the five of us.

“How are you doing with everything?” Miller asks as we wait for the flight to take off. He turns toward me, planting a giant warm hand on my belly.

“Excited, nervous, I don’t know. Maybe terrified is a better word choice,” I say, giving him a tense smile. “I know I’m going to have to talk to Ben, and I feel like I probably shouldn’t do it over the phone.”

Miller nods. “We need to plan a trip to Texas to retrieve your things, but there’s no rush. I do think it would be best to rest for a few weeks and give yourself a chance to settle in.”

“I have a deadline I need to meet before I can take some time off.” I lace my fingers with Miller’s.

“Would you like to give me a hint on your pen name?” Oliver asks, wiggling his eyebrows. He’s in one of the seats facing us. “I’m trying so hard not to cheat, but it’s tempting.”

“Ohmigosh.” I chuckle. “No way, I’ll never be able to look you in the eyes again.”

“Aww, hell,” Carver says from the row next to ours. “You just gave me a semi.” He gestures to his crotch. “If it’s that dirty then I’m going to need to read it too. For research purposes.”

“Are you feeling all right?” Nik asks, coming to sit across from Carver. “I checked and they have ginger ale and water.”

“I’m good for now.” I give him a sincere smile, snuggling back into Miller’s side. I say a silent prayer that it stays that way.

“Do we have any more of the air sickness bags?” Oliver asks, patting around in the backseat of the SUV. “I think she’s getting nauseous again.”

“I’m okay,” I whisper from the front passenger seat.

“Clearly,” Carver chuckles.

I lift a hand, flipping him off, and he full-on belly laughs. He’s driving the SUV, which apparently was left at the airport in long term parking.

“I’m telling you, I think she’s going to puke when she sees our house,” Oliver whisper-hisses at Nik. “We need to be prepared.”

Miller is all the way in the back. I did originally start the drive next to him, but once the car sickness kicked in, they put me in the front seat.

“It’s a beautiful neighborhood,” I choke out.

It’s a gated community filled with mansions like I’ve never seen before. It really starts to sink in the farther we drive past multimillion dollar homes . . .

Nik is a famous professional athlete and Oliver is a tech genius.

I’m bonded and pregnant. I still have to tell Ben, and I’m totally out of my depth with these men. I know that I’m a small-town girl all the way.

“Please don’t cry,” Oliver says, popping up at my side. “If you hate it. I’ll buy us a new house.”

“Ohmigod, stop.” I snort, shaking my head. I twist my left hand back and caress his cheek. “I feel like there’s no way I belong in this neighborhood, but I’m sure it’s a beautiful home. They all are.”

I pull my hand back to my lap, but I can’t stop fidgeting.

“You’re going to find we fully appreciate everything you have to offer,” Nik says, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror as I face forward. “No more undermining your worth or we might have to explore punishment options.” His reflection winks and I look away.

“We’re here,” Carver says, stretching a hand over and wrapping his fingers in mine. It helps keep me from bouncing them around awkwardly. “If you think you might hurl, give a man a little warning this time. I need to steel my stomach to those noises. You almost got me last time.”

I snort again, glancing out the window.

There’s a metal fence with a black sliding gate that opens as we approach. The homes are all close enough together that you can see the next one, but they have spacious yards and don’t seem like they’re right on top of each other.

The house is big, even by the neighborhood standards. It’s a modern design with columns and two wide porches on the second floor. They frame the entryway with charcoal gray railing. The house itself is white, but all the accents match the dark gray color.

Oliver mentioned that it’s three stories. All the houses on this street are framed in the back by the water. I’m not sure what type of waterway that is, but it’s beautiful. There are large trees lining both sides of the fence, which seems to give the yard additional privacy.

Carver follows the driveway up. There’s a circular area, I guess for guests to park, but he opens the garage and heads inside.

“I think she’s going to need Miller,” Oliver whispers, nodding at me.

I laugh. He really is very sweet and kind of clueless sometimes, but in the most endearing way possible.

“It’s been a long day,” Nik says, climbing out of the door behind Carver. “Let’s get you settled.”

“This is the pack bedroom,” Nik says, guiding us inside. “We’ve never used it. I did ask LeAnn—”

“That’s our housekeeper,” Oliver interrupts, sliding around us. “She’s in her sixties.” He nods, giving me a look like it’s important that I know that. He sends steady comfort through the bond.

“Thank you for telling me.” I grab his hand.

“I know omegas tend to be territorial. We would never compromise your safe space.” Oliver pulls my wrist to his mouth.

I laugh because he’s probably right. I haven’t had the chance to think it through, but I don’t love the idea of another woman in my bedroom.

“Back to the room,” Nik says, gently shoving Oliver out of the way.

My jaw falls as I really get a look at it.

The entire house is kind of overwhelming, but this bedroom is incredible.

There’s a small seating area, like a mini living room to the left.

There’s a flat screen hanging on one wall with two club chairs and a full size couch facing it.

It’s built into a little cubby with three walls, but I love that because it feels cozy.

Nik doesn’t stop, he pulls me past it, and that’s when I really fall in love with this room.

There’s a bed larger than anything I’ve seen. It must be one and a half or two king-sized beds. It has a matte black headboard, a white comforter that’s thick and puffy, and too many pillows to count.

There’s a smaller flat screen on the wall at the footboard of the bed and under it is a freaking fireplace. But the double French doors past all of that draw my attention.

“You’ll love this,” Nik says, guiding us forward with a hand on my ass.

He opens one of the doors, and I’m glad he’s practically holding me up at this point.

There’s a deck with a view of the pool and, past it, the backyard.

This side of the house backs up to the water, and even though it’s chilly out, I know I could curl up in one of the plush chairs and be content to write out here every single day of my life.

“Wow,” I whisper, taking everything in.

“Wait until spring, it’s magnificent when the willows and the cherry trees are really in their prime.” Nik grins, nodding to the trees.

“I can only imagine.”

“You won’t have to,” Oliver says, popping up on my other side.

“You’ll see it in a couple of months.” He sounds so sure that it puts me at ease.

I know we bonded, but it’s all so new. I don’t even fully understand how to block my thoughts or emotions and how to send them through, but I can’t wait to figure it all out.

Oliver heads off to see about something for dinner and to check in on Miller and Carver. I heard the guys mentioning something about hiring movers for Carver, but I only got the basics. Honestly, I’m surprised my brain is working at all.

It’s been a whirlwind since I met them. Nik briefly shows me the main bathroom and it’s bigger than my entire garage apartment back at my mom’s.

I honestly don’t think I’d be comfortable with them coming home with me. I feel like maybe they see me one way, and if they see where I’m from . . .

I blow out a shaky breath. Material possessions aren’t everything. It’s hard. I know I don’t fit in here, but I will do my best to not embarrass them in front of their friends and family.

A pang of pure terror floods my system at the thought. I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding my identity, but the reality is anyone could link me to my pen name. I really don’t know how that could impact Nik or Oliver’s careers.

Ben was very clear that he didn’t want any of his family to know what I write. My mom was supportive, right up until she got around to reading my first book.

“Can I show you the rest?” Nik asks, using his grip on my hips to pull me flush with his front. “The nest is extremely basic at the moment, but that’s because we want you to set it up to your liking.”

His short dark stubble is a little longer than it was at the hotel. Combined with the searching look and his tight hold on my hips, it makes it very hard not to climb him.

I’ve had the least opportunity to really get to know Nik, but I am comfortable with him.

It’s just hard. I think he’s the one who’s most likely to change their mind once I start getting as big as a house. I guess everything felt a lot more insulated at the hotel. I’m sure he has female fans, and Oliver insinuated that women tend to throw themselves at Nik.

“Come on. I want to get this out of the way so you can pick a spot and settle in. You need rest,” Nik says, wrapping his arm around my lower back and turning us so we can head further down the hallway.

The nest is of a similar style to the one at the hotel.

Except where there was a circular cushion, this nest has a massive recessed square area that faces a full floor-to-ceiling window that also looks out over the yard and has a view of the water.

There’s eight or ten feet of open carpet flooring from where we are by the door.

If you look straight ahead, you see the sunken nest and the wall of windows.

“It has a panel that can be lowered when we’re nesting,” Nik says, sliding his hand up the bottom of my dress. He palms my ass cheek with his scratchy fingers.

“It’s amazing.”

To the right is a wall that has an open area you can walk through. There are steps that lead to a giant mattress-style nest. It’s fully enclosed on three sides. Both aisles alongside the nest have carpeting and small end tables near the top where the pillows are.

It doesn’t have any natural lighting, but I like that. My impulses immediately love it.

“There’s a curtain that can be closed to block off the entire back wall,” Nik says, flicking several switches on the wall.

“There are different light settings and even music or nature sounds. There’s white and pink noise, but honestly?

” He laughs, shaking his head. “I couldn’t tell you which is which. ”

“I love it,” I assure him. Turning to face him, I stretch up on my tiptoes and kiss the edge of his mouth.

“Good,” he growls, lifting me into the air. My legs twine around his ass and then my back is hitting the wall. “Shit, I know I need to be gentle with you . . . it’s hard. I’ve been fighting my impulses all day.”

He tilts my head to the side, licking his way down my neck.

“Why?” I ask.

“I know Oliver is my packmate. The two of you bonding is a good thing, but I’m territorial under the best of conditions. My teeth ache with the urge to claim you.” He scrapes his teeth over my throat, and I whine in response. “You want that too, don’t you, gorgeous?”

My feet dig into his ass. Part of me does, but a bigger part of me doesn’t want it to be solely for competition or one-upping Oliver’s claim. I’m a little afraid Nik is used to being the most important member of their pack. He wants to be the star.

“One day,” I say, nodding my agreement. “I want to get to know you.”

“Is this because of Nathan? I never—”

I push my mouth to his, clutching his shoulders. He freezes for several seconds before he makes it his mission to destroy my sanity with a kiss that feels like pure foreplay.

“It’s not,” I say between kisses. “I know we have so much to learn about each other and that goes both ways.”

“You let Oliver bite you,” he says, raking his teeth over my lower lip.

“And we’ll get there too, but I do think I need a little time to settle into one bond before I add more.” I stare up into his bright blue-green eyes. They’re captivating. They stand out in stark comparison to his dark olive skin and dark hair.

“But you do want me?” Nik asks, grinning dangerously.

“I do,” I agree as his hands tighten on my ass.

“Then I can be patient. As long as you know I’m going to keep courting the shit out of you,” he murmurs, kissing me again.