Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Talya

We gathered around the table outside when a whole spread of food was done. Lots of food. And it smelled so good I knew I was just going to pig out. It had been so long since I ate, and I was fucking famished.

As Colby piled food on my plate, I kept my hands clasped in my lap, waiting for everyone to get some food. Only after someone else took a first bite did I finally begin to eat. There was silence as we did. Part of me was conscious that I was likely being watched because I probably looked like an animal as I inhaled my food. I’d be embarrassed later but right now, I just wanted to fill the deep void in my stomach.

When I’d made it through most of my plate, I sat back and took a breath. Better. Now I can eat like a normal human. Chancing a look at the rest of the table, no one was watching me as they quietly chatted about whatever.

A smile touched my lips as I relaxed further. Colby’s hand found my leg under the table, and I looked at him. He smiled, beautiful and reassuring. I wondered if he felt as comfortable here as I did. He looked it. How he easily leaned against the counter and talked to the other alphas and beta. The easy smile and interactions.

Dropping my gaze to my plate again, I chewed on my lip. This isn’t my pack, though. Not one we’ve found and come to visit. We’re here because of… what happened. This isn’t a choice but a pack that’s had us dumped in their laps.

I blinked as something was placed on my plate. A muffin?

Looking up, I found Ronan sitting back again, his dark eyes watching me. “Sweet, spicy cornbread from the grill. Try it.” His voice was this deep rumble that I could feel in my gut.

Did I even like spice?

It was split in two, buttered on the inside. I broke off a piece of the muffin top and popped it between my lips. The gritty texture hit me first but it was moist with that great corn flavor and actual corn inside. The sweetness of honey coated my mouth as I swallowed it and looked back at him with a raised brow.

“I don’t taste-” My words were cut off as I coughed. Ah, there it is. A hint of sudden hit burned my mouth like I just poured chili flakes on my tongue.

“Sneaky kick,” Kasen said, grinning.

It wasn’t so hot that my eyes watered. A pleasant heat that dissipated pretty rapidly. “It’s good,” I said. “Surprising but good.”

I glanced at Ronan in time to find the barest hint of a smile as he watched me. My skin covered in goosebumps, and I drew in a sudden breath of his fresh outdoor scent. Citrus fields within freshly mown grass after a rainstorm. Though it was strong right now, I thought it was likely because I was still wearing his shirt.

Licking my lips, I went back to the muffin and ate another bite before offering one to Colby. He accepted it, a smile on his pink lips as they brushed my fingers. My heart raced and unsurprisingly, my perfume turned slightly sweet.

There was no question what we’d be doing tonight. I needed my alpha.

Colby turned back to his plate and finished what was there before he sat back, draping his arm over the back of my chair. “You have a nest, yes?” he asked.

They all nodded.

“I offered to show you last night,” Kasen said. “You were too tired.”

“All I wanted was to sleep in peace,” Colby said, smiling. “It had been a very long time since I had that simple luxury.”

Sleep shouldn’t be a luxury, but it was. I couldn’t remember how long they hospital said we’d been missing, stuck in that facility, but it had felt like weeks. And then there was the time in the hospital. The ridiculous flights.

Yeah, we were tired. We’re still tired. I wasn’t lying when I said I could likely sleep for another week.

“I know,” Kasen said, his voice quieter. “But I’ll be happy to show you. Or someone else can.”

“I stole blankets and pillows from a bunch of rooms around the one we were in,” Colby said, smiling apologetically. “I think I chose spare rooms but I apologize if I ransacked one of yours. It didn’t smell like anyone in particular. Talya needed more.”

Lohtus waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. You can have whatever you need.”

“We’ll get more, too,” Ainsley said. “The nest is mostly empty right now so we need to get it ready-” He stopped talking, pressing his lips together as he looked at Colby. My alpha’s smirk was amused.

“Not for a couple months,” I said but then frowned. “Actually, I don’t think that long.” Colby looked at me with concern. “Stress can make them come on faster,” I said, still frowning. “And now that the stress is settled, my body might decide that it’s ready to breed.”

Kasen choked, his face turning red as he covered it. The alphas chuckled while I looked at him in apology.

“Sorry. I suppose that was crude,” I said, unable to help my own smile.

“You know,” Kasen said when he got himself under control. “I get that’s what heats are biologically for, but I’ve never heard it referred to that way.”

I shrugged. “While I’m not interested in reproducing right now, it is what it is.”

“We can go to town tomorrow,” Ronan said. “Pick up whatever you need.”

“I don’t think we have much money left,” Colby said, tilting his head to the side. He’d had whatever money was given to us while we traveled. Airport food is expensive though.

“Like I said, we got it covered. Necessities of living go on a card that was provided to us. And having an omega means we have new necessities,” Blake said.

“I can’t wait to see what you want to do with the nest,” Kasen said, leaning forward in excitement. Lohtus pulled him back in the chair and Kasen immediately dampened. “Not that you have to let me see it, of course. I don’t presume- and your heat- I didn’t mean to imply-”

Colby chuckled as my smile grew too wide. Poor beta, turning adorably red.

“It’s fine,” I said. “You can see it. You can even help me build it if you want to.”

His eyes widened in surprise, but excitement quickly overcame it. “Really?”

I nodded. “I think it’ll be fun.”

“Want to see it now?” he asked.

Glancing at Colby again, I found he was still watching Kasen with an expression I couldn’t quite read. It almost looked… soft.

A voice in my head said I should feel jealous. Possessive. But… none of that came. I liked that look on him. I didn’t want him to feel threatened of others in my presence and who really wants to live that way?

This entire situation, being thrust into the midst of four alphas and two betas after what we’ve been through both in the torture rooms and prior to that while visiting packs, could be really fucking tense and awful.

The relief that blanketed me knowing I didn’t feel that way, and neither did Colby, put me at ease. We were lucky. Lucky to have found ourselves somewhere that we weren’t ready for a fight and finding discomfort around every corner.

“Yes,” I said, pushing my chair back.

Kasen grinned widely and got to his feet, too, but we paused when no one followed. I looked at Colby with confusion.

His smile was all swoony because that’s the kind of hot alpha he is. “Go, love. Show me later.”

I narrowed my eyes at him but turned to follow Kasen. The beta still hesitated, his unsure gaze going between us before he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His shoulders tense. In fact, as I followed him inside, everything about him was tense.

“Are you okay?” I asked when we had left the kitchen.

His laughter was filled with tension. “I don’t know what happened. Of course, I don’t. But from what Colby said, it was betas who did it to you. I just didn’t think anyone would let me be alone with either of you, is all.”

“You don’t smell like them or that place,” I told him. He stopped suddenly, and I ran into him. His hands grabbed my arms to steady me as I laughed and took a step back. The intensity in his eyes when I met them said he was trying like hell not to ask.

“Good,” he said quietly. “But I have always thought betas kind of smell the same, you know? Boring and herbal.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Really? And omegas smell sooo good. Basically sugar in any form you can imagine it. And that’s the extent. Sweety syrupy sticky sugar.”

He gave me a bemused smile. “You don’t smell like sugar.”

“No but my perfume is inherently sweet. Creamsicle. You say the word and you know what the flavor is. Sweet!”

“And I smell like a damn incense store. All herby and smoke.”

“It’s a nice smell,” I said. “Really.”

He smiled, releasing the way his shoulder bunched. “Thanks. And for the record, orange creamsicles are my favorite sweet treat.”

I laughed as he turned to lead me down the hall.

The nest was behind a small door tucked away on the first floor. The room was small. Maybe six by eight with low ceilings. There were windows with shutters that could let in just the right amount of light. And off the side was a small kitchenette. No cookware but a fridge and cabinets. A small bathroom off the side with a showers, toilet, and sink.

“Is it okay?” Kasen asked.

I nodded. For some reason, my voice caught in my throat. I had a small space as a nest growing up. Just somewhere that I could escape to and huddle away from the world in a pile of soft things. Because it was just Colby and I with a roommate, we hadn’t been able to afford a place with an actual nest.

Seeing one now, one that was for me, caused more emotion to rise in me that I thought. I took a breath, staring into the small, empty room. It was big enough for Colby and I and a whole lot of soft things. Big enough for maybe a couple more, too. But it was small and cozy. Perfect.

“Talya?” Kasen asked when I still didn’t answer. He looked at me with worry bright in his eyes.

“No, it’s great. Really.”

“Are you sure? You don’t look like it’s okay.

I let out a breathless laugh. “It’s been a long time since I had a nest,” I whispered. “I guess I wasn’t expecting it to hit me like it did.”

“Oh,” he said, looking back into the room. “We’ve never used it for anything. And I aired it out before you guys got here. To me it doesn’t smell like us but if it does, we can fix it. I know we can-”

“It’s perfect, Kasen,” I assured him, catching a breath of grass and rain. I shivered, wrapping my arms around me, and subtly stealing a sniff of Ronan’s shirt. “It’s just right.”

He smiled, but I could tell that he was a little unsure still. When he glanced back down the hall, he scowled. “Really, this is an awful pack. Letting a beta who doesn’t know shit about omegas show one to a nest.”

I laughed, taking his hand and squeezing it. When he looked at me, he was smiling again. He suddenly reminded me of Fenton and my chest panged. I’m sure he thought we were dead. And he’d never know otherwise.

We head back to the others and they’re talking about the island and town. All the festivals and how close the community is.

“There’s only two other omegas on the island,” Emerald said. “Both already in packs. There’s a handful of alphas, too. Three are in a pack and the other two are together with a few betas between them. Otherwise, we’re primarily betas.”

I tried not to frown but I don’t think Colby or I hid it very well.

“They’re not like on the mainland,” Blakely said. “At least, not in my experience.”

“I mean, they’re a little like that,” Emerald amended, smirking. “Alphas will always be chased by betas.”

“And how do they treat the omegas?” Colby asked.

“Less like on the mainland,” Emerald said, nodding. “I’ll be honest though in telling you that the omegas rarely go wandering about. I don’t see them in town often. So I’m not sure how they’d be treated on a regular basis.”

“They didn’t grow up here?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. Fox was brought by her three alphas. I think, though I’m not positive, she found them via Pack Listing. And Rina visited the island with her family on vacation. While she was here, she met the four alphas that became her pack.”

“You’ve met them?” Colby asked.

Emerald nodded, shrugging. “Like I said, we’re a close community. So while they don’t wander the town often, they usually make an appearance at most of the festivals.”

“And the omegas’ alphas? What do they do?” Colby asked.

“Work in town or online, probably. I don’t know. I don’t keep tabs on them.” He grinned. “Like I said, I’m weird. I don’t chase alphas. And why would I pay any attention to one that doesn’t want me anyway?”

“More people need to think like you,” Colby muttered.

The table laughed, alphas nodding.

“I chased alphas,” Kasen said, sniffing the air. “And I probably would have caught one, too. He was interested.”

“What happened?” I asked.

He cocked his head to the side before giving me a wan smile. “I saw something I shouldn’t have and disappeared.”

I winced. “Sorry, I asked.”

Kasen laughed. “It’s fine. I have two alphas and I chased neither of them. Be proud of me.”

Colby chuckled, shaking his head. But I was grinning. Fenton didn’t chase alphas. Which was probably why several had paid him attention over the years. And were entirely too confused when he told them all he wasn’t interested.

Secretly, I thought he was afraid of knots. But since the conversation never really came up, I didn’t ask. And now I’d never know.

Never know what he’s doing or whether he’s okay. What if they'd come back to take him, too? I wouldn’t have known to look for him.

I took a breath and closed my eyes.

“Hey,” Ainsley said, and I opened my eyes. My heart stuttered in my chest when I met his eyes. He smiled all dreamy-like. His gaze drifted to Colby for a minute before returning to me. “Want to check out the property? Dusk is the perfect atmosphere to do so.

Smiling, I nodded. “Yeah. That’ll be nice.”