“You do this … all the time?”
“Well, it’s not normally such a big occasion,” she shrugs. “Sometimes, we just watch a movie and eat popcorn. Other times, we go bowling or grab ice cream, but it’s always a chance to unwind. Things can get pretty crazy at SVU, especially for omegas. Sisterhood is important to us Stellas. Lots of omegas just come here to find a pack then leave, but we all want more than that, and I’m guessing you do too as you ended up here? You’re studying health botany, right?”
I take a seat on the sofa, sinking into the plush cushions. Kady tosses a cool can of soda at me, which I catch at the last second.
“How did you guess? Do I give off a weird plant girl vibe?”
Kady’s blonde hair shakes as she laughs. Although she has a serious air about her, her giggle is infectious, so I chuckle too. Like this, she appears to have let go of whatever heaviness she’s carrying inside.
“You do have a floral scent, but I’m also a writer for theValley Voice, which affords me some privileges,” she explains. “Although, I didn’t pry. I only checked what you were studying. I know I come off as a control freak know-it-all—okay, I kinda am—but privacy is important. When you grow up in a family like mine, privacy feels like the most important thing sometimes.”
I nod in understanding, recalling what Sabs said about Kady not wanting to talk about her family.
Kady arches an eyebrow. “You know that I’m a Sinclair, right?”
“Sabs may have mentioned it.”
“Does it bother you?”
I frown. “Why would it?”
“Not everyone would like rooming with the daughter of a guy who is one of the world’s biggest assholes.”
From what I’ve read, Richard Sinclair is a ruthless businessman who puts profit above all else. He’s been involved in various scandals over the years—none of them good.
“Trust me, what the media prints is not the worst of it,” Kady continues. “Being here gives us some much-needed distance. SVU has been a fresh start for me.” Her eyes mist over, letting me get a glimpse of the softer side she hides underneath her self-assured, guarded exterior. “What about you? What’s your family like?”
Even though I knew this question would come up, I’m not sure how to answer it. Thankfully, Sabs dances in to save me, wearing a silky cami and shorts.
“The party’s here!” She dives into a pillow of cushions on the floor. “What did I miss?”
“We’re just getting to know each other.” Kady cracks open her soda.
“Starting without me?” Delilah arrives, hair tied up into two adorable space buns and wearing a button-down, pinstripe pajama set. She flops down on my other side then scowls at her chipped nails. “I really need to stop biting them.”
Our evening passes in a happy blur of laughter, pampering, and music. Even though I’m new to the group, it doesn’t feel that way, and I already feel like I have a place here. I’m quiet, but they don’t judge me for it or expect more. Instead, they’re accepting, putting me at ease.
“Now for the best part of the evening!” Sabs claps her hands. “To the cuddle den!’
Delilah pulls me to my feet. “You’re going to love this, Faye.”
After we race up the stairs, Sabs pulls down a ladder from the ceiling with a flourish. “Follow me!”
I didn’t know what to expect, but I never would’ve guessed what’s up there. The attic is a total omega heaven, with sprawling pillows, cushions, and blankets as far as the eye can see. Drapes hang across the ceiling, giving it a cozy feel. Everything is in hues of peach, pink, and red. Twinkling fairy lights wrap around the ceiling beams, and it smells like home. Not Gram’s teashop but a new home. The smell of the person I want to be.
“This is the Stella sister circle.” Sabs plops down on a cushion, patting a plump velvet one next to her for me to join her. “We call it our cuddle den. This is where we formally make you one of our family, Faye.”
Kady and Delilah pull up cushions too, then we all sit in a circle. Kady retrieves a small, circular, golden box adorned with intricate etchings then places it in the middle of us.
“Ready?” Delilah asks, opening it to reveal a balm.
It has a distinct scent—cloves, sage, and amber—that smells familiar, but I can’t place it.
“This has been a Stella House tradition for decades.” Kady cradles the box. “We anoint all sisters with the sacred balm that’s been worn by every omega who came before us.”
“I know it sounds witchy as fuck, and you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” Sabs adds hastily. “But it’s not all woo-woo, promise! It’s grounded in history, or so Kady says.”
“It’s very similar to a scent bonding ritual.” Kady ignores Sabs’s comments. “You may have heard that some omegas choose to do that with their bonded mates, but this is something different.”
