"Thank you," I said quietly, interrupting their debate about optimal sleeping temperatures.
They both turned to look at me.
"For what?" Levi asked, a frown on his face making a flicker of a smile come to my lips as I pushed some of my hair out of my face.
"For this. For not making it weird. For understanding what the nest meant even when I didn't fully understand it myself." I picked at a loose thread on one of the blankets. "I've never had this before. People who just... accept me. Without conditions."
"There are no conditions," Micah said, and his voice was softer than I'd ever heard it. "You're not required to perform or prove yourself or meet some arbitrary standard. You're just... ours. If you want to be."
"I want to be," I whispered. The words felt huge, a confession I hadn't planned to make. "I think I've wanted to be for a while. I was just too scared to admit it."
Levi made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "Daphne. You can't justsaythings like that. My heart can't take it."
"He's right," Micah agreed, though his voice was steadier. "That's... a significant statement. Are you sure? After everything that happened yesterday, you might be?—"
"Vulnerable? Emotional? Looking for comfort in the wrong places?" I shook my head. "I've thought about that. But this isn't a reaction to Trinity. This is... this is what I've been fighting against for weeks. Maybe longer. The nest just made it impossible to keep denying."
I looked down at the chaos around me, the blankets, the pillows, their clothing woven through it all. My omega's declaration of trust, laid out in fabric and scent.
"I was on autopilot when I did this," I said. "I subconsciously chose you. All of you. And I think... I think I really am ready as well. " The silence that followed was heavy with meaning. Levi looked like he was about to burst. Micah's composure had slipped entirely, his eyes bright and his breath unsteady.
"We should tell Oliver and Garrett," Levi said finally, his voice cracking. "They need to hear this."
"After breakfast," Micah suggested. "Let her eat first. This is... this is a conversation we should all have together." I nodded, suddenly exhausted again despite the sleep I'd gotten. Emotional exhaustion, maybe. The kind that came from finally letting down walls you'd spent years building.
“After breakfast.” I agreed and felt like a weight was lifted from me.
Levi pulled me into a hug, careful not to disturb the nest, and held on tight. "You're not going to regret this," he murmured against my hair. "I promise. We're going to make you so happy."
For the first time in my life, I believed it.
Chapter Forty-Four
Daphne
The smell of pancakes and bacon pulled me reluctantly from the nest. Levi held my hand as we made our way downstairs, Micah trailing behind us like a silent guardian. My heart was pounding, nerves and anticipation warring in my chest. In just a few minutes, I was going to tell Oliver and Garrett what I'd confessed to Levi and Micah. That I wanted to be theirs. That I was ready.
The kitchen was warm and bright, sunlight streaming through the windows and catching the steam rising from the griddle. Oliver stood at the stove, spatula in hand, while Garrett set plates around the table. They both looked up when we entered, and I saw the question in their eyes, the awareness that something had shifted.
"Perfect timing," Oliver said, his voice light but his gaze searching. "First batch is ready."
"Smells amazing," I managed, letting Levi guide me to a chair. He sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched, while Micah took the seat on my other side. A united front, I realized. Support for what was coming.
Garrett's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the arrangement, the way Levi and Micah had positioned themselves around me. "Everything okay?" he asked, setting down the last plate with deliberate care.
"More than okay," Levi said, and there was something barely contained in his voice. "But Daphne has something she wants to say. After we eat."
"After we eat," Micah confirmed. "She needs food first." Oliver and Garrett exchanged a look, one of those wordless communications that spoke to years of knowing each other. Then Oliver nodded, turning back to the stove.
"Food first," he agreed. "Talking after." The next twenty minutes were a special kind of torture. The pancakes were delicious, fluffy and golden, with three different varieties just as I'd requested. The bacon was crispy, the coffee strong, and Oliver had even made fresh-squeezed orange juice. Under normal circumstances, I would have savored every bite.
Instead, I ate mechanically, barely tasting anything, hyperaware of the tension simmering beneath the casual breakfast conversation. Levi kept shooting me encouraging glances. Micah's knee pressed against mine under the table in silent support. And Oliver and Garrett... they were trying to act normal, but I could see the curiosity burning behind their eyes.
Finally, I set down my fork.
"I think I'm done," I said, and my voice came out steadier than I expected. The table went quiet. Oliver turned off the stove and came to sit across from me, his green eyes intent. Garrett leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, but his posture was alert rather than closed off.
"So," Oliver said gently. "What did you want to tell us?" I took a deep breath, feeling Levi's hand find mine under the table.
