I swallowed hard and placed my hand in his. It was a relief to know that my pack was here if their suspicions were true.
Jack pulled me into his arms instead of just helping me up, holding me tight as I tried to come to terms with the new possibility.
Something inside of me, a presence I didn’t truly recognize, seemed to give me an eye roll. My eyes widened as I realized exactly what I was feeling.
It had to be the omega side of me, right?
God, it really would make sense. The way I couldn’t get Jack out of my mind. The way it all felt a little bit like fate when our pack formed.
As I buried my nose in his chest and breathed in, I found his scent was different as well. It was stronger, making me react inways I never had before. Sure, I was always attracted to him, but this was on another level.
I wanted to bury my nose in his neck and never stop. I wanted him to hold me close and take care of me. It was the kind of pull that made me feel like I wanted to crawl into his skin and live there, being as close as possible.
The jingling of Christmas bells and ornaments rang out, and I finally pulled myself together enough to face it.
Cole and Aspen were setting up the stack of boxes. Some packages showed they’d been shopping in town; others were something I assumed they found here at the estate. Lord knows Karina has plenty of decorations to go around.
I moved closer to Aspen’s side to give myself a second to breathe, but it backfired. Her scent had changed, too, it was sharper and sweeter now, and so fucking good. It was intoxicating and addictive, making me lean closer and bury my nose in her hair just to take another hit.
Holy shit. I was in trouble.
“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, reaching out and giving my hand a squeeze again. “Everything’s fine. Or at least, it will be.”
“I’m not going to freak out yet,” I lied right to their faces as I dug into the box and picked up a sparkling star ornament. “Let’s decorate this tree.”
They humored me and focused on our task. We unboxed everything, including some garland and lights, winding them around the tree before hanging all the ornaments. Every single one of us was meticulous, making sure it fit perfectly, not just throwing them anywhere and everywhere.
It was funny how easily our pack fit together, and maybe that was the only reason I wasn’t freaking out, because I could see just how much we made sense.
And the truth was… me being an omega made sense. I was softer than most beta men, unable to talk to people how I should, and my obsession with Jack that I could never seem to shake.
Everyone was worried even as they tried to hide it. They were all not-so-subtly stealing glances at me, as if they thought I was going to lose my mind and break down at any second.
I would’ve been just as worried if something like this had happened to one of them. But for some reason, the designation idea seeped in over the last hour, settling into place. I wasn’t the type to panic, and with the way Aspen and Jack’s scent changed and shifted for me, becoming more intense, it was hard to deny.
Our alphas would take care of us, and I knew that if I had Jack and Aspen by my side through a heat, then I’d be just fine.
Everything I’d heard about heat had always made me jealous. I loved the idea of being locked in a cozy space with my pack, losing my mind while they took care of me.
Plus, haven’t I already nested in my own ways? Maybe not as obviously as an omega, but my house was purposefully small and cozy. I loved soft things, including clothes. I only let certain people into my spaces, and I always slept better in a blanket pile, with plush pillows and soft blankets.
“We’re going to have to talk about where to go from here,” Aspen said, breaking the silence that had stretched on a bit too long. “Where do we live? I hate the idea of separating now.”
“No, that’s not an option,” Cole agreed, sharing a look with Jack who let out a low growl at the idea.
Hadn’t the goal always been for us to share a life together here at the estate? I knew this place was a part of them and had been in their family for generations before even his parents formed a pack. I’d always hoped he’d wake up and want me here, too.
To me, it was always an inevitability.
“If North is an omega like we expect, that means we have to prepare. He could go into heat. Especially just coming into his designation. It’s probably coming soon.”
They all eyed me like I was going to freak out again, but I just shrugged. “I feel okay right now.”
“You let me know if that changes,” Jack said firmly. “We want to take care of you.”
“I will,” I promised. “But like I said, right now, I’m fine.”
It was almost a relief by the time we were all yawning and ready to head to our rooms.
