“And I’ll eat more,” I grumble. “And I’ll let you help. Pushy alpha.”
He nudges me gently, mindful of the twins. “Stubborn omega.”
Leo pulls his head away, starting to squirm, and Nikolai scoops him up and lays him over his shoulder, gently patting his back. As I watch him carefully cradle Leo, his huge hand covering his whole back, the tension leaks out of my spine. He’s right. They all need to be involved too.
Nik settles himself down next to me, bringing Leo down to lay on his chest as he kicks his legs. Watching them, I can’t help but smile. Something about these large men carrying precious cargo just hits me straight in the ovaries.
“Nik,” I hesitate, not wanting to break the moment. He turns his blue gaze to me, scanning my face. “Little bird?”
“Do you know if Bastien has found any trace of Stone?” I ask in a whisper.
My head turns, scanning the dark corners of the room as if my father might suddenly jump out at me. Whilst the past few weeks have been a chaotic whirlwind of feedings, sleeping, diaper changes, and getting used to parenthood, Stone feels like the boogeyman, a constant threat in the back of my head. Any sudden movement makes me jump, unexpected sounds sending my pulse skyrocketing.
I can’t blame Nik for calling me out. I feel as though I’m on the edge of a breakdown. My hands tighten on Emery, and she gives me an indignant grunt.
Nik’s other hand searches for mine, and he grasps it tightly. “No trace,” he confirms. “As far as we know, he’s still hiding out at his estate.”
My breath rushes out of me, although the tightness in my limbs doesn’t loosen. We don’t know for certain if he’s still there. I know Stone will be furious at the turn in public opinion. The continued protests show no signs of abating, crowds growing every day. The call to change has been picked up by family members of omegas who have been taken into OC custody – adopted fathers, brothers, friends.
Maybe it’s guilt, that they didn’t act sooner. Or fear, that they’ll be judged in the harsh eyes of the US public if they don’t add their own voices to the clamour. Either way, it’s looking positive. Whilst the Government haven’t confirmed anything, they have put out a statement to say they’re taking the concerns raised seriously and will respond following their own investigations.
It’s a joke, but we’ll take any crumbs we can right now.
Nik gets to his feet. As he holds out his hand, my eyes trace up his arm to his face, creased with sleep. His grey sweatpants sit low around his waist, hugging his hips, and my mouth dries up at the sight of him, our son nestled in the crook of his neck.
How many weeks does it take before I can have sex again?
“How did I get so lucky?” I ask. Nik shakes his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “We’re the lucky ones, little bird. Come on. Let’s try them in the nursery.”
Dread steels up my spine at the thought of it. But I did promise Nik that I’d try, so I grasp his hand and he pulls me up, keeping my hand locked in his as he tows me toward the nursery.
“I’m not going to run away,” I can’t help but laugh a little, and he glances at me over his baby-free shoulder. “I know. I just like holding your hand.”
My heart thumps happily inside my chest at his sweet words.
Steering us into the nursery, Nik leans away from me, bending down to flick a switch. As he straightens, my mouth opens in silent awe as I take in the shapes swirling around the room.
Silhouettes of scattered stars dance across the walls as they move around the room, accompanied by a low, sweet melody. Nik clears his throat uncomfortably as I stare.
“They didn’t… we couldn’t get much,” he blurts out. “That’s obviously for babies. But I found an old lampshade and cut some shapes into it. Wasn’t too hard to dig out the music box Nash used to have and link it up.”
Taking a deep breath, my nose prickles as I try to hold back my tears. “I love it, Nik.” Giving him a tremulous smile, his shoulders relax, and he steps into the room, gently placing Leo down into one of the cots. Following him, I do the same for Emery, watching her legs kick out as she wriggles on the mattress. My hands tighten on the wooden bars as Nik turns around, holding something out to me.
“A camera,” he explains. “With a microphone, so you can still keep an eye on them.”
My breathing loosens, anxiety leeching from me. I should’ve known. He doesn’t miss a trick.
“Thank you,” I mumble, and he wraps his arm around my waist. “We want them to be safe, too, you know.” It’s a gentle chiding, and I bury my face into his arm. “I’d fight to my last breath for our family, little bird.”
Nodding, I pull back with damp eyes as Nik turns to me, dropping his face to mine as he pauses, his eyes scanning mine with careful precision before he leans down to catch my lower lip in a soft kiss.
I open my mouth, breathing in the spice of his scent as he growls softly, pressing himself into me. The swelling in his pants presses against me just right, and I tip my head back in a gasp at the sensation.
He pulls his head away, shaking his head. “Sorry, little bird,” he murmurs. “Ignore me. Didn’t mean for that to get out of hand.”
Stepping back, I press myself against him, soft omega against hard alpha muscle, and he snaps in a shocked breath. “Ava?”
My hand reaches up to curl around his neck, and I press a kiss to the edges of his mouth, working my way down his neck. “Where’s your room?” I ask, blinking as I realize I haven’t actually seen it before.I definitely need a tour of this house at some point.
