Laughing under my breath, I respond, “No, he’s never been into anything like that.” Max just hums at that, which is fine. We talk some more about my pack before I finally ask them a question about theirs. “So, how did you all meet?”
They all give each other side-eyes and smirk. I guess the trip down memory lane will be an interesting one. “I met them in college. They weren’t officially a pack yet. Mateo and James were close and planned to form a pack. Max took some convincing,” Sophie explains.
“That’s not what happened. Me and Mateo were always fighting for top spot on our swim team. It was a friendly rivalry. We eventually worked it out, clearly.” Max crosses his arms.
Mateo cracks a smile while Sophie outright laughs, patting his arm. “You’re right. It worked out in the end.”
Seeing Sophie and her pack makes me hope for the future with Thea. The eight of us living our lives, eventually having kids, bickering like always until we’re gray, but always a life full of love and peace.
Peace. I wonder why my scent evokes that emotion for Thea? That’s probably a question for Liam. That’s what I was seeking when I quit the bureau and finally moved in with my pack. I got it for a time, but I had to work for it, work past the demons haunting my dreams from old cases. It all pales in comparison to the feeling I have when with Thea. It’s as if I don’t have to worry about anything. I can relax fully with her, a feeling even with my pack I never felt completely. I had built a wall between work and pack. That put distance between us sometimes, yet they alwaysunderstood and supported me however they could. Hell, the day she passed out and I walked her back to the lodge, I told her about the case that’s haunted me the most.
I don’t end up staying much longer. As I’m saying my goodbyes, Sophie hugs me tight and whispers, “Take care of yourself and our girl.”
Returning her hug, I say, “Always.”
8
LIAM
Stomping the excess snow off my boots before going inside is another reminder that time is flying. New Year’s is less than two weeks away. We may all be in the nest ringing in the new year. The bag in my hand feels heavier at the thought. The medical supplies I ordered for Thea’s heat finally came in. I got multiple thermometers for the nest so wherever she is in her nest, someone can take her temperature. I can only hope at this point she won’t have more heat spikes than we have pack for her to bond. There’s a dozen bags of ice in the extra freezer, in case an ice bath is needed. The closer we get, the more anxious I become. Ironically, Thea doesn’t seem anxious about it as much as before. I hope that’s because she’s more at home with us.
Climbing the last flight of stairs, I enter the pack bedroom and then the attached en suite. I place one thermometer here before heading to the nest. The door is open but the light inside is dim. Stopping at the doorway, I see Thea moving around, as if frazzled. She’s fluffing pillows and moving them around. She tests lying on them then repeats the process. Is this her nesting? I catch her muttering to herself. “…not right. Smells weird. Where are they?”
She sounds simultaneously frustrated and heartbroken. Various clothes are scattered throughout the nest. They’re all from us so the nest has our scents. She turns and catches me watching her. For a second I feel like prey staring at a predator. The look in her eyes screams how on edge she is.
I squat down so I’m at her level but remain in the doorway. “What do you need?” I ask softly and sincerely. Now isn’t the time to bicker with her like we normally do.
Thea lets out a whine, clutching the pillow she’s holding tightly. “Can I come in?” She doesn’t answer, only walks over. Well, she’s on her knees so it’s almost a crawl to me. Once she’s close enough, she takes a deep breath, scenting me. Then she grabs my arm, pulling me into the nest. I nearly fall on my face with how sudden the movement is. I’m then positioned like a doll in the nest. She’s fluffing a pillow behind me and her expression is one of deep concentration.
Sitting back on her heels and letting out a breath, she says, “That’s better. Need more though.” Then she’s looking around her, searching but not moving.
I take my phone out of my pocket, sending a quick text to the pack group chat.
Need everyone in nest now
I don’t bother to look at the replies since Thea looks like she’s getting worked up again. Everyone should be home, except Jake who’s still in Florida. I wonder if his absence is making this worse for her since her heat is so close. Even from my position in the nest, I can hear the thumps of multiple men rushing up the stairs.
Parker is first in the doorway, his breathing labored, likely from running up two flights of stairs. Ben is next, followed by Eli and Keelan, and Micah is last. They all hover aroundthe doorway. I go to sit up and Thea whips her head to me, leveling me with a look I rather not test. Nesting Thea is actually terrifying. Part of me wants to record her and show it to her when she’s back to her usual self. Maybe another time. That kind of anger I can handle and actually like from her. Right now, there’s more pressing things.
“Thea?” I try to get her to focus. “Your pack is here. Can they come into the nest?” I nod my head towards the door where everyone is watching.
She follows my line of sight. Standing, she walks over and repeats what she did before, taking a deep breath of their scents. When she gets to Micah last, nearly all of her tension has melted away. Jake isn’t here though. I know he gave her a bunch of his clothes. Maybe his bedding will help for now. Not wanting to interrupt her, I quickly text the group chat for someone to grab Jake’s pillow or blanket.
As I send the text, Thea is guiding Parker into the nest, just like she did me, placing him in the spot she wants with a specific pillow. I look back to the door to find Micah gone, hopefully to get what I asked for. Thea repeats this process with Ben, Eli, and Keelan, until Micah is the only one left. He came back when she was with Eli, hands full with Jake’s bedding. Looks like he got both.
Thea takes it and places it in the center of the nest, likely where she’s going to lie. The rest of us are positioned throughout the nest. I noticed by the time she got to Eli, she placed us in spots where none of that person’s clothes were. The clothes clearly weren’t enough; she needed the source to lie in here.
Thea returns to the doorway, where Micah is standing. He’s watching her like she’s a predator, but he isn’t scared in the slightest. My guess is he views it as a challenge but I doubt he’d admit that yet. With everyone else, she took their hands to guide them into her nest. However, with Micah, she holds her handout, waiting for him to decide to take it. Even in this mindset, she’s respecting his boundaries and we all see his realization at that action. His mask cracks just for a moment as he takes her hand.
She ends up positioning him near the center of the nest. Once she’s satisfied, she lies down, pulling Jake’s blanket over her and curling next to Ben on her other side. It’s not long until she’s asleep.
Micah turns to me. “How long do we have to stay here?”
I want to laugh so hard. His expression, the turn of events, she singlehandedly shut up our pack and placed us in her nest like dolls. And we’re happy about it, because only Thea could do that. Micah will play it off but this is the closest he’s been to her, and I’d bet everything that her scent is just as calming to him as his is for her.
“Probably all night,” I say seriously, “otherwise this might happen again tomorrow as her heat gets closer.”
He doesn’t respond, and the rest of them don’t say anything. Keelan and Eli are asleep within minutes of me saying that. Then Ben and Parker follow not long after, until it’s just Micah and me awake.
