Dax disappears down the hall and returns with an armful of pillows from the bedroom. Cole raids the linen closet, emerging with blankets in every size and color. Jalen grabs the cushions from the couch. And Sierra pulls pillows from her nest, contributing the softest ones.
“Okay,” I say, surveying the pile of supplies. I start arranging pillows as a base, creating a foundation that will support the blankets. Dax helps me drape blankets over the couch and chairs, creating a canopy. Jalen secures the corners with the heaviest pillow. Cole adds fairy lights he found somewhere, stringing them through the blanket ceiling.
Sierra watches this process with growing delight, and when we finally step back to admire our work, her expression is worth every minute of effort.
We’ve created a proper nest. Large enough for all of us to fit comfortably, with pillows piled high on every side and blankets layered for maximum softness.
I tilt my chin at Cole, and he waggles his eyebrows. The fairy lights are a nice touch.
“This is amazing,” Sierra breathes. “This is the best pillow fort I’ve ever seen.”
“You can test it out,” I suggest.
She doesn’t need to be told twice. She crawls into the fort and immediately burrows into the pillows with a contented sigh. “Oh my god. This is perfect. I’m never leaving.”
“What happened to living at the table?” Cole asks, crawling in after her.
“That was before I knew pillow forts were an option.”
We all pile in, arranging ourselves around Sierra with that same unconscious protectiveness from the nest in the bedroom.She ends up in the middle, surrounded by alphas, looking perfectly content with this arrangement.
“Movie?” Jalen suggests, holding up the remote.
“What are our options?” Sierra asks.
“Well, if I could choose?—”
“No,” everyone says in unison.
Jalen looks wounded, but he’s fighting a smile. “Fine. Sierra picks.”
She scrolls through options for a minute before landing on something. “This one. It’s about a heist, but it’s actually about found family, and it has good characters.”
“Sold,” I say, because honestly, I don’t care what we watch. I just want this moment to stretch on as long as possible.
The movie starts, and we settle in. Sierra ends up half-draped across Dax’s chest, one of my arms around her waist, her legs tangled with Cole’s, Jalen’s hand playing idly with her hair.
About halfway through the movie, I feel Sierra start to tremble.
It’s subtle at first. Just a small shiver that could be from the temperature. But then another one follows, and another, and her scent shifts. Not quite distress, but something close. Something anxious.
Post-heat jitters.
“Sierra?” I murmur, keeping my voice low so the others can hear. “You okay?”
“Yeah…just…” She trembles again. “Jitters. This happens post-heat sometimes.”
Dax has noticed too. His arm tightens around her, and I see him exchange a look with Cole and Jalen over her head.
She trembles again, and a soft whimper leaves her lips. Her cheeks flame immediately. “Sorry, I?—”
“Shhh, sweetheart. Let’s take care of you,” Dax rumbles from above her. “That’s what we’re here for.”
“You’ve been taking care of me all week,” she murmurs.
“And we’re not stopping now,” Cole adds, his hand moving to stroke her arm.
The trembling hasn’t stopped. If anything, it’s getting worse, her whole body starting to shake in a way that makes my alpha snarl with the need to fix it.
