I freeze, my hand still on Moo-Shu's collar. Slowly, I turn to see both Kade and Dustin standing in the doorway, their expressions identical masks of shock. "Is that your cow?" Kade asks, his expression unreadable.
Dustin adds, his voice climbing slightly in pitch, "In our bedroom?"
My face heats with embarrassment, mortification washing over me. "He's scared of the storm. He was making these distressed sounds and I just thought... I thought he could stay in the nest until it passes. Just until he feels safe again."
Kade's expression is stern but I can see amusement flickering in his eyes. "Solana.Sweetheart. We cannot have a cow in our bedroom."
"But he's scared. Listen to him."
As if on cue, Moo-Shu lets out another distressed moo. The sound comes off pitiful, genuinely upset in a way that makes my Omega instincts scream to provide comfort.
Dustin loses it. He starts laughing, the sound building until he's nearly doubled over, tears streaming down his face. "She's trying to nest with a cow. Our Omega is trying to put a literal cow in her nest."
My embarrassment deepens, my eyes stinging with tears. They're laughing at me, finding humor in my attempt to help. It shouldn't hurt as much as it does, but the mortification is overwhelming. Dustin must see something in my expression because he crosses the room immediately, still laughing but pulling me into his arms. "You're perfect. Absolutely perfect. Only you would try to comfort a scared cow by bringing him into the nest."
"I just wanted to help," I mumble against his chest.
"I know." Dustin presses a kiss to the top of my head. "And that's one of the reasons we adore you."
Kade moves closer, his stern expression softening. "We aren’t laughing at you, just the situation, but we can't have a cow in the house, sunshine. I promise we can make him a little home closer to the house rather than up at the barn. Would that help?"
I look up at him, hope blooming in my chest. "Really?"
"Really. We can set up one of the closer outbuildings, make it comfortable for him. That way, he's not so far away during storms."
"We have that empty room on the other side of the house," Dustin suggests, his eyes still dancing with amusement. "The one we've been using for storage. Could clear it out, make it into a proper shelter for him."
Kade runs a hand over his head, the gesture one of resignation. "Fuck. I tell you no mud, but I'm seriously thinking of letting our Omega bring an animal into the house."
The statement makes Dustin laugh harder, his whole body shaking against me. I can't help but smile despite my lingering embarrassment, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting me. Dustin says, gently pushing me toward the bathroom, "Go get in the shower. We’ll find a place for Moo-Shu that he’ll love, okay?"
Chapter twenty-seven
Solana
The shower helps more than I expect, my face still flushed with embarrassment by the time I slip into a nightgown and bury myself beneath the blankets in my nest. Dustin is right there, pulling me against his chest as he presses a kiss to my forehead. “For the record, I would have let Moo-Shu stay. Maybe like off to the side and notinthe nest but...”
I manage a smile as I look up at him. “I just didn’t know what to do.”
“I know, sunshine. I know. Kade’s going to make sure Moo-Shu is set up for the day and I get to hold you. How’s that?”
“Perfect,” I mutter, letting myself relax against his chest. I’m not sure how long it takes me to pass out but it feels like the next moment a thunderclap is forcing me awake.
A cramp tears through my abdomen at the same time, a cry bubbling up my throat at the sudden heat blooming through me. My eyes fly open in the darkness, rain pounding against the windows and lightning briefly illuminating the nest around me. The cramp doubles me over, worse than the ones before, my body curling into itself as I gasp.
I feel around desperately for one of my Alphas, my hand finding warm skin and solid muscle. Dustin. Relief floods through me even as another cramp hits, this one making me whimper.
"I need you," I whisper, gripping his arm. "I need you, please."
Dustin wakes immediately, his body going from relaxed sleep to alert in seconds. "I'm here, sunshine. I've got you."
His hands find me in the darkness as they help me sit up. Another cramp tears through me and I cry out, the pain sharper than before.
"Let's get you out of this," Dustin murmurs, his fingers finding the hem of my nightgown and carefully pulling it up and over my head. The cool air hits my overheated skin, providing momentary relief before the heat builds again.
I try to drag him closer. "Please, it hurts."
"I know, baby. I know." Dustin positions me carefully in the nest, arranging pillows beneath me for support. His hands stroke down my sides, soothing and arousing at the same time. "I'm going to take care of you."
