"Is it really okay that Stefan and Ashton are here?" I ask, needing to know if I've made things worse somehow by insisting they stay.
Dustin cups my face with one hand, his thumb stroking across my cheekbone. "If you're okay with it, then yes. But sunshine, I need you to understand something. Omegas are usually a bit more territorial over their Alphas near their heat. Most Omegas wouldn't want any other Alphas or Omegas around during this time."
I think about that, trying to examine my own feelings. Do I feel territorial? Possessive? I don't think so. If anything, having Stefan and Ashton here feels right in ways I can't explain.
"I don't know what to say," I admit. "Having them here feels right."
I place my hand on Dustin's chest, feeling his heartbeat under my palm. It's steadier now, calmer than it's been since Stefan arrived. "You're calmer now too. With your brother here and safe."
Dustin looks like he's trying to say something, his mouth opening and closing several times. Whatever he wants to express seems stuck, unable to find words. Finally, he gives up with a frustrated sigh, just pulling me closer instead.
"I'm going to clean up the kitchen," I say, needing something to do with my hands. The restless energy building in me needs an outlet, something productive to focus on before my heat fully hits.
Chapter thirty-three
Dustin
I step into the office to find Stefan and Kade both nursing glasses of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the afternoon light streaming through the window. It's barely past noon and they're already drinking. The sight makes me stop in the doorway, one eyebrow raised.
"Seriously?" I ask, gesturing at the glasses.
Kade doesn't even look apologetic, just takes another sip. Stefan at least has the decency to look slightly sheepish, his injured hand wrapped around the glass with obvious difficulty.
I close the door behind me and move further into the room, taking in the scene. Stefan is slouched in one of the chairs across from Kade's desk, his injured leg propped up on a small stool. The bandages are fresh, changed sometime this morning by the doctor who came back to check on both him and Ashton. Kade sits behind his desk, looking every inch the commanding Alpha even in casual clothes.
"How's your leg?" I ask Stefan, genuinely concerned despite my teasing about the whiskey.
Stefan shifts in his chair, grimacing at the movement. "I could be better. Doctor said the bullet missed anything vital but tore through muscle pretty good. Going to be a while before I'm back to full strength."
"And Ashton?" Kade asks. I've been worried about the other Omega since Stefan showed up with him last night, that protective instinct extending to someone who clearly needs help and clearly, that same instinct is riding Kade hard.
If he had only been in the guest bedroom earlier this morning to see what I had…
Stefan's expression softens fractionally when Kade mentions Ashton's name, a tell he probably doesn't realize he's showing. "He was sleeping when I checked on him before coming in here, so like, what… a few hours ago? Doctor said yesterday that the ribs will heal on their own as long as he rests, and the stitches you put in held up better than expected."
"HowisAshton?" Kade corrects, emphasizing the present tense.
Stefan blinks at my Alpha, confused by the clarification. "What?"
A slow smile spreads across my face as I lean against the edge of Kade's desk. "Perfect after Solana hand-fed him breakfast."
Both Stefan and Kade turn to stare at me, their expressions identical masks of shock.
"What?" they say in unison.
I can't help the grin that widens at their reaction. "She was adamant that Ashton eat. Made him a whole plate of eggs and toast, insisted on taking it to him herself. When he wouldn't eat and just kept saying he shouldn't be here and didn't want to impose, she climbed right onto that bed and fed him by hand."
I watch Stefan's face as I describe the scene, seeing emotions flicker across his features too quickly to fully identify. Surprise, concern, something that might be jealousy, and underneath it all, a possessiveness he's probably not even aware of.
"She tore off pieces of toast and held them to his lips until he ate them," I continue, enjoying the telling more than I probably should. "Fed him every single bite, one piece at a time. And here's the thing, they both loved it. Ashton stopped resisting after the first few bites, just leaned into it. And Solana looked happier than I've seen her all morning."
Kade just shakes his head, taking another long drink from his glass. "Of course she did."
"I never thought there'd be two Omegas in my house," I admit, the reality of it still sinking in. "But..."
"This is just temporary until I figure out what to do next," Stefan interrupts, his voice firm. "I won't bring any more trouble here than I already have."
Kade sets his glass down with a soft click, his full attention on Stefan. "But you haven't exactly brought trouble here. No one is looking for Ashton, save his father, and Charles knows you have him safe. We have an entirely different problem with Solana's heat around the corner."
