"No," she whimpers, her voice thick with sleep and lingering heat. "Don't go."
I try to gently extract myself, knowing I desperately need that shower. "Sunshine, I'll be right back. I just need to clean up."
But Solana is having none of it. She yanks me back into the nest with strength that shouldn't be possible given how much energy she's expended over the past few days. I tumble back into the pillows and blankets, landing half on top of her and Ashton, who's still sleeping peacefully on her other side.
Before I can protest or try to escape again, Solana is all over me. Her face buries into my neck, her nose pressing against my scent gland as she breathes me in deeply. Then she starts rubbing her own scent all over me, marking me with that vanilla orchid sweetness until I'm completely saturated with it.
She's lost to her instincts, her Omega taking over completely. There's no reasoning with her when she gets like this, no explaining that I'll come right back. All she knows is that her Alpha is trying to leave the nest and that's unacceptable.
I try once more to extract myself, to explain that I really do need that shower. But Solana just clings tighter, her legs wrapping around one of mine and her arms circling my waist. She makes distressed little sounds every time I shift, like even the thought of me leaving causes her physical pain.
After a few minutes of this, I give up. There's no winning against an Omega in the grip of heat instincts, especially not when that Omega is as stubborn as Solana. If she wants me to stay in the nest all scented and disheveled, then that's where I'll stay.
At least for a little while longer.
But my coffee craving eventually overrides even Solana's possessive instincts. After another twenty minutes of lying there, breathing in the combined scents of our nest, I carefully untangle myself from Solana's grip. She's fallen back into a deeper sleep, her breathing evening out as exhaustion finally claims her completely. Ashton is curled up on her other side, the two Omegas wrapped around each other in a way that's both adorable and slightly concerning given that they barely know each other.
I slip out of the nest as quietly as possible, not bothering to put on anything more than the boxers I managed to keep on. My hair is sticking up in every direction, there are visible love bites covering my neck and shoulders, and I probably look like I've been through a war. Which isn't far from the truth, considering what the past few days have entailed.
The kitchen is blessedly quiet when I stumble in, though the light coming through the windows tells me it's closer to dinner time than I initially thought. Time has lost all meaning in the nest, days and nights blending together into one continuous cycle of sleep and sex and caring for Solana through her heat.
Kade and Stefan are already there, both of them nursing cups of coffee at the kitchen table. They look about as worn out as I feel, dark circles under their eyes and tension evident in the set of their shoulders. Even Kade, who usually maintains perfect composure no matter what, looks rumpled and tired.
Stefan looks up when I shuffle in, his eyebrows rising at my thoroughly disheveled appearance. A smirk plays at the corner of his mouth, clearly finding my current state amusing. "Look who finally decided to wake up."
I throw him the middle finger without breaking stride toward the coffee pot. "Solana wrecked me," I mutter, pouring myself a generous cup of the dark liquid. "I'm not usually the one doing the knotting."
Kade snorts from his position at the table, amusement flickering across his exhausted face. The sound makes warmth bloom in my chest despite how tired I am. At least someone finds this funny.
Stefan holds up a hand, his expression shifting to something between disgust and mild horror. "Fuck, seriously?" Though, for a moment, it’s almost as if he’s intrigued by the image I just put in his head.
I shrug, playing off the way my face warms a little, and take a long drink of coffee, hoping the caffeine will start to work its magic. "Well, let's hope you don't see it either because Kade's not really discreet about where he likes to bend me over." I turn around to face them, leaning back against the counter. A grin spreads across my face as I continue. "And we accidentally found out that Solana kind of likes to watch. I think. I'm not entirely sure yet."
The admission makes Stefan groan and drop his head into his hands. Kade just chuckles, pushing up from his chair to move behind me. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His lips press against my shoulder in a tender kiss that makes me melt despite my exhaustion.
I sigh happily, letting myself lean into his solid warmth. This is exactly what I needed after days of intensity in the nest. Just a quiet moment with my Alpha, feeling grounded and safe and loved.
But reality intrudes quickly, as it always does. I twist around slightly in Kade's arms, my ass pressing back against the sink counter. Kade's arms stay wrapped around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder as we both face Stefan. My stepbrother mirrors Kade's posture, his arms folding across his chest.
"Okay," I say, my voice taking on a more serious tone. "Now explain what the fuck happened while we were in the nest."
The shift in atmosphere is immediate. Stefan's expression hardens, his jaw clenching with whatever he's about to tell us. Kade's arms tighten around me fractionally, like he's bracing himself for bad news.
Kade speaks first, his voice rumbling through his chest where my back is pressed against him. "Fuck. Someone came in looking for Solana." He pauses, letting that sink in before continuing. "Seems that Harmony House has lackeys who go check on their Omegas, report back, and then Harmony House comes to retrieve them at the end of that month limit because of everything that was found."
My stomach drops at his words. Harmony House sending people here, to our property, looking for Solana. The thought makes rage bubble up in my chest, mixing with fear and protectiveness until I can barely think straight.
"Apparently some asshole sold Ashton to Harmony House too," Kade continues. "Maybe his father, maybe someone else. We don't have enough information yet to know for sure. We don't have to worry about the Volkovs or the Driscoll family for the moment but—"
Stefan cuts in, his voice sharp. "Actually, we might." He runs a hand over his buzzed hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "Fuck. Everything is in Ashton's name. Everything. That's why his father kept dangling Ashton like a fucking trophy in front of business associates. I don't think Charles would have willingly given his son to Harmony House, not when Ashton represents access to all his assets. Someone else must have orchestrated that."
I process this information, my mind racing through the implications. If everything Charles Driscoll owns is tied to Ashton's name, then whoever controls Ashton controls an empire. No wonder the Volkovs wanted to force a bond. No wonder Charles kept his son so close and so carefully guarded.
"Great. Wonderful," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "What the fuck happened earlier though? You both disappeared and then came back to the bedroom looking all dark and scary and Kade had bloody knuckles but ya’ll refused to explain anything."
Kade shifts behind me, his hand moving to squeeze the back of my neck. The pressure is grounding, calming the rising panic I can feel building in my chest. His touch reminds me to breathe, to stay present instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios.
"Alpha Graves showed up looking for her man," Kade says, his voice steady despite the tension I can feel thrumming through him. "Don't worry, he's not here anymore. I called one of our guys to take care of it. But explaining to Alpha Graves that the guy hadn't shown up and we didn't know what she was talking about took a minute."
