The stable is quiet except for the occasional shuffle of hooves and the soft breathing of the horses settling in for the evening. I'm sitting on the floor beside Thunder's stall, my back against the wooden wall and my head tilted back against the rough planks. Moo-Shu is curled up next to me, his warm bulk pressed against my side like an oversized dog. The combination of hay and leather and animal warmth should be soothing, but my mind won't stop racing.
Ashton passed beside me a few minutes ago, settling down close enough that our shoulders brush. He doesn't say anything, just sits there in comfortable silence while I braid small white lilies into his dark hair. The flowers are from the wild patch growing near the back fence, delicate and sweet-smelling. They look beautiful against his hair, making him seem even more ethereal than usual.
I know what's coming. I can feel it building between us, this tension that's been growing since we woke up tangled together in the nest. Ashton and Kade will happen soon. The way they look at each other when they think no one is watching, the way Kade's eyes darken when Ashton walks into a room, it's only a matter of time. And Dustin won't be far behind it. He's already half in love with Ashton, I can see it in the gentle way he treats him, the protective instincts that flare up whenever Ashton winces from his injuries.
Stefan is another matter entirely. The heated looks he's sent my way over the past few days have left me strung out and confused, my body responding in ways I'm trying desperately to ignore. Every time his eyes linger on me a little too long, every time his hand brushes against mine when passing something at the table, heat floods through me. But I'm ignoring it. I have to ignore it because acknowledging it feels like crossing a line I'm not sure I'm allowed to cross.
Even if Kade said it was okay. Even if he told me that whatever happens between the five of us is acceptable, that we're building something new here. I'm still wary, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. For someone to tell me I've misunderstood, that I've taken too much, that I've ruined everything by wanting more than I was offered.
My eyes drift closed as exhaustion pulls at me. The past few days have been intense, my heat leaving me wrung out and sensitive. Sleep sounds good right now, just drifting off here in the stable with Moo-Shu beside me and Ashton close enough to touch.
I thread another lily into Ashton's hair, my fingers gentle as I work the stem through the dark strands. Ever since we were together in the nest, tangled around each other while Kade and Dustin took care of both of us, I can't stop looking for him. Just knowing he's nearby is usually enough, but sometimes I need more. Need to see him, to touch him, to confirm he's real and safe and still here.
When I wanted to get out for a little walk earlier, to stretch my legs and clear my head, I waited until Ashton was ready to come with me. I didn't even realize I was doing it at first. Just found myself lingering by the door, making excuses to delay until he appeared. Then we walked together through the property, our hands occasionally brushing but never quite holding.
I'm not even sure why this pull exists, why being near Ashton feels as necessary as breathing. But it does. And that terrifies me because it feels like almost a betrayal of what Dustin and Kade gave me. They rescued me from Harmony House, brought me into their home, showed me what it meant to be cared for as an Omega. How can I want more? How can I need more when they've already given me everything?
Still, I can't get enough. My hand finds Ashton's, our fingers threading together with practiced ease. He sleepily brings my hand to his lips and kisses it, the gesture so tender it makes my chest ache. His lips are soft against my skin, warm and gentle and perfect.
Footsteps approaching the stable make me tense slightly. Stefan steps in with Dustin close behind, both of them taking in the scene before them. Ashton and I sitting close together, my hand in his, lilies woven through his hair. Moo-Shu sleeping peacefully beside us. Thunder watching over us from his stall like a protective guardian.
Stefan's expression shifts into something I can't quite read, his eyes moving between Ashton and me with an intensity that makes heat flood my cheeks. Dustin just grins, that devastating smile that shows his dimples and lights up his whole face.
"Damn," Stefan says, his voice carrying amusement and something deeper. "I think we're going to have some competition."
Panic flares in my chest. I try to pull my hand away from Ashton's, suddenly convinced I've done something wrong. That I've crossed a line I shouldn't have, that they're angry or disappointed or about to tell me this isn't okay after all. But I hate the loss of Ashton's touch the moment our hands separate, the absence of his warmth making me feel cold and alone.
Dustin drops down beside me before I can spiral further into panic. His lips press against my cheek as he murmurs against my skin. "Sweetheart, I call front row seats when the two of you happen, yeah?"
The words don't make sense at first. I turn to look at him, confusion written across my face. "Why aren't you angrier?"
Dustin laughs, the sound full of genuine joy. "Why should I be angry when I'm going to get tickets to the best fucking show ever?" His hand comes up to cup my face, his thumb stroking across my cheekbone. "And you look so fucking happy, sunshine. I'd be an ass to get angry at that."
Stefan huffs from where he's standing, the sound carrying frustration or maybe disbelief. I cringe at the noise, my shoulders drawing up defensively as I wait for whatever judgment is coming. Dustin sighs, turning back to his stepbrother with a frown.
"Explain that reaction because you're going to freak Solana out," Dustin says firmly.
Stefan runs a hand over his buzzed hair, his expression conflicted. "You're not the only one coming to terms with being allowed to have more, okay?" His voice carries an edge of vulnerability I haven't heard from him before. "You're my stepbrother's Omega. I know they've said it's okay, but I can see the same reservation in your eyes that's in mine. It's not easy to break the rules even when our biology demands it. And when we do, then we get caught up in our heads about it."
The admission makes something inside me crack open. I'm not the only one struggling with this, not the only one caught between what I want and what I think I'm allowed to have. Stefan feels it too, that pull toward something more complicated than traditional pack dynamics.
"So it's not just me?" My voice comes out smaller than I intend. "You want this too?"
The silence that follows stretches long enough to make my heart race. Stefan stares at me, at Ashton, at Dustin. Something shifts in his expression, some internal battle reaching a conclusion. Then he throws up his hands in what looks like frustration or surrender or maybe both.
He gets down on his knees in front of me, his movement sudden enough to make me gasp. Before I can process what's happening, his hand cups the back of my neck and pulls me forward. His lips crash against mine, the kiss intense and demanding and nothing like the gentle touches I've been getting from Dustin and Kade.
Stefan kisses like he's claiming something, like he's finally giving in to something he's been fighting for too long. His lips move against mine with desperate need, his fingers tightening in my hair. I can taste his frustration and desire and fear all mixed together into something overwhelming.
When he pulls back, we're both breathing hard. "Yes," he growls, his dark eyes holding mine. "I fucking want this too. Fuck."
Then he's moving away from me and pulling Ashton up to his feet. Ashton barely has time to make a surprised sound before Stefan is kissing him too, one hand cupping Ashton's face while the other wraps around his waist. This kiss is different from mine, softer somehow but no less intense. Like Stefan is trying to communicate years of feelings he's kept locked away.
Ashton melts into the kiss immediately, his hands coming up to grip Stefan's shoulders. I can see the way his whole body relaxes, like this is something he's been waiting for. Something he's needed for so long he'd almost given up hope of having it.
When Stefan finally pulls back from Ashton, he looks between us with an expression that's equal parts terrified and determined. "Happy?" he asks, though it's not clear who the question is directed at.
Then he stalks off, his footsteps heavy as he leaves the stable. I'm left touching my lips, my fingers trembling slightly as I try to process what just happened. The taste of him still lingers, cedar and something sharp that might be fear or courage or both.
