"Tonight," I echoed, feeling the word settle into my bones, feeling my heart race with anticipation rather than fear. "I'll be a siren tonight."
"If that's what you want," Kaelan said carefully, his dark eyes searching my face, giving me one last chance to change my mind. "We can wait until morning if you'd prefer. Give you more time to?—"
"No," I interrupted, shaking my head firmly, my hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt. "I don't want to wait. I don't want another night of being human, of being vulnerable, of being something that could be taken from you." I looked at each of them in turn. Kaelan with his ancient, watchful eyes; Riven with his scars and his desperate hunger; Vale with his silver beauty and his devastating voice; Thane with his golden warmth and his tender heart. "I want to be yours. Completely. Tonight."
The sound that escaped all four of them was almost identical—a low, rumbling purr of satisfaction that vibrated through the air and settled in my chest like a second heartbeat.
"Tonight," Kaelan agreed, his voice rough with emotion, his thumb stroking across my lower back. "But first, there's something we want to show you. Something we've been preparing."
"For you," Thane added, practically vibrating with excitement now, his earlier anxiety replaced by eager anticipation, his golden-brown eyes bright. "Something we've been working on. For you."
"For us," Vale corrected gently, his silver eyes soft and warm as he smiled at me. "For all of us."
I looked between them, curiosity sparking in my chest. "What is it?"
Kaelan offered me his hand, his dark eyes glinting with something that looked almost like nervousness. "Come. We'll show you."
They led me through another passage I hadn't noticed—this place was a maze of tunnels and chambers, all connected, all hidden. The passage sloped downward, toward the water, and I felt a flicker of concern.
"The potion," I said, touching my throat, feeling the familiar tightness that meant it was still working. "How long does it last? Should I take more before?—"
"You won't need it," Riven said, his rough voice carrying a hint of something I couldn't identify, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light as he glanced back at me. "Not for this."
The passage opened into another cavern—smaller than the main one, more intimate. And unlike the treasure-filled chamber above, this one was...
I stopped breathing.
It was a nest.
Not a bed, not a pile of blankets—a proper nest, built the way my omega instincts had always craved but never been able to create. Soft things piled high against the curved walls—boltsof silk and velvet salvaged from shipwrecks, furs so soft they looked like clouds, pillows in every size and shape. Kelp and sea silk had been woven into the base, creating a natural foundation that somehow stayed dry despite being so close to the water. Everywhere were pieces of them. Scraps of fabric that smelled like Kaelan's pine and ocean depths. Strips of something soft that carried Riven's storm and copper scent. Ribbons threaded through with Vale's jasmine and moonlight. Patches of fur that held Thane's honey and sunshine warmth.
They'd built me a nest. They'd filled it with their scents.
"We didn't know what you'd want," Thane said quietly, his voice thick with uncertainty, his hands twisting together in front of him, his golden-brown eyes watching my face with desperate hope. "We've never... we don't know how omega nesting works, not really. We just tried to think about what might feel safe. What might feel like home." He swallowed hard, tears already gathering in his eyes. "If you don't like it, we can change it. We can start over. We can?—"
"It's perfect," I whispered, and my voice cracked on the words, tears spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. "It's absolutely perfect." The relief that flooded their faces was almost painful to witness.
"You like it?" Vale asked, stepping closer, his silver eyes searching my face, his hand reaching out to touch my arm. "Truly?"
"I love it," I said, moving toward the nest like I was being pulled by an invisible string, my feet carrying me forward without conscious thought. "I've never... no one has ever..."
I couldn't finish the sentence. Couldn't find the words to explain what this meant—that they'd built something just for me, just for my comfort, just because they wanted me to feel safe. That they'd studied and planned and worked to create something my omega instincts would recognize as home. Myhands were shaking as I reached out to touch the nearest pile of silk. It was softer than anything I'd ever felt, and it smelled like all four of them, their scents layered and mingled and perfect.
Then something shifted inside me.
My omega—the part of myself I'd spent eight months suppressing, hiding, pretending didn't exist rose up like a wave. Not the desperate, fearful thing it had been when I was running. Something else. Something primal and powerful and absolutely certain.
This was my nest. My territory. My home. It needed to be arranged properly.
I kicked off the shoes they'd given me and climbed into the nest, my hands already moving, adjusting, rearranging. This pile of silk needed to be higher. This fur needed to be closer to the center. This pillow was in the wrong place entirely.
"What is she doing?" Riven asked, his voice carrying a note of confused wonder, his golden eyes wide as he watched me work.
"She's nesting," Kaelan answered, and there was something raw in his voice, something awed, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin tingle. "She's making it hers."
"Ours," I corrected without looking up, my hands still busy, still moving, still working to make everything perfect. "I'm making it ours."
The sound that escaped Riven was a desperate whine that seemed to be pulled from somewhere deep in his chest. I glanced up to find him watching me with tears streaming down his scarred face, his golden eyes blazing with an emotion so intense it took my breath away.
