“Not even a little,” Lorcán answers as he checks out, buying so many bath bombs, I know they’ll last her for weeks. “I’ll be home soon. I’ll send you pictures from the homeware place and you can tell me what you like.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
They end the call, and she looks up at me.
“I’ve never nested before. I’ve always gone to the hospital, taken some medication, and spent my heat sedated.”
“You deserve to have the perfect heat, Elena. Whatever you need to make it special, we’ll do it.”
She walks over to the daybed where I’m sitting and shuffles through our pillows and blankets.
“I think next time, leading up to my heat, we’ll get you teal or white pillows and blankets to use in your bedrooms so they’ll match with my aesthetic.”
I laugh and grab her by the waist, clutching her close.
“We haven’t done anything sexual since the High Roller.”
“It’s part of my ten-step program of making you earn me back, Mr. O’Brien. Plus, did you get the okay from your doctor for strenuous activity?” she teases.
“There’re a few positions that are unfortunately off the table, but I have been given the green light.”
“Then you’ll just have to be a patient Alpha,” she whispers in my ear, gripping the lapels of my suit jacket.
“How much longer do you think you’re going to be torturing me?”
She licks the side of my neck and bites my ear lobe. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Also, you only finished half of your job. Go get the pillows from Declan and Lorcán’s room, and then we’ll talk.”
I groan as she pushes me away, and she laughs at my misery.
33
ELENA
Perfect.Perfect. Perfect.
I chant it over a million times as I look at the nest. Not a single thing is out of place, and it’s like an absolute dream. Even if I’m starting to cramp up and feel like absolute garbage. I mean, intrinsically I knew this was going to happen, but experiencing it is a whole other story.
All of them helped me make it perfect in some way. Finn put up the swing and unpacked the chair. Lorcán went shopping for all the loose ends I needed. Cillian collected scents and helped me fold towels, even if I had to refold them after. And Declan helped me pick out almost everything that I have in the cozy space, along with jumping on the nest bed to make sure that it’s broken in enough.
For the first time since my pápa died, I feel truly taken care of and cherished.
I can’t help it when tears start falling down my face as I put their pillows underneath the correctly-colored ones.
Declan chooses that moment to walk in and looks at me with fear in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
He sits on the bed and cups my face, his eyes widening even further.
“Elena, sweetheart, you feel a little warm.”
“And I’m an emotional wreck.”
“You’re not.”
“I thought I was ready. My nest is perfect. You’re amazing. Everything is how it’s supposed to be. But what if I’m not ready, Declan? I don’t know how I’ll act or feel. What if it sucks? It’s already starting to hurt.”
“What hurts?”
