She giggles and looks up at the Beta with crinkled eyes of adoration and that damn glow.
He makes it look easy. Like giving in to her games doesn’t cost him a thing. Like being soft doesn’t scrape something raw inside. He just bends with her, seamlessly. I can’t stop watching. I don’t know how to do what he’s doing, but I want to.
Blaze slips to the edge of the nest. His shoulders slump. He stares down, looking about two breaths away from folding in on himself.
Shade shoots me and Viper a look.'Help him. He needs to stay present with us. Don’t let him slip.'
Viper doesn’t budge. Just gives me a shove with his shoulder and mutters, “Go on. Practice.”
I arch a brow. “Practice?”
The big, silent fucker just shoves me towards Blaze.
Right. Be soft. Comforting. Vulnerable. With Blaze. What could possibly go wrong?
I sigh.
I’m gonna cock this up and get stabbed.
I cross to him slowly, careful not to step on any of the blankets spilling over the side of the nest. I sit beside him, leaving a beat of space between us, and place a hand on his shoulder. He jerks, startled, eyes snapping to mine. They’re wide with a mix of shame and confusion.
"Hey, you're doing good," I say, keeping my tone low.
His throat works, but no sound comes out.
I wrap an arm around his shoulders and draw him in. His head rests heavy against me, and I run my fingers through his hair, slow and calming, like Shade did with Halley earlier. It’s awkward as fuck, but I don’t stop because I can feel Blaze melting.
"When are we getting deployed again, Knox?" he whispers. "I need it. Keeps my head straight."
I know exactly what he means. When Halley left, it felt like something inside me had been carved out and the only thing that filled the hollow was war. The blood, pain, and noise drowned out everything else. Made it easier to forget the hurt.
But now we’ve got our Omega, and I won’t let either of us fall back into that pit.
‘We're not going back, Blaze,’I push the thought into the Pack bond, willing him to hear it through the static.‘You're staying right here with your Pack, brother. That's an order. The dark can't get us when we're with her.’
For a moment, I think the message gets lost. But then Blaze nods.
He stops shaking.
I cup the back of his neck and squeeze, scruffing him into a tighter hug against me. It’s a hold Alphas usually hate, controlling and dominant, but this isn’t that. This is comfort. This is Pack. This is me showing him that I’ve got him. He belongs with us and I’m holding on tight. I won’t let him go.
Look at me. Two hugs in one day. Fucking miracles do happen.
"Good lad. We don't leave our own behind, Sergeant. Don't you forget that."
Viper grunts in agreement, the sound low and sure, and a wave of pride and approval hums through the bond, wrapping around me like a silent pat on the back.
We refocus on the nest, where our Omega is still being an absolute brat… and Shade seems to be loving every second of it.
He’s got her nestled between his legs, her back pressed against his chest, completely enveloped in his space. He gently taps an apple slice against her pursed lips, coaxing her to take a bite.
She bares her teeth and nips at his fingers with a defiant little snarl.
Itclicks.
I think I get it. Kinda. Maybe. There is a dynamic between Shade and Halley that is happening under the surface.
It's not disobedience. She's testing him, putting him through his paces to see if he's worthy of touching and caring for her in the nest.
