“What a fucker,” Mable hissed. “I hope you shoot the bastard.”
“Honestly, that’s the plan,” I admitted, shocked at Mable’s cursing. “But for now, she has nothing left for nesting, and the nearest twenty-four-hour store is miles away. I wouldn’t usually ask, but I know you’ve got unused nesting supplies from when you were pregnant.”
“Oh gosh, yeah—take whatever you want. Take all of it,” Mable offered immediately. “There’s a whole closet full. My guys went completely over the top last time.”
“Just when you were pregnant?”
She laughed. “Okay, maybeallthe time. But I love them. There are tons that haven’t ever been touched—duvets, blankets, pillows. It won’t be the same as choosing it herself, but it’s better than nothing. I can’t even imagine my nest being destroyed. I’d be devastated.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want to go back empty-handed,” I admitted. “Very little survived.”
“I feel so bad for her,” Mable sighed. “You know what—Percy picked up cookies from that fancy bakery the other day.Or maybe I did? Baby brain is brutal. Either way, they bought way too many, so I’ll send some down. She deserves something sweet.”
I wasn’t about to admit to one of the kindest omegas I knew that I’d been quietly limiting Flora’s junk food intake. If Mable wanted to give her cookies, Flora was getting cookies.
“Thank you,” I said. “She’ll appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome. And if she needs anything else—clothes, anything at all—let me know,” Mable added sweetly.
Unlike with my pack mates, I said a proper goodbye before hanging up.
On the drive back, I mentally ran through everything Flora would need now that her apartment was destroyed.
First priority: her safety—which was already better with her at our place. Next was getting her nest rebuilt as soon as possible. There was a large nesting supply store twenty minutes from campus, but it was only open during the day.
Flora only had one class tomorrow. Either Bear or I would be taking her there and begin rebuilding her nest in our apartment—whether she liked it or not.
Chapter 22
Flora
“Hello? Is anyone home?” a soft voice called out from the entryway.
I looked at Bear, who was grilling our third grilled cheese sandwich. He had insisted that food made everything better, and as much as I hated to admit it, he was kind of right. After my second sandwich, I was feeling a lot less shaky.
“Is that Mable?” Bear asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “Who’s Mable? Your girlfriend?”
A snort of laughter escaped Bear as he turned off the burner. “I can assure you, Flora, I don’t have a girlfriend. Not many people are attracted to all this,” he grimaced, gesturing to himself.
I got the impression Bear wasn’t aware how handsome he was, but that still didn’t answer the question of Mable.
“Bear, Chase… I know Spencer’s not here,” the voice called out, footsteps sounding down the hallway.
A tiny omega filled the kitchen doorway. The sweet smellof her instantly permeated the room. Upon seeing me, her face broke into a wide smile. In her arms were two bags stuffed full of what appeared to be blankets.
“You must be Flora,” she squealed excitedly.
“And you must be Mable?” I said, framing it as a question.
The small omega glowered at Bear. “Did you not tell her who I was?”
“She’s only been here an hour or two,” he pointed out.
“Spencer called me to ask for a favor. Seeing as her nest was destroyed, he thought she could use some backup supplies.” She held up her bags triumphantly. “This is some of the stuff my guys bought me. I’ve never put any of it in my nest, because they have a penchant for overspending.”
I paused, staring at the omega as her words sank in.
