We stared at each other before breaking out into another fit of giggles. Something about having Mable there to talk to madeeverything a little easier, mother and stalker aside. I had a friend to lean on. And sometimes, that was what a girl needed.
Chapter 41
Bear
“Mable is a good influence on her,” I mused out loud when Flora carried yet another package back to her room. Ever since she had come to visit, deliveries had been arriving nearly daily, full of clothing items that Mable had convinced Flora to order.
“We’ll have to schedule time for them to spend together more regularly,” Chase suggested, barely looking away from his laptop. Ever since Spencer had given him Flora’s phone, he had been working nonstop, trying to figure out who had sent that text.
“Any luck?” I asked.
Chase shook his head. “The guy’s a fucking ghost. I should be able to trace this number easily.”
“I guess this confirms he’s definitely on campus. Between the camera being routed through a university IP address and his text, there’s no denying it.”
“We weren’t even on campus for that long, so how could he have seen her? She was wearing a sweater, and her new bond mark was hardly visible. He had to have been looking reallyhard—and I was watching like a hawk. No one was focusing on her too closely,” Chase said in frustration.
He was being hard on himself, but I would have done the exact same thing if I had been the one by Flora’s side that day.
“We will keep her safe. We have to,” I insisted. “The campus is teeming with people, and her bond mark isn’t exactly subtle. We will figure it out.”
We stared at each other for a long moment, the silent tension broken when honey and rose hit my nose, our omega appearing in the doorway, a small box in hand.
Flora padded up to me, a smile on her face. “I got something for you.”
“For me?” I asked in confusion.
She nodded eagerly. “I was doing some research on knitting and crocheting, and I found this company that makes ergonomic hooks. There’s something about the material and the way they’re shaped that apparently reduces a lot of strain on your hand. So, I ordered you a few,” she said, holding out the box. “I noticed the other day, while you were working, that you kept stretching your hand out.”
My chest tightened as I looked down at Flora, whose smile took my breath away. It was a small gesture, but it meant the fucking world to me. Flora was watching us just as much as we watched her.
I would spend the rest of my days thanking every higher power that an omega as good as her had picked me.
“I’ve heard about these,” I started pulling them out of the box. They were smooth and sleek in my hand. “I’ve actually been wanting to try them.”
“Honestly,” she said, “if they’re not helpful, I can return them.”
“Oh no. These are mine,” I insisted, clutching the hooks to my chest possessively. My actions elicited a giggle from her.
“I’m glad you like them,” she sighed softly.
“I love them. Just like I love you. Though this does mean we need to go to a yarn store.”
“Does it?” she asked.
I nodded solemnly. “My current project is nearly finished, so you need to pick out some yarn colors.”
“Why amIbeing trusted to pick out yarn colors?”
“Because it’s for a blanket to go in your nest. That is, if you want it.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’d make something for my nest?”
“I’d love to.”
Flora bounced on her toes excitedly, throwing her arms around my midsection. “Fuck yes, I want a blanket for my nest. Honestly, I’ve been considering stealing the one you made for Chase.”
“Hey, that’s mine,” Chase whined from where he was sitting with his laptop.
