I giggled as Angie opened the bathroom door. Ben ran in and gathered me in his arms. I heard Angie say the medication would make me tired and to let me sleep as much as possible. My eyes closed of their own volition, and the last thing I remember was inhaling Ben’s apple pie scent before losing consciousness.
ChapterTwenty-One
Theo
“Why hasn’t she woken up?” Ben hissed for the one-hundredth time as he paced around Josie’s room.
Josie was curled up in a tight ball in the center of the massive bed, her messy hair and flushed cheeks the only part of her visible under the blankets and pillows we’d piled around her.
“You’re going to wake her,” I hissed, my irritation growing as I sat beside the bed. “Dr. Walker said she should sleep a lot, so please just sit the fuck down.”
Ben wasn’t the source of my irritation—I was frustrated with myself, with the helplessness I felt. I’d pulled up countless articles about suppressant-assisted heat, and all said the same thing: excessive sleep was normal and to be expected.
But what if she is sleeping too much? It’s been twelve hours. Something is probably wrong, and she needs you to get on the bed and wrap your arms around her tightly and…
A growl slipped through my clenched jaw. Ben shot me a dirty look, but I focused on Josie, who had stirred. Her eyes were still closed, but she started to slowly stretch, her arms pressing against the pillows we’d laid around her.
Last night, after I’d carried her to bed, the three of us awkwardly stood around, unsure of what to do with the cozy nesting items we had gathered. None of us knew shit about making a nest, as evidenced by the messy piles surrounding my mate right now.
Josie let out a soft sigh as she blinked her eyes open. She looked around, her little nose scrunching up in confusion.Fucking adorable.
“Morning, love. How are you feeling?” I asked softly, holding myself back from crowding her.
“Where am I?”
“In your room, precious,” Ben replied. “We brought you here after you fell asleep in the bathroom last night.”
Josie had a slightly dazed look. I wondered if she was always this groggy when she woke, and I couldn’t wait until I was the one waking up beside her, giving her little kisses while we were both half asleep.
Her sweet voice jolted me out of my daydream.
“Um… why are there piles of blankets and pillows on the bed?” she asked, her cute nose scrunching again. I wanted to kiss it. Fuck, I hardly recognized myself. I’d never felt like this, never had someone I wanted like this.
“Angie said you would feel more comfortable in a nest, so we made you one,” Ben said enthusiastically.
Josie looked around again at the bed. “You made this… nest?”
“Is there something wrong with it? Do you not like it?” Ben asked, his face falling.
“Oh no, it’s not that. It’s… really nice,” Josie responded carefully.
She and I made eye contact, and I quickly had to look away to keep from laughing and crushing my brother’s beaming expression.
Clearing my throat, I asked again, “How’re you feeling?”
“Much better than yesterday,” she said, pushing herself up to a seated position. “Cramps are really light and I don’t feel feverish.”
“Angie called earlier this morning while you were still asleep. She said for us to call and let her know how you were feeling once you woke up,” I said.
“Where’s Cam?” Josie asked, eyes searching for him.
Ben and I looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.
“Last night, when you were in the bathtub with him, you got upset and didn’t want anyone to touch you. He’s worried he upset you,” I said carefully, deciding being direct was probably the best course of action.
Cam was off in another part of the house, sulking. After we’d gotten our omega settled, he had pummeled the punching bag in the downstairs gym for hours. Nothing Ben or I said could calm him down.
“I’m really sorry if we made you uncomfortable. None of us will touch you without your permission,” I added.
