Page 100 of A Farmer’s Guide To Gamers

Some noises further in the house and then Kai and Aiden appeared, both freshly showered and a glow with them. But at the sight of us I could see the glow fading a bit and they hurried over to us.

“What's going on?” Kai asked. “We heard Dean sounding angry.” He looked around, but Dean was likely already in town at this point.

“Jonathan sighting in town,” Jack said as he walked back into the living room. “So, hunker down. The windows and doors are locked, alarms engaged. Security company is keeping an eye out.”

Aiden took my hand and led me to the couch. “What else?”

“How do you know something else is going on?” I asked, almost too defensively. He just waited patiently, and I crumbled with a slight huff.

I sat down with a flop and Kai came to sit on my other side, both of them waiting expectantly for me to spill the beans.

With a deep inhale I turned to Aiden, wanting to make sure that I was completely blunt so he understood. Definitely don’t want him to panic thinking this meant babies would be happening soon. Especially after our recent heart-to-heart.

“My heat suppressants were recalled, meaning they are a placebo and I’ll be having a heat at any time now. No way to predict it but… yeah.” I swallowed hard, keeping my gaze on Aiden. “My birth control is completely fine, that all is in working order. So that’s not a concern.”

“So, a heat, but no pregnancy?” Aiden asked after a beat, clearly needing me to reassure him.

“Yes,” I told him with a firm nod. “And I’ve never… I’ve never ridden out a heat with a pack. I usually go to the clinic to be sedated through it, so this is a first for me.”

“That kind of makes sense,” Kai said on my other side.

I turned to look at him with a questioning glance and Kai just raised his eyebrows at me.

“The nesting store? You bought a bunch of stuff while you were out with Sabrina. Your scent has been getting stronger, for sure.”

“That’s just small stuff,” I retorted, somehow thrown off that he had started noticing before I had. Tears pricked my eyes at the mention of nesting, though.

“Tillie, it’s going to be okay,” Jack rushed over to reassure me.

“I don’t even have a nest right now!” I protested and then stood up, needing space and sweets. I needed something chocolatey.

“I’m going to bake something. Do whatever you guys want… I just need space and to not focus on anything else.”

“Okay,” Jack said, drawing out the word.

None of them moved as I walked into the kitchen and started grabbing all the things I needed for my favorite cookies. As I gathered things I started hearing things moving around in the living room.

I peeked into the room and saw Aiden and Kai shifting furniture around as Jack brought a mattress down to set on the floor.

They were making me a temporary nest, just like Jack said they would.

My chest tightened, and I had to blink back tears. Damn hormones. I focused instead on making double chocolate cookies.

Even though I said I wouldn’t watch, I eyed Jack as he carried down two more mattresses. With all three together the nest was now huge. My living room was already cozy and with the couches as barriers and everything being draped in every blanket and pillow I owned… that survived Jonathan, it truly looked like a nest.

I scooped giant balls of cookie dough onto the trays before starting to bake them. The kitchen soon smelled like chocolate and sugar, and a mix of our packs’ scents that always lingered here now.

What was a temporary stay had turned into my farmhouse becoming the pack house.

In truth, it could probably use some add-ons. But right then, it felt like home and we were content being this close.

By the time I pulled out the last batch of cookies, they were coming to inspect what I’d made.

“Is the nest done?” I asked, glancing at the pack that made sure I was content and safe at every turn.

“No,” Kai said bluntly. “But the base is. Now it needs your touch, omega.”

“We carried in your new things. They’re waiting,” Aiden added.