Page 16 of For What It's Worth
“Aidan, she’s an adult and an omega,” Jenson said. “She’s not going to suffocate in her own nest.”
There was a soft snorting sound. “She called it a fort. Which means we can just walk in and check on her.”
Enzo finally entered the conversation. “We all know it’s more than a fort. Don’t do something that will push her away just to play with her boundaries.”
I knew I should’ve stopped eavesdropping and told them all I was fine. Especially Aidan. But my nest was comfortable. I couldn’t convince myself to disturb the silence with so much as a grunt. It didn’t help that the alphas’ voices lulled me into feeling safe, making the idea of leaving the nest feel even more unnecessary.
“Koda bear,” Aidan shouted through the door. “You have thirty seconds to make some sort of noise to tell me you’re okay or I’m coming into your nest.”
“Absolutely not,” Enzo growled.
“Enzo, calm down. Aidan, you need to relax. And Koda, if you’re awake, stop adding to the drama and speak up.” Jenson’s frustration was evident even through the door. And it was enough to catch my inner omega’s attention. Tempers were rising, and she was pushing me to soothe the alphas. Fucking instincts.
I stretched in the nest and finally crawled my way back out. It took a few seconds, but I finally orientated myself to the entrance, only to stretch again when I got out. My robe was on the stairs leading up to the edge where the door was. I put it on, making sure nothing inappropriate was exposed, and cracked open the door.
Three sets of eyes all turned to look at me, but I yawned before I could get out so much as a “hi”. And it was one of those long yawns too, requiring my jaw to stretch for several seconds before I could finally close my mouth again. I felt even more tired than I did before I took a nap. My body swayed slightly before I lifted my arms up in front of me, waiting. The lights in the hallway were brighter than in the nest room, and I kept my eyes closed.
I wiggled my fingers, demanding without words. And when I finally felt someone grab me around the waist and lift me up, I took a deep breath of pine forest. I wrapped myself around Enzo, resting my head on his shoulder, my inner omega purring from the combination of safety and comfort.
“Do you want something to eat, Koda bear?”
The question had me open one eye.
Aidan smiled at me, but there was a look in his eyes that I recognized from staring in my own mirrors. Loneliness. It was the same emption I’d scented on him earlier. Even as he was surrounded by his packmates.
“What are you making, Addie?” My voice was still croaky from sleeping, but the use of his nickname made the sadness disappear. Even if it was temporary.
“Anything you want, Koda bear.”
“Need. Coffee.”
“I don’t know. Sleepy Koda seems more pliable.” The humor in Jenson’s voice made me huff.
I closed my eye again when Enzo started walking. His rhythmic pace made it hard to keep my legs wrapped around his large frame when I was too tired to work my muscles.
Enzo seemed to get this because he set his arms, like bars, under my thighs, and held me up. A more aware Koda would’ve complained, but I was really more asleep than awake.
Eventually, the rhythm stopped and something hard—harder than simply Enzo’s thigh—pressed against the side of my calves. I remembered I was in a robe, but my inner omega didn’t seem to sense an issue with that. I stayed leaning against Enzo until his hand started rubbing circles on my back, startling me. The quick dose of adrenaline helped open my eyes for a moment, but all I saw was the empty living room.
“Coffee is on the counter,” Jenson said. I would have ignored the words altogether in favor of more sleep, but I could smell the coffee. And I loved coffee.
Pushing against Enzo’s chest, I turned my head around, looking for the delicious smell. My inner omega was loving all the attention.
“Mine.” I wiggled my fingers again, my sights zeroed in on the mug, even as most of my body stayed draped over Enzo.
Aidan reached for the mug, a plain white one with the words 8 to the Bar written in blue cursive, and handed it to me. “Don’t spill on Enzo. He might put up with a lot, but I think hot coffee on him will make him angry.”
A soft purr underneath me begged to differ. That purr said I could spill all the cups of coffee and Enzo would continue to let me lay on him. But I didn’t want to do that. I took extra care to ensure I had a good grip on the cup and slowly brought it to my lips.
The first sip was delicious. There was a small amount of caramel in it, hinting at added syrup. The idea any of the alphas might have noticed the kind of coffee I drank when they came to the coffee shop or stared long enough at my cups in Jenson’s classroom made my omega preen.
With every sip, my mind became clearer. By the time I was halfway done with my cup, I managed to push back against blatant omega instincts. And then I realized I was still straddling Enzo. If I could die from embarrassment, the guys would’ve needed to start CPR. But alas, I was stuck flushing bright red and sweating through my palms. Carefully, I switched hands on the mug and untangled myself from the alpha. His hands slid against my thighs as I pushed off him, but I put all my focus on not tipping my mug.
There was an awkward silence when I got in my own bar stool. I refused to look up from my mug as I took sip after sip until it was all gone and I was stuck staring at the bottom, still refusing to look up.
The sound of footsteps spiked my curiosity. Jenson walked down the hallway toward us—although I hadn’t noticed when he walked away—with folded clothes in his hands. My clothes. He must have used de-scenters since the fresh laundry scent was only tinged with a natural alpha male scent from Jen. A part of me hoped his natural scent clung to the clothes, and I had to physically shake my head to rid it of that thought.
“Do you remember the way to the bathroom you used earlier?” Jenson asked.