Page 38 of For What It's Worth

Jen chuckled. “I’ll make sure they keep the lights dimmer for you, in the future.”

Despite the need for caffeine crying in my veins, my body wouldn’t move.

“I don’t want to leave,” I admitted, clinging to Jen tighter.

If my declaration shocked him, he didn’t show it. He lowered his head, placing chaste kisses on my neck until he reaches my collarbone, and then my entire body melted, my muscles no longer able to hold me up. There was still a slight intimidation in the back of my mind when it came to Jen, but it was dramatically lessening with each passing moment. He chose me. There was proof of it with every breath I took stretching the tender skin around my claiming bite. And it did help that he wasn’t impeccably dressed, like always. Somehow being naked with Jen was like an even playing field. I might’ve even had the upper hand based on the way Jen couldn’t stop looking at me and touching me, his scent giving away his innocent gaze.

“Alpha,” I purred, begging for more of his attention despite his focus already being solely on me.

“Omega.” Jen gently nipped at my collarbone before asking, “Do you mind?”

“Mind?”

“Being called ‘omega’?”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t sound wrong, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve always considered myself both an omega and a beta.”

“Hm.”

“Coffee,” I demanded when it seemed like Jen was going to get stuck thinking on nomenclatures.

Jen laughed and tapped my exposed bottom. “Get up then. I’ll be right behind you.”

With the promise of caffeine, I crawled out of the nest, stretching every muscle in my body and admiring the imprints of Jen’s body as red lines on my own. It definitely looked like I’d slept well last night, but I guessed an orgasm like the one I had would do that. There was a neat pile of clothes by the door to the nest room, which I immediately recognized as Jen’s by the smell.

“They’re for you,” he said, stretching just like I did. Watching his arms and stomach flex had me almost drooling. When he clasped his hands above his head and swayed from side to side, my core clenched as if she was unsatisfied with being empty this early in the morning.

Jen’s nostrils flared, immediately taking in the change in my scent, so I blurted out the only thing I thought of to distract him.

“How are you so fit?”

Jen raised an eyebrow while I distracted myself with putting on the clothes left for me. Basically, it was a long shirt and boxer shorts, but it would work for around the pack house. I didn’t remember taking my underwear off last night, but it was probably soaked with my slick. My necklace was placed nicely next to the laid-out clothes, and I decided to put it on, needing the feel of normalcy that came with wearing it.

“I work out,” Jen said.

I whipped my head up and glared at him. My alpha had jokes this morning. “Why are you so fit?”

“You don’t like my body?”

I huffed out my annoyance, ignoring the warm, fuzzy feeling at our banter.

Jen was completely unfazed by my pseudo-frustration. Laughing, he finally gave me an answer. “Despite what it may look like from the outside of our pack, I’m actually the one with the most free time. Aidan runs multiple business and Enzo has his band. The two of them also have to deal with their families. I only teach a couple days a week and before that I was in graduate school. Working out keeps me busy. Or at least it did. I have a feeling you’re going to be a handful, little bear.”

I blushed at the insinuation but didn’t disagree with him. There was a lot that Jen and I needed to discuss, but not now. Later. Like, after coffee.

****

Leaving the room with my nest was harder than I expected. Every step felt like a tether connecting me to my nest grew tauter. I felt skittish, like something bad could’ve happened to me if I wasn’t under my pile of pillows and blankets. Just another omega quirk.

Before we entered the kitchen, Jen stopped me. I thought I was acting strange, but even Jen seemed to have grown just as agitated as me.

“Are you okay, Jen?”

“I’ll be fine, little bear. Just stay near me, okay?”

I nodded and Jen placed a hand on my lower back, half like he was lending me his confidence and half in a possessive gesture.

Aidan and Enzo were sitting in the living room, talking quietly until they notice us. Their eyes took in my clothes. Their noses lifted slightly to scent me.