AllFreeNovel
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Iwas left alone. That’s my only excuse. I’ve kept the urge to nest at bay for a solid week. In omega time, that qualifies me to be the patron saint of patience. And it’s not like I replaced their stuff with mine. I added, that’s all. I may have taken a tiny peek at the kids’ rooms when I went over the other afternoon to help Ben retrieve his bat bag. A few clicks later and packages have been coming all week. I may have also taken those ideas and run with them to create our family nest.
Family nests are another form of sanctuary. Pack homes have living rooms, but they also have a private space where packs connect, play, talk, and rest. On the second floor we have four rooms. Our family nest is upstairs between the room the kids have been using and another bedroom. The family nest room has been sitting empty since we bought the house. I couldn’t stomach all that empty bed in my bedroom, and the idea of filling the family nest made me ill. What was it gonna be? A home gym? It felt wrong, so I left it.
But this morning, after the kids were at school and my mates were at work, I found myself in the bare room instead of my workshop. It called to me, that empty space, and it demanded to be filled. And it’s not as though we don’t have the means to do it right. Reid and I have been putting money aside in a pack fund since the first year we bonded.
Plenty of alpha and omega pairs are completely satisfied and never look for or want other mates. But we always felt we were meant for a pack, even when that dream seemed impossible. I love Reid, but love isn’t something divided or something people run out of. And I always felt like I had more to give. Reid too, though he has always been less vocal about it. It’s hard to hide things in a mate bond though, and his longing wasn’t subtle.
I hope Cammie will understand. I know I can be a bit much, and this is all new to her. Even though she was with an alpha, she doesn’t seem to know anything about pack culture and she’s already skittish. She took the car-buying in stride, but I keep thinking at some point I’m gonna hit another wall.
“You got antsy pants, pretty. How come?” Emmaline asks.
Her question startles me back to the kitchen. She’s coloring at the bar while Ben does his homework, and I’m supposed to be making a cake. I bumped that down on the to-do list to space out apparently.
“What makes you think I’ve got antsy pants?” I ask her, putting down the bowl of cake batter and trying to clear my head. The kids need my attention, not me freaking the hell out.
“You’ve been stirring the stuff in that bowl for, like, five minutes.” Ben snickers, pointing at me with his pencil. “What did it do to you?”
“I think it was me that did it,” I say, grimacing at my over-whipped cake batter. “I panic-whipped.”
“You what?” Ben’s eyes widen with surprise.
Even though Ben has been in our house for a week, Reid’s the only one making much progress in earning his trust. I get it. I’m an omega. After hearing about Cammie’s past, I can see why an omega would be persona non grata in Ben’s eyes. An omega came into his life and tore apart his family. But I’m not coming in to take their mother away. I don’t want a life without them.
My sister said to show them my heart, and I’m trying. I take a deep breath and look at both of them. “I like that you guys are here. It makes my heart happy, and I made something for you all as a surprise. But I was worrying about if you all were going to like it.”
“Is it chocolate pudding? I like those guys.” Em perks up, eyeing the bowl.
“Nope. But we can make some of that if you want. This cake is a bust.” I toss the bowl in the sink and dig for the cookbook with the pudding recipe.
“Knights can make pudding!” Em squeals, climbing down from the stool and racing to my side.
“All right, let’s make pudding,” I say, holding my hand out for our dab-up. Em and I have been practicing since she learned it at school.
Em twirls, her brown braids flying and a giggle trailing in her wake. “Chocolate!”
We grab the ingredients, and she helps me pour them into the saucepan. I whisk while she watches from her seat on the counter, peering into the pan.
“How come pudding looks so gross?” she asks.
“It’s not pudding yet. It’s gottta become pudding,” I whisk in the cream and let her pour in the egg yolks.
“Like butterflies? Ms. Ashley is growing one of those guys at school,” she says, watching as I whisk in the milk.
Ben is quiet, but I feel his eyes on us as we cook.
“You got it. The gross stuff will cook up while I stir, and boom, we got yummy chocolate pudding,” I explain.
“Magic.” Em nods as though this is all very wise.
The door opens, and Waffles goes nuts, barking as Cammie comes into the kitchen. She bends down and gives him a hello before checking in with Ben. We’re next. Cammie kisses Emmaline’s cheek, then gives me a peck hello.
“What are you guys making?” she asks. “I’m ravenous.”
“Butterfly chocolate pudding!” Em cheers. “I’m helping!”
“You didn’t stop for a break?” I fuss, eyeing her from over my shoulder.
She shrugs. “We were too busy.”
