Page 33 of Nanny Omega

Ersa

LifeintheQuinhousehold wasn’t so bad—not really. If anything, it was… comfortable. Benjn was slowly getting better, his tiny frame filling out bit by bit, and the job itself wasn’t difficult. The house was peaceful, the routine easy. If not for the occasional pang of loneliness that crept in during the quiet moments, Ersa might have even called it perfect.

And then there was Master Quin.

He was kind, respectful, and fair, but there were some things about the alpha that irritated Ersa to no end. Master Quin kept his distance, maintaining a politeness so careful it felt like a wall. Every night, Master Quin would come to the nursery and sit on the settee, cradling Benjn in his arms while Ersa sat on the bed. They’d watch the cub struggle through another feeding, their soft, murmured conversations filling the dim room. They talked about safe, mundane things—the weather, Benjn’s progress—and with each passing night, that wall between them grew thicker.

One evening, the tension got the better of Ersa.

“What do you do?” Ersa asked, tired of the small talk. He wanted something real—anything that might chip away at the distance Master Quin was so determined to maintain. He didn’t know why he cared. Why he needed just a little bit of Master Quin’s attention. He just did, and it hurt when he didn’t get it.

Ersa bit the inside of his mouth, feeling twisted inside.

“I make waste bots,” Master Quin replied simply.

Ersa blinked, his gaze drifting to the compact sanitation unit humming softly beside the crib as it dissolved Benjn’s soiled LinoPads at a molecular level, breaking down waste into harmless vapor and recyclable fibers. “You made that?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yes,” Master Quin said, rising carefully to settle a sleeping Benjn down. He pressed a gentle kiss to the cub’s forehead before turning back to face Ersa.

“You’re kidding,” Ersa said, eyes narrowing.

“I’m not. Come, let me show you.”

Curiosity tugged him forward, and he followed Master Quin down the hall to his office. The room was neat, but the desk was a mess of parts and tools and strange devices Ersa didn’t recognize. Master Quin moved toward a sleek machine and activated it with a brush of his fingers, and suddenly, the room was filled with soft blue light. A holo image bloomed in the air, spinning slowly, intricate and beautiful—a complex design that shifted and shimmered.

Ersa gasped, stepping closer without thinking. “You did that?” he asked, wonder threading through his voice.

“Yes,” Master Quin murmured. He reached into the projection, pulling pieces apart and rearranging them with practiced ease.

Ersa moved closer, his fascination drawing him in, and before he realized it, his shoulder brushed against Master Quin’s. The touch was electric. His mind went blank, and the glowing image faded to nothing but background noise. All he could feel was the alpha’s warmth, his scent wrapping around him, his skin tingling where they touched.

He hadn’t been able to breathe right since.

Now, as Ersa sat in the backyard, staring at the empty space, he tried to push those feelings aside. Maybe he should start a garden—something to keep his hands and mind occupied. He’d been thinking about it for days. There wasn’t much to do once Benjn went down for his naps, and when the false pregnancy symptoms finally kicked in—if they ever did—he might not have the energy.

Four days. Four days since his hormone-induced heat, and still nothing. No symptoms. No changes. The waiting was agony, stretching the tension between him and Master Quin so tight it was bound to snap.

He glanced down at the cub sleeping soundly on the blanket beside him, his tiny face peaceful. Ersa’s heart ached, loneliness wrapping around him so tight he couldn’t breathe.

He should definitely start that garden, Ersa thought, pushing to his feet and pacing the perimeter of the yard. His mind hummed with ideas—rows of bright, fragrant herbs, bursts of colorful flowers, maybe even a little vegetable patch. The thought filled him with a quiet excitement, a sense of purpose that eased some of the restlessness twisting inside him.

Later that evening, he mentioned his idea to Vina, and her enthusiasm only fueled his determination. The next day, she pointed him toward the tool shed, and soon Ersa was lost in the rhythm of his new project, alternating between tending the yard and caring for Benjn. The day passed in a blur of dirt-streaked hands and soft giggles, and when evening fell, Ersa cleaned up, feeling a rare sense of accomplishment.

At dinner, his satisfaction dimmed a little as his eyes drifted to the empty chair at the head of the table.

“Is he not having dinner with us tonight?” Ersa asked, trying to keep his voice light.

“No. He has a guest,” Vina replied, her tone carefully neutral. She didn’t elaborate, and Ersa didn’t press, but her words settled uneasily in his chest.

After finishing his meal, he scooped up Benjn and started toward the stairs. But halfway up, a soft noise drew his attention. Pausing, Ersa glanced down just in time to see Hicks escorting someone to the front door—an omega.

Ersa’s breath caught. His grip on Benjn tightened as his eyes followed the stranger’s retreating figure. He hadn’t even heard them arrive.

Was that Master Quin’s guest?

The question twisted through his mind, sour and sharp, as he stood frozen on the stairs, his heart pounding far too fast.

“It’s none of my business,” Ersa mumbled under his breath, but the words felt hollow, as if saying them could somehow chase away the tight, uneasy feeling curling inside him. The sight of the omega lingered in his mind, stirring emotions he didn’t want to acknowledge—jealousy, insecurity, longing. It was strange and ridiculous that he felt anything at all. Master Quin was nothing to him.

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