Page 39 of Nanny Omega

“No?”

“No,” Xander answered firmly.

Shiva exhaled and closed the package, setting it aside before reaching for a sleek canister resembling a scent spray. A fine white mist drifted into the air, neutralizing the rejected scent. They waited in silence as the mist dissipated, the sterile hush of the room pressing down on them.

With a small nod, Shiva opened another package.

Xander barely inhaled before his nose scrunched in distaste. Shiva chuckled. “Okay, that’s a definite no,” the omega teased, shaking his head.

He reached for the final package, lifting it with a dramatic flourish. “This is the last one,” he announced.

Xander groaned, already bracing for disappointment. “I’m not going to like that one either. I just know it,” he muttered, a defeated sigh escaping his lips.

“You don’t know that,” Shiva countered, his voice laced with optimism.

Carefully, he unsealed the package, his gaze flicking up to watch Xander’s reaction. Xander drew in a deep breath and felt… nothing. No warmth, no pull, no flicker of recognition. It was as if something inside him had gone completely numb, like a switch had been flipped, shutting off any possibility of a connection.

Fuck.

His stomach twisted as he buried his face in his hands, frustration settling in like a heavy weight. He’d wanted this to work. He’d hoped, desperately, that this would finally let him shake off his feelings for Ersa.

“Hey,” Shiva said softly, nudging him. “Don’t look like that. This is only the beginning. You shouldn’t feel discouraged. We’ll find someone for you. It’s just not going to happen on the first try.”

Xander didn’t lift his head, but he listened.

“The job listing is still open. There are more than a million omegas out there,” Shiva continued, his tone unwaveringly confident. “You’ll find one. We just have to keep looking.”

“They won’t be him,” Xander said.

“What?”

“Those million omegas won’t be him,” he said, raising his head.

“Who?”

“Benjn’s nanny,” Xander muttered, dragging a hand down his face as though trying to wipe away the exhaustion pressing on him. “I think I’m in love with him.”

A beat of silence. Then—

“What?” Shiva nearly yelped, his voice spiking with unrestrained excitement. Xander could practically hear the grin forming on his face.

He sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t,” he warned.

“Don’t what?” Shiva shot back innocently, but the eager glint in his eyes betrayed him.

Xander exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. “There’s nothing to be excited about. Ersa is Benjn’s nanny. I shouldn’t be lusting after him.” The words left a bitter taste in his mouth, the truth settling deep in his chest.

“Why not?”

“It’s not right,” Xander muttered, his voice strained, as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone else. “I’m his employer. There’s got to be a law against this somewhere,” he said, pressing fingers hard against his temples. His voice softened, rough with longing. “We shouldn’t spend every night wrapped up in each other. And yet… that’s all I want to do.”

Shiva threw his hands up, palms out. “Wait… wait… hold on a second.” His eyes widened with intrigue. “Spend every night wrapped up in each other? As in, have sex? What exactly happened between the two of you?” He leaned forward, voice dropping with urgency. “No. Scratch that. Start from the beginning.”

“I don’t think…” Xander started, hesitating.

“No,” Shiva interrupted. “Don’t think, just spill. Tell me everything. I’m your therapist. You can trust me.”

Xander laughed, the sound ringing out and filling the space around him. As the laughter faded, he rubbed his chest, feeling lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. For the first time in a long while, he was given the chance to share what had been gnawing at him, and now that it was out in the open, the burden didn’t seem as unbearable.

---