Page 44 of Nanny Omega

“Are you alright?” Xander’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, warm and gentle. He stood in the doorway, his brow creased with concern. “Did something happen with your friend? You’ve been quiet since you got back.”

Ersa glanced up, his throat tight. “It’s nothing. Let’s just go to bed.”

He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Xander, the solid warmth of the alpha grounding him as they moved toward the bed. But even with that comfort, his mind wouldn’t settle. Long after they lay tangled beneath the covers, Xander’s soft breathing filling the quiet, Ersa stared up at the ceiling, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on his chest. Sleep evaded him, and the silence only made Jun’s words echo louder.

When Benjn’s soft cry broke the stillness, Ersa was still wide-awake. He shifted, ready to get up, but Xander’s groggy voice stopped him.

“I’ll get him,” he mumbled, already getting out of bed.

Ersa watched him stumble out of bed and disappear into the nursery, and the ache in his chest grew. The ease with which they’d slipped into these roles—caring for Benjn, sharing a bed, moving around each other like two halves of a whole—had felt so natural, so right, that Ersa hadn’t stopped to question it. He’d just embraced it.

But now, those questions wouldn’t leave him alone.

Xander returned a few minutes later with Benjn cradled in his arms. The little thing screamed his head off and only quieted down when Xander handed him over to him.

Ersa lifted his shirt and started to feed him as Xander moved around the bed to settle on his side. He stretched out beside them, propping himself up slightly as his gaze lingered on his face. Ersa’s stomach fluttered, and his cheeks heated. “What?” he asked shyly.

“Something’s wrong,” Xander murmured, a gentle warmth threading through the words. A slow, knowing smile curved his lips, but his eyes stayed fixed on Ersa, steady and patient. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

There was no pressure in his tone, no hint of judgment or frustration. Just an openness that made something inside Ersa ache. And before he even realized it, the words began to spill out.

He told Xander everything about his conversation with Jun, about the doubts that had taken root and wouldn’t let go. Jun’s questions had dug a hole inside him, one that kept growing, making him second-guess everything he’d been feeling. Everything they’d built.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Ersa whispered.

Xander didn’t flinch. His face remained calm, his voice steady and gentle when he finally spoke. “Do you feel like you’re using us as a substitute?”

Ersa’s heart twisted at the softness of the question—no anger, no accusation. Just quiet curiosity.

He shrugged, his fingers twisting the hem of his shirt. “After we slept together that first time, I… I couldn’t help but crave your attention. I missed having an alpha.” His voice cracked, and he forced himself to meet Xander’s gaze. “And Benjn… he saved me. The moment I held him in my arms, it was like love at first sight. Everything just… made sense.”

His gaze drifted downward, the weight of his confession pressing heavily on his chest. And still, Xander said nothing—but his silence wasn’t cold. It was patient, waiting, letting Ersa take his time. Letting him be vulnerable.

As the cub stared up at him, the shift in his demeanor was almost tangible. His features softened, his posture relaxed, and a quiet warmth settled over him. The effortless affection he showed him stole his breath, a tenderness so natural it made Ersa’s chest tighten.

I adore you too, Ersa silently said as he cradled Benjn close, and that realization sent a deep, unexpected satisfaction coursing through him. Benjn suckled lazily. With each slow, rhythmic pull, his eyelids grew heavier, fluttering shut. His breaths deepened, a peaceful slumber settling over him.

“He’s out,” Ersa said, kissing Benjn’s forehead.

“Bring him here,” Master Quin said, pushing back the covers and rising from the bed. With steady hands, he took Benjn and gently rested the cub against his shoulder, his palm moving in slow, soothing circles over the small back. A quiet hum rumbled from his chest as he paced toward the nursery. Moments later, he returned. When Xander lay beside him and pulled him close, Ersa was surprised by the gentle possessiveness of his touch, as if nothing had changed, as if the words he’d just spoken hadn’t driven a wedge of doubt between them. The warmth of his body chased away the chill of uncertainty, and Ersa couldn’t help but melt into him.

“Tell me about them,” Xander murmured.

Ersa blinked, his breath catching. “Why?” he asked, his throat tightening.

“Because they were part of you,” Xander said simply, his fingers brushing through Ersa’s hair with soothing patience. “Even if they’re gone, that doesn’t change. They’re still there in your memory, and I don’t want you to be afraid to love them or talk about them with me. I want to share in your memories too. And I want Benjn to one day know about your cub.”

The tenderness in his words cracked something open inside Ersa, and when he finally spoke, his voice was a whisper. “Mika. That was his name.”

Xander smiled softly. “And your bond mate? What was his name?”

“Mason,” Ersa said, and for the first time in a long while, it didn’t hurt quite as much to say his name. A tiny, bittersweet smile tugged at his lips.

“How did you two meet?” Xander asked, shifting around to get comfortable like he was settling in for a story he truly wanted to hear.

Ersa pulled back just enough to look at him, searching his face. “Do you really want to know?”

Xander’s eyes softened, his expression open and inviting. “Yes. And maybe one day, I’ll tell you about Nath.”

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