Page 21 of A Pack of Cozy

When I start to get up to make them coffee, Connor grabs me by the waist.

"Where are you going, Baby?" his voice is husky with sleep.

"To make you guys some coffee," I whisper. Seth and Bax are still asleep, tilted back against the sofa. His eyes flash, and he lets me go. Even his alpha can't argue about coffee.

They each stretch and get up from the couch when the coffee is ready. They look miserable. I swear I can hear joints cracking.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up so you could leave? That must have been a horrible way to sleep." It's very chivalrous of them, but at the expense of their necks seems a little extreme. They glance at each other.

"For omegas, you have heats, heat spikes, and nesting. There's a lot more to it, but I'm simplifying," Bax says. I nod. I'd seen the library books on the shelves in the guy's study when I'd been stranded at their house. They'd clearly done some research. "For alpha's, there's a driving need to protect an omega they're courting. It's tough to ignore our alphas. Last night, you were asleep, and we just couldn't leave you. Does that make sense?" Bax is looking at me as if he's trying to explain the pattern of his soul, and I suppose, in a way, he is.

"I think if you'd left, my omega would have been really disappointed," I admit. They're giving me truths, and it feels right to do the same.

Bax steps forward, and before he can move again I wrap my arms around his chest and drop my head against him. His purr revs up, he kisses the top of my head, and then scent marks me. The other two move around and do the same, making a circle of us. My heart swells with hope, pleasure, and a sense of peace my omega's never known. I've only known rejection. First by my parents for my omega status, and then Nick when he lied and cheated. I already know that these alphas will never reject me like that. Bax proves it in his careful knowledge. Seth in his light humor. Connor, in his protective nature and his own brand of food-based care. I feel… safe.

Seth

Calilooksbeautifulandhappy. Good. My alpha swells with pride. She should feel happy, fulfilled, safe, and satisfied. If my pack has its way, that's what she'll experience every day until we're dead and buried.

Once she fell asleep in our laps last night, we all knew there was no way we'd wake her. We couldn't take her to bed because omega nests are private spaces. We'd never enter without our omega's explicit permission, or for an emergency. Cali already told us that her room was her nest. So, we watched over her until we eventually drifted off to sleep with our heads tipped against the couch. Even if she had an omega suite with a standard bed area, we would have hesitated to leave her alone. Our primal instincts made sleep a vulnerable time, and knowing our omega was in that state compelled us to stay and protect her. It would have been difficult, if not impossible, to walk away.

When she admitted that she and her omega felt the same way, I could have whooped with joy. It wasn't just my pack falling into sync. As our omega, Cali was aligning with us. That made everything more manageable and more fluid.

We reluctantly leave Cali's cottage, but we need to get to the Café. Cali agreed to meet me Saturday night for our first courting date. I've got a plan already formed. Now, I just need to bring it to life. I also want to call my papa, the omega of my family pack, to discuss some ideas with him. It should be a spectacular night.

Calliope

Clarahasnamedthisgroup chat: Lakeside Points Coolest Bitches

Clara has added Cali to the group chat

Cali:

No one in my entire life has described me as cool.

Clara:

You're in our book club now, so you must be.

Winnie:

What time are we meeting for brunch on Saturday?

Rose:

I cannot do anything before ten.

Sunny:

We know, Rose.

Cali:

I can do eleven.

Clara:

Motion is carried.

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