Page 13 of Knot Enough

“Oh, this must be one of the alphas you told me about. Nice to meet you.” Corretta said, looking me up and down.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I told her, holding my hand out. Corretta took it.

“I hope you take good care of them. They deserve to be happy.” Corretta said as she shook my hand. A hint of sadness slipped in her eyes.

“You’ll find your pack, Corretta, and they’ll love you,” Lydia said, taking Corretta’s hand gently. A sympathetic look crossed Lydia’s face.

“Thank you. I'm glad you found another pack that will love you and Gabriel.” Corretta said. Lydia smiled and pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you. You have been so good to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” Lydia said with tears staining her face. The way these two talked made me wonder if there was previous history Lydia or Gabriel hadn’t told us about. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. We were with them now, and that was what was important.

“Now get to it. You have a competition to win.” Lydia said, after wiping her eyes.She pushed Corretta further into the building. Corretta rolled her eyes but started walking to a man I noticed for the first time. That must be her partner. We watched her go further into the building and disappear into the crowd.

“Come on, let’s go get a seat,” Lydia said, leading us to where the guests sat. It didn’t take long after we sat for the competition to get in the swing of things. I expected the competitors to come in one at a time in front of the judges, but instead, they covered the floor all at once. My eyes focused on Corretta and her partner. I could tell immediately that she was good. Corretta’s feet practically glided across the floor as her partner moved her in his desired direction. Seeing how every pair moved around the room without hitting or bumping into the person next to them was amazing. Something captivated me as I watched Corretta. They took control of the room and the judge’s attention. I wasn’t surprised when they announced her as the winner by the time the event ended. Gabriel, Lydia, and I intended to wait for Corretta and her partner to get changed and meet them outside, but as we got to the meeting spot, I noticed Gabriel catching Lydia as she tripped.

“Lee Lee, you're burning up,” Gabriel said with concern. I stopped walking when I heard Gabriel’s words and turned to face them. She leaned heavily on Gabriel, almost absent-mindedly running her head against him.

“Hmm, am I? ” Lydia asked as she hummed and closed her eyes to focus on the sensation of Gabriel’s hand on her forehead. I stepped closer to them and pressed my own hand against her forehead. Gabriel was right; she was indeed burning up.

“Can you text Corretta and let her know we need to take Lydia home?” I asked Gabriel. He made another quick glance at Lydia before nodding his head. He took out his phone and called Corretta while Lydia leaned on him. I went down on one knee to better see Lydia’s face. Her eyes focused on me, and she giggled.

“You're cute. Are you proposing to me?” She asked as she giggled. I smiled at her, hiding my worry. If she felt sick, there was no reason to stress her out.

“Maybe another day. Would you like me to carry you, or can you walk?” I asked as I brushed a piece of hair out of her face. She closed her eyes and hummed in satisfaction at my touch. My heart warmed at her reaction, but I wished she would do the same thing when she wasn’t dazed. After a few seconds, she finally opened her eyes. She brought up her arms in a pick-me-up motion to me. I chuckled at her response before standing back up and lifting her in my arms. She immediately relaxed in my hold and brought her face into the crook of my neck. I could feel her sniff my neck as we waited for Gabriel to finish his phone call.

“You smell nice, like watermelon candy, " she laughed against my neck. Her breath covered my neck in tingles. My chest started vibrating without my consent, letting Lydia know how much I liked the compliment.

“I’m done. Let’s go.” Gabriel said, bringing my attention from Lydia. I watched his eyes soften as he moved some hair from her face. She giggledagain at his touch. “She gets needy when she isn’t feeling good,” Gabriel explained.

“Don’t worry. I wish this was under different circumstances, but she’s adorable right now,” I said honestly. Something about how Lydia openly sought my touch and comfort called to a primal part of me to protect and care for her. I sat Lydia in the back seat while Gabriel joined her. I was glad he would watch over her while I drove us back to the house. After both had their seatbelts on, Lydia moved her head onto Gabriel's lap. Without needing words, he started messing with her hair. A slight purring noise began, and it instantly warmed my heart. This was the first time I heard an omega purr, and I was even happier because it was Lydia. I was jealous I wasn’t the one who brought it on, but I was delighted that she was content. Before starting the car, I texted Finn and Graham about Lydia in the group chat. They both immediately replied, saying they would return home as soon as possible.

The entire car ride was filled with Lydia and Gabriel’s purring. There were several instances when Lydia had a coughing fit, but they quieted down pretty quickly. By the time we got home, Lydia was already half asleep. Gabriel picked her up and handed her over to me. To not wake her up too much, I started my own purr. The vibrations caused her to nestle closer to my chest. I tightened my hold on her, letting a feeling of protectiveness spread through me. Gabriel took the house keys from my pocket and unlocked the door. We walked down the hallway to their bedroom. Once we were in the bedroom, Gabriel approached Lydia and me. He brushed her hair lightly with his fingers, causing her eyes to open.

“Lee Lee, do you mind if Sorren enters the nest to lay you down? " he asked her softly. Lydia closed her eyes again and nodded. Gabriel looked back at me.“Let’s go then," he said.

“Are you sure that’s okay?” The nest wasn’t just Lydia’s, but Gabriel’s too. I didn’t want to cause him any distress about my presence being there. Gabriel shook his head.

“I would love for you to enter the nest.” He said, his face becoming a shade of red I’d never seen before. Entering an omegas nest was a big deal. A nest allowed an omega to feel safe and comfortable; they only allowed people, scents, fabrics, and things they liked in the room. It was essentially a giant bed or nest meant for an omega’s comfort and safety. An omega would quickly become distraught if anyone or anything they didn’t like or trust entered that space.

“Alright, if you're sure,” I said, feeling proud to be allowed into such a private place.

“I am, " he said as he brought me to the door leading to their nest. Entering the room, I was fascinated by it. I had seen the room plenty of times before the omegas, imagining what it would be like if we had someone to fill the space.The reality of the situation far exceeded my expectations. The only people who had entered the room after the Omegas came were the movers who put the furniture in here and them.

Several plants with long limbs covered the edges of the room. In the middle of the room was a large round bed nearly covering one side of the wall. Behind the bed were several shelves and spaces with books or knick-knacks. The bed was covered in multiple blankets and pillows that didn’t look like they had an organized design, but I’m sure it did in the omega’s minds. The only lighting in the room was several fairy lights that covered the ceiling, giving the space a warm, homey glow. The windows of the nest were drawn, hiding the place from the outside light. Above all this, though, it smelled heavily of them. I wanted my body consumed by this mixture of scents with mine added.

“It looks beautiful,” I said, looking around the room, enraptured by the design. Gabriel preened at my comment with a proud grin spreading across his face.

“You can let her down on the bed, " he said with his wide, proud smile. I followed after him and headed towards the bed. When I tried to set Lydia down, however, her grip tightened on me.

“Lydia, baby girl. You have to let go. I need to set you down.” I cooed. Lydia shook her head more aggressively.

“No, stay.” She commanded, tightening her grip even more as she looked at me defiantly. I looked toward Gabriel for help. He shook his head, amused at the situation.

“Lydia, dear. Let Sorren set you down, and he’ll cuddle you once he changes.” He said, watching us from where he was seated on the edge of the bed. Lydia considered his words for a moment before she relented her grip on my clothes.

“Fine, " she grumbled as she allowed me to set her down. Once she nestled in the blankets, she had another fit of coughing. I missed her weight in my arms, but I reminded myself of the future cuddling session.

“I’ll be right back,” I said as I kissed her forehead. She purred softly at the attention. Gabriel moved to settle beside her on the bed.

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