Page 137 of Their Knotty Pack
"Well that's not fair!" Kieran sits up, jostling Miles. "I had something I wanted to give to blue that I've been working on.”
Hunter looks between the two of them with a bemused expression. "Why don't you both go get your…I assume these are akin to courting presents?" At their nods, he continues, "Go get your courting presents for your omegas, and they'll put away their murder-simulation."
Damien grins and leaves the room. Kieran slides off the bed, leaving Miles to lean on me, his head on my lap after he tucks his laptop away.
They return a moment later, Kieran with hands behind his back, Damien holding what appears to be a canvas, but the front is held tight against his chest.
"This suddenly feels a lot like Christmas," Miles muses, sitting up excitedly.
"If it were Christmas, we'd all be getting presents," Brody points out.
"Omega appreciation day?" I offer, grinning.
"Every day is omega appreciation day," Damien gives me a wicked smile, making my heart pound.
"Who wants to go first?" Kieran asks. "Oh wait, I do!" he answers his own question, pulling out a small box from behind his back. Damien rolls his eyes as Kieran climbs back on the bed, tentatively giving Milesthe box. "Now, it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it—"
"What the fuck, Kieran?!" Miles gasps, opening the box. "You dowoodwork?"
I peek around and hide my smile. Miles has opened the box, and inside are two different compartments, the first, smaller one, has slots for each kind of dice you can use in D&D, and the second, much larger one, is lined with a soft-looking leather on the bottom. "Miles" is engraved on the top. "Well, yeah," Kieran says, looking confused at his surprise, "you saw the shelves I made for sunshine—"
"That's different!" Miles smacks a hand to his chest, "This is like…intricate!"
"You can put all your dice here," Kieran grins, pointing to the little slots in the smaller compartment, "and when you want to roll, you can do it here." He motions to the larger compartment.
Miles gently puts the box down before throwing his arms around Kieran's neck, holding him tight. "Thank you," he whispers, and I don't hear whatever else it is that Miles says that makes the tips of Kieran's ear turn pink, because then Damien is clearing his throat.
"This is…well, I didn't think I'd have an audience for this, but…this is the image that has been engraved in my mind since we had our night at the plant nursery." Damien gives me a knowing look, and my cheeks heat at the implication.
When he turns it around, the room goes silent.
"Holy shit," Brody whispers.
It's almost a portrait, from the (bare) shoulders up, but with the way her dark hair is falling, it's like she's leaning over and looking at you. Behind her…I can make out a glass ceiling and so many plants it could be in a rainforest. A halo of light surrounds her head.
But it's her expression that really draws you in. Flushed cheeks, lips parted slightly as pale eyes stare down with desire. It's intimate. Sensual.
It's…me.
"Damien,"my voice is a choked whisper as I climb off the bed to go to him, "this is…how…I don't—"
"This is how I see you. How…how we all see you, I'm sure. A goddess, all powerful, and owning every single inch of us."
"That's not how I see her," Miles pipes up, coming to stand next to me. "She'smuchprettier than how you've painted her." He presses a kiss to my hair.
"Aw, blue, are you jealous you didn't get a painting too?" Damien teases.
"Miles, that painting wildly overstates my—"
Growls rip out around the room, including from Damien and Miles.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, bright eyes," Damien rumbles, arching a brow at me.
My cheeks flush again and I shake my head. "It's beautiful, Damien, thank you,"
He gives me a blinding smile. "Any time, bright eyes, any time."
We hang the painting up in the nest, with Damien promising to make one for Miles too, and when we all settle in for the night, surrounded by the scents of my pack, I fall into a deep sleep.
