At the Convent, I’d been banned from anything close to nesting, so this bed, with soft pillows, hidden treasures, and stacked blankets, was like nothing I’d ever had before.
I tucked the books in around me as Vandle spoke to Phantom.
I didn’t completely follow what was going on, and I didn’t think they wanted to scare me with it, but I was listening.
“...Check in on Karma at the gym…” Vandle was saying. “Rick and a few of the others are back next door now. Need to get a bit out of myself.” I peered up to see him stretching his neck, something tense in his expression.
“How is his aura?” Phantom asked.
“It’s not the worst I’ve seen in here.” Vandle didn’t sound confident. His eyes could see how stable alphas and omegas were… And I knew that was critical for our appeal.
We were closing in on it.
Maybe I hadn’t been doing enough?
“He has… cycles.” Phantom said.
“What?”
“His stability. Doesn’t like to burden us with it so he’s got into the habit of burying it down. So then when it comes out, it’s worse. I think the pressure of everything’s been getting to him.”
“I’ll go spar a few rounds. Can’t hurt.”
“He can sleep with me tonight?” I asked. Phantom turned to me, though I couldn’t read his expression from here. “I can do a better job of balancing him…”
It was his turn anyway.
Vandle’s gaze drifted to me for a moment—well, I thought it did. At the door, he was just far away enough it was a bit hard to tell, but blurry or not it was hard to miss the feeling of my pack lead’s gaze on me.
“You’re doing perfect, Little Omega,” Phantom said. “Swear it. He’s more lucid than he’s ever been.”
I nodded, but was distracted by the fact that Vandle was tugging his shirt off in preparation to go to the gym.
Dang.
I squinted, willing these stupid eyes to work a bit better.
I edged forward in the nest, hugging the new fairytale book to my chest, but Vandle was already turning to leave.
I stifled a little whine, cursing out my eyes.
I really needed to try some prayer—faith intact or not. I don’t think I was supposed to be this turned on, even if I was packed up. It was sinful…
Turns out I hadn’t stifled it very well, because Vandle crossed toward me before he left.
Oh, thank goodness.
I got a clear view of his glorious, muscled torso as he approached. He leaned down to give me a kiss and I caught his lip with my teeth before I could stop myself.
“You want me to stay, Princess?” His eyes were so intense, one with his iris pure white and the other shining red like Sin’s.
“No, it’s okay.”
“Did you just lie to me?” he asked.
“No.” I pouted.
“Princess.” His voice was firm as he took my chin between his fingers. “Don’t lie to me.”