And he wasn’t sharing his plans.
We needed to watch the hall even when we were in the relative safety of our cell. Coordinate with the Emerald pack to make sure someone was always on guard.
It felt wrong for me to leave the hallway for them to watch, but they swore they’d take the rest of the night in shifts until the doors locked at eleven. They had more alphas than us, so we needed the help.
So I stepped back into our room, wedging the door open a crack so we would hear quickly if there was any commotion. Karma was still carving designs into the paintings he’d done on the wall—notably near Crescent’s bed. Vandle was showering, and Sin was in his new bunk, watching Crescent intently.
My gaze sought her out, and my heart skipped when I glanced around the room to find Crescent tucking pillows around her neatly.
Nesting.
Oursecondomega…
My initial fear that we were never going to escape this place with two omegas (the most valuable ‘commodity’ in Anarchy) had not gone anywhere. But she was our fucking scent match, so if there was anything to fight for…thiswas it.
It was one of the tiny little flickers of a dream I’d sometimes wondered about—if we did get out, might we get one?
Andmaybeit would help Sin heal. Of all of us, he was the one who struggled most with his designation.
I’d never believed anything like this would happen to us at all, let alonebeforeour appeal. Which sent my nerves spiralling. Just getting out of here would set me on edge—like something terrible would have to follow. But getting out with a dream on the other side?
I had to get it together. The last thing we needed to do was scare her more. She was clearly already so traumatized from the place she’d come from.
As I watched, she pulled a blanket up over her head, becoming a small omega lump in the sheets. She shuffled—or burrowed—down into pillows, which were on her lap andarranged carefully on her sides. Her scent of roses and cocoa was sweet in the air as she did it, and… damn, she was purring. I caught Sin’s eye, feeling heat creep up my neck.
Uh—howwas this so fucking cute?
I hadn’tasked, but I would be willing to bet they hadn’t let her nest in the Convent she’d come from.
I didn’t know much of their doctrine, but the Ascendants were radical enough that I’d heard of them.
All the scents in here were strong, but Karma’s was stronger than the rest.
I shot him a suspicious glare.
Even the pillow from my bed smelled more like him than me.
Asshole.
Stalking to stand in front of her, I reached down to grab a pillow but hesitated before I touched it. “May I?”
She poked the top of her head out from beneath the blankets and looked up at me with wide eyes, her purr cutting out—which was criminal. “I—I didn’t mean to take them all. Karma, he…”
I snatched the pillow before she finished talking, rubbing my neck up against the thin fabric before putting it back in the same position I found it.
“Karma made this entire room smell like him, is what he fucking did. He doesn’t get to be the only one in your nest.”
“Oh…” Crescent didn’t complain when I grabbed a few more pillows, marking them before giving them back. Her purr started up again, and I felt a swell of pride in my chest, until it stuttered out, and I realized she seemed to be trying to stop it, a mortified look on her face.
I narrowed my eyes. “Whydid you do that?”
“It’s…” She glanced at Sin, as if he might help her. “It’s disruptive, the Sisters said it was rude…” She trailed off at the look on my face.
“You’re in our pack. You can be as disruptive as you like.”
She was hugging a pillow close, again shooting a look at Sin, then Karma.
“Little Omega, you won’t stop yourself purring—or nesting in our pack.”