“Everything about your pack is so different than what I’m used to.”
“Different good?” I asked.
“Yes. Yes, I think so.” Awe colored her tones. Her scent calmed to her normal honey and vanilla.
“Go on, then. Get the pup cleaned up and in bed, and we’ll be waiting. Would you like some tea or coffee when you finish up?”
“Tea would be great. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Good night, Maddox.” We all wished him good night, and he said it back a million times, giggling hard.
Once the dishes were done and put away and the leftovers were in the fridge, Gram-Gram faced us. “She deserves to be treated right. Like the sweet, kind, and caring omega she is. You’ll do that for her, right? Be the pack she needs?”
“We are going to be the best we can for her.” James was right. We were already making plans. Buy a home here. Move our work. Take leaves of absence. Whatever we needed to do.
“She works so hard. Sometimes I worry. Won’t make a nest, either. Says that’s for omegas in books only. That those things don’t happen in real life.”
“Our home will have a nest for her.”
“Her favorite tea is the wild apple mint. It’s in the corner cabinet. I’m taking these old bones to bed. Good night, you three. I’m trusting you with her.”
“Thank you.”
To my surprise, Gram-Gram hugged us all before she retired for the evening. I could hear Romi speaking to Maddoxsomewhere in the back of the cabin. Probably reading him a story or telling him one she made up. Because she was a good mom like that.
When she came back to the living area, she had all of our attention. All of it. She was wearing those jeans James told me about from the bar. The ones that fit her as though they were painted on. She’d changed her shirt probably because Maddox had splashed her. Some water noises had made me think he’d been playful in the bath.
“Sit down,” James said. “I’ll get your tea. Wild apple mint, right?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
She sat down and accepted the tea, adding no honey or sugar or milk.
“You don’t have a nest?” Seth asked. We really needed to work on tact.
“What? Oh, no. I’m not one of those omegas.”
James shut his eyes. “Please explain, Romi.”
She took a breath. “Thomas said nests were for omegas who were weak. They needed comfort their alphas couldn’t provide. My parents certainly didn’t encourage anything related to my designation. I’ve never had a nest.”
The three of us shared a look, plans would be made as soon as we left here. Because I’d be damned if our omega didn’t have a proper nest.
Chapter Thirteen
Romi
We never did get to shift last night, and my wolf was pretty pissed at it—pissed to the point that today, she was being a full-on pain in the ass. Work was not easy. I was getting agitated at pretty much everyone, and it was showing in my tips. But worse than that, it had me uncomfortable in my own skin. My pants were too tight, my bra was too squeezy, my shoes too heavy, and it was hot—so freaking hot.
“You need a glass of water.” Maeve held one out. “You’re all flushed.”
“Yeah, sorry. Just hot today. Maybe I stayed up too late.” It was such a stupid thing to say. I worked last call all the time, which was much later than my evening with the alphas. It never fazed me.
I chugged the water down, but it only seemed to make me hotter.
“I need refills at table eight. Want me to grab them?” Maeve asked.
“I got it.”
