Chapter 38

DOE

“Come on, let me show you the rest of the cabin,” I said, needing a distraction from how tight my skin felt. I grabbed Ace’s hand and pulled him toward the back hallway. “This is my favorite part.”

Ace let me drag him past the small bathroom and through the door to the room where I spent most of my time.

It was as I’d left it: the curtains were open to show off the massive windows, and the perfectly made bed against the back wall was covered with brand-new linens and more pillows than I could count.

With a flick of the light switch next to the door, the fairy lights I’d hung lit the room with a warm glow.

“Isn’t it beautiful in here?” I sighed as I gazed around the room.

“I mean, just look at the huge skylight.” I pointed at the domed window that covered the ceiling, showing off the purple and orange clouds overhead. “You can see the stars at night.”

“And I added the fairy lights. I know they’re a bit much, but I spent a lot of time reading in here when I couldn’t sleep, and the fluorescents they had before hurt my eyes.

“And look!” I picked up the corner of the comforter. “I found this in town. Doesn’t it remind you of the one you have? I mean, it’s not exactly the same light blue, but it’s pretty close, right?”

My voice turned high-pitched as I watched Ace scan the space with a raised brow. Why did I care so much about what he thought about it? It wasn’t like we would be staying there for much longer.

“You nested.” Ace sounded surprised. “You built your nest here.”

I frowned. “No, I didn’t. I just didn’t like the blankets that they had here, so I went out and got some new ones. And some new pillowcases for the extra pillows that they had in the closet.

“And, okay, I might have also moved the bed so it was on the other side of the room, but that’s only because it was against the windows before, which was silly and a waste of space.

“Plus, it just felt safer to be facing the window while I slept instead of having my back to it, so I…” I paused. My eyes widened. “Oh, my god, I nested.”

Ace was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me with an amused grin on his full lips. He nodded. “You nested.”

No wonder I’d spent so much time rearranging the furniture, picking out linens, moving around pillows, hanging lights… I’d been obsessed over it, unable to stop until I had it just right.

All because I was subconsciously making myself a space where I would feel comfortable and safe during one of the most vulnerable times of my life.

My nest.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair. ~How did I not know what I was doing?~

“Hey, it’s okay, baby,” Ace said. He approached me and hugged me. “You did exactly what you’re supposed to do. It’s a beautiful nest. Perfect. You did so well.”

My anxiety quickly melted into relief. I felt like preening under his praise. I wondered if he knew how much his words meant to me, how much my omega needed his approval right now.

“Well, um, maybe we could bring this all back to your house then? I’ll remake my nest there,” I suggested.

Ace shook his head. “You built your nest here, Doe. We could move it back to my house, but this is where your omega decided she wanted to spend her heat.”

~Have my heat here? In the middle of nowhere? Would he really be okay with that?~ “But I thought you said your house was the safest place to spend my heat because it’s sound and smellproof.”

“You have good instincts, Doe. This place is secure, it’s clean and comfortable, and as far as I can tell, there aren’t any werewolves around, so we don’t have to worry about anyone smelling you.

“You did a good job picking this place, baby.”

My heart fluttered with hope. “So, we can stay here?”

“Absolutely. As long as it’s what you want, I think it would be a great idea to stay here.”

“What about Lacy and Ottis? They might stop by.”

“I was already thinking about asking Madoc to drive here and bring me some clothes. I could ask him to make up a reason to clear them out until your heat is done. Then we won’t have to worry.”

My inner omega bristled at the thought of having another werewolf around me right now, especially a powerful one like Madoc. The only person I wanted in my nest was Ace.

Ace noticed my wrinkled nose and chuckled. “Don’t worry. He won’t come near the cabin. He’ll take care of your neighbors, leave my clothes where I can get them, and then leave. How does that sound?”

The relief I felt was bone-deep and unexpected. I hadn’t realized how much I was longing to stay in the cabin until he said we could.

I tried to picture us completing the mating bond in this room. Ace on top of me, moving against me, his teeth lodged deep in my throat, merging our souls together forever.

It didn’t sound like the worst idea.

Ace hummed and bent down until his lips were right next to my ear, his breath ruffling my hair.

“Would you like that, Doe? Would you like to spend your heat here in this perfect little nest you made?”

An electric current erupted under my skin, and my eyes fluttered shut. My nod was eager. “Yes,” I breathed.

Without thinking, I tilted my head to the side, offering my mating gland to him. A purr roared to life in Ace’s chest, and he happily pressed his lips to the small bump, lapping at it lightly.

My body bucked. My heart did a free fall from my chest and settled between my legs. Even I could smell my perfume fill the room as wetness pooled from my core.

~Shit.~

Ace groaned against my neck. “Goddess, your fucking ~scent~. I want to drown in it. ~Feast~ on it.” He took my mating gland back into his mouth, mercilessly sucking on it.

My knees damn near gave out. I would have fallen to the floor if it weren’t for Ace’s holding me.

“This is where you were when you mind-linked for help to get you off earlier this morning, wasn’t it?” he asked me.

~Was that only this morning? Jeez, it feels like weeks ago.~ “Uh…um…”

Ace chuckled. “You don’t need to answer that. I can smell your arousal on the sheets.”

Huh. Well, that’s only a tad bit embarrassing.

“You know,” Ace murmured against my skin, “I promised myself I would keep my hands to myself until we got back home so I didn’t get either of us wound up. But now…”

With speed and strength that I couldn’t wrap my head around, Ace had me on my back on the bed, gasping in shock.

He crawled above me, maneuvering his body between my parted legs, and tucked his hand under my back so I was forced to arch against him.

“Now I’m thinking I want to put my hands all over you.”

His lips captured mine.