20. Juno

JUNO

Juno found herself at the pack house more and more over the next couple of weeks. Weeknight dinners with whoever was around became part of her routine. Everett let her have food off his plate one time and Isaac asked if he was experiencing some sort of mental episode. “Ev never shares his food,” Ollie explained in an awed whisper. Miles, of course, felt the need to test this theory and got a fork imprint in the back of his hand.

Ollie had offered to help her on a photography assignment after class one night, but they lost track of time entirely and Juno ended up crashing on his bed. He’d been the perfect gentleman — one enthusiastic make out session in the morning notwithstanding — and had left Juno slightly off-kilter. When she asked him a couple days later why he didn’t try anything more, the last thing she expected was for his face to go beet red and for him to mumble something about wanting to do something special for their first time. That was a significant problem for her because it only made her want him more.

Miles, however, was more than happy to scratch that itch for her. He took full advantage of betas being allowed to visit the Omega Village to show her new and inventive ways to use her vibrator collection. They’d eaten lunch with Hazel afterward once, who was perfectly polite while giving Juno comedically suggestive smiles and eyebrow waggles whenever Miles wasn’t looking. “Hazel seems nice,” Miles commented afterward as she walked him back to the lobby. “I’m glad you have a friend who’s so supportive of you having sex,” he added with a cheeky grin and Juno wished a localised tsunami would come and just carry her away.

Juno had insisted on a second date with Everett, only for it to be promptly ruined when her period arrived that afternoon and she turned into a cramping blanket slug. Everett had brought her to the house and told her he wanted to just watch movies on the couch anyway, then proceeded to build what could only be described as a snack moat around her.

She fell asleep in the middle of the extended version of The Two Towers, and woke up in Everett’s bed where she had left the biggest drool patch imaginable on his pillow. Because apparently leaving her fluids on his things was just something she did now.

He’d slept with his giant body squashed on the couch for her, and she felt guilty all over again. When she told him this, he just replied gruffly, “I like taking care of you.”

She didn’t even recognise herself sometimes, didn’t realise this effervescent hopeful version of herself could exist. Needless to say, her therapist was thrilled. Hazel liked to check in and ask if she’d banged Isaac yet. Apparently “no and I’m not gonna” wasn’t an acceptable answer judging by Hazel’s aggrieved sigh.

Still, there were some aspects of pack life that she wasn’t quite prepared for. Isaac had approached her one evening and asked in a stilted robot voice if she’d be willing to ‘discuss next steps’. Because according to the omega cycle tracker he’d downloaded, “your heat will be imminent once your period finishes.” She’d let out a banshee-like shriek and launched herself at Everett.

“Did everyone know I was on my period?” Juno beat tiny, useless fists on his wall-like chest.

“No!” Everett bellowed.

“Yes,” Miles coughed into his hand.

“But only because we wanted to do nice things for you during it,” Ollie added, as if that made it all better. No wonder he sent doughnuts to her after her second ‘date’ with Everett. Juno did not want to admit it but they came at just the right time and she did not share them with anyone.

Isaac was trying to explain that periods and heats were not a big deal to them considering it was pretty obvious growing up why they were banished from the house every three months or so. He only shut up when Miles gave him a firm elbow to the side.

Despite the unintentionally humiliating way he went about it, Isaac was right. Her first heat since escaping Pack Zhao was coming. The first time she would be vulnerable again to bonds.

The thought made her feel sick.

Also, she had only taken that crucial step with Miles so far. But she was fairly certain she wanted Ollie too. But Everett…she liked the pace things were going at with him. She didn’t want to rush things for the sake of her heat. Would he be offended? Would Isaac be ok with Miles tending to her during her heat, separated from him for so many days?

She also hadn’t even begun nesting yet. Where would she even nest? Her room at the Village wasn’t an option but hiring a room with heat services didn’t appeal to her. She also never really felt safe enough to nest properly in the past. Certainly never sought out items belonging to the brothers to fill her nest with their scents. Would she even know how to or was that fundamental part of herself broken?

Her therapist certainly had her work cut out for her this week.

Once she had worked herself into a sufficient frenzy over how to bring this all up tactfully (turns out Isaac was right to want to discuss it because he was a wizard of the highest order), Ollie and Miles invited her to the house for a surprise.

The two of them led her to a closed door at the end of a corridor, shuffling along with a vibrating sort of nervous energy. Miles went to turn the handle but paused, glancing back at her.

“What is it, Miles? This is where I showered that other night, wasn’t it?” Juno asked, her brow furrowing. His lips lifted in a suggestive smile briefly — oh, he was fully aware of which night Juno had showered in that room — before he gave his head a small shake and cleared his throat.

“We know your heat is coming up and we want to be here for you during it.” The formality sounded strange coming out of his mouth.

“We?”

Ollie’s hand slid around her waist, reassuring and comforting. “Miles and I.” His cheeks went pink under his dark freckles. “If you’ll have us.”

Juno covered his hand with hers, lifting it up to kiss his fingers and tame the trepidation he was feeling. “Heats have always been a scary time in my life,” she admitted quietly. She sensed their rising indignation over her past and continued quickly. “But I’m not scared this time. I won’t lie, I can’t say I’m excited or looking forward to it because of, well you know,” she trailed off and felt Ollie grip her tighter. “I’m glad it’s you two.”

Miles drew close and kissed her lingeringly, his mouth languidly moving over hers. She could feel Ollie against her back, lips feathering over her neck. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining them in the same position but naked, trapped between the heat of their bodies and feeling their hard cocks against her skin. A soft whimper escaped as her scent bloomed between them. Overripe peaches bursting with juice and sugar caramelised till shards, it was growing more and more indulgent closer to her heat.

“As much fun as this is…” Miles’ voice sounded strained as he reluctantly pulled back and Juno did not miss the way he discreetly adjusted himself. “This wasn’t why we brought you here.”

Miles pushed open the door and Ollie guided her inside with his hands on her shoulders. What was previously a guest bedroom with rudimental furnishings had been completely transformed. A wide mattress now spanned almost the entire floor of the room. It curved upwards at the edges, forming a low wall. One edge rose much higher than the others to form the headboard. Layers of sheer, feather-light curtains formed a canopy above it. Miles flicked a switch near the door, the gossamer fabric glowed with a soft golden light.

A lump formed in Juno’s throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “A nest?” She couldn’t stop her voice from wavering. Not just any nest either. The kind of nest she’d seen other omegas huddled over the latest Nest Emporium house tour video cooing over.

“Your nest,” Ollie confirmed, quietly.

A tear escaped, sliding down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away and gave them a tremulous smile. “Happy tears, they’re happy tears, I swear.”

Miles also pointed out the little room next door with just enough space for a desk and a wardrobe. Her wobbly tears turned into a full on blubber. They panicked, trying to comfort her and all she could say was “why is it all so perfect?” over and over.

“You’re still missing some things though,” Ollie said tentatively once she was only hiccuping once every two minutes. He picked up a large wicker basket that had been sitting in the corner. “We’ve put off doing our laundry for the last couple of weeks. Isaac couldn’t stand it but I insisted.”

Miles gave him an amused look. “Insisted?”

“Ok fine, I asked as nicely as I could and explained that it was for you,” Ollie corrected himself, unflapped by Miles’ interruption. “Our sheets, pillows, clothes…well, they’re getting a bit…” He turned to Miles, searching for the right word.

“Aromatic. Pungent. Downright stinky,” Miles supplied magnanimously.

Ollie blinked. “I don’t know if that’s the best way to…well I guess they are. But that means they’re perfect for you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed my missing T-shirts, by the way.” He winked at her and Juno squeaked and chewed on her fingernails. They made such comfy loungewear for when she had been back at the Village.

He placed the basket in her hands. “You should go steal some more stuff, little thief. Bring back whatever you need to make his nest yours.”

It was an omega’s version of a candy store.

“I can…take anything?” Juno asked, her eyes alight and excitement bubbling in her chest.

“Even Ev and Isaac’s rooms aren’t off limits if you want anything of theirs.”

The reminder of the other pack members cooled her enthusiasm slightly. “They don’t mind not being part of my heat, do they?” Juno asked, not daring to meet Miles and Ollie’s eyes.

“I think Isaac would be mortified if you asked. He knows you guys aren’t like that,” Ollie laughed. Miles said nothing, but there was a flash of something calculating in his expression before it disappeared.

“As for Everett?” Ollie and Miles glanced at each other briefly over her shoulder. “Ev knows your relationship isn’t really in that place yet. That’s what he told us. Did he misread things?"

“No I…I agree. I didn’t want him to feel slighted.”

“We’re here for you during your heat. If anyone feels entitled to be with you during such a vulnerable time then they don’t deserve to be there,” Ollie insisted with uncharacteristic fierceness.

Miles stroked her cheek with his thumb. “And Isaac just wants you cared for. They’ll both help out in other ways.”

“Food, any life admin things on our behalf while we’re occupied,” Ollie explained. “But mostly keep their distance,” he went on to assure her quickly.

Miles spun her around and gave her a playful swat on the bum. “So go snoop and steal to your heart’s content, beautiful.”

With an undeniable skip in her step, Juno left her beautiful unfinished nest behind. She arrived at Ollie’s room first. Organised chaos was the best way to describe it. He insisted he knew exactly where everything was but also took a good twenty minutes to find matching socks. His unmade bed was a siren song for her. Some omegas liked clothes for their nest but that wasn’t really Juno’s style. Clothes were for stealing and wearing, not fucking on top of.

His slightly lumpy pillows were immediately stuffed in the basket, along with his quilt. Juno pursed her lips at the already full basket, realising she would need to take several trips. Ollie’s softest, most threadbare T-shirt found its way into a crevice and she pottered back to the nest to dump her windfall.

Miles was next. She was pleasantly surprised to find his subtle beta scent lingered on his bedding despite spending most nights in Isaac’s room. “I napped and lay in bed like a sloth watching TV for you,” Miles explained later with the most sombre, altruistic expression on his face. She claimed a pillow and stripped his sheets for good measure. Juno thumbed through his wardrobe until she found the oversized jumper he wore on their first date.

Maybe she’d wear it for him someday with no pants on.

Even though she had permission, crossing the threshold into Everett’s room felt strange. His scent filled the neat and orderly space, bitingly fresh and wonderfully wild. Juno gasped at the sight of his curved U-shaped pillow — she had to have it, it was in the basket, it was hers forever. She found a muscle tee he must have used as a gym shirt because the amount of his scent on it was absolutely potent. Into the basket it went, because she was a gross omega who liked sweaty clothes.

Isaac’s room made her tipsy. His rum mingled with Miles’ fainter sangria evoking dark corners, flashing lights and helpless giggles. Her thieving fingers itched. Would it be weird to take Isaac’s things for her heat?

“Oh! I’m sorry, I can come back.”

Juno turned, eyes round like a deer in headlights as Isaac appeared at the door. He was doing a strange shuffling motion like he didn’t know if he was coming or going.

She babbled apologetically. “No, I’m sorry. I mean it’s your room and everything, I’m just—”

“It’s completely fine. Miles told me what you were doing tonight. It’s my fault.” He was alternating between talking to the space directly above her head and the wall closest to him. “He asked me to get…well it doesn’t matter, but it just completely slipped my mind. Take whatever you want.”

“It’s ok, I don’t need—”

“Juno.” His low warning growl sent shivers through her. Pleasurable ones, like getting a back scratch or having your head rubbed.

She grabbed a cotton T-shirt that had been slung over the armchair.

“I wore that to bed with Miles this week. Good choice. It smells like him.” Isaac cleared his throat, shifting his weight to his other foot.

Juno couldn’t help herself. She brought the shirt up to her nose and inhaled. Drunken licking kisses, then the whipping sound of a leather belt roughly undone and pulled out from its loops, clattering to the floor. She couldn’t stop herself imagining Isaac pressing Miles against the wall, hands held captive above his head. The heady mix of the two of them lit up every dopamine synapse in her brain.

“Thanks.” She squashed it in her basket, hoping her voice didn’t sound too strained.

As he was leaving, Isaac held up the object he’d come in to retrieve. The disc case for an extremely gory fighting game. His ears turned a deep burgundy and Juno realised with concealed delight that this was how he showed embarrassment. “He never wants to play with me. Says he has no interest in watching his character have his spine removed. But he asked tonight for some reason,” Isaac explained sheepishly.

“I’ll play with you sometime,” Juno found herself saying. “My parents never let me play video games but sometimes my brother Ben would let me when they were out or had gone to bed.”

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He simply nodded before a steely glint appeared in his eyes. “Prepare to have your ass kicked then.”

Juno let out an indignant gasp. “You prepare to have your ass kicked!” she yelled after him as he disappeared out the door, his booming laughter echoing in the hall.

* * *

She spent a good twenty minutes arranging everything just so in her nest. Most of the pilfered clothes were folded neatly in her overnight bag to take home. Although for some reason she needed Isaac’s shirt slid into a pillow between the case and cushion.

Juno was basking in the soft cocoon of her newly built nest when she saw a shadow against the canopy fabric.

“Can I come into your nest, omega?” Ollie’s polite voice filtered through.

Her instincts crowed, eager for this beautiful alpha to complete her nest. She opened the curtain and pulled him in, her arms circling his neck as she greeted him with a fierce kiss.

“Was this the something special you were waiting for?” Juno murmured against his lips. He nodded, kissing her harder, their breaths mingling.

“I have something for you.” Ollie’s voice dropped as his arms wound around her waist to pull her closer.

“Something more than this nest?” Juno asked, gesturing at her lavish surroundings.

“No, I mean, yes.” He looked flustered and slightly confused. “Yes, I have something for you. It starts with a k.” There was an awkward silence as he considered something. “But it sounds like it starts with an n.”

Juno stared at him blankly. A beat passed as his meaning registered. “Are you trying to say you have a knot for me?” she asked incredulously.

Ollie looked miserable. “I thought I could do dirty talk but I don’t think I can,” he said mournfully. “Can’t believe I’ve messed this up already.” He released her and tried to stick his head under the pile of bedding like an ashamed ostrich. Juno tried valiantly to stop him while holding back a giggle fit.

“I don’t need dirty talk, Ollie.” Juno was trying to make eye contact with him behind a pillow he’d held up as a final line of defence. “Just you.” She moved it aside so she could kiss him. It was a very serious, heart-thumping kind of kiss, accompanied by a soothing hand cupped under his freckled cheek. I like you just the way you are, she said without words. He deepened it, closing the space between their bodies as his tongue sought hers. Juno felt him hardening against her and an involuntary whine escaped. With a desperate groan, he tore off his glasses as his kisses grew more filthy, his hands starting to stroke her brazenly as Juno lost her mind entirely.

She wanted him and she couldn’t believe that she could just have him. If she wanted to feel the coarse texture of his hair under her fingers, she could. If she wanted to entwine her tongue with his, she could. And he rewarded her with the most eager noises she couldn’t get enough of.

They fell into the nest in a messy heap, her world narrowing entirely down to the hot press of his weight on top of her and the promise of one mischievous wandering hand sliding up her thigh. As he moved upward, the hem of her dress followed, up and over her head before his mouth found hers again. She mirrored his movements with his shirt before her fingers wandered down his chest, admiring the firm muscles beneath. He seemed slightly embarrassed when she reached the slight softness around his belly button that contrasted with his wiry frame. So she bent down to kiss him there several times. I like you just the way you are. I like you just the way you are.

Her bra was off now and this time it was her turn to feel self conscious. Miles didn’t seem to mind her small breasts but how did Ollie feel? One glance at his face melted all apprehension. She caught a slightly feral tinge to his expression, before he unleashed himself.

“There’s really not much there,” she gasped after a particularly vulgar lick of his tongue along the curve of her breast. There was a beat of stillness as he stared at her, before he slowly, intentionally lowered his head back down and sucked the tip of her nipple into his mouth without breaking eye contact. It was too much — his black eyes, his richly roasted scent rising — the sensation shot down her belly straight to her aching centre and a fresh burst of slick soaked her panties.

“I think they’re perfect.” His voice was low and husky and fuck, that alone managed to turn her on another notch.

Ollie kissed his way to where her panties sat low on her hips, his hands caressing her thigh in gentle circles. The span of his hand felt huge as he palmed her inner thigh, pushing her legs open wider. He took one look at the almost transparent, slick drenched cotton and swore, his entire body tensing.

“Oh, fuck.” He sounded like he was in pain. “Let me, let me just—”

Juno’s breath caught in her throat as Ollie dove in, his hot mouth sucking the slick straight from her panties. She could feel him laving the edge of the fabric with his tongue, sliding beneath to taste her. The gusset was bunched up now, a torturous friction against her clit as he licked along her now exposed pussy lips. It wasn’t enough yet it was everything, her hips rising up to press herself harder against him without realising. She was so fucking wet, a carnal mix of her slick and his saliva. She could feel it on her thighs, pooling between her ass cheeks.

Ollie enclosed her clit in the heat of his mouth and his tongue circled it once, twice, three times and she was done. “Keep going,” she begged him, fisting the sheets as the trembling started to take over. “Please. Please please please.”

Those maddening circles continued, no matter how much her body flailed and arched, never faltering, giving, giving, giving until she couldn’t take anymore. He was her lifeline as she lost herself to the pleasure.