Chapter 55

**Rowan**

I felt relief when Luna had texted me. I hadn’t been able to sleep since Bennett laid her in bed and we all left. Of course, we all felt the urge to crawl into the nest around her and sleep right there but we weren’t sure if she was ready for that yet.

As soon as I replied to her message I jumped out of bed and threw some clothes on. I figured showing up in my boxers and nothing else, which is what I slept in most nights, would be too much of a shock right now. I figured she probably just wanted to cuddle together and go back to sleep.

What I wasn’t expecting was her being stunned the second she saw me. Her eyes took me in slowly and I had an urge to fidget nervously. I have never been self-conscious about my looks before but with Luna things are different. She will be the last and only woman to ever touch me again and I’m kind of nervous that she might not like what she sees.

Then I’m standing inside the room and her eyes are locked on mine. The look I see there is one of an uncertain hunger. Her physical reaction to me seems to be strong but her mind must be battling with the feeling. I don’t move though. She needs to set the pace between us and I have to find all the self-restraint I can to let her.

Then she reached her hands to rest on my sides and my body instantly feels too hot. I want to reach out, grab her, and kiss her like crazy.

But I don’t. I don’t move one bit.

She pulls away too soon and so fast you would think I had burned her. She turned her back to me and I watch her shoulders rise and fall with her labored breaths. Her scent becomes thick and rich around me and the battle of me not acting is lost.

I need to touch her.

Now I’m the one to step closer and I lower my head so I can take in her scent even more. I reach out and brush her hair away from the side of her neck and my lips hover just over her honey skin. Her breathing has become more erratic at my closeness and I hesitate for only a small moment. Then she leans her head to the side, elongating her neck to me and I snap.

I move close enough that her back is flush against my chest and I rest my hands on her hips. She lets out a sigh and I test the waters by kissing her neck just below her ear. She shudders and her breath catches at the contact.

I don’t want to take things too far so soon but I need to just feel her a little. Her natural response to me has all my instincts taking over. As her Alpha, I need to provide her with everything she could want or need, including physically.

My own need to touch her has me kissing all down her neck and running my hands along her sides. She lets out a sigh that sounds a lot like contentment and I smile to myself. All the tension she had at being alone is long gone now, which means I’ve done my job.

I drop one more kiss to her neck before stepping away and gently turning her to face me. Her eyes are half-lidded and she is pliant in my hands.

I smile down at her and let my fingers entwine with hers. She lets me lead her back to the nest and I climb in beside her. As soon as I’m comfortable she moves a few blankets around to her liking and snuggles in beside me. My heart swells at the feel of her against me. I have never felt this kind of pull toward anyone before and no one has ever been this close to me.

A quick fling doesn’t leave time for cuddling or even staying the night, so this feels new and…amazing. Her sweet honey scent fills my lungs and lulls me into a deep and much-needed sleep. Have I ever had a good night's rest before now?

Somehow the answer is no. I’ve been coasting in life until now. So it’s true what they say…a pack doesn’t truly feel complete until they find their Omega.

When I slowly wake the next morning I feel the warmth against me and the same honey scent that had buried me in a deep and calming sleep.

Luna.

I look down and see small rays of sun bouncing and glittering along with her golden hair. It’s almost like a halo is steadily forming all around her. I watch her sleeping peacefully wrapped around me like I’m the lifeline keeping her afloat. She probably didn’t mean to cling to me like this but I don’t mind one bit. I tighten my hold on her and try to get as close as possible. I’m not sure how long I lay here watching her sleep but I soak in every detail. I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her, and it feels like she is only a dream.

When she finally starts to wake her movements are slow and sluggish. Her hands are pulling away from their tight hold on me and they brush against my chest softly. The feeling has my body flaring to life and I can’t help the purr that rumbles in my chest. Luna’s movements are still and she slowly raises her head until we’re face to face.

Too close.

Close enough that if I move forward just a couple of inches I could kiss her.

Her golden eyes blink up at me like she’s trying to figure out how I’m here or if I’m real. I expect her to jump away from me when she realizes the position we’re in but instead she lowers her head to rest against my chest again and lets out a sigh. My arms encircle her and I feel relieved that she isn’t pulling away from me. I want to hold her just a little longer.

I don’t get nearly enough time to enjoy the moment before the door to the nest opens and Kai pops his head in. When he sees me his eyes widen in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” He asks stepping in and crossing his arms over his chest like a disappointed parent.

I raise a brow at him but he doesn’t back down. Luna sits up quickly and tucks her hair behind her ears and fidgets nervously.

“Not that it’s any of your business but she asked for me,” I say sitting up as well.

Kai must notice Luna's discomfort because he visibly deflates and scratches his neck sheepishly.

"Right. Sorry." He says.

"What's up?" I ask him.

He walks around the bed to kneel in front of Luna. He takes her hands in his and gives her a small smile.

"I came to see how Luna slept and to ask if she's hungry." He says but he keeps his eyes fixed on our Omega.

"Where's Milo?" I ask him.

"Here," Milo says as he steps into the room. "And you guys really need to start learning at least basic signs. I won't always be here to translate for you."

"Not all of us have a photographic memory," Kai replies curtly.

"It's not a photographic memory..." Milo starts to explain but Kai waves him off.

"Whatever. You remember everything after seeing it once. Us normal people have to learn things at a normal speed. She just got her yesterday, there's no way we could become fluent overnight. So cut us some slack."

Milo rolls his eyes and moves to kneel in front of Luna as well. That is a sight to see. Milo is not one to put himself in uncomfortable positions for anyone. He's...complicated.

His hands move smoothly as he signs to Luna, and she watches him intently. When he's finished she gives him a simple reply, but she keeps her head low.

"What did you ask her?" I ask Milo.

"I asked if she wanted to go it for breakfast to that cafe we like," Milo says.

Kai is standing now with his phone in hand. "They open in an hour, so she has time to change and get ready."

"You guys go ahead," Milo says and I can see the worried expression on his face.

He must notice that Luna seems a little off.

"We'll see you guys downstairs," I say climbing off the bed.

I stop short and lean down to kiss the top of Luna's head before following Kai out.



**Milo**

Once Rowan and Kai leave I focus all my attention on Luna. Her head is low and she won't meet my eye. I also notice she is biting her bottom lip and clenching her hands tight on her lap. What happened before I came in? Did the guys say or do something to upset her?

That thought makes a rush of anger run through me that I push down like I always do. I don't show emotions often, so it's easy to do and in this situation, I doubt letting my anger show will help Luna.


*"What's wrong?"* I sign to her.

She shakes her head and gives me a tight smile. *"Nothing."* She signs back.

I know for a fact that isn't true because I can see it in her body language and her face that she's upset. Of course, none of us are trained in the ways of dealing with an upset Omega, so it takes me a moment to try and work through everything I have read on the subject. My mind works like a room full of file cabinets where every memory I have is stored. I worked out this system as I got older so I didn't become overwhelmed by things.

After a few moments, the image of the article I read the night after we met Luna. It said that Alpha's need to listen to their instincts when it comes to comforting their Omega, but we aren't normal Alphas. Me for example, I don't always understand others well so this will be more difficult for me.

*"Did Rowan do something to hurt you?"* I ask because that's all I can think of, even though I know Rowan would never hurt her.

Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head quickly.

*"No. He didn't hurt me. I felt embarrassed that I asked him to come to stay with me last night and Kai came in and saw us together. I don't want to upset anyone."* She signs.

I see. Kai must have come in and seen Rowan and her together and now Luna feels guilty. For leaving him out maybe? The article also said that as Luna's pack we need to take her lead in providing things for her that she asks for. An Omega's comfort is extremely important since they are more sensitive to stimuli.

*"You did nothing wrong. Asking for Rowan was good. Kai knows that."* I sign back.

Her wide eyes focus on me and I feel a warmth inside me that feels completely foreign to me. When you add the little smile she gives me I'm even more confused by the spark of pride I feel for making her smile again.

*"Let's get ready, okay?"* I ask her now that's she's smiling again.

She nods and we both stand. I stand there a little unsure now what to do. I've been up for a few hours so I'm ready to go, but I feel like leaving her right now might not be good. I also don't know if I should stay while she gets ready, so I stand unsure. Another feeling I'm not familiar with nor enjoy.

*"You can sit and help me pick what to wear."* She signs to me.

I do as she says and watch her search through one of her boxes. She pulls out a few things and looks them over, she scrunches her nose when she doesn't like what she sees and returns it to the box.

A nose scrunch seems harmless enough, but it makes her look...cute. After going through an entire box she lets out a sigh of defeat and pouts to herself.

Pouts.

On anyone else, I would find such things childish but on her, it makes her look kind of adorable. I glance around the boxes nearby and notice another one marked 'clothes' so I stand and walk over to see what's inside. Another thing an Alpha is good for is helping an Omega make decisions when they feel frustrated by the number of options. This box is filled with dresses. Those really colorful ones that girls like to wear during summer. One of them stands out immediately and I pull it out. It's red with tiny white flowers printed on it. I hold it up and turn to her to see if she would like to wear it. When she sees it her face lights up.

*"Perfect."* She signs before stepping closer and taking it from me.

She twirls around and leaves the room and heads toward the bathroom we set up for her. Once inside I expect her to close the door, but she leaves it cracked. I guess she wants to still feel like I'm close by, so I take a seat back on her bed and wait. While I wait I search for a few videos on Youtube that they guys can watch to learn some small signs at least. That makes me think about the crew members that will be joining us on tour. They need to be able to communicate with Luna as well or they can't be around her, so I send a message to Bennett.

**Me:** Hey I found some videos for you guys to watch to learn sign, but I want the tour crew to watch them as well. I want them to be able to understand and speak to Luna if need be.

**Bennett:** Thanks. You're right, I'll make sure they know that if they want to go on tour then they need to take this time to learn.

**Me**: good

I hear Luna coming back in the room so I lift my head to get a good look at her and I feel like I've been hit with a brick. My body tenses and I feel like it's suddenly hard o breathe. It's like my body is reacting before I even realize what's happening.

She looks...beautiful. I mean she is already beautiful but the dress adds to her beauty. The red looks amazing against her honey skin and it somehow makes her eyes look warmer. I can't fully describe it if I tried. She stops just inside the doorway and does a little turn for me.

*"Is this okay?"* She signs and it takes me a moment to stop staring and reply.

*"Perfect,"* I say standing and moving to stand in front of her.

She smiles Brightly up at me and I can't help but smile as well. She has an effect on me I have never experienced before, and I know it's going to be new to me but I think I'm ready for all the new things she can help me feel.

She is already shaking things up and doesn't even realize it.