Page 156 of The Other Omega

“We can tell the girls when they're older that their Daddy Caius picked the rug for their nursery.” I smiled.

He didn’t answer, but his ears went pink.

“Have you chosen anything from the furniture catalogue yet?” Leon asked.

I turned towards him slowly. Something in his voice was off, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“The one my mother gave you, sweetheart,” he added before I could answer.

“No, I haven't.” I shook my head. “There are so many options; I get overwhelmed every time I look at it. I think I'll need the mothers to help me choose. Baby furniture on Earth is mostly made of wood, not stone, so I don't really know what I'm supposed to be looking for here.”

“They are very diligent.” That same note slipped into Leon's voice before he sounded quite calm again. “I'm sure they'll provide all the information you need to make your choice.”

That funny feeling returned to my chest, and I looked at Leon before glancing around the table.

Their mothers had never said the men couldn’t help. They’d only explained what usually happened. The Omega prepared for her babies with help from her mates’ mothers, and the men stayed out of it.

My husbands, despite being some of the most powerful men in High Mountain, had simply accepted that this was one thing they weren’t supposed to interfere with. Except Caius had checked rug samples, Leon had looked at the furniture catalogue, and suddenly I felt the other three had opinions too.

My mates gave so little away sometimes, but the bonds had helped with that. I felt those little bursts of warmth every day when I climbed onto one of their laps for no reason, told them how handsome they looked in uniform or kissed them because I was walking past and felt like it. I felt it when I decided they looked too tired to feed themselves and started feeding them.

They hardly reacted on the outside. Leon sometimes did, but the others usually just accepted whatever I did, with those serious faces of theirs. The bonds told me the truth, though.

They loved it.

So why had I assumed they didn’t want to help with the babies? These were their daughters too.

“Actually, I would love for all of you to help me choose instead. The rug and everything else.” I waved the small piece of pineapple in my hand. “I only left you out because I thought I was supposed to follow your customs, but I've changed my mind.”

Something shifted around the table, and I looked at all five of them.

“High Mountain has its customs, but so do I. And I think it's only fair that we bring some of mine into our Pack too. So, from today,” I said solemnly, “we have a new pack rule.”

All five of them straightened slightly because, of course, they did. Pack rules were serious business here, and I tried not to smile.

“My mates will help me prepare for every single one of our children. Our girls and all the others we will hopefully have afterwards.”

The bonds exploded. Shock came first, so strong and sudden that I sucked in a breath, then came the happiness from all five of them at once.

Alaric recovered first, though the warmth pouring through our bond hadn't settled. “We shall be honoured, my heart.”

“And you may be assured that we won't take such a responsibility lightly,” Lucien added.

One look at Darius told me he was already planning security for children who didn’t even exist yet.

“Good.” I turned back to Leon. “Then I'll show you the catalogue after breakfast.”

Leon held my gaze. “I've already seen it.”

I blinked. He looked almost sheepish, although only almost.

“Well…” I tried not to smile. “Have you got something in mind?”

“I do.” Leon reached for his glass. “There's a particular cot and furniture collection I believe would be suitable. I know the craft master. His work is highly respected throughout the Mountain, and I've yet to see finer craftsmanship.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “I would also suggest that we dispense with freestanding shelving. The shelves can be carved directly into the nursery walls.”

I frowned. “I would love to see the cot you like, but why not the wooden bookcases?”

“Because our daughters will eventually climb.”