Embarrassment of the Panda

He came to the retreat to be fixed.

He found someone who saw he’d never been broken.

Omega Milo has spent his whole life being told he’s too quiet, too sensitive, too much and not enough at the same time. When his family sends him to Ridgewood Omega Retreat to “become bondable,” Milo expects six weeks of awkward social exercises and quiet humiliation.

Then he’s assigned to David, a calm, grounded alpha handler whose presence feels safe in a way Milo has never known.

When Milo’s scent blooms uncontrollably during tea ceremony, David steadies him.

When aromatherapy becomes overwhelming, David finds him by the stream.

When cruel whispers at the bonding circle send Milo fleeing to the library, David wraps him in a bonding scarf and reads poetry until he falls asleep in his arms.

And when Milo’s heat finally stirs, naturally, beautifully, it’s David he seeks.

Together they discover a bond built not from program rules, but from soft touches, slow trust, shared quiet, and the instinctive pull of two hearts learning they belong together.

A slow-burn, high-emotion MM Omegaverse romance for readers who love:

🐼 Gentle omegas

🌲 Soft but protective alphas

🐾 Retreat / forced proximity

🫶 Found connection

🔥 Pre-heat intimacy

❤️‍🩹 Healing, comfort, caretaking

💞 Scenting, bonding scarves, safe touch

Expect: mm omegaverse, omega retreat, caretaking romance, soft alpha, gentle omega, forced proximity, scent bonding, emotional healing, heat cycle romance, knotting mm, slow burn mm romance, found comfort, hurt/comfort, safe alpha, anxiety representation, mm bonding