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Sierra's eyes widened at my words, her pupils dilating further with arousal. "Yes," she breathed. "Give me your knot, Rowen. Fill me."

With a final, powerful thrust, I buried myself to the hilt as my knot expanded to its full size. My release hit me like a tidal wave, pleasure exploding through every nerve ending as I emptied myself inside her. Through our bond, I felt her climax again, her body milking me for every drop.

In that moment of perfect clarity, I sank my fangs into the junction of her neck and shoulder, directly over the mark I'd left during her first heat. The taste of her blood on my tongue, sweet and electric, sealed our bond anew, strengthening the connection between us.

Sierra cried out, her body convulsing around my knot as the claiming bite triggered yet another orgasm. Her legs shook in Callum and Archer's hands, but they held her steady, ensuring I remained locked deep inside her.

When the initial intensity had passed, I nodded to them, and they released her legs. I gathered Sierra against my chest, careful not to jostle our connection as I maneuvered us into a more comfortable position. My knot would keep us joined for at least twenty minutes, maybe longer given the intensity of her heat.

"You did so well," I murmured, pressing gentle kisses across her face, her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids. "Such a good girl, taking all of us like that."

She hummed contentedly, her body boneless with satisfaction as she nestled against me. The heat of her skin had subsided slightly, though I knew it wouldn't last long. This was merely a temporary respite.

"I love you," I whispered against her temple, the words escaping before I could stop them. I'd never said them before, not to her, not to anyone in my long existence. But in thismoment, with her bound to me in the most primal way, they felt right. Necessary.

Sierra's eyes fluttered open, surprise and something deeper shining in their silver depths. "Rowen..."

"Shh," I pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Rest while you can. This is just the beginning."

I felt her smile against my chest, her breathing gradually slowing as exhaustion claimed her. My knot pulsed inside her, occasional aftershocks of pleasure rippling through us both. I met Callum and Archer's gazes over Sierra's head, seeing my own determination reflected in their eyes.

We would get her through this heat, no matter what it took. And when it was over, when she emerged on the other side with her full powers awakened, we would face whatever came next—together.

My hand settled possessively on her lower belly, a primal part of me already imagining it swollen with my child. I'd be the one to breed her first, I decided. When the time was right, when she was ready, my seed would take root inside her. The thought sent another pulse of satisfaction through me as I held her close, waiting for the next wave of her heat to begin.

53

Sierra

Iwoke with a groan, my entire body aching in places I didn't know could ache. Sticky and covered in various bodily fluids—cum, spit, my own arousal—I felt like I'd been run over by a truck. A sex truck. Multiple times.

My eyes fluttered open to find myself in the center of our massive bed, the nest I'd so carefully constructed now a disaster zone of rumpled blankets and displaced pillows. The fairy lights Callum had strung above the bed twinkled softly, casting a gentle glow over the aftermath of what had clearly been days of intense activity.

How long had I been lost in the throes of my heat? Hours? Days? I had no concept of time passing—just flashes of memory. Hands gripping my hips. Mouths on my skin. Pleasure so intense it bordered on pain.

I tried to move and immediately regretted it. Every muscle in my body protested, sending sharp reminders of exactly how thoroughly I'd been claimed by my three mates. My throat felt like sandpaper, parched and raw from screaming their names.

A large, warm hand settled on my shoulder, and I turned my head to find Rowen watching me with those obsidian eyes.His expression held something I rarely saw there. Concern, tenderness, and a hint of uncertainty.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his deep voice rumbling through me.

I tried to answer, but all that came out was a dry croak. Rowen immediately reached for a water bottle on the bedside table, uncapping it before sliding an arm behind my shoulders to help me sit up.

"Easy," he murmured as I winced at the movement. "Take small sips."

The cool water was heaven against my parched throat. I drank greedily, nearly choking in my eagerness until Rowen pulled the bottle away.

"Slowly," he admonished, his thumb stroking the nape of my neck. "There's plenty more."

After a few more careful sips, I found my voice. "I feel like I've been hit by a bus," I rasped. "A really pleasurable bus, but still a bus."

A ghost of a smile touched Rowen's lips. "Not surprising. You've been in the throes of your heat for nearly three days."

"Three days?" I echoed, stunned. It had felt both longer and shorter than that—time had lost all meaning in the haze of need and satisfaction.

My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, the sound almost comically at odds with the gravity of our conversation.

"And apparently you're hungry," Rowen observed, his expression softening further. "Callum is cooking breakfast. He had a feeling the worst of it had passed after the last round."