Page 116 of A is for Aftercare

He kneels and bows his head, his posture utterly submissive. I lean down and click the lock shut with a snap that seems infinitely loud.

“Thank you,” I whisper, cupping his face in my hand. I stroke the tears from his cheek as he presses into my palm, turning at the last second to kiss my skin.

I pick up the dog tag with the key and put it around my neck. Then I help him stand and kiss him properly, forgetting that our friends and family are here watching us. We are in a bubble of happiness. There is no one but him and me. Nothing matters but the way his lips are fused to mine. I run my fingers over the collar around his neck. I've never been happier than when I’m with Archie.

When our lips part, I realise that our guests are clapping us. I unclip the leash from Archie’s harness. Now that our collaring ceremony is over, I don’t feel the need to keep him leashed. His brothers rush over to him, hugging him tightly. We’ve met a few times now, but I don’t know them anywhere near as well as Archie.

“That was beautiful,” Blake gushes.

"It was," Corey agrees. He eyes me up. "We'll make you stick to your promise, you know."

I chuckle. “I know.”

“He means it,” Archie says. “Mess with one of the ABC triplets, and you mess with us all.”

"I wish you wouldn't keep calling us that," Blake says. "You know I hate it."

"We all do," Corey agrees.

"So why use it?" I ask, bemused.

Archie shrugs. "Habit, I guess? We got called it so often that it sort of stuck, even though we didn't like it."

That makes sense.

“So are you sort of our brother-in-law now?” Blake asks, cocking his head to the side.

“If you want to think of me that way.”

“You’re family now,” Blake says. “That’s good enough for me.”

Corey nods in agreement.

“You realise one ofyouis going to have to give Mum and Dad a ceremony theycanattend,” Archie says playfully.

“Don’t look at me,” Blake says, and all eyes turn to Corey.

He laughs his brother’s comment off. “Maybe, one day.” He glances over at Spencer and smiles.

As amusing as this conversation is, I’m impatient to get Archie all to myself. I brush my lips over his ear. “I have a surprise for you downstairs.”

“Oh?”

“I had planned on waiting until later, but I feel like stealing you away. The others won’t mind.”

“You’re sure?”

“It’s our party, Archieosaurus. We can do what we want.”

“Go,” Corey says. “Have fun.”

“Okay,” Archie replies excitedly. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you for coming,” I say to the others. “Calvin, would you mind acting as host for the evening?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Calvin says with a grin.

I nod my thanks and wrap my arm around Archie’s shoulders. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my sub and I have something special to do.”