Page 41

Liam

R achel and I finish our Math final at almost the same time. We both rise from our seats and deliver our papers to the front before meeting up with Bas and Maya in the hall. Aubree is still working on her final so we all take up a post and wait for her to finish.

“So what are you guys up to tonight? Are you going to watch Shadowpeak and Lunarcrest get their asses kicked?” Maya asks.

“No, actually Derrick is making a celebratory end of semester dinner tonight,” Rachel answers.

“Yeah, Coach Mace said we’re doing shifts. Half the team sits out every day unless we’re playing,” I add with a shrug. “Saves energy.”

“And more time for… post-finals activities,” Bas quips with a sly look. “Oh, I see how it is,” Aubree sasses, joining us in the hall. “Have a party and don’t invite us. Rude.”

“I was going to…” Rachel starts before Aubree cuts her off with a laugh.

“I’m just kidding, Rach. You deserve a relaxing night and to enjoy your mates.” She tosses in a wink for added effect.

Now complete, our group heads out of the building and into the quad. Aubree and Maya split off, after a round of hugs and promises to meet up at the carnival tomorrow, and we head back to our townhouse. Our walk back is filled with teasing and laughter. The scent hits me the minute we cross the threshold. Cheese, butter, something roasted, and fragrant herbs. Derrick is in full domestic dragon mode which means tonight’s dinner is going to be a good one.

“Please tell me that’s shrimp alfredo,” Rachel calls out.

Bas crosses into the living room, shucking his and Rachel’s bags off his shoulder and onto the couch.

“Depends,” Derrick answers, exiting the kitchen. “Are you okay with being dessert, Emerald?”

“Hmmm…” I growl, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I like the sound of that.”

Her cheeks flare bright red as Derrick boxes her in from the front. He captures her lips in a deep passionate kiss while I pepper the side of her neck with small kisses and nips. When Derrick mirrors my movements she releases a breathy moan that travels straight to my cock.

“Hey now,” Lucas interrupts, turning the corner from the kitchen, empty mixing bowl in hand. “None of that before dinner. I didn’t make garlic cheesy bread for nothing.”

Derrick chuckles against her lips but backs off. “Don’t worry. I can be patient.”

“For now,” I murmur, stepping away, but not before tracing a path down her spine with my finger tips.

Rachel just shakes her head, trying, and failing, to hide the blush on her cheeks. “You’re all ridiculous.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lucas calls from the kitchen. “We’re all ridiculously hot. We know.” He reappears with the mixing bowl now full of steaming hot bread “Now, table. Everyone. If these rolls get cold, I’m blaming Bas.”

Bas, who had already sprawled out across the end of the sectional, throws his hands up. “Hey, I had nothing to do with it. I was just waiting for the dinner bell to ring.”

“Yeah, Lucas, he’s totally innocent.” Rachel draws out the word totally like a sarcastic teen.

We all take our seats around the table and pass the food around. When we’ve all got plates loaded down with cheesy noodles and shrimp, salad, and of course rolls, Lucas lifts his glass to toast.

“To passing all of our finals and finishing our first semester.”

“To post-finals activities,” Bas says, raising his glass.

“To surviving finals and not punching anyone this week,” I add, clinking my glass to his, before we all take a sip of our sparkling cider.

Derrick sets his glass down and raises a brow. “Speak for yourself. I almost lost it on a dude who said Stanley’s 'too handsome' now. Whatever that means.”

“Rude.” Rachel gasps dramatically, clutching her dog tag necklace like a strand of pearls. “Stanley is perfectly perfect. I worked hard on that jawline.”

Laughter rolls around the table, and something shifts. The tension in the room is gone, replaced by something… different. Warmer. Charged.

Rachel leans back in her chair, looking at each of us. “This feels weird.”

My heart stutters. “Weird?”

“In a good way,” she says quickly. “Like, we’re done with classes and the air isn’t heavy anymore. Like… I don’t know. We’re finally free, moving on. Like things will only keep getting better from here.”

“Yeah,” Derrick says softly. “It's only up from here.”

We all go quiet for a second, letting that sink in.

When we’re all full, Lucas stands, grabbing plates. “Okay, let’s clean up and pick a movie. Something funny. We've earned it.”

“Define funny,” Bas dead pans. “Because last time you said ‘funny’ you made us watch some esoteric indie movie that was so convoluted I got a migraine.”

Lucas glares at him. “It was a metaphor, Bas. Expand your horizons. Besides, Moonbeam liked it. Didn’t you?”

“I mean…” Rachel lifts her glass, swirling the last bit of her drink like she’s really contemplating it. “I liked the soundtrack. And the concept. And the lighting was kind of hot.”

Bas groans dramatically. “So no. She didn’t like it either.”

Lucas clutches his heart. “You wound me, woman.”

“I’ll wound you more if you make me watch another movie where a vacuum symbolizes intergenerational trauma,” she fires back, smirking as she stands, helping him gather the rest of the dishes.

Derrick chuckles, rising from his seat. “Let’s just go with something that doesn’t require a thesis to enjoy.”

“Agreed,” I say, stacking plates and pressing a kiss to Rachel’s cheek as I pass.

She grins and hip bumps me. “I vote for something sexy and ridiculous. Make it worth all the stress from this week.”

“Oh-ho-ho,” Bas croons, wagging his brows. “Are we leaning into our spicy era tonight, Firefly?”

Rachel just smirks over her shoulder as she saunters into the kitchen, totally unbothered. “Aren’t we always?”

Lucas groans. “Okay, one movie, and then no promises about anything after that.”

And just like that, the air changes again.

Still light, still warm, but now it's charged by the electricity rippling through our bond.

Bas, Rachel and I move to the living room. The blankets are already tossed across the giant sectional. The lights dim, the screen flickers to life.

Rachel takes her place in the center and Bas and I sink into the couch beside her, he has one arm draped lazily over her shoulders and I pick her legs up draping them over mine before beginning to knead the knots from her muscles. Her bare legs are smooth and warm against my lap, twitching slightly as I find a knot in her calf. Bas’s fingers ghost along her upper arm as he scrolls through the choices, obviously looking for something specific.

The screen flickers and the movie title scrolls into view.

“How about this one?” Bas asks with a smirk.

Rachel’s smile turns coy. “Is this how you suggest an orgy? By putting on a movie about making a porno?”

I bark a laugh and lean toward her. “That doesn't sound like a no to me, Shadow Girl.”

She raises a brow. “I’m not saying anything, wolf boy. Hit play and we’ll see where the night takes us.”

Challenge accepted.

Derrick and Lucas join us in the living room, passing around drinks and snacks then taking their seats. Derrick sits beside me pulling Rachel’s feet into his lap until she’s basically draped across three of us like a bed. Lucas sits on the floor in front of her and instantly her fingers find his hair, playing with the ends, twirling it around her fingers. This, us all together like this, is something I didn’t know I wanted and so desperately needed. I may have fought it at first, but now I wouldn’t want anything different.

Bas hits play and we all tune into the movie, or at least we pretend to.

I trail my hand from her knee to her hip bone and back, lazy and slow. Catching the hem of her shorts on every pass. Bas’s fingertips dance circles on her upper arm sending goosebumps down her arm. Derrick’s hand has settled just above her ankle, his fingers locked around her leg holding her in place. It’s all innocent… technically. But the heat rising in the room tells a different story.

Rachel shifts, adjusting how she’s sprawled across us. Her tank top rides up just enough to show a sliver of soft skin above her waistband and my mouth dries. She catches me staring and smirks like she knows exactly what she’s doing.

“I’m just going to say it,” Bas murmurs. “That big bed upstairs is feeling very… underutilized.”

Lucas looks up at him. “Are you saying what I think you are?”

Bas shrugs, nonchalantly. “I’m just saying, we’ve got the world’s biggest bed upstairs and five fully consenting adults down here. Someone really should break it in.”

Rachel sits up slightly, a slow grin spreading across her face. “So… you’re suggesting I take one of you upstairs and break in our new bed properly?”

“Oh, we’re well past suggesting,” Derrick rumbles. “I’ve been waiting for this since the day we moved in.”

Rachel looks at each of us, eyes sparkling with amusement and something darker. “And what if I said I wanted all four of you tonight?”

“You’d say it,” I murmur, “and we’d show you how much we’ve been waiting to hear it.”

There's a shared pause. The silence is only broken by the thumping of my heart beating in my ears.

And then she stands.

No hesitation.

She shucks off her shirt, tossing it in Lucas’s lap.

“I’ll be upstairs,” she says, voice soft but commanding. “If you want to follow, lose the clothes.”

And then she walks away, leaving a trail of clothes behind her.

We sit in stunned silence for half a second before we scramble to follow her.

“Move,” Bas growls, already tugging off his shirt.

“Fates, I love this woman,” Lucas says reverently, practically tripping over the coffee table.

Derrick’s already halfway up the stairs.

I take one last look at the room, the glow of the TV, the empty glasses, the trail of clothing, and follow.

Heart pounding.

Hands twitching.

Tonight’s the night we make her ours .

Derrick reaches the top of the stairs first, but he doesn't rush into the room. He waits for the rest of us.

One by one, we gather, barefoot, in nothing but boxers, breathless from the sprint, and the moment. The door is cracked open, soft light spilling from within.

Inside, Rachel is waiting.

Laid out on the bed like a Goddess in her element, moonlight catches the sheen of her hair as it spills across the pillows like ink. She’s discarded the rest of her clothes on her way in here and I’m so happy she did. She’s propped up on her elbows, her emerald eyes glowing with mischief and desire.

No fear. No hesitation.

Just fire.

“Damn,” Bas mutters reverently. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life.”

Rachel lifts one finger and curls it slowly. “Then come show me how much you like what you see.”

Lucas crosses the threshold first, but he doesn’t pounce. None of us do.

We take our time. All of us lose our boxers and join our girl on the bed.

Tonight isn’t about our hunger.

It’s about honoring her.

She’s the center of this pack.

And tonight, we are going to worship her the way she deserves.

I move to the bed first, kneeling beside her. “You sure about this, Shadow Girl?”

She leans in, pressing her forehead to mine. “With you? With all of you? I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

My hand slides down her arm, fingers tangling with hers. “Then tell us what you want.”

Her gaze flickers over each of us. Derrick leaning against the footboard, Lucas sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing circles into her calf, Bas trailing kisses along the curve of her shoulder.

Rachel speaks softly, voice thick with anticipation.

“I want all of you. No holding back. Just skin and breath and us.”

A low growl rumbles from Derrick’s chest as he crosses the bed. “Then that’s what you’ll get.”

Lucas is still at the edge of the bed, gently kneading her calf with one hand. His gaze is soft, adoring. “You look like a dream, Moonbeam.”

Rachel bites her bottom lip, but it can’t hide her smile. “Then stop looking and touch me.”

Lucas leans forward, trailing slow kisses from her ankle to her knee. Rachel shivers and hums as her eyes flutter shut.

Bas moves next, shifting behind her on the bed, letting her settle between his legs. His hands splay over her waist, gliding up the curve of her spine. Thumbs dipping just beneath the sides of her breasts as he adjusts her against him. He bends to kiss the top of her shoulder, then the nape of her neck and she moans softly in response.

“Fates,” he murmurs, voice thick. “You sound like heaven, Firefly.”

“I need you,” she breathes, arching subtly into his hands. “Don’t make me beg.”

“Oh, we won’t,” I say, finally climbing up to her other side. “But hearing you try would ruin me.”

She turns to me, eyes glowing with affection and hunger. I kiss her slowly savoring the taste of every moment. Her mouth opens to me with a sigh and my world narrows to the way she feels against me, the weight of her hand in my hair.

When we part, her lips are swollen. “Liam,” she whispers, voice like silk. “Please.”

That single word is enough to unravel me.

I trail my fingers over her thigh and up to her hip, brushing the curve of her waist.

On her other side, Derrick lowers himself beside her, his hand brushing the back of her neck before moving to cradle her jaw. “Look at me.”

She does. And Derrick kisses her like he’s been starving. Not rough. Not rushed. But full of fire, his thumb sweeping along her cheek as he tilts her head and deepens the kiss.

Bas kisses the back of her neck at the same time, and she moans into Derrick’s mouth.

Lucas, meanwhile, is trailing higher, his lips brushing over the inside of her thigh.

“Can I?” he asks against her skin.

Rachel nods, breathless, body already trembling. “Yes… yes.”

Rachel’s body arches beneath our hands, a perfect blend of fire and surrender. There’s no rush. We aren’t fumbling through this like desperate teens. We take our time, each of us contributing something different.

Bas teases her with slow kisses down her neck and shoulders, hands gliding along her sides. Lucas is still between her legs, worshipping her like she’s the only thing that exists. The sounds she makes, soft gasps, needy whimpers, sends heat crashing through all of us.

Our pack bond glowing bright in my chest. In this moment, I can feel all of my pack mates through the bond. Our shared desire only intensifying my own.

Derrick and I move in sync. I cradle her face and kiss her deep, our tongues tangling slow and molten. Derrick presses kisses down her arms, hands firm on her waist, grounding her.

Her fingers roam wildly, gripping Lucas’s hair, clawing at Bas’s shoulders, fisting the sheets as I deepen our kiss. She’s overwhelmed, like a live wire, drunk on sensation and the power of having all four of us wrapped around her.

Lucas groans from between her thighs, voice raw. “She tastes like victory and sunshine.”

Rachel gasps out a laugh, wrecked but glowing. “That better be a compliment.”

“The highest one,” Lucas replies, trailing one last kiss along her inner thigh before retaking his position and pushing her over the edge for the first time tonight.

Rachel’s body trembles beneath us, her moans swallowed into my kiss as her first climax rolls through her in waves.

Bas's lips trace the shell of her ear as he murmurs, “You good, Firefly?”

She nods, breath shaky. “More.”

That word spurs something in all of us.

Lucas brushes her hair off her neck and peppers kisses up to her jawline, worship in every touch. “Then we’ll give you more.”

Derrick and Lucas move as a unit without a word, Lucas vacating his place and Derrick taking it. My hand slides between her thighs again, coaxing her back to that edge, while Derrick settles between her legs.

“Can I, Emerald?” he whispers, voice rougher than I’ve ever heard it.

She grips his thigh and nods. “I want to feel all of you.”

The bond sparks as he presses in, slow and careful. Rachel’s eyes flutter closed, her mouth falling open on a gasp that I swallow with a kiss. She’s full of him, wrapped in us, every inch of her claimed and worshipped.

Bas palms her breasts, rolling one nipple between his fingers, while Lucas leans down to kiss the other, tongue teasing, drawing another helpless sound from her throat.

She writhes, overwhelmed and wild, but never once uncertain.

“You’re doing so good, Shadow Girl,” I whisper against her lips, “taking everything we give you.”

Rachel whimpers, breath catching as Derrick thrusts deeper, setting a rhythm that sends ripples through her entire body. Bas and Lucas match it, their touches syncing, like our bond is conducting an orchestra of pleasure, and she is the crescendo.

Her body tightens again, faster this time, the second wave building as Lucas kisses down her stomach and slides two fingers between her and Derrick to help her along.

“I’m close,” she breathes, head thrown back against Bas’s shoulder.

“Let go, Emerald,” Derrick groans, voice strained. “We’ve got you.”

She shatters with a cry.

The sound of it pushes Derrick over the edge. He buries his face in her neck, groaning her name like a prayer, his body trembling with release.

Bas kisses her temple, holding her through it, grounding her. I can feel her pulse racing and the bond thrums like wildfire under my skin.

She collapses into the mattress, boneless and glowing, but still smiling as she murmurs, “Who’s next?”

Lucas and I exchange a look.

Lucas cracks his neck, grinning. “You ready for that twin sandwich we promised you, Moonbeam?”

I laugh and roll to the side, gently tugging Rachel into my lap, facing me, while Lucas moves behind her. This time it’s more playful. Rachel giggles when Lucas smacks her ass. My hands are gentle on her hips, guiding her down onto my cock.

Her breath hitches again, that delicious sound punching straight through me. I hold her close, burying my face in her neck as she begins to move, slow and delicious, using me for her pleasure.

Behind her, Lucas runs his hands over her back, up her arms, whispering filth and praise in equal measure.

“Fuck, you look good like this,” he murmurs, kissing the back of her neck. “So perfect. So ours.”

She rolls her hips and gasps, eyes locking on mine. “Then take me. Both of you.”

Lucas lets out a growl. His hands tighten on her hips. He shifts forward, kissing her shoulder before lining up behind her.

“Tell us if you need us to slow down,” I whisper. “We want to give you everything you need, but we don't want to hurt you.”

“I need this,” she breathes. “I need both of you.”

Bas passes Lucas a bottle of lube and he applies it generously. He moves slowly as he presses in behind her, a long groan vibrating through all of us as the bond flares bright.

“So tight,” he grunts. “So warm.”

“Look at you, Shadow Girl.” My voice is husky and lust filled. “Taking both of us like such a good girl.”

Her gasp is soft. Her fingers dig into my arms, clutching me to ground herself. I hold her through it, every second soaked in reverence and pleasure. No rush. Just the rhythm of us, the sync of breath and movement.

“Fates,” Lucas mutters, jaw tight. “You're perfect.”

The three of us move together, bodies locked in rhythm, hearts pounding in time. Rachel’s head falls back between us, moaning our names like a mantra. Her body burns against mine, filled and surrounded, thoroughly worshipped.

“I’m close again,” she whispers.

“Let go,” Lucas growls, voice thick with emotion. “We’ve got you, Moonbeam.”

She breaks like a storm, shattering in my arms. The wave of it hits me hard, my own release tearing through me just as Lucas curses behind her and follows. For a moment, we all freeze. Our hearts racing, our panting breaths coming in unison.

Rachel collapses between us, sweaty and glowing, her chest rising and falling with every shaky breath.

She hums, boneless and satisfied. “Remind me what life was like before this?”

“Less interesting,” Lucas offers.

“Definitely less messy,” I tease, taking the cloth Derrick offers and cleaning her up before using a second one on myself.

Rachel doesn’t reply or even move. Her eyes flutter shut as she fights to keep them open. “Sorry Bas… I-”

Bas leans over, kissing her temple. “Shh, Firefly. Rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

She offers him a sweet, sleepy smile. “Promise?”

“Promise,” he replies.

Within seconds, she’s out cold. Completely spent, tucked between me and Lucas. Derrick and Bas settle in around us and in moments we all join her in our dreams.