Page 56 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

Xar stiffens slightly beside me, but doesn’t interrupt.

Lena? Who’s Lena?

My omega grumbles internally.

“I should have listened to you,” Blaise continues. “Back when you first said something was off. I was too wrapped up in the attention. And I was pissed off at everything else.”

Xar exhales, slow. “You were struggling. We all were.”

“Still,” Blaise says, glancing up at the sky. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Or assumed the worst. I let her come between us.”

Xar pauses. Then says quietly, “You weren’t the only one.”

“No,” Blaise agrees. “But I still needed to say it.”

They stop walking, and I hover beside them, uncertain if I should step away. But then Xar pulls Blaise into a one-armed hug, their shoulders bumping.

“We’re good,” Xar says. “We’ve got bigger things to focus on now.”

“Yeah.” Blaise looks at me. “We do.”

My chest twists a little, in a good way.

It’s quiet for a long moment, the kind that feels full instead of awkward. Then something bright cuts across the sky – a shooting star, fast and dazzling.

I gasp, stopping to watch it disappear.

“Did you make a wish?” Blaise asks, stepping up beside me.

I nod, smiling faintly.

“What was it?”

I shake my head, suddenly shy. “If I tell you, it won’t come true.”

He leans in, grinning. “If you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to make sure it does come true?”

I laugh. “What, are you all-powerful now?”

“I’m a genie,” he says smugly. “Three wishes, sweetheart. Better use them wisely.”

I shake my head, but before I can respond, he pulls me toward him, hands gentle but sure. And then, without giving me time to overthink, he kisses me.

His lips brush mine – soft at first, teasing. A question, not a demand. But the moment our mouths meet, it’s like striking a match in dry grass. Heat flares, sudden and sharp, licking up my spine.

Blaise kisses like he’s been waiting for this exact moment – like he’s thought about it, dreamed about it, and now that it’s happening, he’s making sure I feel every second of it.

His fingers skim the side of my neck, light and deliberate, and I feel my whole body lean into him before I can stop it.

By the time he pulls back, my heart is thudding against my ribs, my skin flushed with something that feels dangerously close to hunger.

Then Xar steps in.

His eyes lock on mine, and I feel myself still under the weight of that gaze – heavy, steady, like gravity.

“May I?” he asks, voice low and rich with restraint.

I nod, too breathless to speak.

His hand cradles my cheek, warm and solid, and then his mouth covers mine – slower, deeper. Where Blaise was spark, Xar is flame. Controlled. Consuming. His tongue slides against mine with devastating precision, and I feel my knees go weak, my fingers fisting in his coat just to stay upright.

There’s nothing chaste about this kiss – it’s a promise, a claim , and my body responds before my brain can catch up. My thighs press together instinctively, heat coiling low and tight in my belly.

By the time he pulls away, my breath’s coming in shallow bursts, and I’m clinging to him like I might fall apart if I let go.

But then?—

A sharp cramp slices through me, sudden and brutal.

I cry out, stumbling, doubling over.

“Evie?” Blaise’s voice is panicked. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I—my stomach—” I gasp. “It hurts?—”

Xar scoops me into his arms like it’s nothing, his voice already sharp with command. “Back inside. Now.”

Blaise’s hand is on my back, warm and steady, guiding us. “I knew it. I knew she wasn’t wearing a real coat.”

“Not the time, Blaise.”

They carry me inside, voices a blur, warmth rushing to meet us as the door slams shut behind us. Dane appears in the hallway, eyes widening the second he sees me in Xar’s arms.

“What happened?”

“Cramp hit her hard,” Blaise says, already stripping off his coat and tossing it aside. “She doubled over – looked like her whole system just short-circuited.”

“She needs the nest,” Xar says, shifting me gently in his hold.

But Dane shakes his head, already moving ahead of us. “Not yet. The paint’s still fresh. I aired it out all day but the fumes are going to be too strong for her – too sharp. It’ll upset her system, especially with how sensitive she’s about to become.”

“Then where?” Blaise asks, voice taut.

“The lounge,” Dane says. “For now. The old nest will have to do until tomorrow. I’ll keep the windows open all night and it’ll be good to go first thing.”

Xar changes direction without hesitation, carrying me back into the lounge and lowering me into the makeshift nest – the pile of pillows and blankets we threw together days ago. It’s not perfect, not even close, but right now it feels like the only safe place in the world.

The minute I’m down, all three of them drop to the floor around me, their presence wrapping around me like a wall of impenetrable safety and comfort. I can feel their scents deepen, soften, trying to soothe me.

“We’ve got you,” Dane murmurs, pressing the back of his fingers to my cheek.

“We’re here,” Xar adds, voice low and solid as he removes my boots and rain mac.

Blaise doesn’t say anything – he just threads his fingers through mine, his grip tight and grounding.

And as another cramp begins to build, I close my eyes and try to remember how to breathe.