Page 64 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

EVIANA

L unch is simple – hearty bowls of soup and warm bread, shared around the table with shoulders brushing and thighs bumping, and the quiet hum of comfort that’s slowly become familiar.

I sit between Dane and Blaise, my body still humming from earlier, awareness prickling under my skin every time one of them leans too close or murmurs something low just for me.

I shouldn’t feel shy. Not after what happened in the studio.

But there’s something about the way Blaise keeps sneaking glances at me from beneath his lashes – like he’s remembering it too – that has my cheeks heating all over again.

Dane, ever steady, keeps his hand on my knee beneath the table, his thumb drawing soft circles that make me press my lips together just to stay grounded.

Xar catches my eye from across the table and quirks a brow like he knows exactly what’s going on inside my head.

After we eat, the kitchen fills with soft chatter and the scent of flour and sugar from whatever Xar’s baking as I drag out my paint supplies.

Somehow, we end up elbow-deep in a spontaneous Christmas card-making session.

Blaise insists on using glitter, which ends up in his hair and stuck to Dane’s forearm.

Xar’s is surprisingly neat – minimalist but precise.

I spot a pine tree inked in perfect brushstrokes with a gold star on top.

Mine are messier. More colour than control. But it feels good. Light. Easy.

We bake too. Well, I bake. Blaise tries to sabotage the cookie dough by adding what he claims is “a whisper of cayenne for character.” Xar smacks his hand away and mutters something about food crimes. I can’t stop laughing.

And then…they start acting weird.

I catch Dane and Xar exchanging a look, and then Blaise swoops in, blocking me with his entire body as I try to walk into the lounge.

“Nope,” he says cheerfully, herding me back toward the hallway. “Absolutely not. This room is currently classified.”

“Classified?” I cross my arms. “I live here.”

“Temporarily classified, then,” he amends with a wink. “Can’t have you ruining the surprise.”

I narrow my eyes. “What surprise?”

He just grins wider and turns to the others. “Shall we distract her?”

“Come on,” Xar says, already pulling on his coat. “Weather’s holding. Let’s walk the boundary while it’s still clear.”

Dane hands me my jacket – even though I swear I’ve never seen him actually carry it – and zips it up for me, fingers brushing too long at my collar.

This time all three of them gripe about my lack of a proper winter coat and I snicker.

Outside, the sky is steel-grey, the cold biting but bearable with the three of them flanking me like a wall of warmth. Blaise continues to grumble about my lack of proper outerwear, until Xar throws a scarf around my neck and tugs it snug.

“Better?” he asks, voice low.

I nod, suddenly too aware of how close he is.

We walk the length of the property, boots crunching through patches of frost. The wind whips my hair around my face, but I barely notice.

Blaise keeps brushing his fingers against mine like he’s not trying to hold my hand.

Dane points out an old stone wall, with ivy growing through the cracks.

Xar stays quiet, but every time I look at him, he’s already watching me.

Eventually, I sigh and stop, turning into the wind. “Okay, you’ve walked me. Now can I go into my own lounge?”

“Nope,” Blaise says again, annoyingly smug. “Time for a hot drink and nest time.”

And honestly? I’m not even mad about it.

Back inside, the scent of cinnamon and pine fills the house. I peel off my jacket and make a beeline for the nest, already pulling off my socks. The blankets are warm, the pillows soft and familiar, and within seconds, I’m tucked between them.

Dane disappears into the kitchen – probably making tea. Xar heads upstairs, murmuring something about taking a shower. Blaise, of course, flops down beside me like he owns the place, tossing one of the smaller pillows behind his head and pulling me into his side.

“Comfortable?” he asks.

I hum, resting my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “Mm. For now.”

His fingers trace patterns on my arm. “You’ve no idea what’s coming, do you?”

I lift my head, suspicious. “What is going on in the lounge?”

“You’ll see,” he says. “Tomorrow.”

I groan and bury my face against him, even as my heart thuds with anticipation. Something about this day – about them – feels like it’s wrapping itself around me in slow, soft layers. Trust. Want. Something more .

I close my eyes and breathe it in.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

But for tonight – I’m content.

The sound of footsteps draws my attention just before the warm, familiar scent of dark cherrywood, musk and amber hits me.

Dane.

He steps into the nest carrying a tray with four mugs, steam curling in the air above them.

“Hot chocolate,” he says simply, and I blink in surprise.

“You remembered,” I murmur, sitting up as he sets the tray on the edge of the nest.

His brow lifts. “Course I did. You said you don’t usually indulge your sweet tooth, so I figured…Christmas Eve is as good a time as any.”

The words shouldn’t make my eyes sting. But they do. No one’s ever remembered things like that about me before. Not the things I downplay. Especially not the things I quietly deny myself.

I take the mug he offers, fingers wrapping around the warmth. There’s whipped cream, marshmallows, and even a little dusting of cinnamon on top. I don’t even bother with words. Just lean into his side and press a kiss to his cheek.

Then I take a sip. Sweet. Silky. Perfect.

“Okay, that’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” I admit.

Dane smiles, brushing his hand along my thigh in a way that feels far more intimate than a casual touch. “Good.”

“You wound me, omega,” Blaise quips.

It takes me a second to realise what he means and when it sinks in, my entire body blazes with mortification.

Thankfully I’m saved from having to reply by Xar coming back down, towelling off his damp hair.

He’s shirtless, a towel slung over one shoulder and his jeans riding low on his hips.

Everything about him – from his scent, to his bare skin, and the glistening water droplets that I feel compelled to lick from his chest – hits me hard. Strong. Grounding.

Everything tightens low in my belly.

A soft, involuntary sound slips from my throat – barely audible, but the guys hear it.

My perfume floods the nest before I can stop it, curling sweet and heavy into the air like the slow bloom of honeysuckle in summer heat. Blaise groans.

“Mate,” he mutters. “Put the bloody shirt on.”

Xar pauses, then smirks, amused and entirely unbothered. “What, this old thing?” he asks innocently, holding up the shirt and tossing it on anyway.

I bury my face in my mug somehow even more mortified than before he arrived. My cheeks are burning . Blaise sniggers beside me, but his arm tightens around my waist.

“It’s alright, sweetness,” he murmurs. “Happens to the best of us. I’m hard as fucking steel smelling you perfume like that.”

We stay there like that for a while – warm bodies, soft pillows, the low murmur of lazy conversation – until Blaise reaches for his phone.

“Evie,” he says, tone deceptively casual, “have you ever slow danced before?”

I blink. “No. I mean…not properly. Only messing around with my sisters.”

Three heads turn at once.

“Oh, that won’t do,” Blaise announces, already queuing up a playlist.

A mellow, old-school soul track trickles through the air. He’s up first, of course, standing and offering me a hand with an over-the-top flourish. “May I have this dance, my lady?”

I shake my head but place my hand in his anyway. He pulls me to my feet, his other hand settling lightly on my waist. His touch is warm, confident, but careful. Not pushing. Just present.

We sway gently to the music, and I relish the way Blaise holds me like I’m something rare. His forehead brushes mine, and I find myself smiling without thinking.

“See?” he murmurs. “Easy.”

When the song shifts, Xar steps forward, silent but with intent.

He doesn’t ask, just cups my waist and pulls me in slowly.

His touch is firmer, more possessive. I breathe him in and try not to fall too far into it.

But the way he looks at me? Like I’ve already undone him? It ruins me in the best possible way.

Then Dane’s turn. I get the feeling that he doesn’t dance often, but when he does, like now, it’s all in the way he leads. Strong. Sure. Thoroughly alpha. His hand is splayed against my lower back, holding me close enough to feel the thud of his heart.

It’s heaven.

When the song ends, they don’t let me go. I’m wrapped in the arms of all three of them, the music fading into the background as they each press a kiss to a different part of me – Blaise to my temple, Xar to the corner of my mouth, Dane just below my ear.

I tremble, just a little. My omega completely swoons .

“You alright?” Xar murmurs.

“I just…” I swallow. “This is a lot. You’re not…weirded out by all this? All of us ?”

Dane brushes a strand of hair from my cheek. “Evie. We’re alphas. We’re a pack. We expect to share. And we’re grateful it’s you .”

I don’t have words for that. So I just nod and lean in.

A beat later, Blaise taps my hip and clears his throat. “Speaking of sharing…” He reaches for a folded page from his hoodie pocket. “You wanna write with us?”

I blink. “Right now?”

“Why not?” he grins. “I’ve had this idea kicking around for weeks. Could use your magic.”

He shows me the lyrics – just a first verse and a chorus – and something about it clicks instantly. I hum a few bars, suggest a line change, and then Xar’s adding a guitar part, while Dane drums against the cushion beside him.

We fall into it. Together.

And I’ve never felt more right .