Page 72 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

EVIANA

I wake slowly, my body aching, my skin too warm, too sensitive. The nest is wrapped around me, layers of blankets cocooning me in lingering traces of their scent. It soothes something primitive inside me even as my conscious mind recoils.

Heat still lingers low in my belly, a restless pulse between my thighs. Shame twists through me as memories from the night before surface. The way I broke down. The way Xar touched me. The way I begged.

No.

That’s not what I’m ashamed of.

I’m ashamed of pushing them away. Of retreating. Of denying myself and my omega what we needed.

I press my lips together and force myself to sit up. My muscles feel weak, exhaustion dragging at my limbs, but I can’t stay curled up and hiding. The storm still rages outside, wind howling against the farmhouse, but inside, the air is thick with warmth. It’s comforting.

Footsteps approach, and I tense automatically. The scent reaches me first – the fresh crisp apple telling me it’s Blaise.

“Morning, honeybee.” His voice is soft, careful. I know what he’s doing – gentling me, treating me like I’m fragile. And maybe I am.

“Morning,” I manage, my throat dry. I glance up as he crouches beside the nest, his sharp green eyes scanning me with concern.

“How are you feeling?”

How am I feeling? Hot. Unsteady. Satisfied and wanting. Raw in ways I can’t put into words.

I look away, my fingers tightening in the blankets. “Better.” It’s not a lie, exactly. Just not the full truth.

Blaise watches me for a long moment, then nods, his easy smile returning. “Come on. You should eat something.”

I hesitate. The thought of stepping out of the nest, exposing myself to their attention, makes my stomach twist. But I’m not stupid. I know I can’t handle this alone – last night proved that – and I definitely don’t think that’s it, it’s over now.

If anything, I feel like last night was a prologue – like the one at the start of Romeo and Juliet where the Chorus warn of the fucking doom and gloom to come.

Yeah, that’s what last night was. A wake up call. Heats fucking suck. And it’s only going to get worse.

Still, it takes effort to force myself to move, to let him help me up.

My body is stiff, every inch of me aware of how close he is, how easy it would be to lean into him, to soak in the heat radiating from his skin.

I swallow hard and pull away as soon as I’m standing, ignoring the way his gaze darkens before realising it’s because I’m completely naked.

My cheeks blaze with embarrassment and I mumble a quick “thanks” before diving to the nearest drawer and pulling out a large white t-shirt that feels so soft and smells like toasted vanilla.

Xar. With limited other options, I have no choice but to pull it on and then follow Blaise out of the nest, resolutely ignoring his gaze.

Dane is in the kitchen, coffee already brewing on the hob. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, thank god for gas stove tops. If they update the kitchen like they promised, I’m going to make sure we stick with gas.

None of that new-fangled cooking on electric nonsense, Grams would have said.

I giggle.

Dane glances up as I step into the room, his expression unreadable, though his shoulders stiffen like he’s forcing himself not to move toward me.

“Sit,” he says simply, and I obey without thinking, curling into one of the chairs as Xar places a plate of food in front of me.

I should eat. I know I should. But my stomach twists, my body too restless to focus. I pick at the toast, my fingers trembling slightly.

They notice. Of course they do.

“Eviana.” Dane’s voice is quiet but firm. I force myself to meet his gaze. His golden eyes hold steady, assessing me with that sharp, unreadable intensity.

“You need to eat,” he says. “Your heat is coming. Today. And you’re going to need your energy, love.”

I press my lips together and nod, taking a slow bite. The toast is dry in my mouth, but I chew, swallowing past the tightness in my throat.

The silence stretches, and then Blaise clears his throat. “You play piano, don’t you?”

The question catches me off guard. I blink at him. “What?”

He grins. “I saw the old piano…you know when, and you said something before...You play?”

I hesitate. “A little.”

He leans back, stretching. “Maybe you can play for us later.”

I scoff, shaking my head. “Not a chance.” Though we both know I probably will if he asks – or annoys – me enough.

Blaise only smirks, but he doesn’t push. But it has the desired effect. He’s distracted me, lightened the atmosphere in the room, and made me smile.

I love that about him.

The conversation shifts, drifting into something light, inconsequential. I realise what they’re doing – keeping me distracted, keeping me engaged. It works, for the most part.

But the heat doesn’t fade.

I feel it under my skin, simmering. I feel the pull, the way their scents calm me even as they tempt me closer.

And Xar...

He’s barely spoken, standing near the doorway with his arms crossed, his honeyed brown eyes steady. He’s watching me, waiting. Not pushing. Not crowding. But his presence is impossible to ignore.

I hate how much I want him closer.

I press my thighs together, frustrated and restless. The air in the kitchen feels thick, charged with something unspoken.

I can’t keep fighting this.

The realisation makes my stomach drop.

I take a slow breath, my fingers clenching around the fabric of Xar’s t-shirt. My voice is quiet when I finally speak.

“Will you…stay?”

The words barely leave my lips before I regret them, but there’s no taking them back.

Blaise stills. Dane tenses. Xar’s eyes sharpen.

But none of them push.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to lift my gaze. “I don’t – I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want it to be like last night.”

Dane exhales, something easing in his expression. “You won’t be.”

Xar’s voice is the one that makes me shiver.

“We’ve got you, Omega.”

And deep down, I know it’s true.

Even if it terrifies me.

Even if I know I’m already losing this battle.

I’m not alone anymore.

“Just one thing,” Dane says, making my heart sink.

“What?”

“Do you still want us to bond with you?” He asks.

“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind or want to wait until next time,” Blaise adds.

Panic floods my chest and I swallow hard. Have they changed their mind? Has my behaviour last night – pushing them away, not acting like a proper omega – put them off?

Before I can reply, Xar chimes in. “Or even much further in the future. Or never. It won’t change how we feel about you. You’re our omega, no matter what, and we’re not going anywhere, little dew drop. We just want you to be happy.”

I force myself to breathe while I try to get my racing heart under control.

It’s okay, Evie. They haven’t changed their mind. They still want you.

“I…I’d like to still, if that’s okay? But?—”

“Go on, wildflower.”

“I think I’d like to be…with it when it happens. I don’t fully know what to expect but I think I’d like to know it’s happening, if that’s possible?”

“Of course,” Dane says smoothly. “We can wait until the very end of your heat. When you’re more lucid if you’d like?”

I nod eagerly, relieved. “Yes. Please. If that’s okay?”

“Evie, of course it’s okay. This is your heat. And whilst we know you’ve not done this before, you still get to choose and make all the decisions. We’re just here to help you through it, okay?”

“Thank you.”

“I can think of a couple more things we need to go over actually,” Blaise interjects.

“Oh?”

Blaise leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze intent. “Yeah. Look, I know this might be uncomfortable, but it’s important. We need to talk about what you want. What you don’t want. Sexually.”

My entire body flushes hot. “What – right now?”

“Better now than when you’re halfway delirious and can’t properly consent,” he says, softer this time. “We need to know how to take care of you the right way, Evie.”

Xar clears his throat, clearly caught off guard. “He’s right. We don’t want to assume anything.”

Dane nods slowly, folding his arms. “If we’re doing this, we need to do it properly. And safely.”

I stare at them, mouth dry. The room is suddenly way too warm.

Blaise offers a crooked smile. “So. We’ll start easy. Are there any hard nos? Like, anything that’ll make you uncomfortable or shut down?”

I squirm a little, biting my lip. “I don’t...I haven’t really thought about it much. I mean— I don’t think so? I just...I’ve never you know... So, I don’t know what I like. Or hate.”

“Okay,” Dane says gently. “Then we take it slow. Check in often. And if anything feels off or too much, you tell us.”

“I will,” I whisper, cheeks burning.

“What about names?” Blaise adds. “What do you like being called? Any kinks? Praise? Degradation? Daddy?”

Xar makes a choking noise and Dane mutters, “Bloody hell, Blaise?—”

“What? Better now than mid-heat when we’re fumbling through it and mess up,” he defends, looking back at me. “Do you like being called things like that, Evie? Or do you prefer soft stuff – love, sweetheart, things like that?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I think...I think soft. But maybe – if I feel safe – I might like being pushed a little.”

Blaise grins. “Oh, someone likes a bit of teasing.”

“I don’t know!” I groan, covering my face with my hands. “This is mortifying.”

“Evie.” Xar’s voice is quiet but firm. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. We’re learning you. That’s what this is. Not a test.”

Dane reaches out, resting his hand on my knee. “If you want us to try things, we can. And if you want to stop or slow down at any point, all you have to do is say the word. We’ll respect whatever you need.”

“What should our stop word be?” Blaise asks. “Something not too common.”

“Maybe... orchid ?” I offer, voice small.

He winks. “Perfect.”

Xar nods. “Alright. No bonding until you’re clear-headed. Nothing without your full consent. And orchid if anything feels wrong.”

I let out a long breath. “Thank you. For doing this. For being...good.”

Blaise grins. “We’re more than good, love. We’re going to make you feel like a goddess.”

Heat creeps up my spine again, but this time, I let it linger.

Blaise leans in again, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay, now that we’ve got a safe word sorted…we’re not done.”

Xar groans, rubbing his temples. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Mate, I’m trying to be responsible ,” Blaise says, all mock innocence. “So, Evie, let’s get into the details.”

I bite my lip, heart thundering. “Details?”

“Yeah.” He ticks off on his fingers. “Spanking?”

My face goes crimson. “Um…maybe? Not hard. Not…cruel. But like…playfully?”

Blaise nods approvingly. “Good answer. Hair pulling?”

My mouth is so dry. “Gentle? If you’re behind me and I’m okay with it.”

Xar’s jaw tightens slightly, but his expression is unreadable. He doesn’t speak, just listens.

“Biting?” Blaise adds.

I shift a little. “Yes,” I admit. “If it’s not too much. I think I’d like that.”

He leans forward, tone gentler. “What about oral? Do you want to be eaten out?”

“Blaise!” Dane warns, but I stop him with a raised hand.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “Yes. I mean, yes, I want that. I really, really want that.”

“And giving?” Blaise asks. “You’ve already—” he glances at Dane, then back at me, “—been with me, but if you want to try that with the others…”

“I do,” I say quietly. “I want to. I want to learn. I want you to show me.”

Dane clears his throat, but there’s a smile tugging at his lips. Xar still hasn’t moved, but the heat in his gaze speaks volumes.

“Anal?” Blaise asks delicately. “Fingers, mouth…anything more?”

My whole body tenses. “Not yet,” I say. “Maybe someday. But not…now. I don’t think…”

“Noted,” Blaise says, voice softer than before. “We’ll keep clear unless you ever say otherwise. What about more than one of us at a time?”

I go completely still.

Xar finally speaks, his voice low and even. “You don’t have to answer that.”

“No,” I whisper. “I want to. I just…haven’t thought about it. I think…I like the idea of you all taking care of me, but maybe not at the same time. Not unless I ask.”

“Fair,” Blaise says. “We won’t crowd you. So I’m guessing that negates my next question, but I’ll still ask to be sure. What about double penetration? Either type?”

My eyes widen. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready for that. I want…connection. One at a time. I want to feel things.”

Dane nods. “Then that’s what we’ll give you.”

“And we’ll check in every step of the way,” Xar adds, finally leaning forward. “We’re not rushing anything. You’ll lead. We follow.”

I look at them all – these alphas who are trying so hard to understand me, to protect me, to learn me – and my heart cracks wide open.

“Thank you,” I whisper again.

Blaise grins, but there’s a softness in his eyes now. “You’re our omega, honeybee. You deserve to feel safe. And spoiled.”

“And so good you forget your name,” Dane murmurs.

Xar simply holds my gaze, and in his eyes I see it: reverence.

Trust. Respect. Love.

Whatever happens next, I’m not going into it alone.

“You did so well with that, little one,” Xar praises. “Now, would you like to go and watch a film or something in the lounge, or would you like me to grab your Kindle so you can relax in your nest?”

“Kindle and nest please.”

“Good girl.” I blink at him, frowning. “For telling your alphas what you want.”

Oh. Oh .

I blush, duck my head and flee for the safety of my nest, but it’s too late, my perfume and chuckles of my alphas follow me.