Page 82 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

EVIANA

T he scent of pancakes hits me next – sweet and golden, with a hint of lemon and sugar. The nest is soft around me, the scent of my alphas lingering strong and comforting, curling around me like arms.

I’m not alone.

Warm. That’s how I feel. Not hot, not desperate – just warm.

The sticky haze has lifted. My body aches, pleasantly, like I’ve been wrung out and wrapped in silk. I blink open heavy eyes to find sunlight streaming through the curtains, dappling the edge of the nest.

I breathe in deep – alpha musk, warm skin – and exhale slowly.

Lucid.

Finally.

And yet I don’t want to move. I don’t want to break the peace, or the way Dane’s fingers are stroking slow, lazy circles over my hip like he doesn’t even know he’s doing it and a low, steady purring vibrates through my skin.

He’s lying behind me, arm draped around me, chest pressed against my back like a steady, grounding wall.

Blaise is on one side next to me, his breathing soft and even, one hand resting protectively on my thigh beneath the covers.

“She’s still sleeping?”

“For now,” Dane replies behind me. “Let her rest.”

But I don’t want to rest. Not anymore.

Something in me feels different. Not the desperate, heat-hazy ache of the past few days, but a quiet clarity. I’m not trembling. I’m not scent-drunk or writhing with need. I’m…here. Lucid. Whole. And still, every instinct in me hums with longing for them. For my pack.

I shift gently, and Dane stirs, tightening his grip around my waist before turning me enough that he can look at me.

“Hey,” he says, voice hoarse from sleep but so tender it makes my eyes sting. “You okay?”

I nod, throat tight. “I think so.”

Blaise stretches with a groan, his hand sliding up to cup my hip as he yawns. “Morning, pretty girl.”

“Hi,” I whisper, blinking at them, overwhelmed by how gentle they look. How safe I feel.

Xar steps into the doorway holding a tray. “She’s up.”

And then he’s there, crouching beside the nest, placing the tray down carefully. Pancakes, warm fruit compote, a mug of tea, and a tiny glass of juice. It looks like something from a dream.

“Hey,” he murmurs. “You’re back.”

I smile. “Morning,” I whisper. “I feel…” I trail off, trying to find the right word.

Dane kisses my temple. “Whole?”

I nod. “Yeah. That.”

“For you, omega,” Xar says softly, brushing a hand along my hair. “You’ve earned it.”

“You brought me breakfast?” I blink.

He grins. “Alpha duties. Plus, we figured you’d be starving after…everything.”

My stomach decides to make its presence known at that point, growling loudly, making the others chuckle. “I am,” I admit, somewhat redundantly.

I sit up slowly, and all three of them move at once – hands steadying me, pillows propping behind my back, gentle touches that make my heart squeeze. Dane pulls the blanket up to cover my chest without a word.

“I feel…” I trail off, then swallow. “I feel like I’m not in heat anymore.”

“You’re not,” Blaise says gently, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “You’re past the worst of it. Body’s resetting.”

“Does that mean it’s over?” I whisper, panicking a little. “Did I miss?—?”

“No,” Dane says firmly, his hand wrapping around mine. “It just means you’re finally clear enough to choose. You can do whatever you like.”

And I understand what he means.

This is the moment.

“Even if I want to sleep for a week?” I joke.

“Especially if you want that,” Blaise says, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “You’ve earned it.”

My chest tightens. “Can I…can I freshen up and eat first?”

Xar kisses my temple. “Already got you a bath running.”

They feed me berries from their fingers, laughing when I try to swipe syrup off Blaise’s thumb with my tongue. Xar makes a plate for me, small and perfect, and when I manage to eat half, all three of them look like I’ve performed a miracle.

“What?”

“Well, one, that’s the most you’ve eaten since Christmas Day…” Xar begins.

“Two, that’s the least trouble you’ve given us about eating in days,” Dane adds.

“And three,” Blaise chimes in with a wicked grin. “You didn’t threaten to castrate any of us for making you eat it.”

My cheeks flash and I groan out an embarrassed, mortified apology. They laugh, deep and carefree, not minding in the slightest.

“Don’t be sorry, little dew drop. We love feisty, Evie.”

“Or, as I like to call you, honeybee,” Blaise adds with a cheeky grin and a laugh. “ Rolling pin Evie.”

After breakfast, Dane lifts me into his arms like I weigh nothing and carries me to the en suite, where a hot bath is already drawn. Steam curls in the air.

“You did this?” I ask, blinking.

Xar shrugs, leaning on the doorway. “You like baths. We remember.”

Blaise adds a fragrant oil which makes scents of eucalyptus and honey drift from the water, then undresses me gently, reverently, even though I’m only in one of their t-shirts, before helping me sink into the warmth. I sigh as the heat wraps around me, muscle-deep and soothing.

“I don’t deserve this,” I whisper, voice breaking.

Xar frowns. “Yes, you do.”

“You deserve more ,” Dane says firmly. “And you’ll get it.”

I nod, eyes blurring.

They take turns washing me, combing through my tangled hair, Dane braiding it loosely while Blaise kisses my shoulder. Xar perches on the tub edge, trailing his fingers over the surface, quiet and watchful.

“You did so good,” he says. “We’re so fucking proud of you.”

I soak. I breathe. And for the first time in what feels like days, I don’t ache. I feel grounded. Loved.

When the bath is done, they help me dry off, dress me in a fresh soft cotton t-shirt and wrap me back in the nest, which has been changed and remade. Clean sheets, fresh pillows, soft throws layered in every corner. Even some of their hoodies so that the nest still smells like us.

I’m cradled in Dane’s lap, hair still damp from the bath, his arms wrapped around me as if he can keep the whole world out. Blaise is on my right, fingers laced with mine, and Xar sits at my feet, applying lotion with slow, reverent strokes.

It’s quiet. Peaceful. But charged. Like the moment before a thunderstorm cracks the sky in two.

And I feel it in my chest – tight and hopeful and aching.

I’m ready now.

Ready for forever.

And I know, deep down, they are too.

“I want it,” I whisper. “I’m ready.”

Dane’s breath catches. Blaise’s hand tightens around mine. Xar’s touch pauses, just for a beat, then continues with even more care.

“You sure?” Dane asks softly, pressing his forehead to my temple. “This...this is permanent.”

“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” I breathe. “With anyone else. I’m yours.”

Blaise leans in, kisses the side of my mouth. “We love you so fucking much, Evie. All of you. Every version. Every part.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I feel it.”

I don’t know who reaches for me first, but suddenly I’m wrapped in all of them. Blaise’s hand on my cheek. Xar’s nose buried in my hair. Dane’s arms around my back. My omega sings. This is right. This is everything.

“Evie,” Dane says softly. “You don’t have to do this, this time around if you don’t want to. You don’t owe us?—”

“I want to,” I say, voice steady. “I want you. All of you. I want to bond. This is forever, and I’m ready for that.”

They exhale in unison, the tension breaking like a wave.

“Who do you want first?” Xar asks.

I pause. My chest aches, full of love and certainty. “You.”

He nods once, solemn and reverent. “Lie back, omega.”

I do.

Xar crawls over me, slow and sure, his scent thickening the air – toasted tonka, cashmeran and cardamom, and something darker now, something primal. His lips brush mine in a soft kiss, barely there, as though giving me a final chance to change my mind.

But I kiss him back harder, threading my fingers through his hair, needing him close. Needing him now.

“You’re mine,” he murmurs, breath warm against my skin. “Always were.”

“I know,” I whisper. “So take me. Show me.”

His body presses down over mine, solid and grounding, the weight of him exactly what I need. He takes his time – every kiss slow, every touch deliberate. He cups my cheek with one broad palm and just looks at me for a moment, eyes flicking between mine like he’s memorising the moment.

Then he kisses me again, deeper this time, mouth opening over mine like a vow.

His hands drift lower, dragging the covers back from my hips, baring me inch by inch. His fingers trace down my ribs, over my waist, and lower still, until he’s cupping my heat.

I gasp.

“You’re already wet for me,” he breathes. “Such a good girl.”

I can’t speak – just arch into his touch, aching for more.

He strokes through my slicked pussy lips, slow and teasing, his fingers circling my clit until I’m trembling beneath him. Then he slides one thick finger inside, groaning low in his throat when I clench around him.

“You’re perfect,” he growls. “Every part of you.”

“Xar, please—” I choke out. “I need you inside me.”

He doesn’t make me wait.

He shifts his hips, cock hot and heavy against my thigh, and I reach between us to guide him in. He groans at the contact – deep and wrecked – as he presses in, stretching me open inch by inch.

I cling to him, legs wrapping around his hips, as he buries himself to the hilt.

“Oh— Fuck,” I gasp. “You feel…god…”

“Like we were made for this,” he finishes, voice rough with emotion. “And we were, baby. We were.”

He starts to move – slow and steady strokes that make my whole body light up. Every thrust is careful, reverent, like he’s mapping every inch of me with his body.

His hand cradles my jaw, thumb stroking over my cheekbone. “Look at me,” he says softly.

I do.

And in that moment, everything else disappears. There’s only him – only us – and the growing, glowing swell in my chest that tells me this is right.

“Gonna make you come,” he promises. “Then I’ll mark you. Make you mine for good.”

“Yes,” I breathe. “Please.”