Page 137 of Broken Bonds

“Oh. No. Fuck no.” I stand and back away from them, shaking my head, my need immediately quenched like ice was dumped on my balls. “Nope. I won’t put anyone else at risk. No. No way.”

“Hold up,” Shawn says. “This is where I come in. I can trigger my mating heat, especially since I’m close, and hopefully I can distract Jax long enough to let Todd catch and start rutting you first. If I can get Jax to stay shifted and knot with me, that will give you and Todd time to shift back to human form and fuck while Jax and I stay shifted and do our thing. No matter what, even though Jax is pack Alpha, his need to claim me under those circumstances should override everything else. Then by the time Jax finishes with me, he can turn around and make Todd submit.”

I lean against the counter. “This sounds too risky. That’s a lot of hopefullys and mights and maybes.” I look at them. “Wouldn’t you rather I just leave so I’m not putting anyone in danger?”

“No,” they all say, Todd just a little faster and louder than the others.

He stands and walks over to me. “I can’t promise you forever right now because I’m realistic and you barely know me,” he says. “We honestly don’t know what this is between us. We both hope it’s a mating bond, but you may hate me in a few months. My mom and step-dad are proof that we don’t need an instantaneous mate bond to fall in love. You deserve to be happy and safe. This way, you’ll be part of the pack. If you or I decide it’s not working out between us, obviously you’ll be free to pursue other options. But I wouldn’t volunteer to do this if I didn’t think we’ve got a chance for a long and happy future together. I also wouldn’t like myself very much if I didn’t help when I know I’m the only guy in the pack who absolutely can do this and mitigate the risk.”

“But…” I look at Jax and Shawn and back to Todd. “There are other non-canines in the pack, right? Alphas?” I swallow hard, forcing myself to say it. “Couldn’t one of them do it so Todd’s not at risk?”

“Theoretically,” Jax says. “But I can’t force them to do it, and none of them want to because you’re Sterling’s son.”

“There’s no other Alpha?” I mean, viscerally my body reacts—badly—to the thought of it being anyone besides Todd. “It can’t be you?”

“It can’t be a canine,” Jax insists.

“But why?”

“So you don’t catch, baby,” Todd softly says. His tone pulls my focus back to him. He almost looks hurt that I’m suggesting anyone else take point on this.

But it’s not because I don’t want it to be him.

I palm his cheeks and pull him in for a kiss. “It’d kill me if you get hurt or…” I swallow hard, blinking back tears as he wraps his arms around me again. “I don’t want to live if you were to…”

I can’t finish that statement.

“Shh. It’s okay, baby. Nothing will happen to me.” He rubs his chin against the top of my head. “I don’t want it to be anyone but me, either,” he whispers despite knowing the two wolves must be able to hear. “I promise it’ll be okay.”

“We already have a proven mating hunt safety plan,” Jax says. “So we’ll preset the course and have our safety team stationed with tranq guns. Ironically, not Alphas. I don’t want any other Alphas around for that part. We’ve got enough betas, gammas, and strong omegas who are happily mated with mate bonds who will be able to keep their brains in their heads and not listen to their balls. So, on the chance that something does go wrong, they’ll take me out before I hurt anyone.”

I’m even more horrified now. “Take you out?”

“Tranquilized,” Shawn says with a playful smirk.

Jax nods. “Then I’ll be taking a forced nap for a few hours and wake up in a K-hole.” He laughs.

“And if the plan goes right?” I sink deeper into Todd’s protective embrace.

“Once I knot with Shawn,” Jax says, “I should have recovered enough to control myself until Todd gives me some semblance of submitting.”

“Which at that point I happily will.” Todd smiles down at me. “I’m a multitasker.”

Jax snorts but continues. “And I’ll likely be dumping a load in Todd’s ass while he’s probably still rutting the hell out of you.”

Todd smirks as he turns and protectively drapes an arm around my shoulders, tucking me close against his side. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, sir. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been in the middle between you and someone else.”

Jax laughs. “True.” He looks at me again. “We’ll pre-arrange logistics to help you and Shawn through your mating heats from that point on.”

But there’s something else. I study the way Shawn’s staring at Jax.

Staring at him hopefully.

Not because of me.

“Okay, I’m not agreeing to anything until you tell me what else is going on,” I say to Shawn. “What are you holding back?”

“That’s between me and Jax,” Shawn quietly says. “Unless he wants to talk about it.”