Page 45

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

JAX

T he bedroom smells like sex and satisfaction. I've been awake for twenty minutes, watching Lexie sleep against my chest while my pack sprawls around us in various states of undress. Her fingers twitch against my skin, chasing dreams I can't see.

Darren's got one arm slung across her waist, face buried in her hair. Dmitri's hand rests on Darren's shoulder, always touching, even unconscious. Aidan's curled at the foot of the bed, taking up an impressive amount of space. Zayn keeps to the edge, maintaining distance even now.

My pack. Complete for the first time.

I trace Lexie's cheekbone, cataloging freckles I didn't notice last night. She took all five of us with her mouth, found something to praise in each approach. No hesitation. No comparing. Just open want.

She fits.

Darren's eyes open first, meeting mine over Lexie's head. That satisfied smirk says everything. He slept better than he has in weeks. Since the presentation turned his world inside out.

That makes two of us.

Our whispers wake Dmitri. One second dead to the world, the next scanning for threats. Old habits from whatever he did before hockey. His gaze lingers on Lexie before finding mine.

I tilt my head toward the door. Breakfast.

Dmitri extracts himself from our tangle without disturbing anyone. I should stay. Watch her wake up in my bed, surrounded by my pack. See that moment when she realizes where she is and doesn't panic.

But I want to feed her. Prove we're more than just good in bed.

I ease away from her warmth. She makes a soft protest, hand searching. Darren fills the space immediately, and she settles.

Dmitri's already grinding coffee when I reach the kitchen. That's Dmitri. Efficient on ice, in bed, everywhere.

"She slept well." Not a question.

"Like the dead," I confirm, pulling eggs from the fridge. "We wore her out."

His mouth twitches. For Dmitri, that's practically a grin. "Good start."

Two words, but I hear everything underneath. Good start to bringing her in. Good start to fixing what we almost broke. Good start to something permanent.

Because that's where my head's at, even if it's too soon to say. Lexie's not just convenient or willing. She's our scent match. All five of us pulled to one beta woman who makes sweaters and climbs out bathroom windows.

"What are we making?" Dmitri asks.

"Something that shows effort." I grab bacon. "She deserves the full treatment after last night."

"Aidan's cinnamon rolls," Dmitri suggests.

Perfect. Nothing says “we want to keep you” like homemade pastries.

Aidan stumbles in right on cue, hair defying gravity, wearing only boxers. "Someone say cinnamon rolls?"

"Get baking," I tell him. "We're spoiling Lexie."

Sleep vanishes from his face. "Fuck yes. Give me forty-five minutes."

The kitchen becomes controlled chaos. Dmitri arranges fruit like he's creating art. I handle eggs and bacon. Aidan attacks dough with the same focus he brings to blocking shots.

Zayn appears twenty minutes later, fully dressed and shower-fresh while the rest of us look like we just rolled out of bed. Which we did.

"Smells good." He heads straight for coffee.

"We're making Lexie breakfast in bed," I explain, flipping bacon.

His smirk says everything. "Captain's orders?"

"She earned it," Dmitri says without looking up from his strawberry spiral.

Zayn's expression shifts. "Yeah. She did."

We work in sync, no words needed. Years of living together, fighting together, winning together. Now we can add fucking the same woman to the list.

"Someone should check on them," Aidan says, watching his rolls rise through the oven door.

"I'll go." I wipe my hands. "Ten more minutes?"

"Yeah, perfect timing."

I take the stairs two at a time. The bedroom door's still cracked. I push it open quietly, not wanting to jar them awake.

And stop dead.

Darren's on top of Lexie, the omega's muscles flexing as he drives into her. Her legs wrap around his waist, nails dragging down his back as she moans.

They freeze when the door creaks.

"Oh." Lexie's face goes from flushed to mortified. "Sorry!"

Darren looks over his shoulder, grinning. "Thought we had time."

"Don't apologize." I lean against the doorframe, enjoying the view. "Sleep well?"

"Very," Lexie manages, still breathless. She shifts and gasps, since Darren's still inside her.

"I'll let you finish." My cock's already responding to the sight of them together, our omega and beta joined so intimately, but this is their moment. "Breakfast will be ready in ten."

I close the door on Darren's curse and Lexie's embarrassed laugh. The mattress starts creaking again immediately.

Just another thing we'll learn to figure out. Sharing space, sharing time, sharing her.

Downstairs, we load everything onto the massive breakfast tray once it's ready. Everything except the cinnamon rolls, that is. Aidan cradles them protectively on a separate tray like newborns. By the time we file back upstairs, the room's shifted.

Lexie sits cross-legged on the bed in my T-shirt. It hangs off one shoulder, showing skin I want desperately to taste. Her hair's pulled up into a sexy, messy bun on top of her head, her face glowing with that just-fucked satisfaction.

Darren emerges from the bathroom, still catching his breath. The others know exactly what happened. The room smells of pumpkin-spiced sex. But nobody comments. Even Zayn keeps his mouth shut. The last thing we want to do is scare her off.

We arrange ourselves around her, which feels so natural. Darren is beside her, their shoulders touching. Dmitri claims the armchair. Zayn leans against the headboard. Aidan protects his cinnamon rolls at the foot of the bed.

"You're spoiling me," Lexie says, her eyes widening as we lay the spread out before her.

"That's the plan." I set the tray where everyone can reach.

She demolishes Aidan's cinnamon rolls with enthusiasm that makes him preen. As we eat, she asks about our routines, our habits. Who wakes up first (me), who hogs the shower (Zayn), who controls the remote (ongoing war).

She's not just making conversation. She's learning us. Building something beyond last night's pleasure.

I watch her work through each of us. Thoughtful questions for Dmitri that get more than his usual three-word answers. Genuine interest in Aidan's baking experiments. Even Zayn opens up about his business degree when she asks the right questions.

Eventually, as the plates and mugs empty, a comfortable silence settles over us.

"So," Lexie sets down her mug, finally breaking the silence. "Darren mentioned you all have some kind of plans for how this weekend is going to go?"

We've discussed this. How to approach training the gorgeous beta's body for our knots without making it clinical or pressuring.

"We do," I confirm. "If you're interested."

She raises an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Zayn beats me to it. "We want to help you work up to taking our knots. Betas need plenty of preparation."

Her cheeks pink, but she doesn't look away. "All of you?"

"Eventually." I shoot Zayn a look he ignores. "Not all at once. Today's about starting slow, finding what works for you."

Her blush deepens, but she's smiling. "When you put it that way..."

"Your pleasure comes first," Dmitri adds. "Always. You say stop, we stop."

"I know." She looks at each of us. "I trust you. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Trust. The foundation of everything.

"So," I bring us back to practical matters. "Are you interested?"

She takes a breath, meeting my eyes directly. "Yes. Very interested."

Heat coils in my gut. "Good. We'll go slow, focus on building your comfort. Actual knotting comes later."

"Who starts?" she asks.

Silent communication passes between us. As pack alpha, I take point. Set the tone. The others agreed, though Zayn wanted to go first. With Lexie, he's learning patience.

She's the first reason he's ever had to bother, I'm pretty sure.

"I will," I tell her. "If that works for you?"

She nods, eyes darkening. "It does."

"The others can stay or give us privacy. Your choice."

She catches her lip between her teeth, considering. "They can stay. If they want."

"Oh, we want," Zayn confirms, all predator.

"Definitely," Aidan agrees.

Dmitri just nods, gaze locked on Lexie.

"Remember," Darren says as he squeezes her hand. "You're in control."

"I know." She turns to me with arousal evident in her gaze that only reignites the fire that started when I saw her with Darren earlier. "How do we start?"

I move the tray to the floor. "First, we get comfortable."

I cup her cheek, feeling her warmth. She meets me halfway when I lean in, lips soft against mine. The kiss starts gentle but deepens as she opens for me. Coffee and cinnamon on her tongue.

My hands find the hem of the borrowed shirt she's wearing, slipping underneath. She shivers at the touch, arching into my palms. I keep it light, letting her set the pace.

The others watch with varying intensity. Darren's moved to the armchair. Dmitri by the window. Zayn sprawled at the foot of the bed. Aidan cross-legged on the floor. They're all watching, all intent on her every movement and breath.

Their presence adds heat. Lexie draws energy from their attention, responses growing bolder.

I pull back to check in. "You good, beautiful?"

"Very good." Her voice is so rough with want. "More. Please."

I capture her mouth again, more demand this time. My hands explore higher, cupping the underside of her breasts. She makes a sound that goes straight to my cock.

I help her remove the shirt. She's bare underneath, skin flushed pink. "Absolutely perfect," I whisper.

I shape her soft breasts to my hands, watching her face as my thumbs brush her nipples. She gasps, eyes fluttering before meeting mine again.

"So you're sensitive there," I note, repeating the touch. "I'll remember that."