Page 31 of Dragon’s Revenge (Irresistible Dragons #7)

Chapter Thirty

F our weeks later, Adar was still floating on cloud nine. Which was such a weird expression since he had no idea what clouds one through eight were, but that was beside the point.

He was happy. Stupidly happy to the point of giddy. Hell, his fellow guards were teasing him because he constantly walked around with a big smile now. A goofy smile, as one of them had pointed out, and Adar couldn’t even refute it. Nor did he want to. It was true, wasn’t it? He’d even caught himself whistling a tune, and that was a first.

The cause of his happiness was obvious. Love. He was in love. Crazy, stupid in love with both of his mates. They were his everything now, and he looked forward to every second he got to spend with them.

He had dinner with his mates every day now. Every night, Oliver would fall asleep sometime during their post-dinner conversation, usually on Adar’s or Delton’s lap. And every night, Delton and Adar would tuck Oliver into bed, and then they’d leave together, spending the night either in Delton’s bed or Adar’s.They had sex almost every night, with Adar bottoming most of the time, but he didn’t mind at all. He loved sharing that with Delton.

“You don’t mind sleeping on your own each night?” Adar asked Oliver that night as they were sitting around the dinner table in Delton’s cabin, enjoying a hearty lasagna Oliver had baked that made Adar’s mouth water. The lasagna sat in a ceramic dish, its golden-brown crust covering the layers of cheesy pasta and sauce. The edges were slightly crisp, a sign of a perfectly cooked dish. Specks of green parsley and red tomato could be seen poking through the top layer, adding just the right amount of color.

Oliver shook his head. “I like that you get to spend time together.”

Delton’s eyes narrowed in that way Adar was starting to recognize as his analytical mode, when he was trying to figure something out. Any moment now, he’d ask the question. And yup, the beta opened his mouth. “Why do you like that?”

Adar repressed a smile. He was strangely proud of himself for knowing that was coming, like he was figuring Delton out. Not an easy task since the beta was pretty careful in what he shared and showed of himself. A professional habit, no doubt.

Oliver idly toyed with the food on his plate, his fork gently nudging the lasagna into separate little piles while his eyes remained fixed on the task, avoiding Delton’s probing gaze. Yeah, good luck with that. Adar’s money was on Delton.

“It’s not a criticism, honey,” Delton said softly. “But I want to make sure I understand.”

Oliver raised his head slightly, peeking at Delton from between his eyelashes as if to confirm he wasn’t upset or angry. “Adar spent so much time with me in the beginning. It’s only fair that you two now get to hang out more,” Oliver finally said.

Okay, that made sense. Adar fully expected Delta to say something along those lines, but instead, the beta asked, “Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

“What else could it be?” Oliver asked, but his voice was barely audible, which was a telltale sign that Delton was on to something. How had he picked up on that? He was so damn good at this.

Delton leaned forward, his eyes filled with warmth and sincerity, and gently clasped Oliver’s hand in his own. “What are you afraid to tell us, honey? I promise we won’t be upset.”

Adar nodded. “What Delton said.”

Oliver was quiet for a long time, then finally let out a shaky sigh. “I’m not sure I’ll ever want to sleep with you.”

Sleep with them? Hadn’t they already established that outside of his heat, Oliver wasn’t interested in sex? Or did he mean…?

“You mean literal sleeping, right?” Delton asked. “Like sleeping in the same bed?”

Oliver nodded. Ah, okay. He meant sharing a bed. Adar was starting to understand.

“Okay.”

When nothing else followed, Oliver looked up, puzzled. “Okay?”

“Yes. Okay. As in, that’s okay. Perfectly fine.”

“Y-you don’t want to know why?”

“Not unless you want to tell me. I don’t need a reason to accept your decision. ‘I don’t want to’ is a full sentence that doesn’t require more details to be respected.”

Another drawn-out pause. “I’m afraid I’ll panic. I love cuddling when I’m awake or falling asleep while cuddling. But if I wake up in the middle of the night with either of you touching me, I’m scared I’ll have a panic attack.”

Delton released Oliver’s hand and leaned back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful as he chewed his food. The gentle creak of the chair accompanied his movement, and his gaze seemed to drift into a contemplative distance as he clearly considered Oliver’s words. “You may be right. We’re far more vulnerable in our sleep and more likely to react instinctively to what our brain perceives as a threat. You could very well be triggered into a panic attack.”

Pure relief flooded Oliver’s expression. “So I’m not overreacting?”

“Not at all. It’s a valid concern.”

“I just… I don’t want to risk it.”

“Neither do I,” Adar said. “I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep since I’d be too worried about triggering you.”

“I’m so glad you told us,” Delton said, taking Oliver’s hand again. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t pulling away from us for the wrong reasons.”

“But what does this mean for the future? Will I ever be able to sleep with you?” Oliver asked.

“Maybe, but there are no guarantees. So, for now, it means you’ll need your own bedroom, and that’s fine. When we decide we’re ready to move in together, we’ll accommodate that.”

“I’m ready,” Adar said without missing a beat. “If you are too. I would love to be under the same roof all the time and really spend our lives together.”

Two heads whipped around in unison, their eyes wide and mouths agape, each face a mirror of the other’s shock and disbelief. Oh fuck. What had he done wrong now?

“What?” Adar asked defensively. “Is it wrong to want to be with my mates?”

Delton pushed back his chair with a harsh scrape against the wooden floor, then abruptly rose to his feet. “I need a moment.”

His brow furrowed, and a shadow of sadness flitted across his face as he turned away, heading toward his bedroom with brisk, determined steps. Before Adar could even respond, he’d closed the door behind him with a soft but definitive click.

Adar’s heart fell. He’d fucked up, somehow, but where? Why wouldn’t Delton be happy Adar wanted to move in together? They were all convinced they were mates, destined to be together, so what was the problem?

Then it hit him.

He’d skipped a step. The most important step.

He’d forgotten to tell them he loved them.He’d omitted the most important part. Gods, he was such a fool.

Adar pushed back his own chair. He couldn’t leave things like this. He had to fix it now. “Oliver, angel, will you please come with me? To Delton?”

Oliver hesitated, then nodded. “But you’d better make this good,” he warned. He’d never sounded so sharp, and Adar mentally cringed. He deserved that. Didn’t mean it didn’t sting. “I know.”

Oliver got up and put both his hands on his hips. “We can’t hurt him again. He’s been through enough.”

Adar had never seen the omega so assertive, and it made him strangely proud. “The last thing I want is to hurt him, angel. I swear.”

“Okay.”

Oliver took the hand Adar held out to him, and they walked over to the bedroom door. Adar knocked softly. “Delton? Can we come in?”

There was a long pause, then a muffled, “Yes.”

Adar opened the door and stepped inside with Oliver right next to him. Delton was sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped, head in his hands. Adar’s heart clenched at the sight. Oliver must’ve felt the same because he hurried over and sat next to Delton, taking his hand.

Adar crossed the room and kneeled in front of his mates, placing one hand on Oliver’s knee and one hand on Delton’s. “I’m so, so sorry. I messed up.”

Delton lifted his head, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “How can you say you want to move in together when you’ve never even said you love us?”

“I do love you,” Adar said fervently. “Both of you. More than anything. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before now. I know it’s the lamest excuse in the world, but for me, it was so obvious, so natural…but I never said it aloud, and I should have. I love you both so very much. Not because you’re my mates or because I feel like I have to, but because…because I do. Because you’re so sweet, Oliver, and so pretty, and so much stronger than you think. And because you’re smarter than anyone I know, Delton, and your heart is so big, and you’re gorgeous… I don’t know the words to say, the flowery language you need, or the compliments that will make you believe me. All I have is the truth, which is that I love you and I will until the day I die.”

Oliver threw his arms around Adar’s neck, hugging him tight. “I love you too,” he whispered fiercely. “So much.”

Adar wrapped his arms around the omega, holding him close. He looked over Oliver’s shoulder at Delton, his heart in his eyes. “Delton?”

The beta swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You really mean it?” His voice was rough with emotion.

“With all my heart,” Adar vowed. He reached out a hand to Delton.

After a moment’s hesitation, Delton took it, letting Adar pull him into their embrace. Adar buried his face in the crook of Delton’s neck, inhaling his comforting scent. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I never want to do that.”

“I know,” Delton murmured, running his fingers through Adar’s hair. “I love you too, you big oaf. Even if you are an idiot sometimes.”

“The biggest idiot on the planet,” Adar agreed.

“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far.” Delton leaned back. “But don’t do it again.”

Adar reached up and gently wiped away the wetness in Delton’s eyes with his thumb. “Never intentionally, but I can’t guarantee I’ll never fuck up again. I’m new to all this relationship stuff, and it doesn’t come naturally to me. But I will try, and if you tell me what I’m doing wrong, I’ll fix it. You have my word on that.”

Delton nodded, cupping Adar’s cheek. “That’s all I ask. I’ll mess up at some point too.”

Adar doubted that, but he kept that to himself. “I love you both more than I ever thought possible. You’ve become my entire world.”

Oliver squeezed Delton’s hand, his own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I love you too, Delton. So much it feels like my heart could burst.”

A shaky laugh escaped Delton’s lips as he pulled Oliver into a tight embrace. “I love you too. More than anything. I’m sorry I doubted…”

Adar shook his head, cutting off Delton’s apology. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I should’ve told you how I felt long before now. But I promise, from this day forward, I will never let you doubt my love for you again.”

Adar stood, pulling his mates up with him. He held them close, one arm around each of their waists. “So what do you say? Will you move in with me? Can we make a home together, the three of us?”

Oliver nodded eagerly, his eyes shining. “Yes, of course! I want nothing more.”

Delton lifted his head from Adar’s shoulder and looked at Oliver, then back at Adar, his expression earnest. “I want that too, for us to be together, under one roof. To really build a life and a home together, the three of us.”

“Really?” Oliver asked breathlessly, his eyes wide with hope and just a hint of lingering uncertainty.

“Really,” Delton confirmed, squeezing Oliver’s hand. “I love you both so much. I want us to be a family in every sense of the word.”

Adar’s heart soared at Delton’s words. This was everything he’d ever wanted but had been too afraid to hope for. “Then let’s do it. Let’s talk to Sivney and see if we can get a cabin for the three of us, with plenty of space for Oliver to have his own room.”

“And a big kitchen,” Oliver added shyly. “So I can cook for you both.”

Adar chuckled and pressed a kiss to Oliver’s temple. “Anything you want, angel. We’ll make sure it’s perfect for all of us so we can be together.”

“Together,” Oliver said softly, his eyes shining. “I like the sound of that.”

Delton squeezed both their hands. “I do too. More than anything.”

Adar let out a whoop of joy, spinning them around. Oliver giggled, and Delton smiled indulgently at his antics. When Adar set them back down, he peppered their faces with kisses, making them both laugh.

“I love you,” Adar declared again, needing them to hear it, to believe it deep in their souls. “I love you both so much.”

“We love you too,” Oliver said softly, nuzzling Adar’s chest.

Delton reached up to cup Adar’s face, his touch tender. “More than anything. And we always will.”