Page 156 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

AUDREY

We separated when we reached the Residence, Cyrus and Deacon entering through the front door, Whil heading across the grounds to the cottage, and Bishop, Knox, and I walking around the castle to my suite’s French doors. We were already soaked so a few more minutes in the rain wouldn’t hurt us, and I wasn’t ready to leave Knox just yet or have Bishop taken away on pack business by someone, especially not Velora

The mattress that had been set on the small patio when Bishop had been poisoned so Knox could stay with him was gone, but Knox didn’t hesitate — there was barely a flicker of fear in our bond — as he followed me and Bishop inside.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and warm,” Bishop said, a hint of seduction in his voice but not enough to overcome my exhaustion or the exhaustion I knew he was feeling.

Even after seven days and having shifted every day to speed up his recovery, he still didn’t have the stamina he used to have, and I feared he’d never get it back.

All because he’d protected me.

And while I could feel in our bond that he didn’t blame me and would do it again if it meant protecting me, I still felt guilty.

“She’s tired,” Knox said, his voice a low growl as he and Bishop ushered me into the bathroom.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, not resisting them when they positioned me in front of the shower.

“You’ll be happier after you sleep.” Knox turned on the taps, the sudden shush of water startling me as if I’d dozed off for a second.

“I don’t like where your thoughts go when you’re tired,” Bishop said, grabbing the hem of my shirt and peeling the almost see-through fabric up my torso.

Jeez, I must have been tired if I hadn’t even noticed that my thin shirt clung to my chest doing nothing to hide the fact my nipples were pebbled from the chilly rain and the fabric hugged the curve of my breasts like a second skin.

“Audrey, whatever you’re worried about, we’ll face it together. The three of us,” he said.

Knox grunted in agreement, and Bishop cupped my cheeks with his palms, urging me to look at him.

The warm endless night of his gaze captured mine, suspending me with the certainty of his love, and I floated among brilliant green stars. In his eyes, I was precious and desired. Neither Bishop nor Knox blamed me for what had happened, something I already knew. But it was harder to fight my demons when I was tired. When all three of us were tired.

I pushed love through the bonds, hoping to give them strength, but Knox growled and a snap of his power broke my concentration.

“But I—” I protested. I wanted to help them, needed to help them.

“It’s our turn, mate,” Knox huffed. “You held me together the whole walk to the pool when you were suffering too?—”

“And sent me support to keep my strength up the whole walk back,” Bishop finished. “Yeah, we’re all tired. But you’re exhausted, Audrey, and you can’t even see it.”

“And when you’re exhausted,” Knox said, “the shit those assholes fed you while you were growing up gets louder.

“Are you listening to my thoughts now?” I asked. It was rude to eavesdrop on people’s thoughts and no shifter that I knew about could do it consistently — although it wouldn’t surprise me if Knox, Bishop, and Cyrus could.

“Don’t need to,” Knox huffed as he knelt in front of me and pulled down my pants. “It’s so obvious, even I can figure it out.”

“Hey,” I huffed back. “Don’t insult my mate.”

He rolled his eyes at me, grabbed my hips, and buried his nose in my curls.

You’re mate still can’t believe he’s yours, he said in my head. And I’ll spend the rest of my life worshiping you to make amends for hurting you in the beginning.

“You were an asshole,” Bishop chuckled. He pressed his lips against mine, his tongue teasing the seam of my mouth, asking for entrance.

I opened and let him in for a long, languid kiss full of tongue, while Knox licked and sucked just as slowly at my entrance.

The fire of need grew slow and steady, building and building until rolling over me. It wasn’t the biggest orgasm either of my guys had ever given me, but it was still perfect. Hot and flowing, dragging tension I hadn’t noticed I had from my body.

It was exactly what I needed to let go of the worry and adrenaline that I’d clung to in order to stay strong for them.

“That’s it,” Bishop purred, and together he and Knox drew me into the shower, cleaning me with loving and gentle attention.

They kept me relaxed, not giving my mind a chance to return to my worries with soft, flesh against flesh teasing but not building my desire any tighter.

It was perfect. All of us were too tired for much more, and after I was clean and bundled in a warm fluffy towel, I climbed into bed sandwiched between them.

At some point in the night, Knox left, his claustrophobia forcing him outside. He lasted longer than he said he could and had only just started to get uncomfortable, suggesting maybe, with love and patience, his time indoors could be extended.

I drifted back asleep, my heart warm with their bonds, and when I woke with brilliant morning sunlight streaming through the windows, the warmth was still there.

My lips curled into a soft lazy smile. I lay in my mate’s arms, my back pressed against a firm, muscular chest, safe and secure and loved.

And then I realized who held me, and my smile grew into a goofy grin.

Knox.

He’d come back to bed.

“Bishop had to take care of pack business before breakfast,” Knox rumbled in my ear, his hot breath washing over the back of my neck.

“So you thought you’d keep me warm?” I turned in his arms and nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck, breathing in his rich wood smoke scent.

“Always. I came back an hour and a half before Bishop had to leave,” he said and I couldn’t even feel a hint of anxiety from him.

“Thank you.”

He huffed his acknowledgment, the love in the bond saying more than words, and brushed his lips against mine with the beginning of a kiss, but stopped and groaned a second later.

“Asshole,” he hissed, rolling away from me onto his back. “Bishop says breakfast will be here in five. He wants me to wake you, ensure you’ve eaten and changed into the dress he’s sending with our meal, and have you outside the Residence’s front doors in twenty minutes.”

“We could still…” I said, sliding my hand down his chest.

But he grabbed my wrist before I could reach his cock. “You can’t be late and you can’t look recently fucked. Cyrus and Bishop are taking the alliance members on a tour of the city.”

And the whole point of me being there was to not draw attention to myself, something that would definitely happen if I was late.

“Bishop promises some of that later,” Knox said with a wolfish smile sending heat rushing to my core. “He’s going to have to wait his turn.”