Page 23 of Just Right (The Beasts of Blackmoor #3)

Okay. This time, I tap the bite on my shoulder. “Well, yeah. I mean, unless you guys get your kicks biting your ‘guests’, then booting them out the door?”

I’m being a smartass. If shifters mate for life, I’m not just the only woman my bears have bitten and marked. I’m also the only woman they’ve ever mated… ever fucked … and they never would have willingly watched me go.

But I decided to…

That’s why he was so pissy. Because he woke up, saw I was gone, probably checked each of his brother’s beds, saw I wasn’t there, either, and figured I’d left. He would’ve let me go if it was my choice?—

—only I already made my choice when I let each of the Brown brothers fuck me at the same time.

Lifting my hand, I pat Rowan’s cheek. “Don’t listen to me, babe. But think of it this way… if I broke into your house and basically made it so I could stay before I had my way with all of you? What makes you think you can get rid of me now ?”

He leans forward, resting his forehead against mine. “I don’t want to. Goldie… I never want you to go. But Blackmoor?—”

“Blackmoor wanted me to fuck you guys,” I say bluntly. Trust me, I won’t forget that mystical fever anytime soon—or how that led to me propositioning Finn first, then going after Colt second, before finally accepting that Rowan is just as important to me as his brothers.

Exactly like they planned.

It took me a while to figure out. Just like in the fairytale, Rowan thought the Finn was just right.

Colt might be a little much, and Rowan is definitely hard—both figuratively and definitely literally at the moment—so they decided that Finn would have the first chance, then the middle brother, and finally the biggest one.

Was I manipulated?

Maybe.

Do I care?

When ending up with all three of them was better than ‘right’, when it was perfect , not even a little.

“It knew you were our mate,” he agrees.

“Exactly. And if I am your mate?—”

“You are ? — ”

I know. “Then why would I leave? You told me that I’m yours once I have your bite on my skin.” I point to number one, number two, number three. “I’ve got three reasons to stay, Rowan. And if I’m sticking around, let me pull my weight.”

His hands drop to my hips. Lifting me up as though I weigh nothing at all, he guides me so that I’m wrapping my legs around his waist. “I like carrying your weight, Goldie.”

I slap Rowan playfully. To see that sort of side from him… it brings it out in me, too. “It was just breakfast,” I begin.

“And you’re our mate. It’s our responsibility to feed you.”

I smile. “Yeah? Well you guys are my mates. It may not be as good as you’re used to, but if I can show you I care by making porridge for you, I want to do that.”

It takes a second for it to click. My overprotective, older brother of a lover realizes after a moment that, while he has this instinctive need to provide for his mate and his younger brothers, sometimes it’s nice for us to show our affection and appreciation for him by doing the same.

Rowan lowers his head, stealing a quick kiss that leaves me breathless. Then, as I’m recovering from it, he eases me down so that I’m standing on the floor. After a quick caress over the curve of my ass, almost as if he can’t help himself, he turns and cups it mouth.

“Colton,” he bellows. “Finn. Get your shaggy behinds downstairs for porridge.”

I hear a door creak overhead, followed by the padding of heavy footsteps coming down into the kitchen.

It amazes me how, in three weeks, I’ve learned how to tell the twins apart at a single glance. The cocky shirtless male who stops short when he sees me, lips curving in a smirk that can’t quite cover up the blatant relief in his dark gold eyes, is definitely Colt.

“I fucking knew you couldn’t resist us.”

Well… he’s not wrong, is he? And neither am I because that’s definitely Colt.

More footsteps sound, not as heavy as the ones before.

Looking behind him, he gestures for Finn to hurry up.

The younger twin is dragging his heels as he walks slowly down the stairs. “I told you, Colt. If Honig is gone, then I?—”

His voice is throaty. Throaty and raw, almost like he’s been crying. As Finn comes into sight, I see the puffy circles under his usually dark gold eyes. Today? They’re rimmed with red, and my heart aches to see how sad he is.

I don’t even try to tease. Instead, I appear at the bottom of the stairs and grin encouragingly up at my sweet mate. “Gone? Where am I supposed to go?”

For a moment, Finn freezes. Then, a second later, his head jerks up, lips splitting into a wide smile when he sees me standing there. He flies down the last few stairs, flinging himself at me.

Good thing that Finn is strong enough to scoop me up, bracing me in his hold as he gives me another hug nearly as tight as Rowan’s.

“ Honig ,” he whispers huskily. “You stayed.”

I wrap my arms around him, returning the hug. “Yes, B?rchen . I stayed.”

As though he can’t be left out, Colt grabs me from behind, grinding up against me. Finn clings to me from the front.

And Rowan… he fists my hair gently, guiding my head so that I’m looking off to the left. That gives him just enough room to wedge his shoulders in slightly so that he can take my mouth in a claiming kiss.

I smile against his lips.

In the safety and love of my three mates’ embrace, I’m sure I’m making the correct choice for me.

Because this? This is just right .