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He didn’t open his eyes until he heard the snick of the door close, and when he did, the artificial lights burned.

We need to run soon , his Tirian said. We need to reset, replenish.

Soon , Noah promised, putting the phone back in its cradle.

He lost himself in his work after his heart rate slowed.

The phone rang and he answered it, he prioritised the list of jobs and then identified the most urgent.

A lot of the pressure dropped once he sorted out what had happened to the internet connection, resetting it and getting that operational again. Then it all became routine.

Computers were somewhat of a relief for Noah.

They came with manuals, blueprints, and if he was totally stumped, he could jump on a forum to find out what work arounds other techs had come up with.

That satisfaction that came from completing things gradually beat down the other more uncomfortable feelings, until he was back in what he called ‘machine head.’ He could hold massive amounts of information in his head, if the conditions were right, if he could just get some quiet.

Because when he did, it was like his mind moved like his Tirian’s, running faster and faster, covering more and more ground with little effort, the pleasure of moving shutting everything else.

So perhaps he should have expected what came next.

His head jerked up when the door opened, his eyes widening when he saw Aidan and Peter filling the doorway.

“How’s it going, mate?” Aidan asked.

“Um…good?”

Noah’s mind stumbled over words and human interactions when he’d been working hard. He usually used the time as he walked back home to put that side of him back together, so for a moment, he just stared at the two of them.

They looked uncomfortable. For big men who looked like they could take on anything, it was unusual to see their weight shifting from one foot, their eyes scanning the room rather than burning endlessly into him.

“Did you want a seat?” he asked, an old social script rising and filling the gap in conversation, though he belatedly realised there was only the one.

“You take it,” Peter said.

“You better,” Aidan replied. “You’re such a big fucker, you crowd the place.”

“Not sure it’ll take me,” he snorted. “Spindly fucking things.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed as his fear rose.

“Who is it?” he asked, not giving two shits where they sat right now. “Kade or Flick?” His tone demanded answers, but he couldn’t give them time to do so. “What’s happened to them?”

“Nothing bad,” Aidan said as Noah got to his feet. “Look, I’m sorry. We didn’t do this well. You must be freaking.”

“I will be until you tell me what’s happened,” he snapped. “Out with it.”

“Noah, we just came by to prepare you,” Peter said.

“For what?”

“Look, something happened today with Sen and Flick—” Aidan said.

“Bad? Are they OK?”

“They’re fine. Better than fine,” he replied, shooting Peter a soft smile. “Flick…she claimed Sen. They…” The man shook his head. “They’ll fill you in themselves when you get home. We just wanted to…”

Noah saw Aidan’s strong competent hands move limply in his lap, as if somehow, they could find the words for him.

“Just give you a heads up,” Peter said, frowning at Aidan for a moment. “Sen’s family has descended on the house, and we didn’t want you walking into a?—”

“Hen house, if the noise is anything to go by,” Aidan said, shaking his head. “Sen’s a quiet bloke, but that mother of his… They’ve taken over the place already. Looks like it's gonna be a big one, this party.”

And that’s why they were here. He felt a flush, of gratitude twisted tight with shame.

That they would have to take time out of their work day to come by and ‘prepare’ him, like one would an errant child.

He just nodded. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” He blinked, still processing their words, but when he did, a slow smile spread across his face.

“So, Sen and Flick, huh? That’s good, it’s…

awesome.” And a wave of belated pleasure came with the words, of relief that there was nothing wrong with his packmates and that Sen had found his mate.

He liked the man, he seemed good for Flick, for the pack.

He was the easiest for Noah to read as he usually just said what he wanted, less pussyfooting around and expecting him to get the subtext.

Flick seemed to benefit from Sen’s bossiness.

It was all a kink for them, but he made sure she drank and ate enough, got enough sleep, and put herself first sometimes. And he made space for Noah.

Sen’d forced some confessions out of him during one of their games, making him spill his laundry list of sexual preferences.

“Tell her.”

He sat there, cross-legged on the bed after they’d all just come, still drowsy with the pleasure of it. Flick was curled around him, her eyes heavily lidded.

“Tell her what?” Noah asked.

The other man just watched him with those pale grey eyes of his, a small smile on his lips. He didn’t give Noah anything, just put his expectations out there on the table and waited for them to be obeyed.

Noah traced the creases on the sheets with his fingers, following each little crinkle with the tip.

“You don’t have to—” Flick started.

“Yes, he does. This is part of who he is, and he’s keeping it to one side because he’s scared you’ll freak. He was braver at the start, when there was less to risk. Now the heat has broken, he’s just trying to fit in.”

“And that’s bad?” Flick asked.

“It’s bad if he’s not being who he really is.”

At that moment, Noah hated Sen a little.

The other man never seemed to struggle to fit in, changing the situation to suit himself and largely the pack when things weren’t working, something Noah wished he could learn to do.

Instead, he did exactly as Sen said, watched the others, analysing their relationships, and finding the cracks where he could wriggle in.

“It’s OK,” Flick said, rubbing a hand along his bare thigh, having no idea what it did to him, that gentle stroke.

Both the thrill of sensation that came every time she did, his body awakening, responding, and the yank at his heart that came from being near her, feeling her.

He watched it move up and down in soothing movements, the contrast between her more tanned skin and his pale, seeing every tiny hair shift as she did so.

“I…” Fuck, this was hard now. He’d been so fucking brazen when he met her, the heat destroying his carefully constructed restraints that kept it all back.

And they had been reinstated, Sen was right, making him more careful.

Being in here, having sex was blissful. Any time he was near Flick was hot, sweet, beautiful. But…

“It feels good when you touch me. Anywhere, any how. I don’t really care, as long as you’re doing it,” he said, daring a glance at her.

“But…” Sen prompted.

Noah shot him a dark look. He could have cheerfully belted the other man right now, something that just seemed to make the dark-haired man smirk more.

“But there are certain things I like. You know about the prostate thing.”

“That’s what the plug is for? It rubs against your prostate?” Flick asked.

“Yeah. It’s like my dick’s being rubbed from the inside and out, like twice the pleasure. And when it builds, it’s a whole body thing. My heart… It’s like my chest… Everything…”

“It’s intense.” Flick smiled encouragingly.

“They call them super orgasms,” he’d said with a shrug, feeling a little exposed right now. She seemed to sense this, stroking him again. “I just really like them.”

“So, do you want one of the guys to…”

His eyes jerked up, and he frowned for a moment, trying to piece together what she was asking.

“Ah, no. Sorry, Sen, but guys don’t do it for me. I’m sure you’d be amazing and everything.”

The other men snorted at that.

“But if you…” His words failed him as he looked at Flick. He closed his hand over hers, half to stop her from pulling away as he watched her put it all together.

“Oh! So you want me to…”

“Not want. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.

It’d just be hot. There’s these strap-ons now that are really well designed.

They go inside you, with this ridge for your clit so every movement you make…

” His words trailed away as he watched her eyes go wide.

“But it’s cool. It’s a bit different. You know I like to lick you clean.

We never did tie you down and do the forced orgasms thing. ”

“That’s something I could get behind,” Sen growled. “How’s that work?”

“We pin Flick down like before, or tie her. You’d know how to do that best. We make her come a few times, and then keep them coming when she’s feeling too sensitive.

Usually, the focus is on just one more, but that becomes one more and one more.

” Sen’s grin spread across his face. “You can use toys to help. There’s some seriously high-powered ones that sometimes they strap to the performer and just leave it on her until she’s screaming. ”

“What do you think of that, love?” Sen asked. He grinned when he saw Flick’s expression. Noah had to admit, it was an alluring combination of fear, desire, and curiosity. He’d be interested to see what would come out on top.

“I…I’m not sure. That’s pretty far out from what I’m used to.” She looked into Noah’s eyes, not for too long. She’d sensed that early on. “I’d be interested in exploring things, but I’d need to have an out.”

“That’s what safe words are for.”

He jerked back to the room, saw Aidan and Peter looking at him in concern.

“Sorry, I was just…” Noah waved a hand. “It’s all good. So there’ll be a party on tonight?”

People, in the house, so many people.

“Yep, Veronica, Sen’s mum, is a ball tearer. I’m pretty sure there’s gonna be some kind of smackdown between the two of them. Too much alpha energy,” Aidan said.

“Just wanted to make sure you knew what you were walking into this arvo,” Peter said with a smirk. “Gonna be chaos, but the good thing is it might induce another heat.”

“Fuuuck,” Aidan groaned. “I forgot about that. I only just sorted that pulled groin injury out.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Peter replied with a grin. “You’ll love it.”

“Love every damn thing about that girl.” Aidan got to his feet with a nod. “So you’ll be OK?”

Don’t look at me like that , Noah thought furiously. Don’t feel sorry for me.

“All good,” he replied instead, grateful when they ambled back out the door.