Page 12 of Secure Touch (Her Vicious Pack #8)

Vera

I’m sore. My whole body is sore —and satisfied, but it’s less fun to be grumbly when I focus on that part— and I feel like Caleb is still inside me even though he’s back in his chair, supposedly reading, while I’m on the bed, snuggled between Mathew and Jorge.

Every small movement pulls on one muscle or another, or makes me rub my legs together, and every time it happens, I’m reminded of Caleb fucking me nice and slow for well over two hours while we were in the shower.

His stamina and patience are so frustrating sometimes, especially when he’s set on letting me experience the full extent of it.

I love it, but also, our speeds do not always match, so he simply makes up for it by making me come four or five —or six, or seven, or eight— times before he comes even once.

“How can you still be horny?” Mathew’s lips brush against the shell of my ear.

“I’m not.” I turn my head so I can shoot him a look, quickly kissing him before he can say more. I don’t want to be reminded of it right now, I just want to go to sleep.

I could, of course, sleep with Mathew’s dick inside me, so I’ll be reminded of both my mates at the same time.

“You’re doing it again, your pheromones are flaring up.” He chuckles, kissing my neck. “I can help you out, you know, if you want me to.” He slides his hand over the front of my clean sexy night dress, since I didn’t feel like being naked the whole time.

I grab his wrist and pull it aside, away from any ‘dangerous’ areas. “I really just want to sleep.” I’m exhausted and my body needs rest.

“Okay.” He laughs softly. Then he turns me so I’m with my face against his chest. “Let’s get some sleep first. That way, the others will also have a chance, instead of just those of us who are awake at the strangest times.”

With a slightly frustrated sound, I poke him in his side and he quickly grabs my wrist, pulling my arm around him instead. “I thought you wanted to sleep?”

“I do.” Then I notice that he’s trying his hardest to release soothing pheromones and I push closer to him, hiding my face in his neck, under his hair, so I can get the most of them.

Even though we’re now squeezed together very tightly, a situation that could way too easily turn naughty, it seems to do the trick, as we both fall asleep soon after.

The relapse after we had sex in the bathroom with Luca turned out to not be as much of a deal as it seemed at first. I think it was more because we were already tired and then were suddenly very active.

Plus Luca’s super bitter pheromones probably had a negative effect on us, even before we caught slivers of non-pack pheromones outside.

I’m pretty sure it was mainly an issue of compounding one thing on top of another, because after another day of good rest, Mathew and I no longer start to feel bad when our mates are away from us for more than a few minutes.

And it’s right on time because we’re all going stir-crazy by now, and Erika and her pack can’t stay here indefinitely.

Luckily, they were able to keep working on finding places for Luca’s family and the kids to live, while we were out of commission.

I’m sad that I wasn’t able to spend much time with them, but I’m sure we’ll have more time together not too far into the future, either here or at their place, and hopefully under better circumstances. Especially since Caleb and I are no longer on the run, so we can move more freely, mostly.

Though, I’m not sure any of us are ever really ‘off work’, so it probably won’t ever be truly relaxing. Most likely, it will be one of those ‘working holidays’. Ah, well. Any excuse will be a good one, I think.

We’re still staying away from other people, but we opened the door to what will become the baby room, and let our pack’s pheromones slowly seep into it.

After that, we were able to set up more of a working office situation in there.

We can now slowly get some work done, as long as we don’t exhaust ourselves too much.

I watch as Mathew goes through all of the emails and other things he missed while he was recovering, mumbling to himself about whatever, as he makes notes and sends off messages to people on his team.

Once in a while, a message shows up in my inbox, either from Mathew or Erika, as I start planning how the two organisations can start to work together better.

I understand that we can’t simply merge the two systems, there’s too much confidential information in them, but I’m sure we can find some way to make it work that doesn’t rely on sending each other messages asking for information and then the other side running a search, downloading the information and sending it back.

It’s such a hassle, and so much of it is basic information that shouldn’t be a problem to give the other organisation access to without the whole emailing back and forth ordeal...

I check my phone, finding a message from Nathan. ‘I heard we’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Will you be able to see us off?’

‘Probably not. But I can wave at you through the window.’ I smile. That’s probably the most Mathew or I can do right now. ‘Is college starting soon?’

‘Yes, I think it starts in a week.’

Ehhh... ‘You THINK it starts in a week?’

He replies with an angel face emoticon, before a proper message comes in. ‘I think they start up next week, but I don’t know when our actual classes start. I don’t know if second years start the first week or if that’s for first years only.’

Nathan...

Sometimes he makes me feel like an older sister, usually a frustrated older sister who knows that their sibling can do better, but that they’re not taking the time to even try. He’s such a mess. He’s lucky that Logan is always much more on top of things and is more into scheduling.

I’m pretty sure that if I message Logan right now, he’ll be able to tell me which classes any of them are taking, when they are and even the professors teaching them. Not just for him and Nathan, but also for Jace, who’s in a whole different department.

Thinking of the three of them attending college makes me consider for a few moments if I should sign up for classes too, it’s the right time of the year for it and I’d be able to start with the other students.

But I have no idea what I would want to study, and I’m sure that once Mathew and I feel better again, work will quickly start to stack up. I’ll be plenty busy very soon.

‘Did your mum manage to get everyone on the same plane this time?’ Since they had to arrive as two groups last time, though I didn’t get to meet anyone from the second group as they arrived after Mathew and I started feeling poorly.

‘You could say that.’

‘Sounds cryptic...’

‘She rented a whole freaking private jet, since we’re taking the kids who don’t have family members to return to with us. It’s safer for them to not stay in the Hearts’ territory. And from what I understood, Luca’s family will also come with us.’

I blink, rereading the message. I’d not heard about any of that. Luca’s family will be leaving too?

Another message comes in. ‘Should make things a lot calmer around here at least, for the time being.’

I put my phone down.

Sure, it would be calmer, but does Luca know yet that his family is leaving?

He’s not in the ‘office’ with us, which means he’s probably on the balcony or in the bedroom. He doesn’t really go very far, usually.

I get up and go through the walk-in-closet —since I don’t want to go through the nest room— to our bedroom.

Luca is sitting on the balcony, talking to someone on the phone. He doesn’t look very happy, but from the way he moves, the way he talks, he’s clearly trying to encourage someone. His family?

I want to go over to him, but I also don’t want to disturb him, not if he’s talking to his family...

“There you are.” Riley wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against her. “I would like for you to try something on. I made you a few shirts and a skirt, but I want to make sure you’ll be able to wear them even in a month or two or three. Can you try them on for me?”

I glance at Luca one last time, before I nod and turn to Riley. Her big grin and her excitement making me smile too. “Yeah, sure. Is that what you’ve been working on now you’re no longer locked in here?”

“That, and a few other things, but mostly, yes.” She pulls me closer. “Do you think you can make it to my room if I carry you and you make sure to stay as close to me as possible, so you won’t get anyone else’s pheromones?”

“We can always try.” The thought of going into the hallway scares me, but I’ve been doing a lot better. And as long as I don’t get exposed to too many non-pack pheromones, I should be fine, right?

Only one way to find out.

Because I’m definitely ready for my world to become bigger again, to finally be able to go places and meet people, even if it’s only a few people at a time.