Page 138 of Storm

Recognition.

She's ours now.

Chapter41

Storm

Iwake to the sensation of being watched. My body still burns, but the edge has dulled—at least for now. The nest is warm around me, soft with the scents of my pack. I turn my head to see Reed and Fox curled together in the far corner of my expanded nest, their bodies entwined in sleep. Reed's arm is possessively wrapped around Fox, the fresh claim mark on Fox's neck visible even from where I lie.

The sight sends a flutter through me—I can feel Fox through Reed, a muted but undeniable connection I didn't know was possible. I can sense his contentment even in sleep. It must be an omega thing, this ability to feel the pack bonds differently.

Rook is nowhere to be seen, but I feel his bond pulsing warmly in my chest. He's happy—wherever he is.

When I shift my gaze, I find Jonathan standing at the entrance to the nest, his piercing green eyes tracking every rise and fall of my chest. The black pepper scent of him fills my nostrils, making my already sensitive skin prickle with awareness.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, voice pitched low. There's something different in his expression today—the careful control seems ready to snap at any moment.

I shift slightly, cataloging the various aches throughout my body. "Better. For now."

His nostrils flare as he catches the shift in my scent—the next wave of heat building inside me. He approaches with a water bottle. "Rook went for food and a shower. He'll be back soon."

I drink deeply, the cool water soothing my raw throat. Even the brief brush of his fingers against mine sends electricity racing across my skin.

"Alexander is coming," he says abruptly. "We want to help you through the next wave. Together."

I nearly choke on my water. "Together?"

A hint of that signature smirk touches his lips. "Together. Claim you, bond you. As one."

Before I can process what he's suggesting, the door opens, and Alexander steps in. Where Jonathan's presence commands attention, Alexander's soothes. His vanilla scent washes over me like a gentle wave.

"I see Reed has claimed Fox," Alexander says, eyes finding mine after glancing at the sleeping pair. "How are you holding up?"

"Still here," I offer with a small smile.

"Barely," Jonathan adds, with what sounds almost like admiration.

Alexander joins us at the edge of the nest, kneeling to my eye level with the gentleness Jonathan never shows. "Jonathan told you what we're offering?"

I nod, not trusting my voice as the heat builds stronger with two unmated alphas so close.

"We want to claim you together," Alexander explains, his gaze sincere. "Not one after the other—at the same time."

"We've spent our lives being compared," Jonathan adds, surprising me with his candor. "Always ranked, always judged against each other. When it comes to something this important, we don't want that division."

Raw truth in their matching green eyes—one fierce, one soft—hits me hard. These powerful alphas are showing me their vulnerability, their shared pain of always being measured against each other.

"Yes," I breathe, the word hanging between us like a promise. "I want that. I want you both. Together."

Jonathan's eyes darken, and Alexander's breath catches. The scent of alpha arousal thickens in the air, mingling with the dark chocolate of my own need. At the far edge of the nest, Reed stirs slightly, arm tightening protectively around Fox, but both remain asleep.

"Are you sure?" Alexander asks, always the careful one. "You don't have?—"

"I'm sure," I cut him off, shifting to make room for them in my nest. "I want this. I want you both. Come in the nest."

The twins exchange a look, a silent communication that speaks of years of understanding without words. They begin to undress, movements synchronized in a way only they could manage. I watch, mesmerized, as they reveal matching bodies with subtle differences. Alexander's slightly less defined muscles, Jonathan's skin marked with a few faint scars.

Identical yet distinct, like two sides of a coin. They approach my nest together, their movements in perfect sync, their scents merging into something more complex than either alone— Black pepper and vanilla swirl together, sharp and sweet, a scent that curls low in my gut and leaves me wanting.