Page 16 of The Honor of Being Hers (Terms of Devotion #1)

It began as a hum beneath her skin, barely there at first, a soft thrum in her chest and the back of her knees, more warmth than an actual need.

The fabric of her shirt—soft cotton that had felt comfortable this morning—now felt rougher than usual against her nipples, each thread a distinct sensation.

She found herself shifting restlessly, seeking friction she couldn’t quite name, her body hyperaware of every texture, every breath of air.

Lauren had been lying across the long couch in the den, half-draped across Ryan’s lap with Tyler curled against her legs and William sitting on the floor just below, one hand slowly working over her calf.

The air in the room was quiet. Safe. She hadn’t planned to move.

She’d stopped checking the suppressant schedule three days ago.

Not because she’d given up, but because the calendar no longer felt relevant.

Every day was soaked in their touch. Every hour carried their scent.

William’s hand at the small of her back as she passed through doorways.

Tyler’s mouth brushing her throat at breakfast. Ryan’s weight behind her when she fell asleep, his chest to her spine, his breath warming the curve of her neck.

She’d let them in, into her space, her rhythms, her body.

And now her body was responding.

It didn’t crash down all at once. Her heat didn’t arrive like a tidal wave, like it did years ago.

It crept in.

Her skin prickled, hypersensitive to every brush of air, every texture.

The soft leather of the couch felt like electricity against her bare arms, and even the gentle circulation of air from the ceiling fan made her shiver.

Her mouth dried. Her thighs pressed together, chasing a friction that came sharp and urgent, then dulled again to a simmer that left her aching and empty.

The couch cushions beneath her felt too soft, too warm, like they were holding her body’s heat and reflecting it.

Ryan noticed first. Of course, he did. His hand had been resting lightly over her ribs, and when she shifted, pressing her ass back into his lap with a little more pressure than she meant to, he hissed in a breath and curled his fingers more firmly around her waist.

“Lauren,” he said, quietly and low.

She didn’t answer. Couldn’t. She was breathing too hard.

Tyler was already lifting her legs, easing her into a sitting position. She hadn’t realized how much she was shaking until his hands steadied her. The tremors weren’t fear, they were want, pure and undiluted, making her nerve endings sing with anticipation.

“You’re going into heat,” he murmured.

“No.” She shook her head, but the word sounded unconvinced. “That shouldn’t be for another few weeks.”

William knelt in front of her, hands gentle but unflinching as he took her face in his palms and looked directly into her eyes. “Your body disagrees.”

“I took my dose.”

“You’ve been wrapped around three scent-sympathetic Alphas for a week,” Tyler said, softer now. “Your system’s responding. The suppressants can’t hold that back indefinitely.”

Lauren’s mouth opened, then closed again.

Her throat was tight, dry, and she could taste the sweetness of her own arousal in the air—wild honey and night-blooming jasmine growing stronger by the minute.

Her nipples were already hard beneath her shirt, painfully so, peaks that rubbed against the cotton with every breath.

She could feel heat blooming between her legs, leaving her slippery, raw, and demanding.

Her body was already preparing itself for what it had been craving.

“I don’t want to stop,” she whispered. Her voice came out breathier than intended, and she could taste her own arousal in the air, sweet and sharp and unmistakably hers.

“You don’t have to,” William said. “But we’re going to do this slowly. On your terms. Only what you’re comfortable with.”

Ryan was already peeling off his shirt behind her, moving to the floor with an ease that made her want to climb him. She didn’t realize she’d reached for him until Tyler caught her wrist and pulled it gently back.

“Breathe,” he said. “Let us take care of you.”

The whine that escaped her caused all three of them to start purring in reassurance.

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Ryan said as he bent to pick her up. “We’ll take care of you.”

“Let’s move to the nest, we’ll be more comfortable there,” Tyler added as he picked up the discarded shirt.

Lauren could do no more than bury her head in Ryan’s neck and breathe deeply as they moved up the stairs towards the nest she had yet to enter.

When they arrived, it was William who carefully pulled her from Ryan’s arms and turned her towards the most comfortable oval-shaped alcove.

Softly padded walls and what seemed like a million pillows in various shades ranging from dusty pink to a deep purple lay before her.

“Go on, love. Make the nest as it should be.”

As if a dam broke inside of her, she crawled into the nest and started rearranging pillows and blankets, before barking at them that she needed their shirts.

Ryan’s went on the far end, William’s was tucked near the entrance, and Tyler’s needed to be just there.

In the middle to keep everything balanced.

When the frenzied feeling of needing to create the perfect nest left her, they helped her undress slowly.

No rush. No fumbling. Ryan kissed her shoulder as he lifted her shirt, the cotton dragging against her oversensitive skin like sandpaper, making her gasp and arch into the sensation despite the intensity.

His lips were warm and soft against her heated flesh, a perfect contrast.

Tyler slid her panties down her thighs with both hands, steady and reverent, his knuckles brushing against her heated flesh as the damp fabric peeled away.

The cotton was soaked through, clinging to her skin, and she could feel how wet she was—evidence of her body’s preparation painted across her inner thighs.

William kissed the inside of her knee while she lay back across the cushions, her skin hot and flushed, the cool air like a sigh against her soaked core.

“Hold her,” Tyler said, and Ryan moved behind her again, pulling her into his lap, one arm around her torso, the other locking her hips in place.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?” William asked.

“I’m good,” she breathed. “Fuck, please, touch me!”

“Then present for us, Omega,” Ryan said.

Within seconds, she’d leapt out of William’s lap and gotten on her elbows and knees. Ass turned up, legs spread so they could see her weeping core.

“Beautiful Omega.” Tyler praised. She whined in response.

William tapped the inside of her thighs, and she immediately spread her legs wider.

“Good girl,” Ryan said, “now stay still, Tyler’s thirsty.”

Tyler kneeled behind her and leaned forward to kiss her clit with an open mouth.

Only moments after feeling his lips against her core, she felt his tongue slowly lap at her as the air grew thicker by the second.

The surprising intensity of the wet heat of his mouth against her most sensitive flesh made her cry out, the sound echoing off the walls.

She moaned loudly and reached forward to grasp William, her fingers clutched at the soft fabric of his shirt, hoping to find a semblance of stability as the first real wave of her heat crashed over her.

Her hips bucked once, twice, until Ryan slapped her bottom sharply.

“Stay still,” he murmured as he leaned toward her head. “Let him drink.”

The sheer carnality of Ryan’s words, the command, and the fact that one of her Alphas was literally lapping the proof of her need from her core, caused her to clench and spill out another wave.

Time ceased to matter as she kept herself as still as she could while Tyler lapped and lapped away at her most sensitive spot. Lost in the haze of presenting her sex for her Alphas, and hearing their praise and encouragement, she was surprised when Tyler stopped, and William took his place.

She felt his fingers trail all over her legs, buttocks, and lower back.

Until he finally trailed them down her crack, pressing down briefly when she arched her hips upwards.

“Easy little Omega, we’ll take care of that hole too, don’t worry.

But not this first heat, for now let’s see how needy we can make you.

” His fingers continued down into the slick that covered the inside of her thighs—all that wetness her body had produced, coating her skin like silk.

One finger going round and round in tight circles, never quite where she needed him most. The wet sounds of his fingers moving against her filled the quiet room, obscene and perfect, making her face burn with embarrassment and arousal in equal measure.

She whined, unable to keep her body from jerking again, but Ryan kneeled next to her and said, “Such a good Omega. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, presenting yourself like this for us.

She could feel his hard cock pressed against her hip and his ragged breath near her ear as he praised her.

Then Tyler, who had moved to sit in front of her, pulled her hand into his lap, guiding her fingers beneath the waistband of his sweatpants.

“Touch me,” he said. “You can make me come, sweet girl. I want to feel you while he takes you apart.”

She curled her hand around him, mouth falling open as his weight filled her palm. He hissed between his teeth and kissed her again, his tongue stroking into her like he couldn’t get close enough.

William’s fingers moved faster, then slowed, teasing her, making her body tremble and twist.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t stop, please.”

When she started to struggle to stay upright, both Tyler and Ryan reached out to grab the thigh closest to them.

Tyler’s hips stuttered in her hand as she continued to stroke him, learning the rhythm he liked best, the slick tension of his arousal against her palm. He was close, but she was closer. William leaned in, kissed the inside of her thigh, then sucked her clit into his mouth, and that was it.

She came with a broken cry, body clenching, thighs straining against their grip as waves of pleasure crashed through her.

Tyler spilled into her hand with a low groan, his release warm and slick against her palm, his mouth never leaving hers.

William didn’t stop until she was shaking, wringing every last aftershock from her oversensitive body.

Finally, when William decided she was done, they turned her over and laid her gently on her back.

She was vaguely aware of the softness of the cushions beneath her overheated skin, as they cleaned her with slow hands, the warm cloth was a shock against her flushed skin, making her twitch and whimper at the gentle yet thorough way they rinsed away the sweat and proof of her arousal.

Then Tyler draped a blanket over her naked body—soft wool that caught at her still-peaked nipples and held her until the shaking stilled.

She was too exhausted to speak and just curled into Ryan’s chest. The fire had been banked for now, but it was clear the heat would continue to build.