Page 36

R est came in fits and starts. The stranglehold of the heat was loosening, and along with it my fear had started to melt away.

I usually didn’t mind being afraid with the way my body reacted to it, but this had been different.

I had never felt anything so all-consuming.

The heat had dragged me to the depths, drenching me in panic, wrenching every bit of control away from me.

I knew with certainty I wouldn’t have survived it on my own.

I opened my eyes when cool glass pressed against my lips. I sipped down some fruit punch at Kendrick’s behest.

“She lives,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m surprised the heat let you sleep that much. Do you think it’s over?”

Before he had even finished his question, a new flare darkened the edges of my vision. “Nope.”

The flare brought fresh energy, but it was sort of like over-caffeinating myself after an all-nighter.

I was pretty sure my power was the only thing keeping me upright.

Kendrick laid me back in the nest between my sleeping packmates.

Caden was the only one besides us still awake and he was busy chugging a bottle of water.

I spread my thighs for Kendrick, letting him sink into me. He captured my mouth, sweet and voracious even though he’d probably had me a couple dozen times already. Apparently the novelty of me hadn’t worn off quite yet, if his adorable whimpers each time he fucked into me were any indication.

I whined, my legs too tired to lock around him.

“Need some help over there?” Caden asked. “Or have you got it handled?”

“I’m not going to turn down help from the expert. You know her best.”

I purred as the two of them boxed me in, Kendrick at my front and Caden at my back.

My first love stroked his hands down my arms, planting a kiss on the curve of my throat. “Are you feeling up to taking the two of us?”

“I’ve been waiting for it.”

“I wanted to wait until you were more lucid for it,” Caden told me. “Seemed best to keep things simpler while you were in the thick of it.”

“Fuck me before the flare takes me any deeper.” My skin buzzed, desperate for their touch.

“So impatient.” He smiled against my skin. “Kendrick, you’re going to get her on your cock and then hook both of her knees over your forearms. I’ll help you with her weight when we get going.”

“We’re going full pretzel mode?” he asked playfully.

“It’s a necessity for some positions.”

I moaned as Kendrick drew me onto his lap, letting me sink onto his cock, and then I squeaked, giggling as he hoisted me up.

Caden made sure I didn’t tip backward, bracing me against his chest while he coated himself in my slick and worked his way into my ass.

I surrendered to the two of them, impossibly full, the heat flare already tugging me toward delirium.

“That’s our good girl, omega,” Caden crooned. “You don’t have to do anything but take it.”

I could hardly breathe as they sorted out a rhythm between the two of them.

They tested alternating—an absolute fucking delight that allowed me no break—then at the same time—overwhelming in the best possible way—before eventually finding a pattern that almost combined the two.

I wasn’t going to question how they managed it, instead simply enjoying that they did.

I melted into the sensations, floating in a curious delirium, absorbing every thrust of their hips and plunge of their cocks. Pleasure built brick by brick, my core tightening, my pussy spasming. My power flared, hot and bright.

It was all too much and also not enough. I had no idea how I was still functional. How many times could I possibly be railed before I simply fell apart? Everything ached, in good ways and bad, each swell of pleasure drowning out the discomfort a little more.

Caden’s mouth met mine and I greedily drank down the taste of him before he passed me over to Kendrick. Who gave them the right to be so delicious?

My core tightened sharply again and I dug my nails into Kendrick, whimpering into his mouth.

Surviving? Kendrick asked.

I clawed my way to the surface to answer. Barely .

My body begged to be ruined. I wasn’t so certain it wouldn’t get its wish.

Kendrick’s fangs brushed over my shoulder, sending a thrill down my spine. A desperate need for him to sink his teeth into my skin pounded in my blood. My own teeth burned with the desire to claim him.

I wanted both of them, but even when my brain was mush I knew Caden wouldn’t do it.

He’d deny us both to protect me. I loved and hated it in equal measure.

He was mine . He should be in the bond with all the rest of us.

His drive to keep me safe outweighed all his desires.

Maybe I was selfish for wanting him to cast all that aside and claim me anyway, but I felt it nonetheless.

I had wanted him from the start and that wasn’t going away because I had others.

They were all mine.

My stag moaned, tongue gliding over my throat. I’m going to burst.

Bite me.

You actually want me in the bond with you? Might cause a mutiny.

This is my pack. They’ll learn to love you. We’re in this together, and I want you to be mine, if you’ll have me.

He shivered, lips dancing over where he had been teasing. Pretty bold assumption that I wouldn’t have you. Fate is fucking weird. I feel like I’ve known you a lifetime already.

I felt the same. I had turned his whole life— all their lives—upside down in such a short time, and so many things had happened since my arrival.

Bite.

Omegas first , Kendrick insisted. Show me you mean it, that I’m not imagining you wanting me.

I gave in to the compulsion, my fangs breaking his skin as I latched onto his throat, coming hard in a wave of ecstasy that was only doubled, growing exponentially, when he finally bit me in return.

My power crashed up against the symbols containing it.

I was going to explode from the pressure, disintegrate in a surge of magic until nothing was left of me or anything else.

“Shit.”

I shrieked as cold water splashed over me. Everyone jolted awake around me and the fog of pleasure cleared to let me see Caden with two empty carafes in his hands.

“I’m so sorry. The blanket started smoking.” He blew out a tired breath. “I think it’s safe to say three new bonds is about all the power those markings can hold back.”

I shivered as Caden withdrew fully, clinging onto Kendrick, my stag locking his arms around me. He shivered too, his eyes squeezed shut. Surprisingly, Yelena was the one to reach out, resting her chin on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around both of us.

“I know,” she whispered. “It will settle. Just breathe and give it time.”

Caden wiped me down with another blanket and stripped out the sodden one beneath us. I caught sight of the scorch marks on it as he tossed it out of the nest.

I purred for Kendrick, using what limited abilities I had to keep him calm while he adjusted to the cacophony of the bond.

They weren’t detrimentally loud to me anymore, but I felt all of them, knew their emotions, and whatever thoughts escaped their control.

Mostly they were happy, but tired, a contentment with an undercurrent of nerves whenever their thoughts flickered back the world we’d been ignoring during my heat.

Hey, roomie. Velda grinned as she crawled toward us, sprawling out on the blankets. She laid her hand over Kendrick’s arm. Bet you never thought we’d be here together.

Kendrick laughed. You weren’t the first person I’d have thought of.

Apologies to everyone for the chaos that is my brain.

It’s not that bad , said Haru.

That’s because I’m fucking exhausted and also touching our girl.

Shhh. My wordless request rippled through the bond, all the noise of everyone muffling as if I had lowered the volume on a speaker.

Whoa . Velda’s eyes widened. That’s a cool power. The bond feels so chill now.

I wasn’t sure how I had done it, but I wasn’t going to complain. Kendrick relaxed, leaning closer to lick over the bondbite he’d just put on my skin.

“Does this mean Logan can open and close the bond on us?” Seth asked.

“I’ve never heard of an omega being able to fully close it,” Yelena replied, “but I suppose it’s possible. More likely she can temper the flow so we don’t overwhelm each other.”

“I don’t know how to control it,” I mumbled.

“That can be something we practice,” Yelena assured me. “Right now you don’t have to do anything except recover.”

“Is the heat over?” I asked.

“We might have to wait a while to be sure,” said Caden.

The panther is right, Haru agreed. Give it time. See if it triggers again. Otherwise I vote shower, food, and sleep for everyone.

All of those things sounded amazing.

“When was the last time the bathtub down here was cleaned?” Caden asked.

Yelena shrugged. “It gets a cursory clean twice a month to keep the dust under control, but it doesn’t get used much. It should be fine with a rinse.”

“I’ll get that going, then.” Caden departed for his task and the others slowly crawled out of the nest, stretching and yawning.

I stayed right where I was with Kendrick, purr rumbling as he lay back so I could sprawl across his chest. Velda didn’t go far, fetching herself a cookie before returning to drape over me while she ate it. She offered me bites every so often but otherwise just enjoyed being close to me.

You’re too far away , I sent to Haru.

My wolf returned instantly, slipping into their smallest form and wedging themselves onto Kendrick’s chest next to my face.

“I know I’m not your favorite person,” said Kendrick, “but the butthole this close to my face is a little much.”

Haru whacked him in the face with their tail, Kendrick sputtering over the mouthful of fur.

Velda cackled and stroked her hand down Haru’s back. “I forgot how cute you are like this.”

Scratches behind his ear got his foot going, Kendrick bearing the brunt of it until Yelena rejoined us, putting a protective hand between the two of them. My limbs were too limp to do anything about it myself, but I was relieved that Yelena seemed to be taking her peace with Kendrick seriously.

With a sigh, she abandoned her human form, melting down to a beautiful golden house cat. She flopped down hard into the curve of Kendrick’s neck, resting her chin on him.

“Oh my gods. Tiny Yelena.” Velda leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Do you have a travel size?” I asked her.

“I wish. Not all of us are blessed like that. I can go bear mode if you want, though. Get you some fuzzy cuddles.”

“Please don’t,” Kendrick piped up.

“I wouldn’t eat you,” Velda promised. “The only snacks in here I’m interested in devouring are cookies and witch pussy.”

I burst out laughing and Velda giggled along to her own joke.

“If any of you are planning on getting in the bath with Logan,” Caden announced from the other room, “you need to wash up beforehand. Seth is already in the shower. Pick your order.”

“Gonna have a cutie-pie soup.” I grinned. “For the sake of space, I think I can only have one other full human and that’ll have to be Velda. Everyone else is going to have to be teensy if you want to soak with me.”

They scrubbed down one by one, Caden and Kendrick lovingly washing me since I was too exhausted to do it myself.

Velda took up the prime cuddle position, cradling me after I was lowered into the water.

Caden helped each of the travel-sized shifters into the water to join me before climbing in himself.

Everyone was precious as fuck with their fur slicked back and spiky.

Their little bodies curled up on mine to keep their heads above water, purring so hard I could see the vibrations floating across the surface.

The hot water felt amazing on my muscles.

They were weak more than hurting, and it would take some time to recover my strength.

“Close your eyes, little witch,” Velda murmured in my ear. “Rest up. I’ve got you.”

I settled in, allowing myself to melt, lulled to sleep by soft purring and the glowing adoration in the bond letting me know that no matter what happened, I wasn’t alone.