Chapter 25
EMME
After saying goodnight to Slade and Talon, I hurried into my room to change into pjs, before I ended up in Hunter’s bedroom.
Hunter and Slade had the largest beds in the house, so there was no issue fitting between the huge, boxer-clad alphas, already waiting for me.
No one spoke a word as we arranged ourselves for the night, a comforting darkness wrapped around us.
There was no argument about who would sleep beside me, and I was fairly sure they’d decided long before I made it into the room. Kellan and Finley slid in on either side of me, and Hunter settled in beside Kellan, draping his arm over the alpha to touch my thigh, his usual place to claim.
I faced Finley, who also had his arm over me, with Kellan spooning me from behind.
From the second I closed my eyes, surrounded by their scents, to when I opened them the next morning, none of us moved an inch.
I’d slept so soundly, and for that brief moment between sleep and waking where everything was a dreamy blur, I swore all our beasts were also mingled together in our essence, as they’d done when I used magic yesterday.
I pried my eyes open to meet swirling whiskey irises, the low light of the morning highlighting gold in their depths. “Morning, darlin’,” he murmured in his soft drawl, which sent a shiver all the way to my core.
Periods were annoyingly inconvenient, even if they didn’t seem to bother Talon in the slightest. “Morning, Grouchy,” I whispered, clearing my throat. “What time is it?”
“Too fucking early,” Kellan grumbled from behind me, and I had to laugh that our sunshiny boy got grumpy when he didn’t get enough sleep.
“I just want to stay buried against my omega, breathing in chocolate and honey, and dreaming about eating all her creamy goodness from between thighs wrapped around my face—”
There was a thud, and I didn’t have to turn to know it was Hunter slamming his fist into Kellan’s side.
One of them growled, and the other laughed, and no guesses were needed for which was which.
“Control yourself, pup,” came out as an aggravated growl.
“Emme needs our care and consideration during her period.”
“And orgasms, if Talon’s adventure with her last night is any indication,” Kellan added matter-of-factly.
My cheeks heated at the memory of them experiencing what happened in the hallway, and not all of that blush was from embarrassment. Apparently my voyeuristic side was growing.
“When I wear my disc, I can have sex and… other stuff.” The way all three focused on me, not only here in the bedroom but their beasts in the bond, was overwhelming. “But it’s probably best if we wait. They should be over in a couple of days.”
Instead of the groans and muttered annoyances I expected, I got cuddles and lazy morning kisses that had me never wanting to leave the bed.
Eventually Hunter and Kellan dragged themselves away to get ready for the day, leaving me with Finley.
He brushed his nose against mine, and I took the opportunity to really check in with him.
“How are you doing?” I asked, breathing deeply to take the full notes of vanilla and cherry into my lungs.
“Have you had a chance to attend therapy this week?”
He brushed his thumb slowly over my lower lip and down my jaw. “I’m making every effort not to miss therapy,” he said as he continued to caress me. “And I’m doing well, all things considered.”
My legs grew restless under his touch, until he eventually trapped them beneath one of his thick thighs.
“Our bonding has settled elements of my beast and soul,” he continued, his hand in my hair now, tracing through the length.
“I’ve never been this happy before, and considering the circumstances, it feels kind of fucked up to admit that. ”
“I’m happy too,” I said with a shrug. “I’m not going to let Jewels steal that from us. None of us know what tomorrow will bring, so I plan to enjoy every second I have with you five.”
He pressed his lips to my cheek, and then kissed my jaw, and then the corner of my mouth. He repeated it on the other side, these soft, feathery kisses that had butterflies erupting in my stomach. If there was one thing Finley Thornton knew how to do, it was adore his mate.
“No matter what happens,” Finley told me between kisses, “as long as we’re together, I’ll be okay. No witch, magic, or curse is going to tear us down. I’d turn human for you, Ice.”
My chest ached at that declaration. For a shifter, that was about the greatest statement of love one could make, and as a wave of emotions washed through me, my wolf shifted to allow all of my mates into the essence. Into my thoughts.
I’d turn human for you, too! Kellan said in a rush.
Me too, Hunter rumbled. Human and happy about it.
Us too, Slade said. And Talon’s grunt of agreement indicated he was fine for his twin to speak for him.
The fact that dragons would offer that without hesitation floored me. They were more than just regular shifters, the most magical and mystical of our kind. For them to be no more than a regular human…
There’d be nothing regular about us, Slade scoffed. We’d be exceptional humans and you know it.
I’d probably be a king, Kellan decided, and I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was nodding his head decisively.
Hunter scoffed. You’d be the fucking court jester.
And you’d all love me.
I was laughing as I closed off the mental connection once more and returned my focus to Finley.
He stared at me with the softest eyes, and I was living for these moments with him. “You’re definitely the most caring Care Bear, Grouchy,” I told him as I brushed our noses together, taking in his scent. “And I love you.” The whiskey depths darkened, and our kisses went on until my head spun.
We showered together and I let him wash my hair, enjoying a chance to be pampered. I did the same for him, relishing the chance to run my hands through his luscious locks. I even got to scrub over his beard.
“Fuck, that feels so good,” he groaned, sitting on the bench to give me easier access.
My gaze took in his broad shoulders and thick chest, and I lingered on that new thigh tattoo. The one for me. He’d marked the crown in pigmented gold, while the snowflake was done in the same icy blue as my eyes.
Finley wore only three tattoos, and all of them held great significance for him, marking important lessons he’d learned, mottos he lived by, and the things he loved.
I was now one of those significant parts of his life, and I doubted my heart would never not skip a beat at the sight of it.
“I want you to tattoo me,” I said, tracing my fingers over the snowflake-crown. “I want your hands to be the one to mark me. I want one of the designs you’ve been working on.”
His eyes widened, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Yeah, I saw them on your desk, and I love all of it. They’re exactly what I was hoping for.”
As I traced his thigh again, the length of his cock jumped near my hand, and I couldn’t fight the urge any longer. Dropping to my knees, I crawled between his parted thighs, pressing a kiss to his tattoo on my way. His groan was deep and loud, and his shaft pulsed near my face.
I continued to kiss along his thigh until I was finally able to properly taste him, the thick tip already slick with his desire. My tongue darted out to lap at the pre-cum, and Finley’s hands gripped the side of the bench. “Baby,” he choked out. “I want you so fucking bad.”
Tilting my head back, I kissed and licked along the underside of his cock, moving down until my tongue brushed his heavy balls. The whole time, his gaze was super-focused on me, his breaths coming out in little pants.
“Em. Please,” my proud bear said, and no wonder begging drove my alphas crazy when I did it. I felt an instant pulse in my core.
Even more, I loved that Finley no longer hid the softer sides of himself from me. He was turning out to be the most open and gentlest of all my alphas now, right up there with Kellan.
Sliding my tongue over the warm, firm skin, I reached his crown and once again lapped up his sweet and salty taste. When I closed my mouth over the head, he thrust suddenly, as if he couldn’t help himself.
A low laugh spilled from me, which vibrated into Finley.
He moaned and slid his hands into the wet strands of my hair to hold me in place.
“I’m not going to take long,” he breathed, staring down at me.
“Your mouth is a dangerous, perfect place to exist, darlin’.
Watching you slide that pretty pink tongue around my dick… such a good fucking omega.”
My core spasmed, the walls of my pussy clenching around nothing. The ache in my ovaries faded as I snaked my hand down to play with my clit, all the while sucking harder and taking Finley deeper. Or as deep as I could, which like the other alphas, wasn’t too far.
Not that he seemed to mind.
He moaned once more as his focus trailed down to where my hand worked between my thighs; his thrusts in my mouth turned frantic and jerky. The sweet and salty taste washed over my tongue, and my release was so close that I knew we were going to come together.
“Now, Ice,” he demanded. “Baby, now.”
I cried out as his cock thickened and he spilled down the back of my throat, my own shuddering release blasting through me at the same time.
The sensation of our dual orgasm was almost too much to handle, and eventually I was a panting, dizzy pile of omega on the floor.
At least until he pulled me up into his lap, rocking me back and forth as the warm water washed over us.
When we finally dragged ourselves from the shower, he dried me off, and left so I could reinsert my disc. A lot of my clothes were in Hunter’s wardrobe, and I slipped on a pair of jeans, a maroon hoodie, and dark socks. Finley returned dressed in jeans and a thick red and white flannel button-down.
He held my hand all the way into the kitchen, where Florence and Gerald were bustling around feeding the alphas. “Good morning, Steven,” I called, and Hunter grunted from where he was reading the paper at the counter.
“Fucking plant gets a good morning before us,” he muttered, but he was amused. I could tell. It was just really deep down.
“Any more stories about illegal activities pertaining to the Reeves pack?” Kellan asked with a smirk as he sidled by to drop a kiss on my head.
I slid into a stool beside Hunter, and he nudged a mug of coffee under my nose that was still steaming.
As usual, he’d heard me coming and had it prepared.
I all but buried my face in the sweet, creamy depths to hide how overwhelming it was to be loved so thoroughly by these alphas. “Thank you,” I managed to say.
He dropped his paper long enough to press a kiss to the side of my neck. “Anytime, little mate. Anytime.” He turned to where Kellan had positioned himself against the other counter, near the sink. “And no, there’s been nothing else that could be considered Reeves pack related.”
Kellan’s pout was ridiculous; the last thing we needed was to be front page news again. Though his love of stirring drama was cute. Not that I’d tell him that.
His pout formed into a smirk, and I groaned knowing he’d just heard that thought.
He blew me a kiss, but I ignored him for Florence, who’d just placed five breakfast sandwiches in front of me. “I love you,” I sang to her, both of us ignoring the alpha grunts and rumbles in the room.
We’d be on the road today and I’d need my energy, so I polished off the sandwiches then debated if I needed a cookie as well.
Hunter snapped his paper closed and dropped it on the counter.
“We’re heading to Fletcher’s compound after breakfast,” he said.
“This is our first real opportunity to not only investigate what he was doing there, but also hopefully find an item that we can use to track Jewels or one of her allies. Constantine said that Jewels will have the most magical shielding and protection around her, but she might not have the power to shield everyone else. We can leave no stone unturned.”
“Is Constantine coming with us?” Before I even finished asking, my magic pulsed as the witch-wolf entered the kitchen.
“I’ll absolutely be with you, Emme,” he said with a brief but genuine smile.
As our gazes met, I felt a spark of connection that I hadn’t had before I found my magic yesterday. There’d apparently been some bonding between us, or at least between our powers.
We had a long way to go for a real relationship, but for the first time I felt there was a flicker of hope.