Cassidy #3
“It is,” Evander adds. “Nothing bad has happened. Nobody is going to be upset either.”
Nobody? Oh.
“I thought…” My voice cracks, and I shake my head. “I thought you were all going to be upset.”
Evander’s brows pinch together. “Oh, love. I’m sorry. I should’ve reassured you about this properly.”
“You should have,” Harlan says with a nod. “But why don’t you explain why you thought we’d be upset?”
It sounds ridiculous now. As the panic starts to fade and my logical brain comes back, nothing but embarrassment is left behind.
“I...” My hands twist together, my throat still unable to function properly. “Because… Van and I… and we didn’t…”
I can’t even finish the sentence. How do I admit I thought they cared so little for me that I thought I had betrayed them all by bonding with my mate?
That taking what I needed from Evander somehow slighted the others.
Harlan glances towards Evander, who has one arm draped lazily behind me and looks very smug, and it’s like the two of them are having some silent conversation I’m not part of.
The traitors.
Heat prickles across my cheeks.
Then Harlan looks back at me, reaching forward to take my hand in his. His fingers are warm, much steadier than mine.
“No, not even a little bit. Remember what Isaac said the other day?”
I shake my head. “Not particularly.”
“Isaac does say a bunch of random shit,” Evander says. “Might want to be more specific.”
Harlan rolls his eyes. “Okay, well, in this instance, he said that you don’t need to anticipate a fight happening with us because of you. We’re big boys, and if there is a disagreement to be had, we’ll discuss that properly.”
My stomach twists.
I’ve been anticipating fights my whole life.
Waiting for the moment people decide I’m too much trouble.
I nod, looking down at our joined hands instead of meeting his eyes.
“So, the four of you will talk about this together?” I ask, practically whispering.
“No, little daisy, no,” Evander says, tugging me closer to him.
I go willingly, melting against him. The bond hums quietly between us, wrapping around the panic still trying to claw its way back.
He’s so warm, his bare chest unbelievably comfortable to lean against.
“We’ve already discussed this, and we all agreed to follow your lead. No pressure from us,” Evander says before pressing a kiss to my temple.
They’d... already talked about it?
Fuck. Am I really the only one still holding back in this relationship?
I’m trying so hard to trust and be present, to take up space and ask for what I want.
And they’ve been organising all of this around me without me even realising.
“And no competition either,” Harlan adds. “We’re a pack, and we know that everything comes at its own time, in its own space, okay?”
“Oh. I thought maybe I’d...”
Ruined everything.
The words won’t come, and I don’t want to voice them. Not when they’re looking at me like I’m something precious instead of something vicious.
“You’ve done exactly what we’ve all been hoping would happen,” Harlan says.
I stare at him blankly, my brain refusing to accept it. “You have?”
He gives me an incredulous look. “Of course, we have, luxury. I told you—now that we’re all in, we’re all fucking in.”
Something inside my chest loosens. The knot in my stomach isn’t quite as tight.
“I’m happy for you both,” Harlan says, gesturing lazily at Evander. “It’s about time the idiot got there.”
“I heard that,” Evander mutters.
“You were meant to.”
The bond between Evander and me hums with contentment, and his scent follows it, steady enough that I latch onto both without thinking.
“Now, would you like me to stay up here with you, give you some space, or even—”
“I’m happy to go downstairs,” I offer, already gathering one of the blankets around my shoulders.
“Perfect. I’ve got some emails to go over, so we can nest in the living room instead.”
“Working on a Saturday? Ew, could never be me,” Evander says with a scoff.
I gape at him, missing the amusement in the bond, as I focus on the deadly serious expression on his face.
“You never work on a weekend?” I ask, shocked. “Like, not even for fun?”
Harlan laughs, the sound filling the bedroom, while Evander leans against the bedframe with a smug grin.
“Oh, daisy, I fucking love you,” he says, chuckling, too. “I was teasing you. Come on, let’s grab some of these blankets, and we can migrate downstairs.”
“Si and Isaac should be back soon enough, and we can do food if you’re hungry,” Harlan adds.
My tummy grumbles, solving that issue for us all.
All three of us glance down at my stomach.
Evander grins. “Well, that answers that for us.”
I groan, pressing a hand over it. “Traitor.”
Harlan squeezes my fingers before releasing them. “Food it is, then.”
He stands, completely at ease, like walking in on his newly bonded pack mates hasn’t changed anything at all.
Except it has.
Everything has changed.
But Harlan is already folding blankets from the end of the bed while Evander digs through the pile for the softest ones to carry downstairs, arguing that we should order in rather than cook.
They’re just... carrying on like there’s room for me now, too.