Chapter 31
The look of sheer pleasure on River’s face as I come will be etched in my brain forever. He holds my gaze as I ride out my orgasm for as long as he can, before his head tips back and he lets out a deep groan, his thrusts faltering as he comes.
I’m so awash with sensation and the thrill of seeing River break, that I almost miss how Ambrose gasps, and curses. His body trembles as River keeps him held in place, and I can’t see it from this angle, but I’ve heard him make those sounds enough before to know he’s coming.
The air buzzes with the electric current of what we did together.
River strokes his hand up and down Ambrose’s back, and I caress the older alpha’s hair as he looks up at me from between my thighs.
His expression is blissful, despite his face being coated with my slick and his ass filled with cum.
Or maybe because of that. It’s a side of him I’ve never seen, and a strange sense of gratitude swells within me.
My eyes meet River’s again, and there’s a hesitant smile on his lips.
Maybe it’s not great that he has a pipeline into my emotions after bonding me, but in this moment, I can see that he understands that gratitude.
I don’t need to be able to feel his emotions in return to tell he’s just as grateful for this amazing alpha giving up control and for being able to grant him a respite.
We bask in the aftermath of our pleasure for a moment longer, then River pulls out of his mate carefully.
His cock is still half-hard and glistening with my slick and streaks of his own cum, and he grimaces a little at the mess that they’ve made of the pillow under Ambrose’s knees.
The older alpha rights himself, pulling back from where his face was pressed between my legs to give me a sated smile.
I smile back, getting lost in how good he looks all loose and relaxed like this.
River glances between us, then down at the splatter of Ambrose’s cum on the floor. He shakes his head. “We’re going to have to work on that.” His tone is stern, but his eyes glitter with delight.
“Sorry, sir,” Ambrose says, looking only slightly penitent.
River grips the back of his neck and pulls him into a kiss that has Ambrose smiling and flushing.
The tattooed alpha moves between my thighs. “And what about you, angel?”
He keeps calling me that. Angel. Is that really how he sees me? Some divine creature instead of the omega who upended his life?
“I don’t want to lie,” I murmur, heat still simmering under my skin, tempered but not doused.
“You wanted to disobey your alpha?” River asks, gripping my spread thighs.
My breath hitches. “Yes.”
He cocks a brow at me. “Why? Are you a brat, omega?”
I shake my head, cheeks flushing. “No. I want to be good. But I want to please you even more. And I could feel in your bark that you didn’t want me to listen.”
A purr starts in River’s chest. Ambrose chuckles. “I think you’ve met your match.”
I expect him to protest, but River’s purr deepens. “You’re both perfect.”
After he cleans himself up, it takes River fucking me on the chair that’s now so coated with fluid that they’re going to have to throw it away, and Ambrose knotting me in the shower while River gave us filthy encouragement for my heat spike to abate.
We’re snuggled together on Ambrose’s bed, me sandwiched between the alphas as they purr and pet me lazily, and it’s amazing, but there’s something missing. Someone.
“Are you okay?” River’s voice cuts through the peaceful silence.
“Oh, I’m fine! Great, really. I just wish Jackson were here.”
“Me too,” both alphas say at the same time, and with the same amount of wistfulness.
I sit up a bit to get a better look at them. “You do?”
“Well, yeah, he’s part of the pack. And it would make you happy.” There’s something guarded about River’s tone.
“It wouldn’t make you happy, too?” I ask.
To my surprise, River’s cheeks flood with color.
“Sorry, if this is a sore subject, I’ll drop it.”
Ambrose shakes his head. “Not a sore subject. A tricky one. But trust me, everyone here likes the thought of Jackson being in bed with us, too.”
River’s brows knit together slightly. “Everyone?”
The older alpha sighs, and there’s a silent exchange between them that ends with River’s eyes widening. “Really?”
“Yeah. When you were gone, some things…changed.”
“Changed how?” River asks, eyes going even wider.
Sitting between them as they have this strange half conversation, I feel like I’m intruding on their relationship. “Do you need a moment to talk? I can go, uh, grab some water or something.”
“No.” River’s voice is adamant.
Ambrose shoots him a chastizing look. “If you’re uncomfortable, we can talk about this another time. But you absolutely shouldn’t go anywhere right now.”
“Are you sure?” I’m very curious but it still seems like something I’m not a part of.
River nods.
Ambrose smiles and gives me a soft kiss. “Absolutely. We’re courting you. The goal is for you to be a part of our pack, which means you should know what’s going on.”
“And what exactly is going on?” River prompts. He’s sat up now, his shoulders creeping up with tension.
“I’m attracted to Jackson,” Ambrose says, the statement matter-of-fact. “There’s a connection there that I never considered, and it’s not anything I need to pursue unless he’s also interested.”
My stomach flips and I have to swallow down my reaction.
I know for a fact he’s interested because he told me, but I can’t betray his confidence.
But oh my god, I want to squeal. My omega is obsessed with the thought of their relationship deepening.
She wants everyone to be connected as much as possible so our pack will be strong, and to her that means all of these men being as obsessed with each other as they are with me.
Or maybe that’s just a me thing, because media often shows omegas as jealous if they’re not the center of attention. But tonight has proven my omega is more than happy with sitting back and basking in them being connected on such a primal level.
“Do you…” River shakes his head and starts again. “He won’t be interested.”
Ambrose scoffs. “You haven’t been here. How would you know?”
“Because he’s straight!”
“People change. They discover things about themselves over time. The Jackson you met in college who was desperately trying to be as tough as an alpha and wouldn’t have let himself even consider the possibility of being with another man or an alpha, isn’t the same Jackson now.
And even if he has no interest, you’ll never know unless you ask. ”
Unless you ask. Not unless I ask.
Does that mean…
“I can’t,” River protests, his expression pained.
Ambrose shakes his head. “You can. Or if you don’t want to, I can. But it’s going to come up, eventually.”
“I managed to avoid it in the last ten years,” River grumbles.
“You’re in love with Jackson?” I blurt, unable to keep the question inside.
“No.”
“Yes, he is.”
The two alphas glare at each other in a silent showdown. Despite River’s natural dominance over Ambrose, he breaks first, scrubbing his hand across his face with a groan.
“Yes. I’m in love with Jackson.” He sighs and pulls his hand away from his face. “But we have enough stuff to worry about without scaring our beta away because he’s afraid I’m looking at his dick when we’re all together.”
For the first time in this conversation, my omega is unhappy. A little whine gets caught in my throat and they both turn their focus on me.
“Shit, not that you’re a problem. I just meant you need to be our focus. I shouldn’t add in confessing my feelings to Jackson when I’m still trying to earn back my place in the pack and…” He swallows hard, looking down at his hands. “And find a way into your heart.”
My omega purrs, satisfied with his answer. “You already have a place there,” I murmur. It’s not a declaration of love, because we’re not at that point yet. But he needs to know he’s important to me, and it could turn into more with time.
He blinks back at me, eyes growing watery. “Ah. Okay. I didn’t realize…”
I lean in and kiss him, pressing reassurance into his lips.
When we part, his eyes are shining, and he releases a shuddering exhale. “Thank you.”
A moment of silence passes with this new understanding between us.
Ambrose rests a hand on my shoulder and on River’s leg. “I apologize. I shouldn’t push if you’re not ready. And you’re right that there are things we should address before approaching something more with Jackson.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Your heat spikes being the primary one.”
Shit. He’s got his concerned medical professional face on.
“Right. Yeah. Guess the increased suppressant dose isn’t enough.”
Ambrose shakes his head. “It’s not. You could come into the clinic and we could run some tests again to confirm my suspicions, but the increased frequency of spikes within the last week indicate that the suppressants aren’t effective.
We need to prepare for the possibility that you’ll go into heat sometime in the next month. ”
“Oh.”
A cacophony of emotions surge within me, warring for dominance.
Worry about going through another heat. Excitement to have that dedicated time to grow closer with this pack.
Trepidation about what that will mean when they help me through my heat.
Because it’s not an if. I’ve already decided I want them with me.
Still, it feels too fast. I’m only now getting a grip on my connections with each of them and there’s still more to do. Will a heat force the connection? Will they want to bond me?
“Breathe, sweetheart,” Ambrose murmurs, his hands coming up to massage my shoulders.
River moves in front of me and strokes my arms, a rattling purr emanating from him. It’s clear this sort of comforting is less natural for him than Ambrose, but what matters is he’s trying. And the look in his eye tells me his alpha will do anything for my omega. That he’ll do anything for me.
“We still have some time, but I think…” Ambrose’s hands still. “Please move in with us.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t…” The protest is weak, my omega not getting why I’m not agreeing immediately.
“It’ll be easier for us to take care of you as things get closer to the heat. We can spend more time together so you’ll be as comfortable as possible when it comes.”
I reach for an excuse to say no, but none come to mind.
My apartment is dull aside from my nest, but I’m sure we could rebuild that here.
My office is a little further away from their place, but not enough to make a big difference to my commute.
No, the only things I can think of are how amazing it would be to be able to see them whenever I want. How I’d get to hang out with Dolly. How incredible it would be to sleep in the same bed as them instead of alone.
“I’ll… Let me think about it?” My omega is demanding I say yes on the spot, but I need to clear my head and make sure that isn’t the hormones talking.
“Of course.” River cups my cheek. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Neither of them push. They guide me back down onto the bed, pressing reassuring kisses to my skin. Post-heat spike exhaustion starts to claim me and before I know it, I’m drifting off to sleep.
But not before I hear River’s whispered words to Ambrose, and the alpha’s response.
“I can’t believe that she… Please don’t let me screw this up.”
“You won’t. You’re her alpha.”