Chapter 21
L istening to my body was weird. I’d gotten into the habit of ignoring it whenever possible, but with my instincts screaming like an air raid siren, that was no longer an option. The only thing that seemed to shut everything up was burrowing deep in the nest and having whichever alphas were available plastered to me in there. Kit and Bear hadn’t gotten a damn thing done all day.
“We need to finish our conversation,” Kit insisted.
Ah, yes, the conversation about what I was comfortable with them putting where. Kit had been trying to drag the words out of me for days now, but time was running out for me to give coherent and consenting answers to his questions. “But I don’t know what to say.”
“Little fox, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to make some decisions. We’ll obviously keep an eye on you during the heat and not continue with anything where it’s not obvious you like it, but we need to know what’s off-limits.”
I squirmed closer, dipping my gaze so I didn’t have to look at his face. “But I still don’t know what I like.”
“Hey there, firecracker.” Ryder popped his head inside the nest. “Could I tempt you with some food?”
Kit’s eyes gleamed. “Actually, I think you can help make this discussion go smoother.”
“Me?” Ryder asked. “How so?”
Oh lordy. I didn’t want more people in this conversation. It was hard enough not to sprint into the night when it was just Kit.
“We’re figuring out boundaries, but our girl doesn’t have enough experience to answer for some of it.” Kit turned back to me. “How do you feel about some guided play?”
My cheeks warmed, embarrassment making my stomach flip. “I would be okay with that. Just go easy on me.”
“What are we figuring out?” Ryder asked as he settled himself next to me.
Kit beamed. “We need to know what to do when she demands to be fucked while already on a knot.”
Ryder’s hot gaze slid over to me and I squirmed in place. I groaned, stomach clenching, a little whine sneaking free. “I’ve never had anything up my ass, Kit, and this conversation is making me wanna die.”
His chuckle rumbled through me, his arms cocooning me protectively. “I’m sorry for that. We’ll have to distract you.”
“You running the show?” Ryder asked with a laugh.
“I can play with her myself, if you’d rather.”
“Fuck no.” Ryder ran his nose up the column of my throat, sending a ripple of delight through me. “I want all the time with her I can get.”
“Be a good girl and get on your hands and knees for Ryder.” Kit’s voice was smooth as velvet and my whole body tingled at his words.
“How is this supposed to work? Don’t you need fancy stuff for it?”
Kit shook his head. “Not particularly. You’ve been dripping slick all day, so lube shouldn’t be a problem.”
I whined, unable to look at either of them as I rolled so my face was buried in the blankets beneath me, wiggling my hips into the air. “Okay, go.”
Kit burst out laughing. “You’re being adorably ridiculous.”
“I’m nervous,” I retorted with a laugh.
Ryder slid a hand over the curve of my ass, his purr filling the space. “I’ll take good care of you.”
Kit cupped my cheek and drew me in, his mouth claiming mine. I shivered as Ryder rolled his fingers through my slick, teasing me until I was gasping and twitching.
“Good girl,” Kit whispered. “Stop him if you need to, but otherwise try to enjoy the process.”
“I will.” I dove back against his mouth, letting his eager lips drive me to distraction. Even so, I held my breath as Ryder shifted his hand around, scooping a fresh gush of slick to where he needed it. The pressure was delicious, even for how strange a sensation it was.
Both alphas purred for me, keeping my muscles relaxed and my brain melty. Kit kissed down my throat, over the curve of my shoulder and back up again to meet my lips.
I curled my fingers into the blankets, giving myself an anchor as Ryder worked, teasing me open until his smallest finger slid into me while I mewled against Kit. “Why does it feel so weird and so good at the same time?”
Kit’s tongue delved against mine and Ryder chuckled. “It’s new.”
“The weirdness will go away,” Kit promised, pulling back.
I blinked up with him. “Are you saying that from experience?”
“Yes,” he said with an easy smile. “Seems a shame so many men don’t let themselves enjoy all the opportunities their body gives them for pleasure. I haven’t done it with a partner, but I played with it myself multiple times.”
That made me feel a little better. At least he wasn’t spouting off something he had read about the experience and actually had some practical application to go with it.
I shivered when Ryder withdrew before carefully pressing back in.
“Do you think you would have fun with this during your heat?” Kit asked. “Or should we avoid it?”
“Definitely on board,” I squeaked.
Kit’s gaze was so hot I could’ve burst into flames right there. He pressed a soft kiss to my cheek before whispering, “Why don’t you be a good girl and make yourself come so you can see what it feels like?”
“Hmm, I agree, firecracker. Be the very best girl and come all over your fingers for us.”
I swallowed hard, shoving a shaking hand between my thighs. The first clench of my ass as I brushed my clit stole my breath, my body squeezing hard on Ryder’s finger. He moved it gently, helping me adjust even as I bit down on a blanket and went to town. Every sensation was heightened as I sorted through this new addition among the surges of my building orgasm.
My brain melted slowly, and I was practically blitzed right off the planet when Kit pressed three fingers into my cunt, fucking them roughly until I spilled slick all over them with a scream.
Panting and shaking, I lifted myself onto hands and knees, looking back at Ryder. “That’s going to nuke me out of existence during the heat.”
“That’s kind of the whole goal.” Ryder kissed his way up my back and captured my mouth before excusing himself. He returned with a damp cloth to tidy me up and I went right back to my original snuggling position, breathing in Kit’s scent. Maverick and Ryder were still scentless. Annoyingly so. I felt like a cat on the wrong side of a door, impatiently pawing at it, knowing what I wanted was on the other side but being unable to get to it. They’d been sticking close to me when not doing chores, trying to burn off their blockers, but so far it had been fruitless.
At this rate, I was going to climb out of my own skin. Every brush of fabric, every gentle touch had my nerves lighting up. My thighs were wet from slick and my temples were damp with sweat, my body hovering on the verge of heat but refusing to cross that line.
I growled and dug deeper into the nest, rotating away from the door and planting my face against Kit’s chest beneath the blankets.
“Little fox, are you okay?”
I wiggled closer. His scent saturated the blankets, but it wasn’t enough. Bear still lingered there as well, cedar and woodsmoke clinging to the threads, but that wasn’t enough either.
My whine of omega distress was muffled by all the layers above me. Both alphas tensed anyway.
“What do you need?” Ryder asked.
I squirmed restlessly, turning back over so I could peek at him through a gap in the blankets. “Stop having no scent. It feels wrong.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
I grabbed onto his wrist and dragged him further into the nest, wedging him beneath me and climbing so I could drape myself over him. Rooting against his throat still revealed no hint of his scent. I bit down on the scent gland below his ear, holding fast and sweeping my tongue over it. Maybe if I gave it enough attention it would override the stupid medicine keeping him from me.
“Fuck,” Ryder whispered, his fingers curling over my hips, his cock hardening beneath me.
I whined again and tension shot through him. It was probably too loud in his ear, but I couldn’t stop it. The heat was too close for me to rely on my rational mind anymore. Each moment that passed pushed me deeper, and I knew it was only a matter of time before it kicked into full gear and pulled me under.
“How’s she doing?” Maverick poked his head through the nest entrance.
I growled again, biting down harder.
“She’s fucking pissed about the blockers.”
“Noted. I’ll stay out here for now, then.”
With a considerable amount of my remaining mental fortitude, I unlatched my teeth and turned to Maverick. “In.”
“Okay, give me one second.”
Instinct wanted zero seconds, but I wasn’t about to launch out of the nest to yank him in.
Maverick returned a moment later, stripping down and climbing into the blankets. I wriggled my way between him and Ryder, wedging my face against Maverick’s throat so I could bite him too. Modern medicine was a blessing, but in this case I wanted to raze the home of whoever had come up with scent blockers for alphas.
“Bear will be back inside soon,” Maverick told me as he stroked a hand up and down my arm. “We’re trying to give Pumpkin outside time before we’re all in here for a while.”
I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut. I hated being this pitiful. At least it was these men with me and not someone like Brandon and his friends. Shuddering at the thought, I detached myself and wiggled deeper.
“Should we try to set it off?” Ryder asked.
“Soon,” replied Kit. He gently finger-combed my hair, setting off my purr as he worked, carefully weaving the strands into a neat braid to keep them out of my face.
I squirmed across the expanse of alphas and back into Kit’s arms, needing a fresh hit since the other two in my bed weren’t providing.
“You’re going to smother down there, little fox.” Kit pulled back some of the blankets and I retracted sharply, burying my face against him. “We’ll close up the tent when Bear gets here.”
“I need him here now .” A shiver rolled through me. It was so fucking close.
“Her scent shifted again,” Kit announced, clutching me closer, his whole body vibrating. “Get Bear inside.”
Maverick sprinted out in his birthday suit, opening the window to yell down into the yard, “Bear, her heat is starting! Get your ass back up here.”
A few moments later my final alpha was inside my nest tent, and I plastered myself against his cool skin, pleasure zipping up my spine at the relief that brought. I sucked down a sharp lungful of cedar and woodsmoke. He laid me down between him and Ryder, leaning close to whisper in my ear, “Do you want me to touch you, angel?”
“Pretty sure I’ll die if you don’t.”
He slipped his callused fingertips down my body, my breath catching and muscles trembling. Bear took his time, claiming my mouth as he wove patterns over my heated skin before finally burying his hand between my thighs. I spread them open in blatant invitation and locked my arms around his neck so I could melt into his kiss. The heel of his palm pressed down on me so I couldn’t rock my hips. Apparently he was still serious about me resting before my heat began. He swept slow circles over my clit and devoured every pitiful whimper his touch drew out of me.
Ryder’s hands snaked beneath the blankets, settling on my thigh as if waiting for permission to go further.
“Ryder, get a move on,” I gasped out before delving back into Bear’s kiss.
His fingers joined Bear’s, but instead of teasing my clit, they plunged into me and I arched helplessly. “Fucking hell, she’s so wet.”
I couldn’t catch my breath. I broke away from Bear, gasping and writhing. Maverick leaned over Ryder, dipping his head to reach my nipple. I bucked feverishly even with Bear trying to hold me still, my body a live wire of sensation.
“Easy, angel,” Bear grumbled in my ear before planting a trail of kisses down my throat.
There was no easy, only an inferno building in my core, stoked by every touch. I was safe with them, but even so, I clung hard to the edges of reality, afraid to let go despite knowing they would catch me. Each brush against my clit was like Bear coming along and detaching my grip.
I plummeted off the edge, vision blacking out, a scream lodged in my throat as I tumbled down, down, down.