Chapter Thirty-One
Ford
Soft noises woke him from a deep sleep, blinking his eyes open to find Lucky lying on his arm. The sweet thing had practically passed out in the evening, and Ford had been relieved to get a break. Seeing how deeply Chase slept behind Lucky, it was clear he hadn’t been the only one knocked flat.
He’d never expected to find a wild beast lurking within their omega.
Ford brushed the back of his fingers over Lucky’s pale cheek, glad he slept peacefully.
He’d worried the noises were a sign of the heat sparking again, but they seemed to be coming from the front room.
A faint clink of metal, a snick of a door, suggested the porter was stopping by with their afternoon food.
Cradling his hand under Lucky’s head, Ford gently lifted him to free his arm.
He slipped from bed and tucked the sheet around Lucky, who made a soft noise and snuggled into Chase.
Ford stretched his aching muscles and grabbed his watch from the bedside table.
Noon, as he’d thought. Chase gave a curious, questioning hum and turned over to wrap an arm around Lucky’s waist, welcoming him in close.
Gods, they were sweet. Tender but playful, always knowing when to push, when to go hard and when to hold back.
Ford grabbed a bottle of water from the bedside table and drank as he walked to the bathroom. Leaving the bottle on the vanity, he grabbed a towel from the cupboard in the corner and stepped into the shower. Raking a hand through his hair, he tipped his face to the water and closed his eyes.
It had been a hell of a year, but the last twenty-four-hours were certainly making up for it.
The sight of Lucky losing his senses had been erotic, until the rush of the heat had hit Chase and turned him into a fucking God.
He’d fucked Lucky to the point of tears, and all their omega had done was thank him.
Maybe it was because he’d only fucked around with betas, but Ford had never seen an omega have two simultaneous orgasms. Lucky had still been shaking from the first when he went chasing the second, taking Chase along for the high.
Pressing one hand to the wet tiles, he ran the other over his face, as the night replayed in his mind, still making sense of things he hadn’t had the presence of mind to notice—how lovely Lucky had looked while napping, the spark of approval in his eyes while Ford had sucked Chase dry, how he’d shivered and panted while they’d both gone down on him, trading kisses and tongues in between, one tormenting Lucky’s folds, the other blowing his cock.
Ford had never known an omega so willing and eager to experiment.
The few betas he’d fucked over the years had been sure of what they wanted, experienced and knew what they liked and what they didn’t.
He’d never known the joy of walking someone through sex as a newbie, helping them figure out what they liked.
Lucky had given him a taste and he wanted more.
He supposed Lucky and Chase had been doing that since he met them.
Everything he shared with them was new and exciting, but these last few weeks had proven that it wasn’t a fluke.
Ford wouldn’t get bored when the novelty wore off.
He wouldn’t want to run and escape, to choose the familiar over the new.
This was it.
Shutting off the water, he stepped out and dried off, scrubbing a towel over his hair as he headed into the bedroom. He left his boys sleeping, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed his wallet and phone, and headed to the balcony. Sitting on the low wall, he pressed Pip’s number for a video call.
Pip grinned at him. “You remembered.”
Ford leaned his head on the wall. “Told you I would. How are ya?” He looked okay, and was eating from a bowl of cereal in Lucky’s kitchen, which meant he was spending the day with Xavier or had stayed the night. Maybe in Lucky’s bed? Something to let him feel close to them?
“Tiloro is helping me bake cookies today,” he said, munching on his cereal.
“Sounds like fun.”
“Did Imse have a nice birthday?”
Hell yes, wasn’t an appropriate answer. The truth, that he’d had the orgasm of his life, was worse. “We, uh, had an early night.”
“Pip? Are you talking, darling?” Xavier’s voice called, as he appeared behind Pip. “Ford! I’m surprised you’re awake.”
Ford leaned his elbow on his raised knee. “I ain’t never needed much sleep. The boys are still sleeping,” he explained, not feeling like saying that he hadn’t slept much since he became ORT.
“My boy always took after his papa.”
“Gods. I don’t need that image in my head,” he complained, polite only because Pip was giggling, though hopefully not understanding.
While Xavier took off, chuckling, Ford shook his head and focused on Pip.
“Do you want to say happy birthday? It’s time to wake Lucky anyway.
” Ford slipped off the wall and headed inside to perch on the edge of the bed.
He brushed hair from Lucky’s face and tapped his cheek.
“Pip’s on the phone,” he whispered, giving him time to process the words before he tapped again.
The longer it took, the more Pip giggled, until Lucky blinked his eyes open.
“Pip wants to wish you happy birthday.” He lowered the phone to Lucky’s hand.
It took a second before he registered, then he took the phone. “Hi, sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?”
Lucky had a quiet but happy conversation with Pip, who sang the Happy Birthday song for him. When Lucky cried, Ford wiped the tears away, pretending he was brushing hair from his face. Once they’d had a few minutes, Ford signalled to Lucky, who said goodbye and blew Pip kisses.
He took the phone back. “We gotta go. I needta get food into him and let him wake up. He’ll call you in about an hour, when he’s properly awake, okay?”
Either the promise of another phone call was enough, or Pip was as emotional as Lucky, because he waved goodbye and hung up, leaving Ford with the distinct impression they’d have a lot of grovelling to do when they got home.
Ford crouched beside Lucky and brushed at his wet cheeks.
“You’ll needta wake Chase once I leave, okay?
I’m gonna find a paper, see what’s around this place for later, and get some food.
I won’t be long.” Ford stood and tucked his phone into his back pocket while Lucky stretched, happier than he’d seen him in a while, like being here had stripped away the last of his worries.
Ford hoped this trip refreshed him, before they got home and life sucked them back into chaos.
* * * *
When he got back from his walk, entering the suite from the back gate by the pool, Ford found his boys already outside. He pulled his sunglasses off and tucked them into his shirt pocket.
Lucky lay on a lounger, sunbathing in the-smallest-of-small shorts, with a paperback in hand, while Chase swam laps in the pool. At the sound of the gate shutting, he paused at the closest edge and brushed hair off his face, looking like a water god.
Ford took the cigarette from his lips to hand to his alpha.
“Azrah sent you.” Chase took the cigarette and inhaled deep, closing his eyes with pleasure before raising his hand. Ford clasped his wrist and waited until his fingers had a firm hold before he stood and helped him from the pool. “Thank you, darlin’.”
He stepped back, lifting his bag. “I brought goodies.” He crossed to Lucky, who had already set aside his paperback.
Ford bent to kiss him and brushed a thumb across his cheek, “Happy birthday, flower.” Ford sat on the lounger beside him and placed his bags on the side table.
Opening one of the three, he unveiled a boxed chocolate cake with half-cut strawberries and cream.
Lucky put his hands over his mouth, while Chase approached to take a peek. “Ford, it’s perfect.” He leaned across the distance between their seats to offer a kiss of gratitude.
“I bought snacks for later. I’ll take them up and put them in the mini fridge by the bed. The last bag is lunch, and leaflets of what’s nearby.” Ford stood and stepped away, towards the main building, pausing when Lucky made a noise.
“How can we go anywhere?”
Smiling, he walked backwards towards the door. “You ain’t gonna be in heat twenty-four-hours. We’ll stick close by and if it kicks in we can come back, but you ain’t gonna be locked away just ‘cause you can’t resist us.”
He’d arrested alphas who would―and had―done that.
Most of whom had ended up on the ORT register, either for that offence, or because they’d gotten away with one crime and were tempted to commit another.
He would never do that to Lucky, and he was proud as fuck that Lucky wouldn’t let him, even if he was tempted.
* * * *
The days passed by in a blur, but Ford made a point of noting them. Six days in, and each day was a revelation.
“Gods, stop it. How can you still be horny?” Lucky asked, with laughter and joy, the way he’d been for the last few days.
“When isn’t he?” Chase perched on the arm of the sofa.
Ford narrowed his gaze at Lucky’s giggle and poked at his side. “Eh, hold up. Who woke me at the asscrack of dawn, begging me to fuck him through the floor?”
Squirming away from his fingers, Lucky blushed at Chase’s snort.
The heat had been gradually taking a stronger hold, the longer it lasted.
Defiant and brazen, a smile played on Lucky’s lips.
“At least I didn’t blatantly seduce an alpha into my bed,” he added, which turned Chase’s snort into full-blown laughter while Ford sat dumbfounded.
“The mouth on you, now you’re bonded, you little shit.” He pressed his hands to the sofa by Lucky’s feet, where he sat cross-legged. “You think you’re safe?” Surprise wiped away his giggles the moment Ford started crawling closer.
Lucky carefully unfolded his legs and slid back. “No, stay back,” he ordered, scrambling to lift his butt onto the arm of the sofa, completely unaware that, as Ford crawled closer, he was putting himself in danger.
When he was just one more crawl from reaching the cheeky omega, Lucky put a hand out to stop him.
Ford tried not to give it away, getting slowly closer until Chase’s arms wrapped around Lucky’s waist and lifted him off the sofa.
He screamed in surprise, then descended into hysterical laughter, placing a hand over his mouth while Chase lifted him effortlessly and tossed the omega over his shoulder.
“No! Put me down, you arrogant alpha,” he shouted, squirming so hard Chase practically threw him onto the bed, rather than depositing him gracefully.
Ford smirked at his indignation as Lucky tossed his hair over his head and warned Chase to be more careful.
Dr. Kai was right that these two were good for him. They healed his bruised soul, filled his empty heart, and made every day a thousand times better. It was difficult to understand how he’d lived his life without them.
Chase draped over their omega, murmuring soft words into kisses. “Want me to braid your hair?”
Over the last few days, they’d tried pretty much everything that should be done during a first heat.
Ford had always been told it was a time for intense bonding, through physical intimacy and emotional growth, sharing responsibility for one another through talking, caring and seeing to one another’s needs.
Whether washing each other’s hair, fucking until sundown, Chase braiding Lucky’s hair or having video calls with Pip, he finally understood why it was important.
As well as showing him a side of his boys he’d never known existed, it healed something inside that he hadn’t known was broken.
Chase sat up against the headboard, with Lucky cross-legged in front of him. They talked quietly as the brush swept over Lucky’s hair, the perfect image of bonding mates.
Ford flopped onto the bed and rested his head on Lucky’s ankles, then crossed his legs and sank into the comfy bed.
Fingers raked through his hair, and he smiled up at Lucky in gratitude.
He’d been amazing the last few days, always thoughtful and sweet, making sure they were all taken care of, having fun, with no one left out.
Lucky had enjoyed spending time at the market whenever he wasn’t in a full flush of heat, taking a walk or enjoying the poolside.
When he wasn’t reading to Pip over video calls or reading paperbacks, they’d watched movies and Lucky had coaxed them into karaoke yesterday.
Ford had never loved him more for being their shining omega full of joy.
“Are you happy, Ford?”
“I’m on planet happy, flower.” He held Lucky’s hand, toying with his fingers and tipping his head when Lucky bent to kiss him.
“Careful,” Chase cautioned, with more patience than the last time Lucky had moved away while having his hair braided.
Lucky blushed, even after all they’d shared in the last week.
Tangling their fingers, Ford lifted Lucky’s hand to his lips and mouthed at his knuckles.
Chase uncrossed his legs to lay one along Ford’s side, and the other came a second later.
Lucky leaned back on Chase, getting a cluck of his tongue in response for crushing his braid.
Lucky hummed in the quiet of the room, disturbed only by the light music from his phone.
“Are you happy, flower?”
“I’m on planet happy, too.”
They both laughed at how cute that was. Multiple twists of hair held between Chase's lips were carefully removed to one hand before he could speak, as his fingers wove an intricate braid.
“Must be a tiny planet if there’s only three people on it.”