20. Sempervivum – Meaning Liveliness Vivacity Welcome home husband
20
SEMPERVIVUM
(HENS AND CHICKS, LIVEFOREVER)
MEANING: LIVELINESS; VIVACITY; WELCOME HOME HUSBAND
OCEAN
________
T here was no way for me to move. Wrapped up against Micah while Cameron cleaned the cuts on my back and gently placed bandages over them. I hadn’t realized my skin had split. The pain had been intense overall, so it didn’t raise any alarm bells.
But the way they looked at me—not with laughter and not with anything other than kindness and… heat . I couldn’t quite believe it or trust it yet, but fuck I wanted to.
“I didn’t get blood on the dress, did I?”
Everett lifted my wedding dress and turned it over. “Not at all.”
“No wonder you didn’t want to stay at the reception,” Micah murmured, stroking a hand over my hair. “You were in pain the whole time. I’m so sorry, princess.”
Pleasure lit me from within. I’d heard Cade, one of Isolde’s pack, call her that, but I’d never understood the appeal until now. And it didn’t bother me in the slightest to have the same nickname, because to be thought of as royal by my husbands was something I’d never imagined.
“It’s not your fault. I knew Laura would never let it go, so I just got through it.”
Cameron smoothed his hands over my back and the bandages. “I wish we’d known. We would have made it clear it wasn’t all right. Hell, we already did it with your uncle.”
“What? When? What did he do?”
Everett’s face was dark. “He came to our suite before the wedding to thank us for marrying you so you could have a good experience before, essentially, being on the shelf forever. That’s what he implied.”
I wish I were surprised, but I wasn’t.
“Well, I’ll still thank you,” I said quietly.
Where Micah was in front of me, I saw the troubled expression on his face. But he didn’t say anything. “Do you have something you like to wear to be comfy?”
“If Ruby put my clothes away, I’m sure I can find something.” I pressed my lips together, still unsure. I was naked except for my garters and underwear, and I didn’t want to walk across the room in front of them without clothes. They’d made themselves clear, but the feeling of fear was still too raw.
“I’m sure you can too,” he said with a smile. “But I don’t want you moving just yet. So tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”
What did I wear in front of them? What would they think of me in my normal loungewear? It was… well, it wasn’t meant to be attractive. But it was comfortable. I needed to believe them. “I would usually get some yoga pants, underwear, one of the soft bras, and a big t-shirt if I were just going to stay in my room and watch a movie or something. But the girl at the bridal store, Ashley, said she was going to pick out some post-wedding lingerie and stuff for me too. So I’m sure that’s in there somewhere.”
Micah leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “The thought of you in lingerie is enough to make me feral, wife. But I want you to be comfortable. So we can all take our time with this, and each other.”
He disappeared, walking around the bed, and I gasped when I twisted, seeing an absolutely gargantuan walk-in closet. I didn’t think I would ever need the amount of space in there.
“That’s enormous.”
They all laughed. “Every Omega needs their closet,” Cameron said. “Almost as important as their nest.”
Their nest .
Did they have a nest here? I’d be here for a year, so that meant I’d have at least one heat. Would they help me through it? Fire rolled over my body at the thought of it. They were already too close and too inviting.
Everett’s gaze rolled over me, scenting the burst of perfume that just exploded. “What’s in your head, little nymph?”
“Nothing.”
“Mmm. We’ll see.”
Sliding out from behind me, Cameron put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to change and get you some painkillers. Then I’ll be back.” He glanced at the others. “TV room?”
“Yes,” Micah answered. He had clothes in his hands and was coming back around the bed to me, already sinking down to his knees.
“You don’t have to help me dress.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” Then he looked up at me. “Something you should know about the three of us. We don’t do anything we don’t want to do. If there’s something we don’t want to do that’s still necessary, we find a way to shift it in our favor if we can. And if there’s something we can’t or won’t do, we’re capable of voicing that without making you feel like you fucked up by asking. So no, I don’t have to help you dress, princess. I want to help you dress.”
My mouth was open in shock, and I knew I needed to close it so I stopped looking like a gaping fish, but I couldn’t seem to move.
Everett watched from where he stood, a hint of a smile on his face. He was the coldest of them—the harshest. But he didn’t disagree. And something told me there was warmth beneath the hard exterior he didn’t let many people see. He’d already been soft with me.
Micah tugged the garters and underwear off and helped me replace them. I couldn’t even be embarrassed when he had me stand and slid them into place because his hands were on my skin, and that was a far bigger distraction than I’d anticipated.
He pressed a kiss to my stomach, and my entire body went rigid. Micah didn’t react to it, helping me dress the rest of the way in exactly the outfit I’d told him about, with the addition of some fuzzy socks. “There.” He looked me over. “Perfect.”
“Thank you.”
Everett inclined his head gently toward the door. “Go change, Micah. I’ll show Ocean the TV room. One of our favorite places to relax. Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” I admitted as he led me out of the room. “The cake is the only thing I’ve had today.”
“Why?”
Shit. “No reason. Nerves.”
His hand slipped around mine, tugging me to a stop in a hallway that was so bright and open, it felt more like a gallery than a house. I loved the atmosphere here already. “Don’t lie to us. Please. We know it was bad, and I know it might be hard to say it. But I’m not going to judge you for it. If anything, it’s only going to make me more furious with your family. And I’m already so fucking angry with them it’s hard to breathe, so you honestly can’t make it worse.”
“Why are you angry at them?” I asked. I knew, but at the same time, I didn’t know the extent of it.
Keeping my hand, he started walking again. “The way he talked about you on more than one occasion. The way your aunt treated you in that study, and the fucking corset. Not to mention your uncle is the kind of businessman that wants to be in it for the appearances of business, not the practicalities, which causes him to make poor decisions. He doesn’t want to run a company. He wants to be known for running a company.”
A laugh burst out of me. “That’s so true it’s not even funny.”
“So tell me why you haven’t eaten.”
Shivers went down my spine. “I—” I winced, not wanting to say it out loud. Not because I wanted to protect them, but because I was embarrassed that I still let it happen. “When I went to Sunset City to try on dresses, Laura went with me. She was… well, she was exactly who you think she is. I found the dress, and because I didn’t want to hear her comments about it, I just ordered it and didn’t show her.”
Everett’s mouth curled into a smile. “Good girl.”
Now I shivered for an entirely different reason. “She told me that the only reason you chose me was because I was disposable and didn’t speak to me until we got home. When I went to the kitchen later, there were locks on the cabinets and the refrigerator.”
He stopped walking so suddenly I was pulled back by his hand. “What the fuck did you just say?”
I looked down at the ground. Maybe it would swallow me whole so I could hide from the horror on his face. “Please don’t make me say it again.”
With one movement he tugged me toward him, and I nearly stumbled, but he caught me, one arm curling around my back and making sure to avoid the bandages. “Your dress appointment was on Tuesday, nymph. Please tell me you’ve been able to eat since then, because if they’ve starved you that long, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep myself from killing them.”
Something warmed in my chest at that. I wasn’t a violent person, but threats looked good on Everett. And threats that protected me? Fuck, I was a goner.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I was able to. I ordered food. Just not as much as normal, but I’m all right.”
“But nothing today? Other than the wedding cake?”
I shook my head. “It was really good cake.”
“It was—” Everett closed his eyes. “That’s why you were hungry yesterday.”
He wasn’t asking, just making the connection. “I promise I’m fine, Everett,” I said quietly. “You’ve seen me. I have more than enough body to sustain me for a couple of days.”
When he opened his eyes, they were filled with fire. “Understand me. I don’t have a feeding fetish. I’m not going to try to stuff you with food at every available opportunity. But like hell will my wife go hungry because you, or anyone else, think your body is less than fucking perfect.”
A gasp escaped me, and I blinked. “It’s not perfect. But I promise I’m not trying to starve myself.”
“Good.” The word was rough, and he didn’t release me, only shifted me to his side with his arm still around me as we entered a room where the television was so large it took up a good portion of the wall. Not so big that you couldn’t see the whole thing, but big enough that I didn’t think I’d ever need to go to a movie theater while I lived here.
Big, cushy couches pointed toward the screen in a U shape. A bar sat along one wall, complete with an oven, stove, microwave, and fridge. A whole kitchen. I spotted a bathroom branching on the other side, and there was also a basket filled with blankets. “Okay, I love it.”
Everett chuckled, but I still heard the strain in his voice. “I’m glad. Now what’s your favorite kind of food?”
“It’s not my favorite, but I’ve been craving chicken fried rice.”
He pulled out his phone with a nod. “Got it. I’m going to change, and I’m sure the others will be here in just a minute, okay?”
“Okay.”
I went to the basket of blankets and looked through them until I found one that felt right. Then I chose a seat on one of the couches and cuddled down. I wasn’t tired enough to sleep, but I was tired. And these couches were the good kind. Firm enough that you didn’t feel like you were being sucked into the void, and soft enough that it was cozy.
“I like the sight of this.”
Cameron came around the couch in dark sweats and a t-shirt. He handed me the painkillers he’d mentioned and made sure I took them.
But I was distracted by simply looking at him. It was the first time I’d seen him in something other than a suit, and there was something so incredibly appealing about it. Just like Everett yesterday, which felt like a lifetime ago, he was more touchable. Not the billionaire Alpha who was untouchable. Just someone who was sitting down next to me and hauling me closer, so I was practically lying across his chest.
A rumbling startled me. What?—
He was purring . For me. My body melted into his. I had to be crushing him, but he didn’t seem to care. Instead, he shifted me so I was curled into his chest and could listen to the sound. The fucking incredible sound. I’d heard purrs before, of course, but this one was for me .
No one had ever purred for me before.
Emotion flooded my eyes, and I had to blink it away.
“What’s wrong?” Cameron sounded distressed.
I shook my head. There was nothing wrong with this. It was what I’d always wanted and never had. “You’re purring for me,” I whispered.
“Should I stop?”
“ No .” The word snapped out so quickly I was afraid of the reaction. But it only made him smile and tuck me closer. The way I laid across his lap… I didn’t think I ever wanted to move again.
“No one’s ever purred for me,” I told him.
The sound stuttered for a second from his surprise. Then it came back even louder. “No one?”
“No.”
“Not even your father?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I don’t remember if he did. He’s been gone a long time.”
“Fuck, sweetheart. I would have done it sooner.”
Laughing, I looked up at him. “When would you have had a chance?”
“Any time I’ve been in a room with you. I would have purred at the reception. Anywhere and everywhere, baby.”
“Here, princess.” Micah’s voice came from somewhere behind me, and suddenly a banana appeared in front of my face.
I couldn’t stop the giggle. “What’s that for?”
“Everett told me to give it to you and tell you to eat it because the food is going to take a while to get here.”
“I think he just wants to see me eat a banana.” But I sat up with Cameron’s help and peeled it.
Everett strode in, his walk still holding the same power even though he was barefoot and bare chested with sweats on. I?—
My mind had completely short-circuited at the sight of him without a shirt. Holy shit. It was hard to think any thoughts. And the ones I had were all good about him, and none of them good about me. I didn’t want to eat in front of him now. Not while I was in frumpy clothes and buried in a blanket like someone who hadn’t moved from the couch in days.
There were tattoos and I couldn’t even focus on what they were cause my brain was screaming abs! Shoulders! Forearms!
He raised an eyebrow. “I do want to see you eat a banana. And not only because I’ll be thinking about your mouth as you do it.” Looking at Micah and then Cameron, the next words were a growl. “They put fucking locks on the kitchen cabinets this week.”
I looked down, focusing very hard on breaking the banana into pieces and taking a bite. My energy immediately perked up. Funny how actually eating could do that.
Cameron and Micah were staring at me, but I couldn’t meet their eyes. And it was Cameron who pulled me closer to him on the couch again. “Anything we can do to get out of this deal, Rett? I don’t want to give that asshole anything.”
“No, you can’t go back on it,” I said. “Please.”
They all looked at me now. Frowning. But not angry. Micah made the connection first. “Why did you agree to marry us? I assumed it was to get away from them.”
“It was.” I swallowed. “But not only that. The trust my parents left me…” My throat burned. It still hurt to speak about without feeling the deep sense of betrayal. “It doesn’t pay out until I turn thirty-five. But they agreed to do it in a year if I said yes.”
He looked devastated. “So they forced you?”
“No.” I hadn’t been forced. It didn’t feel that way, and now that I was getting to know them, I was glad. “No, they didn’t force me. But I did make him sign papers so he couldn’t change his mind later. I have copies, and I gave copies to Trinity and Isolde.”
Cameron laughed. “Should have been a lawyer, sweetheart.”
But Micah still watched me carefully. Coming over, he knelt in front of me, hands running up my thighs beneath the blanket. “As long as you weren’t forced. Because that was our one stipulation. We wanted to marry you, but you had to say yes willingly .”
“I’m willing,” I said. “Did I agree because of the trust? Yes. But you needed to get married for one reason. I just happened to need it for a different one.” For a second, I looked down. “But I’m glad it’s you.”
He smiled then. “I can work with that.”
The way his hands were on my legs, even through the fabric of my yoga pants, made me aware of how close he was to… everything.
But I didn’t have any idea how to start that, and it wasn’t exactly something I could search. How do you start having sex with the infernally hot husbands you married for a business agreement?
“So… is this what you do?” I asked, gesturing to the screen. “Watch TV?”
“Honestly, no,” Cameron said. “We work more than we should, though we’re trying to get better. We do sometimes watch movies, but I’d like to do it more often.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do, then? I can fit in around whatever your routine is.”
Everett settled on the couch nearby. “It might be time for some new routines. At the very least, we’ll pick a movie until you’re fucking fed.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Sure you don’t have that feeding fetish?”
He looked at me, but there was the slightest tilt to his mouth that showed his amusement. “Careful.”
It didn’t feel like a threat. It felt like teasing. Teasing with my husbands. In Micah’s words, I could work with that.