Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Evan
Evan carded his fingers through Camelia's hair, pulling her firmly against his chest as she browsed on her laptop.
Finals had been a breeze, though Evan had known that they would be.
Camelia and James had studied hard and aced everything, and Evan.
..well, Evan was just there for them. For his lovers, his people.
He couldn't give a flying fuck if he had passed his classes, though he had never failed a course before.
Camelia made a soft sound of contentment, and James reached out to link his fingers with hers.
He was laying on his side on the bed next to Camelia and Evan, his eyes closed.
His blonde hair was getting a little long, and it spread out on the bed underneath him in a way that made Evan want to sink his fingers into it, to grip it. Pull.
He brushed his fingers along James' brow, and smiled when his gray eyes peeked open. There were shadows under his eyes, but they were exhaustion from staying up too late to study, rather than the fear and anxiety that had clung to him for so many years.
Evan knew that it would take a while before James really relaxed, before he stopped looking over his shoulder and before the first thought that he had wasn't what Drake was going to think about this or that. But Evan...was so fucking proud of him.
"I love you," Evan said softly. He thumbed at James' lower lip, and his cock twitched when James' tongue flicked out to brush against the pad of his thumb.
"Love you too," he murmured. He closed his eyes again, and Camelia rested her head back against Evan's chest as she made a soft sound of contentment.
Quickly followed by a little gasp of surprise, and when Evan glanced over her shoulder, she had a new email pulled up in her inbox, with the subject line, Camelia Meadows, Urgent. Employment Offer.
Evan scanned the top line of the email, continuing to stroke Camelia's hair as he did so. "Wow," he finally murmured.
"What?" James didn't open his eyes, his voice heavy and sleepy.
"Camelia got a job offer from a nonprofit. Effective as soon as she graduates." Evan dropped a kiss on her cheek, noting the way that she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "They saw her last talk at the rally and want to bring her on as an advocate for Omegas."
James opened his eyes, and when he looked at Camelia, there was a spark of pride, of awe in his eyes. "Wow. That's incredible, sweetheart."
Camelia fidgeted a little, and Evan rested his chin on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Camelia chewed her lip a little more, and then she sighed, looking down at James, peeking at Evan.
"It just...it isn't what I saw myself doing, is all.
I always thought that I would become a diplomat.
You know, bring people together of different worlds, address big global issues, that sort of stuff. "
Her voice was quiet, a little sad, and Evan nodded. He understood the conflict, of having a plan and being at a crossroads. Part of him had felt that way when he and James had met her; she had thrown a chink in his plans, though ultimately a welcome one.
"You don't have to take it, you know," James pointed out. He offered her a small smile. "You could still go out and change the world if you wanted to."
Camelia nodded, her brow furrowed. She stared at the email for another beat, before turning back to look at Evan. "Do you think I would be a bad person if I decided to take it? Because...this is important too. To me."
Evan couldn't help chuckling, holding her a little more tightly to him.
"I don't think that there's anyone in the world who would look at you taking a job as an advocate at a nonprofit and think that that makes you a bad person, baby.
" He kissed her cheek, then said, a little more seriously, "Besides.
Haven't you already been getting some...
threatening messages? From people who don't like what you've been standing up for? "
She hadn't brought it up, but Evan had caught a glimpse of her phone when she was browsing Instagram one day. Some of the hidden messages that she was actively blocking...they were nasty. Evan had immediately wanted to protect her, but there was only so much that he could do about internet trolls.
"Well, yeah," Camelia said quietly.
"I don't think that taking this job would make them go away, but it would at least make you feel better about doing something. You know?" Evan released her hair, and Camelia linked their fingers together as she contemplated her email.
"You're right," she finally said. There was a thread of decision in her voice, a finality that surprised Evan.
She set her laptop aside, and before Evan could ask what she was doing she pushed herself up and turned around, straddling his legs and settling herself firmly on his lap.
The new position pressed her pussy firmly against Evan's cock, only the thin layers of their house pants separating them, and Evan couldn't stop himself from letting out a low growl as his cock twitched and started to fill under the pressure.
Camelia didn't back down, though a spark of heat lit her dark eyes. "I think I'm going to take it," she said, glancing between James and Evan. "It's important."
James nodded, linking his fingers with hers and bringing her hand to his mouth to press a kiss to her knuckles. "You'll be perfect, sweetheart. It's just right for you."
She nodded, and when she looked back at Evan, there was something else in her eyes, a determination that made him cock his head to the side. "What is it, baby?"
"There's something else that I want, before I take this job. Before we go out into the world and start our lives after graduation." She bit her lip, worrying the skin between her teeth for a moment as she glanced down at James, then back at Evan.
The way that her hips ground minutely against his cock gave Evan a good idea of what she wanted to ask, but he waited patiently, his hands curling loosely around her hips.
"I want you to Mate me," Camelia finally said, her voice already a little breathy. She glanced down at James. "Both of you. Before anything else. I want to be yours. Completely."
Evan's cock filled so quickly that it almost made him dizzy, and James let out a low growl beside them. Evan could feel Camelia's pussy soaking through the thin fabric of her pants, and the scent of her sweet Omega hormones grew thick between them.
"Are you sure?" he forced himself to ask. His instincts screamed at him to accept what she was offering, to take his Omega and never fucking let her go, but he had to reign himself in. He had meant what he said when they had spoken about this after Camelia’s heat; it was a big decision, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
He glanced down at James, who was looking up at Camelia as if she had the answers to the universe. His pupils were dilated, the outline of his cock hard in the gray sweatpants that he wore slung low on his hips.
Camelia nodded, pulling Evan's attention back to her. "I'm sure," she said decisively. Then, more shyly, "You're it for me. I love you both so much."
Evan held back a soft groan at the naked confession, and pulled her down for a soft kiss. Her lips moved against his, so sweet and loving and so fucking giving, and Evan's heart pounded when she finally pulled away, resting her forehead against his.
"Will you?" she asked softly. She reached down, gently dragging her fingers across James' jaw. His pupils dilated further at the touch, and he sat up, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her in for a kiss.
Evan watched them, and when they both looked back at him, he couldn't help smiling. He reached out and cupped Camelia's chin, gently stroking her skin with his thumb before murmuring, "I think that can be arranged, baby."