Chapter 24
Ophelia
I used to sleep in. Working at a strip club and late-night parties with the catering company keeps my hours well into the night, so it's not like I was lazing the day away.
But Enzo and Theo were changing my routines. I can't say I'm mad about it, but more sleep would be nice.
When I first got here and was still adjusting, I slept in Enzo’s room, but after a few days, I decided I needed my own space. He sleeps very little and is neurotically neat. If I left a shirt or something on the ground or hanging off the back of the chair, when I returned, it would be neatly folded at the foot of the bed, waiting to be put away.
Enzo wasn't passive aggressive about my messiness; he had actual compulsions to clean and organize. I think his brain works faster than the rest of us, and he needs order to make sense of the chaos. But it was driving me crazy.
He's constantly working, even when he's not on his phone. I can see his eyes move behind his glasses as he thinks through problems at work, even when we're just lounging about or eating dinner.
I don't want to mess up his orderly world, so when Theo helped me move my stuff in after the movers dropped everything off, we unloaded it all in the nest—a room that was blessedly empty, clean, and had never seen another woman, let alone an omega.
Despite Theo's initially shitty attitude about my second-hand things, even I could admit that the old coffee table held together with duct tape perhaps had seen better days and could be tossed. We went through most of my things, separating a keep-and-toss pile, which was cathartic in a way. It helped me move into my new space and new life with an acceptance that had been somewhat elusive.
Theo was growing on me, too, because even though I had forgiven him, when we went through my clothes with the same scrutiny as my furniture, instead of getting mad each time he held something up with wide eyes and incredulity, it made me laugh instead of getting mad.
We bickered constantly. We bantered and argued and teased.
I loved it.
My relationship with each of the guys was so different from one another I couldn't believe how seamless it was to be with them, to just be a part of their lives. I was more than fond of them. I was falling for them.
Though I'd not made up with Sully, he was making good on every promise he'd made me and the residents of C-Block. Each time he involved me in decisions about the apartment building, it made me want to be involved in other ways. He listened when I talked, taking my advice with the same gravity as when they discussed Constantine Industries.
It made me feel important, like maybe I could be a valued member of this pack.
Theo's arm snakes out beneath my waist, hand splayed across my abdomen as he tugs me closer, bringing my back flush with his front in the perfect form of distraction from my early morning musings. I can feel his hard length poking against my ass. It's warm and comforting, his honey lemon scent the perfect amount of sweet and bright, making my mouth water.
"Mmmmh, what time is it?" He grumbles, voice heavy with sleep.
I woke up when Enzo got up for his run. It's still dark out, so I don't bother answering. Instead, I press back against Theo, and it isn't long before he slips inside me. It's lazy, and we're both half asleep, but anytime they make love to me or fuck me, it deepens our connection, making us stronger and more in tune.
Enzo and Theo waited impatiently for their invitations to sleep with me when I claimed the nest and started settling in. The bed is massive, the size of two kings pushed together, low to the ground, the perfect height for all sorts of sexcapades.
But I like these slow, sleepy fucks too. When they take me from behind, it's little effort to build me up—and it isn't long before I'm shaking against him. Theo shudders moments after me. Sometimes he likes to leave his cock, long and thick, settled inside me until he gets hard again.
Sometimes it happens after I've fallen asleep, and I wake up to him shallowly thrusting, and I like that too.
This morning, though, I pull away and turn to face him, resting one hand under my cheek. He's smiling, sated, his hand never leaving my body, running up and down the curve of my hip.
"What's wrong, crumpet?" He asks.
"Nothing's wrong. But I did want to talk to you about something. How'd you know?"
I'm not distressed or worried. I'm happy, content in a way I'd never felt, but I love that Theo's tuned in enough to notice there's something on my mind. Bond or not, we can read each other. I never thought the asshole would grow on me, but I adore him.
Unfortunately, my two missing mates—no longer not-mates—were weighing on me. As good as this was, it didn't feel complete.
Theo yawns, "Give me a little more credit, hmm? What's on your mind, sugar plum?"
I groan, making him laugh. He still loves to fuck with the names; it's his new favorite game because he knows how much it annoys me.
"How would you feel if… umm." I sit up, letting the sheet fall away from my bare chest. Theo looks down distractedly, giving me a crooked grin when I catch it, causing me to roll my eyes.
"I need to spend more time with Asher. Tonight, I mean. If he'll have me, anyway."
Theo snorts and crawls out of bed, "Yeah, I think you're okay on that front." Now I'm the one distracted as he bends over, pulling sweatpants over his perfect, muscular bare ass. He turns, leaving his glorious chest on display, sweatpants hanging low like his cock is so heavy it drags them down, displaying a tease of hair trailing from his otherwise smooth chest. All of the Constantine men are beautiful, but Theo, gah, he's so pretty, I have to tear my eyes up, and when I catch his bright crystal blue eyes, they're dancing in delight that I've noticed all his hard work.
"Anyway," I drag the word out, "I was also thinking…" I sit up straighter. It’s been on my mind for a while, but I don't know how to talk about it. Maybe they teach classes on this kind of thing at the OFA, but I know very few bonded packs, personally. "I want to bond with Asher. With both of you, eventually. But if he wanted to, sooner… I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. I shouldn't be talking to you about this."
Theo's wry smile softens and he crawls back onto the bed with me, wrapping his hands around the back of my shoulders, kissing my lips with a quick peck.
"I think that would make him the happiest fucking alpha in the universe."
"You wouldn't… you know, be jealous or mad if we bonded before you and I did?"
"We're going to bond. We both know it's going to happen. I'm not in a rush because I like looking at your beautiful body and imagining where I'm going to bite you. Sometimes, when I'm knotted deep inside you, my teeth ache with the urge, and sometimes it's less strong. I think that means I'll mark you when the time is right, and we'll know when that is. But if your omega feels like it's time with Asher, then it is. It won't hurt my feelings if you bond with him before me."
"Don't packs usually want to do it together, though? It's unconventional to bond outside of heat, isn't it? Or group…"
"Sex?" He bounces his eyebrows, so I smack him with a pillow. "Does it really matter? Nothing about us is conventional. Most packs find someone mutually scent-sympathetic, they go on a few dates, they shower the omega with gifts—"
"Hey! Where are my presents?"
This time, he smacks me with the pillow, making me laugh. "Your gift is right here," he grips his dick suggestively.
"You're a pig."
"I'm your pig, honey pot. Look, we're getting off track. Maybe this is one of those things you're all crusade-y about. Like there's this mold of how packs are meant to behave and everyone just follows it. Our A/O population is so small that we stick to the rules because it's easier and safer than breaking that mold. But who cares? Let's just do what feels right. Fuck what most packs do or what the OFA might expect of us."
I lean forward and kiss his stupidly pretty face, marveling at this beautiful, insightful man.
"Now get your beautiful ass up," he smacks my thigh. "We've got errands to run."
"Errands?"
I rifle through my closet and find a pair of fitted jeans and a tank top. I debate taking a scent-blocking pill, but I've been using them less and less, something I never thought I'd do. I try not to overthink my decision not to take them. Just as I slip a cardigan on, I find Enzo returning from his workout, showered and fully dressed in a suit, ready for work. I didn't notice him standing outside the closet watching me dress.
He lingers, clutching my hand as we go downstairs to the kitchen. I project soothing vibes through our bond, and he eventually relents so we can say goodbye for the day. Enzo's neediness has tapered, but when we're around each other, he still looks at me like he's afraid I'm not real. His intensity should be unsettling, but it's not. It's comforting.
"Does it bother you?" Theo asks once we're in his fancy ass car speeding down the mountainous back roads.
"What?"
"Enzo. The way he is since you bonded."
"Are you worried you'll get like that?"
Theo barks a laugh. "Nah, Enzo and I are too different. He's my best friend and brother, and I fucking love him to death, but his reaction to your bond is an extension of who he is, just like I think it'll be for me. I'm looking forward to playing with it. The bond, I mean. I've heard whispers of some… possibilities regarding tantric sex and something called bond plucking that I'd like to explore." He winks at me.
"Of course, that's where you'd go with something as revered and beloved as a mate bond," I laugh, shaking my head. Also, that does sound amazing, and I can't wait to explore it, but I'd never admit that to him. "You're a tool. I guess I just mean, you're not concerned about being overly protective?"
"I am protective of you. It just looks different from Enzo; that's my point. He's a sledgehammer right now. I'm a needle and thread. We're more than our designations, my little peanut brittle. "
Stupid nicknames aside, Theo's always surprising me.
"It's a trip," he adds.
"What is?"
"Enzo. He's always been quiet, reserved. But disinterested, too. He was present, but you always wondered if he didn't secretly think you're a fucking idiot. I know he loves me, but I couldn't tell you if he likes me, you know? He stares at people until they get uncomfortable, using their tells against them. He's still like that but with you… it's like, for the first time in his life, he's present. Like, he's involved in his life and not just passively observing, watching it happen around him. He's participating."
"That's surprisingly astute, Theo."
He side-eyes me and grins. "I have my moments."
I bug him the entire drive to tell me where we're going, but he just ignores me and instead tries to play twenty-questions. What's your dream vacation? Peanut butter or jelly? Action movies or thrillers? Candles or incense?
It goes on like this until we're parking downtown near the shopping district. He's distracting me from scowling at all the fancy shops that, had I not been on his arm, I'd be laughed out of, and I appreciate the effort he puts in to make me feel at ease.
I don't figure out our destination until Theo's holding a door open for me. Hesitantly, I step inside.
"A… home goods store?" I tilt my head up at him, questioningly.
"Mr. Constantine, welcome!" A young beta man with perfectly coiffed, short brown hair, a polka dot bow tie, and a pinstripe blue suit rushes over to us, clasping my hand in his.
I try to pull away, but his big smile and shiny white teeth hold me captive. "Oh, and she is stunning! When I heard the Constantines were officially courting an omega, I told everyone there was no way they were going with some boring little debutante after shunning all the academy graduates for so long. And did anyone listen to me?" His eyebrows lift toward his hairline, and I can't tell if he's waiting for an answer before he continues.
"No! No one listened to me. I should have taken bets. I'd be rich. You're beautiful, honey, just so interesting and refreshing."
These are… compliments? I don't know how to respond while the shopkeeper plays with my long, loose, wavy hair, commenting on my casual, effortless style. His words.
"Is that what we're calling poor these days?" I snark.
Theo laughs under his breath, and the man, Paul—he eventually introduced himself between breaths—doesn't miss a beat. "Poor chic. Mark my words, all the OFA graduates will start wearing holey jeans instead of cotton dresses by the time the next gala season rolls around. You'll be a trendsetter," he taps the outside of his nose.
Theo places his hand on my back and pushes me further into the store, where we follow Paul—son of the original owners of The Nest, an upscale nesting supply store, he informs me with only a few breaths.
I'm too overwhelmed to feel self-conscious that Paul pointed out the holes in my jeans or that he heard, somehow through the grapevine, that the Constantines were courting an omega from South Loop. It's apparently—according to Paul—very big news.
I'm unsure how I feel about that since we haven't discussed it as a pack. I'm still getting used to calling them my pack. If I could go back, would I make a different decision and not bond with Enzo? Not be with Theo?
No. Never. This is what I want. They are what I want. I just thought I'd have more time to embrace the idea publicly.
At least no one knows I was the omega on the bridge or that we're scent-matched. That would probably be even bigger news. I wonder how Paul would react if I told him.
"Why are we here?" I whisper to Theo, afraid my ignorance or lack of enthusiasm will reach Paul and encourage him to talk more. There's no all-inclusive personality trait with omegas; we're not all this way or that. We're not all fragile, or shy, or meek. But one thing we do have in common are biological sense-sensitivities, and damn if Paul isn't wreaking havoc on my ears and eyes with his speed and flourish.
We might not be bonded, but Theo notices my eyes glaze over while Paul points out sections of the store. Apparently, he made an appointment in advance and asked for a tour, so I'm relieved when Theo releases Paul from his duties. Bless his heart, Paul doesn't miss a beat and tells us to grab him when we need him.
"We thought you could use more in your nest," Theo nudges my arm as I browse through an entire wall of cubbies stuffed to the brim with various types of pillows.
My fingers trail over the material, and when I pause on something, even just for a moment, Theo pulls it out and tosses it on an empty table nearby. By the time we move onto blankets, he's thrown ten different pillows together.
"What are you doing with all those?" I ask, pointing to the ones he's saving.
"I know you're not that dense, nutcracker."
My eyes narrow in response. I love my nest but it's a little sparse considering Theo and I tossed or gave away pretty much all my furniture. And I never really had a proper nest before now. A big bed that fit me and four alphas. Soft fabrics and warm lampshades. Soothing colors, supplies for a heat.
I guess I can give in to this shopping spree since they'll be sharing the nest with me, heat or not. Theo's convinced I'm going to stop taking my heat suppressant pills. Even if I decide to do it, they take weeks to wean off.
They've all graciously chosen not to point out my recent heat spike symptoms, which can happen even when you're on suppressants. If I have a full-on heat spike, that will be bad enough; I'll see how that goes before I go back on yet another thing I swore I'd never change.
We get to a stack of artfully arranged thick plastic cups with unique handles and built-in straws, for, I'm assuming, drinking water while getting railed, considering their durability. They seem sturdy and industrial, a little out of place, considering everything else here is delicate and dainty, but they're interesting. When I inspect one further, trying to turn the handle carefully, I accidentally knock my elbow into another, causing the one in my hand to tug out of the stack, and the entire display crashes down around me.
Horrified, I try to pick up the cups but make everything worse, knocking more things over, everything bouncing noisily all around me. Thank god it's all plastic. When Paul and another employee tell me I should stop trying to help, I'm mortified and step away with my hands up in surrender. When I turn, there's Theo, laughing so hard he's wiping tears from his eyes.
"I'm—I'm—" I shake my head at a loss for words. He's still crying-laughing and I bury my face in his chest to hide my red cheeks. His shoulders shake while his arms come around me.
"You are catastrophically adorable," he wheezes.
"Please get me out of here."
"Not yet. Let's pick out a few more things," he chuckles, rubbing my shoulder, fortunately dragging me away from Paul and now two employees picking up my mess.
We pick out a few sets of cooling sheets made by the same company that makes slick wicks, cooling weighted blankets, and a set of colorful curtains that block light but look like a sunset. I couldn't stop touching or staring at them, so Theo insisted we get them.
Theo arranges to have everything delivered, and while he's dealing with that and payment, I wander around the store. Curious, I gravitate toward a wall of toys hidden behind a room-dividing screen, like a classy version of XXX-must-be-18-to-enter half-doors, but there's an imaginative anal and scrotum vibrator that catches my attention with Enzo in mind. I love my eccentric, adventurous mate.
My hand reaches out to inspect the package when the scent of peaches hits me hard, like she snuck right up behind me. I pull my hand away and turn, finding Bridgette wearing a fake smile, her nose upturned as she scents me.
She's wearing fitted khaki-colored cigarette pants and a low-cut black blouse, dressing more like Fletcher than an omega in her early twenties, save for the undone buttons at her chest. A lovely set of pearls nestle between her large, perky tits. Is this what's in fashion for high-society omegas these days?
I'm assuming she's a new graduate, a few years younger than me, and I see her for what she is: a prop of the OFA. It's their fault she has that look on her face, as if we're in competition, or she needs to be somehow better than me.
I don't care, but I don't know what happened between her and Theo. Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. He said nothing, and I believe him, but the two times I've seen this woman, she was on his arm.
"Are they coming out with a new type of scent-block to make you smell like an omega?" She lifts an eyebrow and waves her hand at her nose like she smells something bad. "It's a little earthy. Sort of like dirt. Or trash." She smirks.
"I see Fletcher's lessons on practicing dignity and grace are progressing well. The quality of that school's really gone downhill. In my day, insults were less subtle but much more creative."
She looks me up and down, taking in my holey jeans and flat sneakers, finding me wanting. "I remember you, you know. From the gala. You and your fat ass ruined my dress." Her nostrils flare slightly, and she leans into my space, eyes widening when she latches on to something. "Who the fuck would bond you?"
My bonding mark isn't visible, but I know my scent has changed. It's one of the only reasons I've been more relaxed going out without scent-blocker. The answer is right there on my tongue. Don't do it, Ophelia. Don't say it. You'll regret it! My brain is two steps behind my heart.
"Constantine Pack," I tell her with a big fake smile.
She falters before leaning a little closer, sniffing. "Not Theo or Sully… oh. Oh my god. You bonded with the freak!" She barks a laugh, her face lighting up, slapping her thigh. "That creep that's always staring at people. Well, have fun with that, honey. Everyone knows he's only in Constantine because they feel bad for him. The others are way too good for you, and they'll never bond some trashy waitress with a fat ass just because she trapped the Freak of Arrow Cove."
My hand itches to reach out and slap her face. How dare she talk about Enzo that way. My fingers wiggle at my side, trying to decide if this trashy waitress from South Loop is capable of stooping as low as a high-bred prick like her.
I'm saved when Theo's soothing lemon and honey scent round the corner to the XXX booth. He's got a light, carefree smile on.
"Sunflower, what are you doing back here?" He asks mischievously. The irony that I'm back here tucked away with the vibrators and dildos with Bridgette is not lost on me.
"What's going on over here?" Sensing the tension, Theo wraps an arm around my shoulder.
She can't help it, she's livid and green with envy. All three of us can smell it, but just like Fletcher taught, she shakes it off and applies that practiced smile.
"Theo, I'm so glad I ran into you. I'm just here…" She blushes demurely, looking down at the ground then glancing up at him through her lashes. I tense beneath Theo's heavy arm, but he's the picture of cool, not falling for it.
Bridgette flutters her lashes since he makes no suggestive comments toward her like she expected, considering the vibrators and dildos surrounding us—this is one of the weirder situations I've been in—before continuing, "I've been browsing, collecting things for my new nest."
"That's nice. Bianca, right?"
I smother a laugh. It would be petty if I didn't.
"It's Bridgette, and don't you pretend you don't remember my name. You've whispered it enough." Her voice drops an octave. Gone is the demure omega, and in her place is the viper from the luncheon. I know she's just trying to get a rise out of me, but it's working.
"Ready to go, butterbean?" He turns to me without further acknowledging her.
I glare at him, but he gives me a cheeky smile full of promise. He pinches my ass as I grit through my teeth, "Sure thing, love bucket." He purses his lips, holding back a laugh.
As we exit the store, my hand clasped in his, he cries, "Love bucket!?"
"I'm still workshopping it. Better than yours! Butterbean?"
"Love bucket sounds like a receptacle for cum."
I snort, slapping my hand over my mouth. With an arm wrapped around me, hugging me into his side, he kisses my cheek and walks toward the car with me in tow.
He's so amazing. He's been amazing all day. He's honest, silly, flirty, but incredibly thoughtful and more observant than I give him credit for.
When he realizes I've stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, his grip tightens as he turns to face me.
"You alright, cupcake?" He smiles warmly, and it's so damn pretty, it takes my breath away. He runs his thumb over my lip, and we might as well be in a bubble for all the attention I'm giving people around us right here on this busy street.
"Yeah. I was just thinking about how much I like you."
His smile drops away. It takes a moment, heated silence between us, but his hands wrap around the back of my neck, and he kisses me.
He kisses me like he loves me.
That's what I should have said. That I was just thinking about how much I love him. He crept in under my defenses and broke down my walls.
Our kiss deepens, and when awareness of our surroundings pulls us out of our bubble, I grip his shoulders.
"I was just thinking about how much I love you," I amend. It was an impulsive thing to say, right here, right now, but it's true.
I've bonded with Enzo; he knows how I feel even if I haven't said the words yet. I plan to bond with Asher as soon as he's ready. But Theo needs to know how I feel.
His expression morphs. It's not instant. I watch as my words settle in. Rearranging and adapting inside of him.
Suddenly, I'm yanked forward. I don't scent any anger or bitterness, his honey and lemon still mouthwatering, tantalizingly sweet, so it takes me a second to catch up. His hands are practically shaking when he shoves me in his car.
"Theo?" I whisper, confused at his urgency, while he drives recklessly, whipping us through downtown. He pulls up in front of the Constantine Industries high-rise less than five minutes later, not bothering to park legally.
My hand gripped in his, he tugs me forward, tossing his keys at one of the doormen. We bypass rows of security check-ins. He stabs the elevator button, and moments later, we're swept up to the thirtieth floor.
He ignores the greetings from a bank of receptionists who call out his name, some with hopeful, flirtatious tones. I snarl under my breath, but it only makes Theo squeeze my hand tighter.
I spot Sully through a glass wall, whose brow furrows when he sees us. I lift my hand in an awkward wave, but I'm pulled away, dragged around like a rag doll, past Enzo's office—which I only know is his because his scent is so strong, and my bond lights up as I pass the door—into what I presume is Theo's.
He slams the door shut behind us.
I'm shaking, jittery with excitement.
"You're a naughty girl, Ophelia." I've grown to love the teasing nicknames, but when he says my name, dripping with authority and sex and heat?
I swallow hard. "Are you mad I told you I love you?"
He steps forward. It's more of a stalking, and I've never felt more like prey. He looks down at me from his height, and though there's an electric current in the air, he still has that casual, carefree smile on.
His eyes never leave mine as his fingers aggressively work the buttons on my pants. My perfume bursts between us, and his nostrils flare. His movements are jerky, and when my pants are open, he shoves his hand into my underwear and pinches my clit.
I cry out, but he grips my chin with his other hand, forcing me to keep looking up into his eyes.
"I'm not mad you told me you love me. I'm mad you did it in the middle of the sidewalk where I couldn't show you how much I love you right back. How much you fucking mean to me. How much you've flipped my life upside down, changed me, made me fucking yearn for something I never thought possible. Happiness. True, honest to god, pining, aching, all-consuming happiness. I feel it every fucking time I look at you."
He pinches me again. "I feel it whenever I scent or think about you."
He rips his hand out from my underwear and dips his finger between his lips, and sucks off my slick. "Every time I taste you," he rasps.
I don't know who pushed first, but suddenly, my jeans are ripped off, and I'm splayed out on his deep, low leather couch. I try not to think about how it's the perfect shape to have sex on and like to imagine it's only here for us.
His face dives between my legs and he devours me, and when the scent in the room changes, a burst of bright eucalyptus and mint blending with Theo's sweet honey and lemon, I open my eyes and find my mate leaning against the wall. I guess we didn't lock the door, but I'm ecstatic about it.
I swear I come harder than ever with the way Enzo watches silently from the door, his expression nearly devoid of emotion, glancing between Theo's head between my legs and my pleasured expression. If I didn't know his tells, I'd think it was more clinical fascination.
But his lids shudder slightly behind his glasses, his jaw ticks, and when he slightly adjusts his posture, I know he's doing everything he can to keep his alpha in check.
"You like when he watches?" Theo teases, unbuttoning his pants and pulling everything off. I'm down to just a tank top when he pulls the material at my neck down to expose my breasts and Enzo's bite mark. He growls, "Be a good brother and lock the door."
Enzo takes his time but eventually does as Theo says. I'm distracted between the two, from Enzo's quiet, controlled movements and heavy stares to Theo readying himself between my legs.
When he finally thrusts inside of me, I cry out. He slaps a hand over my mouth, "Try not to make too much noise, okay tiger?"
"Tiger?" I whimper back while he pushes inside me again. I can't help my moaning; it's his fault we're in this position in his office in the middle of a work day, but I try to smother the desire to cry out.
He bucks, grinding me into the couch, and I chase the movement, canting my hips, bringing my knees to the air, letting him feed every inch of his weighty cock into me. I feel every slip as he pulls in and out, every vein and curve.
"God, you take it so well, tiger. So fucking well. You're a good girl, aren't you, Ophelia?" Theo grunts, hammering into me. Enzo's just watching, and when I glance over and see his cock in his hand, that blank expression on his face in contrast with the flush of red on his cheeks, my perfume bursts, and more slick floods from me.
His hand whips up and down his cock, periodically pausing to squeeze his fist tighter.
My mouth is watering, and Theo grins wickedly. "You might want some slick for that, brother?"
Enzo doesn't hesitate, approaching us with his impossibly stiff cock, so hard it doesn't bob, just points forward like a fucking missile. He dips his hand where Theo and I meet. Theo doesn't pull out, but he pauses his thrusting, allowing Enzo to squeeze a finger into my pussy. The pressure is incredible, and I have a visual of both their cocks inside me at once. There are a few occasions when I think about how being an omega is the absolute tits, and this is one of them. I could take them both. They'd fit.
I whimper when Enzo, after pumping a few times, pulls his finger away. Theo's bright blue eyes find mine, and he knows exactly what I was thinking. It's not a threat; it's a promise that we're going to explore. I don't know how it's possible, how I'll fit all four, but Theo's eyes don't waver from mine as he plunges forward again, harder this time, thinking about all the ways he and his brothers can take me.
Enzo's rapidly fucking his fist beside us while Theo pounds into me, and I'm nearly cresting.
"Open your mouth, tiger. Let Enzo feed you his cock."
I look up at Enzo as he releases his grip, letting it swing in my face.
"Fuck my mouth, alpha," I tell him. His expression doesn't change, still stone-faced and serious.
He slips his length between my lips. He has to kneel since the couch is low, and he's hesitant at first but builds momentum until he's fucking my throat. I swallow him down, and once we find a rhythm, Theo picks up the pace. Both men pound into me, and I suck and hollow my cheeks, squeezing Enzo's knot with my hand, preening each time they grunt or moan.
Enzo's the first to come, his thrusts becoming shaky the tighter I squeeze. His bond lights up as he empties down my throat, his salty, minty flavor bursting on my tongue.
Only when he softens does he pull away and, with the same calculating focus, kneels to the side of the couch and begins working my clit.
Theo's already panting, but with both my mates touching me, I can't hold it in any longer. My orgasm breaks through, and I cry out. Enzo doesn't relent even while Theo comes, his final thrusts punishing and jerky.
When the only thing left in the air is our mingling sweat, scent, and heavy breathing, Theo shudders and pulls out.
"Hand me a tissue, brother," he nods toward a box on a small table beside the couch. Enzo hands him a few and uses the soft paper to clean up the mess between my legs.
Theo's grinning like a kid in a candy store. "I've always wanted to christen my office."
Enzo throws the tissues away and begins to thoughtfully dress me, attention entirely on the task at hand. I let him because, for such a simple thing, it feels incredible to be cared for.
Maybe I should have done this differently, but I agree with what Theo said this morning. Who cares if we're unconventional? Who cares if we aren't following the ceremonial traditions of a pack?
And with that thought, I grab Enzo's face in my hands because I can't hold it in a second longer. "I love you."
I stare into his dark eyes and all the emotion he hides dances behind his glasses. Our bond goes crazy, and then he leaps forward in a very uncommon display of emotion and kisses me passionately. "I love you," I say again.
When he pulls back, his heavy dark eyes staring into mine, he says, "I love you. More than anything, I love you." His mouth opens like he wants to say more, but he shakes his head and chants those three words, pecking kisses along my cheek and forehead.
Eventually, like newlyweds on display, Theo and I giggle and sneak out of his office. We dodge disapproving looks from Sully, to which Theo shrugs, "He's just jealous."
I'm not entirely sure that's true, but I save my worry about my last pack mate for later. I feel guilty I haven't tried harder with Sully. What he did was wrong, manipulating me like that—even if Mel and I text constantly and she's on cloud fucking nine with all the changes Sully's making—it's hard to be mad about something when so much good came of it. But it's not like he's tried to patch things up with me, either.
We make our way home, and I spend the rest of the afternoon with Greta, whom I've grown to completely adore. From the way the guys talked about her, I expected a grandmotherly type, but despite her age, she's kind of the opposite.
Her jewelry jingles and jangles as she walks, her makeup heavier than some of the girls I work with at Queenie's. Her skin is sun-loved, and one time, when she invited me to get some sun by the pool with her, I was shocked when my bathing suit was more conservative than hers: a leopard print bikini, showing off her lithe, if wrinkled and a little soft in some places, frame.
She also baked cookies and casseroles and talked about trashy romance books in which betas seduced all alpha packs. Greta is awesome.
Needless to say, I was settling in at the Constantine estate and ready for what came next.
We had dinner together like usual, which Enzo worked through, with one foot wrapped protectively around my ankle. Theo and Asher made jokes while Sully watched on, quiet and contemplative. Asher kept shooting me longing looks but didn't do anything about it. He didn't push. Maybe he feels like he can't, watching how close Enzo, Theo, and I are growing.
After dinner, Asher and Sully put on a movie, and I fall asleep in Theo's arms before he carries me to the nest.
Enzo joins us later, and though my initial sleep was heavy, I woke sometime in the middle of the night with both my sleeping mates beside me, but with an urgency beneath my skin. I knew what called to me, and I wondered if he could feel it too. Something was missing. Two somethings, but I could do something about one of them. So I threw on a robe and crawled out of bed.