Chapter 48
THEA
It’s family dinner tonight and everyone can finally make it.
Eli’s been traveling, catching up on work that got backed up from my heat and then everything afterwards.
He got back yesterday and crashed immediately.
He had to go to three different cities in the last two weeks.
Tonight is the first time everyone will be home for dinner in a while.
Jake’s schedule also aligned with ours and it’s Friday and since most of the guys don’t work the weekends, it’s the perfect time for my plan.
I insisted on cooking tonight’s dinner. I’m nowhere near as good as Ben or Micah but I want to do something for them all.
They’ve been amazing since I met them and through everything that’s happened.
I’ve officially been in therapy for six weeks now, and I’ve been starting to feel more like myself lately.
Up until now, I haven’t had sex with any of my mates.
But that’s going to change tonight. I wanted to wait until everyone was home so I can be with all of them.
I need to reconnect with all of them at once.
I’ve done all the exercises my therapist had me do, which included lots of visualizing and journaling to better understand how I feel about different situations.
I know now I can’t completely predict my triggers but based on what happened, there are a few things I know we can avoid and I should be okay.
Duke is keeping me company in the kitchen, eagerly waiting for any food scraps. Eli shuffles in, looking like he just woke up, still in a faded T-shirt and sweatpants. I smile to myself as I continue chopping the vegetables. “Slept the day away, huh?”
He walks over to the island where I’m currently working on dinner and sits in the chair opposite me. “Yeah, I’m so glad to be home. Video calls weren’t enough. I need to see you in person to get my daily dose of sunshine.” He slumps over the counter, clearly still tired.
I shake my head. “You are the corniest person I’ve ever met.”
He smiles, his head tilting up at me. I always love his smile. “But you love it right?” When I don’t say anything, he repeats, “Right?”
I shrug, trying to keep a straight face and continue my task. I hear him get up and scent him next to me in no time. He stretches his top half across the counter next to me, angling his head. “Rightttt?”
I smile in spite of myself, unable to keep it up. “Fine, I give up. Yes.” He jumps up with more energy than he’s shown since coming downstairs.
“Aha, I knew it,” he declares and then kisses me on the cheek.
I push him away lightly. “Go back to your seat so I can finish cooking. And before you say anything, we both know you should absolutely not help.”
He pouts but does as I say. He hangs out with me while I continue cooking and we catch up on how his trip was.
Then one by one the guys start coming home—Jake and Liam with Ben and Micah being the last two.
Parker and Keelan are still working in their respective spaces.
I give a fifteen-minute warning before the food is done.
Eli starts setting the table, while Ben goes to get Parker and Jake gets Keelan.
I’m sure they both got sucked into whatever they’re working on and lost track of time.
I’m so happy to see all my mates here. Connor pops into my head at the thought. I’m sure he’s lingering around here, at least that’s what I like to continue to think. He did say in his letter he’d haunt me, so I’m just taking him at his word.
Micah is sitting opposite me and shivers suddenly. “You okay?” I ask.
His brows are furrowed as he rubs the back of his neck. “Yes, just a sudden chill.”
“Oh, Thea did you hear whether Mateo got that job?” Ben asks.
Not long after Sophie came over that day, she and her pack left to go back home to Florida.
On one of our weekly calls, she told me they were planning to move up here.
Well not here, since they don’t prefer such a small town.
They’re planning to move to a city about five hours downstate.
Max is selling his gym. James already got a job at a financial firm near where they’re moving.
Mateo’s job as a professor is a little trickier.
However, they’re moving near Albany and there are a lot of universities in the area, but only a handful with programs he liked to join.
“He moved on to a second interview. I guess it can be a lengthy process, but it’s moving in the right direction. ”
“That’s great, I’m excited for them to be closer!” Parker says excitedly. I am too. They said nothing was really keeping them in Florida and with me firmly in New York, they wanted to be closer. I’m so lucky to have them as my bonus parents.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you guys. Taz texted that his pack will be coming up this summer for a vacation. Do you think they can stay in the rental again?” I ask and a chorus of groans sounds.
“Why did he have to latch onto you?” Jake says, exasperated, his head falling back to stare at the ceiling.
“He’s really not that bad and you all like his pack mates. Even River will be coming, though I have to stay away from him, Taz said. They want a break and to enjoy the lake,” I explain.
“It’ll be fine, we’ll make sure the house is ready for them. I was thinking we should furnish it so when Sophie’s pack comes, they can stay there instead of a hotel,” Eli says.
“That’s a great idea, thank you Eli!” I say excitedly.
Dinner continues on with us all talking and having a good time. The bonds are singing with everyone’s peace, contentment, happiness. I clear my throat to get everyone’s attention, which quickly cuts off the discussions.
Suddenly feeling nervous, I fidget a little in my seat.
“I just wanted to say how happy I am we’re all able to have family dinner tonight.
I also wanted to ask you all…if you would want to join me in the nest tonight.
” I push a little of my own need down the bonds so they all understand my meaning. They’re all surprised by my invitation.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Keelan asks, concerned.
“I am. I have some things that we should avoid as possible triggers that are different than my other limits. We can go over it after dinner. I want to be with all of you, my mates, together,” I say, resolve underscoring my words.
Once the guys clear the table and clean up, we all sit down in the living room to talk about the possible triggers I discussed with my therapist. When I had talked to her about this and realized I couldn’t handle some of these things, at least for now, I didn’t expect the immense sadness that would overtake me.
It felt like a loss since some of these were things I’ve done with many of my mates when we’ve had sex.
It was like he was taking another thing away from me.
I take a breath to center myself before I begin.
“So, the limits we all went over before my heat are the same. The new ones for now are: hair pulling, choking/hands on my throat, and if you all could verbally say when you’re approaching me from behind.
” I stress the last item. It’s the one I’m most worried about.
With so many of us, I know one or more of them will be behind me but after some back and forth with my therapist, we concluded if I’m warned ahead of time, it should mitigate the risk of triggering me.
“We can all do that, but please make sure to say how you’re feeling too. We’ll also check in with the bond just in case. We don’t have to rush anything tonight,” Ben says, speaking for the pack.
“Okay, agreed.” I stand up and move to leave and head up to the nest.
Keelan stands as well. “Baby Girl, can I carry you up?” He’s so cautious, especially since I got home from the hospital. I don’t want them to treat me like I’ll break at any moment. I nod in agreement and he sweeps me off my feet, literally, heading for the nest.
I got cleaned up and changed into some lingerie.
Honestly, I haven’t worn anything like this for them yet.
Outside of my heat whenever we’d have sex, it kind of just happened in the moment.
But I wanted to feel sexy inside and out, and as silly as it sounds, wearing this feels a little like armor.
Not that I need it with my mates, but more so to fight off any lingering anxiety.
The deep red lace clings to my body, showing my breasts, large soft stomach, and its rolls, before disappearing between my thick thighs.
I open the door from the en suite to the nest and see all my mates there in nothing but their underwear.
When they see me, I feel their lust flare in all the bonds.
It definitely helps to boost my confidence a bit, I won’t lie.
I had a plan of how I wanted this to start, at least and then let things happen from there.
Entering the dimly lit nest, I make my way to Keelan, who’s in the back right corner of the room.
I wonder if he thought he’d go last like last time the entire pack was together during my heat.
As I approach him, he spreads his legs, enabling me to kneel as close to him as I can.
Gods he so big everywhere, but he’ll always be a teddy bear to me.
His hard cock is already testing the constraints of his underwear.
Leaning forward, I kiss him softly, letting both of us ease into the moment.
When we break apart, he caresses my cheek. “What do you want, Baby Girl?”
“You, right now,” I say instantly and move my hand to free his cock. It gets trapped anyways between us but I start to stroke him in earnest, making him let loose a little growl and groan into our kiss. His sounds are turning me on so much, I can feel my slick.