"You made it easy," he corrects. "Trusting me like that. Letting yourself take what you needed."
I'd never been allowed to do that before. Terrance always wanted control, wanted to dictate everything. But River just... let me lead. Let me take. Let me be in charge of my own pleasure.
The thought makes my throat tight.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Hey." River's hand tilts my chin up so I'm looking at him. "Nothing to thank me for. This is what pack does. We take care of each other."
Through the post-orgasm haze, I can feel my heat starting to build again. Not desperate yet, but it's there. Waiting.
"I'll need you again soon," I whisper.
"We know," Seth says softly from somewhere nearby. "We're ready."
"All of us," Grayson confirms.
River's knot starts to deflate, and the feeling of him slipping free makes me whimper. The emptiness is back immediately—not as overwhelming as before, but noticeable.
"Easy," River soothes. Seth's already there with a warm cloth, cleaning me gently while River shifts us so I'm lying down instead of on top of him.
"Sleep," River murmurs, settling beside me. "Rest while you can."
I want to argue. Want to stay awake and soak in every moment of this—being surrounded by my pack, being cared for, beingsafe. But exhaustion pulls at me, and River's purring lulls me under.
The last thing I register before sleep claims me is the feeling of being held. Protected. Loved.
Pack.
Chapter 23
River
Iknow she's waking up before she does.
The change in her breathing. The way her scent shifts from satisfied contentment back to that desperate, honeyed need. Her body starting to move restlessly against mine even before her eyes open.
Heat's coming back for round three.
I tighten my arms around her carefully, feeling Grayson shift on her other side. He's awake too, always alert to changes in her state. Seth's asleep in the nest nearby, but he'll wake up soon enough. He needs the rest—he's going to need his energy later.
Bea makes a soft sound in her sleep, and I feel the exact moment consciousness returns. Her whole body goes taut, then starts trembling.
"River?" Her voice is small, uncertain.
"Right here." I press a kiss to her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"It's coming back." She shifts against me, and I can feel how wet she is already. Fresh slick coating her thighs. "The emptiness. It's?—"
"I know." I run my hand down her side, soothing. "That's normal. Heat cycles in waves. You'll need us several more times before it breaks."
She whimpers, and the sound goes straight to my cock. Can't help it—alpha biology responds to omega distress with overwhelming protectiveness and need tofixit.
"How many times?" she asks.
"Depends. Usually six to eight knottings over two to three days for a first heat with alphas." I keep my voice calm, informative. She needs facts right now, not panic. "You're handling it beautifully."
"Don't feel beautiful." She's starting to squirm now, the need building faster. "Feel like I'm losing my mind."
