"I remember from heat." But she still whimpers when my knot deflates enough to slip free, my cock sliding out of her pussy. Immediately, my cum starts leaking out—so much of it, coating her thighs, soaking into the sheets.
"Fuck, look at that." I can't help staring at her pussy—pink and swollen and absolutely dripping with my cum. My scent is all over her, in her. "You're wrecked, baby. Your pussy's so full of my cum it's pouring out of you."
"River," she whines, embarrassed but I can feel through the bond that she likes it. Likes being marked this way, claimed, filled.
"Don't be embarrassed. It's perfect. You're perfect." I grab the warm cloth Seth left nearby and clean her gently, though it takes several wipes to get all my cum. "Gonna have to get used to this. Now that we're bonded, I'm going to want to fill this pretty pussy constantly. Keep you smelling like me."
"Possessive alpha," she murmurs, but she's smiling.
"Your possessive alpha." I pull her back into my arms, both of us finally clean. "Now sleep. You're going to need your energy."
"Why?"
"Because tomorrow I'm going to wake you up with my tongue in this pussy, make you come on my face, and then fuck you until you can't walk straight. Gotta test out this bond properly."
She laughs, the sound warm and genuine, vibrating through our bond. "I love you."
"Love you too, baby. So damn much."
She falls asleep in my arms, two claiming marks on her throat, two bonds connecting her to her pack. I can feel her contentment through our bond, her satisfaction, her love.
The door opens quietly and Seth slips in, already in sleep clothes, moving carefully so as not to wake Bea. He settles on her other side, his hand finding hers even in sleep.
Then Grayson appears in the doorway. He doesn't ask permission, just moves into the nest and claims his space on the edge. His eyes find mine in the darkness—there's hunger there, possession, barely restrained need.
"Your turn's coming," I mouth at him.
His jaw clenches. "Can't come fast enough," he mouths back.
Bea shifts between us, unconsciously reaching for him even in sleep. Her hand finds his arm, and something in his expression softens. Just a fraction. He covers her hand with his, thumb stroking her knuckles.
The gesture is careful. Controlled. Grayson holding himself back because he knows she needs time, even though every instinct is screaming at him to claim her now.
"She'll be ready soon," I whisper.
"I know." His voice is quiet, rough. "I can wait. I will wait. However long she needs."
But I can see the strain in his shoulders, the tension in his jaw. Being this close to her without a bond, without his mark on her throat—it's killing him.
We all settle into the nest together—pack, almost complete—and I drift off to the sound of Bea's even breathing and Grayson's restless shifting as he tries to sleep.
Chapter 28
Bea
Iwake up to River's mouth on my throat and his hand between my thighs, and for a moment I'm completely disoriented.
The nest. I'm in the nest, surrounded by soft blankets that smell like all of us—cedar and rain, pine and snow, ink and leather, all mixing with my cinnamon-apple. And River's warm body pressed against my back, his breath hot against my new claiming mark.
Then the bond flares to life, and I feel everything. His desire, his love, his possessive satisfaction at having me in our nest with his mark on my throat.
"Morning, baby," he murmurs against my skin. "Happy first day of being bonded to me."
I can feel Seth on my other side, still asleep, his bond humming with contentment. And Grayson—somewhere close, awake, watching us. I can feel his awareness through the pack bonds.
"You said you'd wake me up with your tongue," I protest sleepily, even as I arch into River's touch.
"Give me five minutes." His fingers slide inside me easily—I'm still slick from last night, still loose from his knot. "Getting you ready first."
