“Hopefully this is familiar,” he says, smiling.
It’s smoked salmon on a toasted everything bagel with all the toppings I like, prepared the same way it was the first time I stayed here.
Only now, the circumstances are much different.
My stomach rumbles, and he chuckles.
I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.
He hands me the plate, and I dig in, humming happily to myself.
I can’t stop smiling around mouthfuls of food.
I’m mated.
I have a pack.
“How are the cats doing?” I ask after I swallow a particularly large bite. “I heard they knocked over a cat tree?”
Ryland snorts. “They’re fine now,” he says. “I’ve gotten used to them all being chaotic. Whatever the kittens do, Ash has to follow and try to herd them. And Marlin and Mervin added to the chaos.”
“Thank you for taking care of them,” I tell him gently. “They’re good cats.”
“They are,” a low voice says, and Travis opens the door, Marlin in one hand and Mervin in the other. “They were crying for you,” he says, placing them at the foot of the bed. He’s fully dressed again, just like Ryland, and he gives me a soft smile when Marlin tries to steal a piece of salmon off the plate. “Did you sleep well?”
I nod. “I’m not sure how I couldn’t. I’ve never been this content.”
My Heat is still in full swing, but I’m experiencing the calm in the middle of the storm. This is when I need gentle touches and purrs the most, and through the mating bond, I’m sure my Alphas can sense that.
Travis nods. “Good. Me, too.”
Ryland grins and presses a kiss to my head. “I still can’t believe you’re here,” he says. “I still can’t believe you’re ours.”
“It’s an honor, Ryland,” I say. “It’s an honor to be loved by the three of you.”
The tinkling of bells sounds from the door, and the three kittens prance in, mewing impatiently while their collars announce their presence.
“They act like they’re starving,” Rowan huffs from the hallway. “It’s two hours before they’re supposed to eat!”
Josie, with her adorable pink collar, lets out a mournful wail at him.
Rowan chews his lip. “Maybe they didn’t get enough breakfast,” he says.
“They did,” I laugh. “They’re just being cute to get what they want. My boys do the same.”
As if on cue, Marlin successfully snatches a piece of salmon off my plate and hurdles off the bed with his bounty.
Any other time, I would be annoyed.
But I’m so damnhappythat nothing can bother me.
I have my scent matches, who have all joined me on the bed.
My cats are safe.
The rescue is thriving.
Ryland takes my plate from me once I’m finished eating, and I lie back in the blankets, sighing contentedly. I pat the spaces next to me on the mattress.
