"That's it," he murmurs against my ear. "Let me make you feel good."
His fingers slide lower, two of them pushing inside me while his thumb continues working my clit. The dual sensation is overwhelming, every touch amplified. Dustin's other hand comes up to cup my breast, his thumb brushing over my nipple. The added stimulation pushes me over the edge, my orgasm hitting suddenly. I cry out, my body clenching around his fingers as waves of pleasure wash over me.
"I'm going to get addicted to those sounds," Dustin says, his voice rough with arousal. "I think I'm going to make you fall apart all the time."
I laugh breathlessly, still trembling from the aftershocks. "That's not practical."
My Alpha chuckles behind me, the sound rumbling through my back. "I don't really care."
A short knock on the door interrupts us. I look up to see Kade standing in the doorway, his dark expression softening into a smile when he sees me looking at him. "Would you like something to eat?" he asks, leaning against the doorframe.
Dustin perks up immediately. "Actually, yes, I'll take—"
Kade snorts, stomping over to the tub. He roughly pinches Dustin's chin, tilting his head up before capturing his lips in a demanding kiss. When he pulls back, he moves to me, giving me a much softer kiss that's no less thorough.
"That question was more for our sunshine here," Kade says, his eyes still on me. "You smell wonderful."
I blush under the compliment. "My heat is almost here, and I don't know..."
"You do whatever feels right," Kade says immediately, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek.
"I'm restless," I admit, trying to put words to the feeling thrumming through my veins. "I kind of just want to wander, but I also don't want to leave my nest."
Kade sits on the edge of the tub, his hand still cupping my face. "The ranch is secure, so you can go wherever you'd like. I'd just ask you to do one thing for me."
I frown up at him, tension creeping into my shoulders. Here it comes. The rules and restrictions I've been waiting for. "What's that?" My voice comes out smaller than I intend.
"You call if anything happens," Kade says simply.
I blink, confused. "That's it?"
"That's it." Kade's thumb strokes across my cheekbone. "I just want to know you're safe."
The tension drains from my shoulders but confusion replaces it. "It's still strange that you're not actively being dominant like those other Alphas. You're just..." I trail off, not sure how to finish the thought. At Harmony House, every Alpha who came through was controlling, demanding, issuing orders they expected to be followed without question. But Kade and Dustin are different. They guide and suggest, but they don't command. Not like that, anyway.
Dustin kisses up the back of my neck, making me shiver. "Because you're not property. You're ours but not something to be owned and told what to do."
"I'm beginning to believe it," I say softly, meaning every word. "I promise." Soft laughter escapes me as the truth of it settles deeper. They really don't see me as property. They see me as an equal, someone deserving of choice and agency.
Kade smiles, the expression transforming his usually serious face. "Let's get some food in you and then I think there's a certain pet who would like some attention."
I grin, already knowing who he means. "Moo-Shu?"
"Moo-Shu's in the living room," Kade confirms.
My eyes widen in shock as Dustin laughs behind me. "Oh, you caved, didn't you?"
Kade shoots him a look. "He's not allowed past the living room, but yeah, Dusty, don't make me regret this."
I'm already scrambling out of the tub before they can change their minds, water sloshing over the edge. Kade steadies me with a hand on my elbow, reaching for a towel, drying me off with the same care Dustin showed earlier.
When I'm dry, he hands me a soft velvety red dress, obviously already preparing for my eagerness to see Moo-Shu. I slip it on quickly, barely waiting for Kade to finish zipping it up before I head for the door.
I take off down the hall and round the corner into the living room and there he is. The small black and white cow sitting by the couch, looking completely out of place and absolutely perfect. He immediately perks up at my arrival, his ears swiveling toward me. He lets out a little moo, the sound making my grin widen impossibly further.
I drop to my knees on the floor, not caring about the dress or dignity or anything else. My arms wrap around Moo-Shu's neck, my face burying into his soft, fuzzy coat. He smells like hay and cow and outside, my body relaxing a little more at how surreal all of this is. Like something from a dream I might wake up from at any moment to find myself back in that gray isolation room.
I know it has an end date. Harmony House will be back at some point to check on me, to evaluate whether this placement is working. They'll look for any excuse to take me back, to prove that I can't function outside their control.
