Regina takes a bite of pancake and makes a cute little noise of appreciation that goes straight to my groin. "These are amazing, Sean. Especially for food shaped like a dick and balls."
Oh, she noticed.
"Told you," he grins, looking absurdly pleased with himself. "I'm a culinary genius."
"When you're not putting Doritos in ramen," Rowan mutters.
"Genius is often mocked before it's recognized," Sean says in the tone of a martyr, pointing his fork at Rowan accusingly.
Regina laughs, and the sound predictably makes my wolf purr. She's safe. She'sours. The thought keeps repeating in my head like a mantra, like if I think it enough times it might fully sink in.
"Are you guys always going to be like this?" Regina asks suddenly, looking around at the four of us.
"Like what?" Micah asks, trying to look innocent.
"This..." She gestures vaguely with her fork. "Protective. Territorial. Freaking out anytime someone outside the packtouches me. You were all fucking ridiculous before, but it's like you've all been dialed up to eleven since the ritual."
I exchange glances with the others. None of us want to lie to her, but the truth might be a bit much for her to handle right now. The ritual has changed things between us, intensified the mate bond in ways I'm still trying to process myself.
"Yes," I admit finally, because she deserves honesty. "The bond makes us more... attuned to you. More protective. And we're always going to flip about the idea of anyone touching you. The only reason I didn't bite her hand off is because she's Micah's sister."
"Wolves are kind of extra, and alphas are extra-extra," Sean adds with a grin that's all teeth. "But in a good way."
"You're our Bonded now," Rowan explains in his calm, measured way. "Our mate. The instinct to protect and provide for you is... significant."
"More like overwhelming," Micah corrects, looking slightly sheepish. "Sorry."
Regina sighs, but I can feel she's not actually upset. More like resigned, maybe even a little amused. "And is this going to calm down when we..." She trails off, a blush coloring her cheeks.
"When we plow you like four freight trains in a tunnel?" Sean offers.
"Solidify the bond," I correct through my teeth, stomping on his foot underneath the table. He howls in pain. "Probably not, but it couldn't hurt."
The air in the kitchen shifts. I can smell her arousal mingling with our own. The bond between us turns into a feedback loop of horny that's becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.
"We should finish breakfast first," Rowan says, always the practical one, though his voice is rougher than usual. "You need your strength."
Especially for what I'm about to do to her.
Regina takes another bite of pancake, her movements slow and casual, almost teasing. "I'm feeling stronger by the minute, actually."
"The bond is already feeding you energy," Micah observes, his eyes bright with interest. "Even without the final step."
"It's different from the coven bond," she agrees. "More reciprocal."
"That's because we're not assholes who see you as a magical battery," I growl, still furious at how Kyle and his coven treated her. "You're our equal. Our counterbalance."
"Our mate," Sean adds, the word carrying a weight that makes Regina's breath catch audibly.
She sets down her fork, looking at each of us in turn. The glamour is still in place, hiding her scars, but I can almost see the real her underneath it. I want her to see herself the way we see her, but I know that will take time for her to feel that safe. Even when it's just us. Trust is earned, not demanded.
No matter how much the beast in me wants it.
"I think I've had enough breakfast," she says, her voice steady despite the flush spreading across her cheeks.
Four sets of eyes lock onto her, like wolves on the hunt spotting movement in the woods.
"Are you sure?" Rowan asks. "There's no rush."
