She’s still sopping wet as she approaches him.
“Ask me what?”
I look away, not being able to do it myself. I know we talked about it before, but it was all hypotheticals then. Elena wasn’t a real person, and now that she is, it’s a big ask. Bonding with me, even though we don’t have a romantic relationship, isn’t common. Lorcán and I would be tethered together in a deep way, but it would also connect me to Elena.
“You can think about it. You don’t need to give me an answer right away,” Elena starts, and Lorcán’s brows furrow as he looks at me and then back down at her.
“What is it?”
“You don’t need to be stressed,” she tells him, placing a hand on his chest. “Declan said that you two talked about you bonding him so that we could be connected. I understand that it’s a big?—”
“Fuck, that’s all?” he interrupts her. “I thought someone was trying to kill us again, or you were thinking about running away or some shit. Why didn’t you lead with that? I’ll do it right now.”
“What?” I stare at him, and he shrugs.
“Let’s do it now.”
“Just like that?”
“You’re my best friend, Dec. You were my brother when I didn’t have one. Why shouldn’t you get this piece of being a pack because of your designation?”
“You’ll be connected to me.”
“Like I don’t spend most of my days with you as it is? Stop being difficult. Where do you want us, princess?”
Elena is sniffling. “God, that was the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t decide if I’m more touched or turned on.”
“This is what you want?” Lorc confirms with her.
“Absolutely. Let’s become a pack in every sense.”
“Where?”
“My nest.”
Elena grabs my hand, our wet foot prints leaving a trail behind us as we make our way to the nest.
“God fucking dammit,” I hear my má complain behind us, and we pick up our pace while laughing.
“She complains, yet she won’t let us hire someone else,” Lorcán grunts.
“She just wants to be with her family,” Elena responds.
Lorc puts in the code to the nest, and we enter. My heart thunders in my chest as we reach the center of the room.
“Where do you want your bond mark?”
“My left ass cheek.”
“Don’t joke,” Elena chastises, smacking my chest. “I know I’m asking a lot of both of you to make this work, but I want you to be comfortable too.”
“Definitely not on my neck,” I say, looking at Lorcán.
“What about your forearm?”
I shake my head and point to my upper pectoral.
“Is it ‘cause you want me close to your heart, or you’re ashamed of me?” Lorcán teases and I nearly consider saying fuck it and going back to the pool. But Elena grabs me by the waistband of my shorts.
