The kiss is desperate, filled with all the longing I’ve kept locked away. He responds immediately, deepening the kiss, our mouths moving together with a fierce need. I can feel him yielding to my desire, his body molding against mine, the world outside falling away as we lose ourselves in each other.
In this moment, nothing else matters.
CHAPTER 43
Lakelyn
The darkness envelops me,thick and suffocating, like a heavy fog that dulls every sound and sensation. I’m running, my feet pounding against the ground, but no matter how fast I go, I can’t seem to escape. A sense of urgency coils tightly in my chest, an instinctual need driving me forward. I can feel it—Chad's emotions swirling around me, vibrant and chaotic, yet just out of reach.
I call out for him, my voice echoing in the emptiness, but it only seems to deepen the void. “Chad!” My heart races, fueled by a strange mixture of fear and desperation. It’s as if he’s right there, just beyond the veil of shadows, but the closer I get, the farther he feels.
Images flicker in my mind—Chad's laughter, his smile, the way he glows when he talks about the things he loves. But now, all that remains is a haunting silence that gnaws at my insides, leaving me hollow. I push through the fog, my instincts screaming at me to find him. I need to reach him, to tell him that he’s not alone, that I’m here.
But then, a flicker of something darker pierces through my thoughts—an overwhelming wave of desire, raw and untamed,pounding against me like a violent tide. The intensity of it floods my senses, making me dizzy. My breath quickens as I’m swept away by the storm of emotions, feeling Chad’s desperation like it’s my own. I stagger, almost losing my footing, his need crashing down on me.
“Chad!” I cry again, my voice strained. I’m caught in a maelstrom of longing and need, and I can’t seem to find him. I reach out, fingers grasping at the shadows, but they slip through my hands like smoke.
I wake up with a sharp gasp, heart hammering, tangled in sheets that cling to my damp skin like remnants of the nightmare. The last traces of panic pulse through me as I blink, grounding myself, my breath still unsteady. But then I take in my surroundings, the soft fabric of Chad’s nest beneath me, and a warmth at my side—a weight grounding me in the moment. Mason’s arm rests over my abdomen, his hand solid and warm. I run my fingers across the back of his hand, letting the familiar sensation calm the last remnants of fear.
But my skin feels tight, buzzing with an uncomfortable heat that’s foreign, a prickling restlessness I don’t recognize. My gaze drifts, catching sight of Chad and Dean, entwined together, completely wrapped up in each other, oblivious to anything beyond the other’s presence. It’s then that I understand—the echo of emotions churning in my chest isn’t mine alone.
It’s Chad’s need, still spilling through our bond like waves crashing into my mind. The warmth between us is undeniable, an intense mixture of lust and raw yearning radiating from him, amplified by Dean’s steady presence. Their combined scents drift over to me, intensified and laced with extra sweetness. The tang of limes, sharp and zesty, cuts through the air, unmistakably Chad. It blends with Dean’s musk, a grounding aroma of fresh earth and dampness, heavy like the air beforea storm. The scents interlace, rich and heady, like something forbidden yet deeply alluring.
I close my eyes for a moment, absorbing the intoxicating mix, both soothed and unsettled by it. When I open them, my attention locks on Chad, the raw emotion coursing between us, tightening the invisible thread that binds us. This is his need, his longing—flowing through me like my own, weaving us closer, impossible to ignore.
A flush spreads over my skin, hot and insistent, as if the need seeping from Chad has set me on fire. My pulse quickens, and every nerve feels electrified, every heartbeat throbbing in sync with his desire. It’s overwhelming, an ache that digs deeper with each breath, as if I’m the one in heat, not him. Because I know without anyone telling me that is exactly what’s happening.
My body seems to absorb his need until it feels like my own—an insatiable hunger building inside me, impossible to deny.
I swallow, my lips part as I try to steady myself, but the potent, layered scent surrounding us only tightens the knot low in my belly. I can’t help it; I’m drawn to him, pulled across the small distance between us as if some invisible force is tugging me forward.
It’s as though every fiber of my being demands closeness. I can’t resist inching closer, the overwhelming sensation in my body urging me to feel his warmth, to be nearer to him.
As I move, Mason stirs beside me, his arm slipping away as he blinks awake. His eyes land on me first, then shift to Chad and Dean, and a shadow of recognition crosses his face. In an instant, his entire demeanor changes, his gaze sharpening as he realizes what’s unfolding in the nest. The charged air between us thickens, strung tight like a bowstring, his eyes flicking back to me, assessing, absorbing everything in silence.
Slowly, Mason inhales, nostrils flaring as he takes in the potent blend of their combined scent—the sweet lime intensityand earthy musk that hangs thick in the air. It seems to awaken something in him, a primal spark igniting in his gaze, darkening his eyes as his tension grows. My heartbeat stutters, my pulse matching his, caught between the pull of Chad’s need radiating through me and the simmering heat in Mason’s stare, his presence magnifying the fire already blazing inside me. The boundary between my own desires and Chad’s blurs until everything is dizzying, too much and yet not enough.
“Lake,” Mason murmurs, his voice rough, the strain clear in every syllable, his jaw clenched as he watches me with barely restrained intensity.
Mason’s grip tightens on my wrist, pulling me back to him with a quiet insistence. His gaze is fierce, locked on mine, his pupils blown wide with a hunger that sends a fresh wave of heat through me. His hand slides from my wrist to my waist, fingers digging in just enough to make me feel his hold, his control. The restraint in his eyes tells me he's been holding back, but right now, he's not letting me slip away.
“Lake,” he murmurs again, his voice rough, thick with barely contained desire, as if he’s savoring every syllable of my name. There’s something raw in his tone that makes me shiver, my own restraint unraveling under the intensity of his gaze.
Before I can catch my breath, his mouth is on mine, the kiss searing and possessive, pulling me deeper under his spell. It’s more than a kiss; it’s a release, a shared surrender to the need burning between us. His hand slides up my back, guiding me closer, his fingers pressing into me as though staking his claim. Every touch, every movement, stokes the flames higher, sending a shiver down my spine and leaving me breathless.
Mason pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his lips grazing mine as he whispers, “Let it go, Lake. Let yourself feel everything.”
The world narrows to this moment, to the warmth of his breath, the press of his body against mine, and the intensity in his eyes. He kisses me again, slower this time, savoring it, drawing out every spark until I can feel my own restraint slipping, surrendering to the heat he’s pulling from Chad and into me.
I don’t know how it’s possible, but it is.
Dean kneels between Chad’s legs, his breath ragged; he has obviously succumbed to a rut. His motion is erratic as he slips his sweats off his hips, his long, thick cock bobbing between his legs, the knot already attempting to form at the base. He pauses long enough to stroke Chad’s length, which sends pleasure tingling down my spine and settling between my legs. Everything he’s feeling, I’m feeling, too.
And I need more.
Dean spreads Chad’s legs wider, dragging him towards him in one smooth motion. Chad gasps and whimpers. “More,” he begs. “More, Dean.”
His strokes become firmer, more insistent, and I moan. Mason breathes in my moans, before capturing my lips again. His hand runs down my stomach and below my sleep shorts. He growls as his fingers find my folds, and he slips through effortlessly. I’m wetter than I’ve ever been.
