She had questions, and the longer she waited, the more her nerves would twist up and make it harder.
She set the food on his desk when he motioned her close, and then remained in place until he finished his phone call. He rarely wanted to fuck her before eating, but sometimes he did.
“Get the food out and then bring the chair over,” he said when he ended the conversation.
She brought it over, stood beside it until he said, “Sit.”
He always waited that extra five to ten seconds, making the point to both of them that she’d wait until given permission.
Today was leftover spaghetti from the night before with garlic knots she’d baked fresh before leaving.
“June came to visit me this morning, Sir. She brought coffee and apple fritters.”
Kenny sat back in his chair slowly, as if preparing himself. “Did she?”
“She told me what I did with the two guys at breakfast was the kind of leadership they expect from the mate of an Alpha, Sir.”
He smiled. “Feel good to have confirmation?”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir, but then…” She took a breath. “She told me the pack won’t fully accept me until I agree to the relationship bond. Some kind of blood bond? Apparently, that’s how they’ll know I’m here to stay?”
Kenny’s gaze sharpened, but she met it with determination. She wasn’t leaving without an explanation. Submission doesn’t mean being kept in the dark on stuff like this.
“She said you’d have to explain it, Sir.”
He sat forward again. “For two wolves, it binds them as a mated pair. It keeps them honest in every sense. They know if someone cheats, or even seriously thinks about cheating. It makes sex more intense, the emotional connections deeper. For a wolf and a human it’s basically the same, but with a little less of a connection since humans don’t carry their own magic.”
Willow swallowed. “And for a hawk and three wolves?”
He huffed a quiet breath. “That’s the part we won’t know until we try. The magic has a mind of its own even for a couple, and different shifters have different magics, especially birds and mammals.”
He met her gaze. “And any kind of blood ceremony with an Alpha carries extra weight.”
“What does that change, Sir?”
“It’s not just me. I carry the magic and energy of every wolf oathed to me. My top two have access to that power when needed, and if you bond with me—” He shook his head. “You might get some of it. I don’t know what or how much.”
She leaned forward. “Will it give me telepathy with you?”
“The bond should give you pathways to all three of us. If not, there’s another ritual, a smaller one, each of us can do with you separately to give you that connection.”
“But the relationship bond would do all three, Sir?”
“In theory, but again, there’s a chance the magic does something unexpected.” He watched her carefully. “You’re asking a lot of questions. Does that mean you’re thinking about it?”
She nodded slowly. “I want to understand. It feels soon, and yet…” She looked down, then back at him. “I think I might be interested, Sir. I’d like to at least have the conversations, if it’s something you and the others are ready for.”
* * * *
Kenny eased back in his chair, once again floored by his hawk.
He hadn’t brought the blood bond possibility up because he didn’t want to scare her away by explaining it too soon. He’d figured sometime in the spring, maybe, but she was sitting across from him now, asking smart questions and sounding like she might actually be on board, and to at least learn enough to make an informed decision.
Something deep inside him shifted. Settled. Like the last missing puzzle piece just before it fits perfectly into place.
“If you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll speak to the other two this afternoon,” he said. “I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want to scare you off. This is permanent, or as close as anything gets. It’llmake the four of us a unit. Stronger. Safer. It isn’t something I take lightly.”
She nodded again, slower this time. “Thank you for waiting until I was ready, Sir. We’ll need more conversations, preferably with all of us, but I’d like to explore this. Learn more.”
