A pause that felt like an eternity. Then:
Harper: We'll be there at six.
I spent the rest of the day trying to distract myself and failing miserably. I did readings at Magnolia's—badly, my concentration shot to hell, the cards blurring before my eyes—and came home early when Miss Delphine took one look at me and said, "Chere, you need to go home and let those Alphas of yours take care of you." Her knowing smile made my cheeks burn even hotter than the fever already had.
Was it that obvious?
By five-thirty, I'd showered twice, changed clothes three times as nothing felt right, everything either too rough or too tight or not enough, and rearranged the nest four times. The fever was climbing steadily, my skin prickling with heat that hadnothing to do with the temperature. Every time I moved, I felt the slick between my thighs, my body preparing for something it desperately wanted.
Gumbo had positioned himself near the bedroom door, his massive body blocking the entrance like a nine-foot scaly sentinel. He'd been watching me all day with those yellow eyes, his tail twitching every time I made a sound that was too close to a whine. He knew. Of course he knew. He'd seen me through heats before.
"I'm fine," I told him, even though we both knew I was lying. He rumbled low in his throat—not quite a growl, more like a warning. A promise. Those males better behave themselves, or they'd answer to him.
The sound of tires on gravel made my heart slam against my ribs so hard I could feel my pulse in my throat, my wrists, between my legs.
They were here.
I made myself walk to the front door instead of running. Made myself take a breath before I opened it, even though my lungs felt too tight for air. Made myself act like a rational adult omega who had her shit together and wasn't currently fantasizing about being pinned down and filled until she couldn't remember her own name?—
The door swung open, and three Alpha scents hit me like a physical blow.
All three of them went rigid on the porch.
Harper's nostrils flared wide, his gray eyes going dark and focused, the pupils swallowing the iris until they were nearly black. A low rumble started in his chest—not quite a growl, something deeper, more primal. His massive hands curled into fists at his sides like he was physically restraining himself from reaching for me.
Remy's pupils blew wide, his charming smile freezing on his face and then melting into something raw and hungry. His scent sharpened—honey and whiskey intensifying until I could taste it on my tongue. A sound escaped him, something between a groan and a growl.
Silas made a sound low in his chest—a rumble that vibrated through the humid air between us and settled somewhere deep in my belly. His pale eyes burned with an intensity that made my knees want to buckle. His scarred fingers twitched at his sides.
"Artemis." Harper's voice was rough, strained, like he was holding himself back by sheer force of will, every word costing him. "You're?—"
"Pre-heat," I finished for him, stepping back to let them in, my voice coming out breathier than I intended. "Started this morning. I know. That's what we need to talk about."
They filed in slowly, carefully, their movements controlled in a way that screamed barely-leashed restraint. Like they were approaching a wild animal. Which, honestly, wasn't far off—I could feel my instincts clawing at the inside of my skin, demanding that I bare my throat, that I present, that I let them take care of me.
Not yet. Conversation first. Even if it killed me.
"Sit," I said, gesturing toward the living room, proud of how steady my voice came out even as my thighs pressed together involuntarily. "Please."
They sat. All three of them on my couch, big Alpha bodies crammed together, watching me with barely-controlled hunger that made the air feel thick and charged. The room filled with the heavy, intoxicating scent of aroused Alphas mixing with my own sweetening scent. It was almost overwhelming—pine and honey and ozone and moonshine and want, so much want it made my head spin.
I stayed standing, arms crossed over my chest to hide the way my nipples had hardened into aching points, trying to project confidence I didn't entirely feel. "My heat is going to hit in the next day or two. Maybe sooner. Being around you three seems to have... accelerated things."
"We can leave." Silas's voice was quiet, clipped, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his scarred fingers were gripping his knees hard enough to turn his knuckles white. His jaw was tight, a muscle jumping beneath the skin. "If you need us to go?—"
"No." The word came out sharper than I intended, almost a growl. "That's not—I don't want you to leave. That's the opposite of what I want." Something shifted in the room. All three of them leaned forward slightly, instinctively, responding to my tone like it had tugged on invisible strings connecting us.
"I want you here," I continued, forcing myself to hold their gazes even as heat flooded my cheeks, my chest, lower. "I want you to spend my heat with me. All three of you." Remy made a choked sound, his hand flying to his chest like I'd hit him. Harper's hands curled into fists on his thighs, the tendons standing out in sharp relief. Silas just stared at me with those pale eyes, burning into me.
"But," I said, holding up a finger, my hand trembling slightly, "we need to talk about boundaries first. Rules."
"Whatever you need." Harper's voice was a low rasp, barely controlled, each word ground out like it cost him everything to speak instead of act. "Name it."
I took a breath. This was the hard part. "I want you. I think I've made that pretty clear. I want all of you, in my nest, in my bed, in my body. I want to feel you everywhere."
All three of them growled—a low, unified sound of want that resonated through my bones and made slick pulse between my thighs. The sound was pure Alpha, primal and possessive,and my body responded without my permission, my scent sweetening until I could smell myself mixing with them.
"But I don't want bonding bites," I said firmly, the words coming out steadier than I felt. "Not yet." The growling stopped. They looked at me, waiting, tension vibrating through all three of them like plucked strings.
