“If you really do care that much. It’s dumb. Ignore me.”
“It’s not.” Balancing my weight, I reached to stroke my knuckles over her cheek. “You spent years being unsure of your partner’s affection. It’s natural to want to know for certain.”
“The bond with Leo is so nice. It’s like a cast on all my broken bits, holding me together so I can start healing. I guess that’s a selfish reason to want more. It’s so much easier to trust everything when I can feel it.”
“Next time,” I promised. “If you still want me the next time you bite me, I won’t stop myself.”
“Really?”
I nodded.
Madison looked at me shrewdly before tugging me back down. She sank her teeth into the curve of my neck, sending a fresh burst of pleasure through me.
Clever little omega.
I gave in. If she wanted to be mine that badly, I wasn’t strong enough to keep denying her. She was sweet on my tongue as I bit her in return, her body convulsing, bowing up as she unraveled. My omega burst like firecrackers at the core of my being. Bright, beautiful, loud, and chaotic. Mine.
All. Mine.
“Isee you started the fun without me.”
I peeled open an eye to see Leo leaning over the nest with a soft smile. “I might’ve.”
“Another heat flare?” He climbed into the nest, blessedly naked, and faced me.
Alve mumbled something incoherent behind me and lifted his head from where it was tucked against the back of my neck.He was just as warm and cozy as Leo in my chest, maybe a bit more anxious, but while he was wrapped around me, he was peaceful.
A bolt of worry shot down the bond when he fully sat up, looking over me at Leo.
“Accidental?” Leo asked. “I’m assuming, but…”
“On purpose,” I clarified, and Alve purred behind me again, as if he needed reassurance I wasn’t upset about it, even after I’d been the one to initiate it twice.
“On purpose? That’s fast.”
I drew Leo into a lazy kiss, savoring the sensation of having both my bondmates surrounding me. “It is, but the bond with you has felt so good. I may have gotten a little selfish and wanted even more.”
Leo squished closer, fully sandwiching me. “Maybe it’s about time for you to get selfish. As long as Alve is willing, I don’t think there’s any harm in it. Fate already decided we were perfect matches, so I’m willing to put a little faith in that and assume it’ll work out for the best, no matter what speed we end up going.”
“See, that’s the type of thinking I need. I always wondered what having a fated mate would be like. For a long time, I sort of considered Tyler to have been fate, that we had crossed paths so he could save me.” I sighed. “Maybe he was meant to save me, but not to love me.”
“I think it’s very easy to twist ourselves up into knots thinking about what’s fate and what’s not.” Leo tipped my chin up for another kiss. “What’s most important now is that we’re building a life together. We can figure out how to make everyone happy.”
“I’m happy right here,” Alve murmured, holding me tighter. “I might never move again.”
Leo chuckled. “I know what that feels like. Do you think you’ll bond with the others?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ve loved Jude forever. I imagine Nathan will be a lot more chaotic in the bond than you two.”
“That would definitely make sense,” Leo agreed. “He’s a character, for sure.”
“Doyouwant him in the bond? It’s not just me floating around in there.”
“Who you bond and when is your choice, not mine.” Leo shrugged. “I wouldn’t say no to getting to know people a little more before sharing that intimacy with them, though.”
“But we’re a team now. Feels like I’d be inviting a new roommate without your permission. Even though I guess I did that already…”
Alve traced little patterns on my stomach. “I like Nathan, but I won’t lie and say I’m not a little nervous about what it would be like to share a bond with him. Of course, I’m sure it won’t be a picnic sharing a bond with me when you get the full brunt of my anxiety.”
