“Of course,” I say, pressing my lips to his before letting him rest.
He smiles, like my presence bring him physical relief, which, again, is such an Omega thing. And then his eyes start to close, and I don’t chase any more conversation, instead spoiling himwith touches and tickles, letting him rest in a comfort-filled space.
Rafferty’s eyes continue to droop further down until they shut. I keep my hands moving, but I also pull a blanket up, finishing my snuggles with a head massage through his heavenly sun-kissed blond hair. My fingers ache as I keep dragging them through his hair, but I don’t want to stop, even as I extract myself from his arms and sit up.
“He’s asleep,” Tynan says, only loud enough to hear because he speaks with his lips against my ear.
I knew he sat down near us a little while ago. His presence and scent are as obvious as an Alpha’s, impossible to ignore. Though it could just be that the connection we share seems to intensify every time we see each other. Or I think of him. Or I hear his name.
Carefully turning my back to Rafferty, I bring my eyes up to Tynan. Rafferty’s words from only a few moments ago whisper incessantly through my thoughts. Raff’s right about his brother being ready to give everything, I know because the same sentiment echoes over every inch of my soul.
“I shouldn’t have come. For some reason, I can’t say no to your brother.”
Tynan’s lips lift into a smile, as subtle as his scent, but for him, it’s a big gesture. “He has that effect on a few people.”
“Tynan, he should come with a warning label.”
He stands, nodding for me to follow. And while it’s obvious he’s keeping space between us, it’s also clear we’ve mixed up what kind of space we’re in. It’s all a bit of a mess, really.
“You’re okay, then?” he asks as he goes back to what he was doing before I arrived, which, by the looks of it, is getting things ready for Rafferty’s heat.
The island we’re separated by has neat stacks lined up in a row. Some of it, I think, is more for Tynan, but the rest isdefinitely for Rafferty. Either way, it’s different than how I do my heats. The snacks, brushes and combs, lotions and creams and loads of linen look like pure indulgence.
“Tally.” Tynan calls my name, and I realize I got distracted again by the endless assumptions between us. All of them are mine.
“Yes, I’m fine. Honestly. It’s just a reminder of the choices we’re all capable of making. I mean, there’s no right or wrong way to live, is there?”
His head tips, and it’s obvious he doesn’t agree.
“What?” I push to hear what he has to say.
“You’re right. There isn’t one way of doing this that’s better than the other, but most certainly, I think there are a lot of positives to having a pack.”
I interrupt him, shaking my head. “We’ve talked about this.”
“Aye, in a roundabout way, I guess we have. But you keep saying you haven’t done pack life, so I’m garnering my experiences to highlight things for you to consider. I’m not pushing you for a decision, am I? And I never would. But what if by me sharing my point of view, something suddenly allows everything to finally slip into place for you?”
I hold his gaze. Unlike an Alpha’s, there’s no insistence. There's a lot of encouragement, though it’s delivered without the sting of expectation, making what he says that much easier to listen to.
From behind me, I get enveloped in a scorching sage scented stranglehold that doesn’t scare me. For the moment. Later, I’m sure I’ll start mixing up my logical and emotional side again.
Chapter Forty-One
RAFFERTY
My nap leaves me hungry. Starving, really. And as I turn over, I lock my sights on the tasty snack I want to devour—my wife.
“It’s time for another secret,” I murmur, my lips skating up the side of her throat, making her jerk in surprise.
“Rafferty, you’re meant to be sleeping.”
“I was. You were in my dreams, and then I rolled over and you weren’t in my arms. But back to secrets, Tally.”
“Okay, should I be worried?” She tips her head to the side, trapping me between her head and her shoulder so we can snuggle. It’s a nice place to be. Of course I keep licking her skin, nipping at her, because she’s fucking delicious in her juicy sweetness.
“God, you taste good.” I spin her on the stool she’s perched on, and she has to let me go. “She tastes so good, doesn’t she Ty?”
Her eyes dart over my shoulder to my twin, before they come back to me. And there her gaze drops, not to the floor, to my body.
