He holds my stare for a long moment, then nods. “Alright.” He turns his attention to Oli. “Get Ross and Caleb. Back to the nest. Now.”
It’s not a request. It’s an order, delivered with quiet authority. The Alpha in him, coming to the forefront. Oli nods, his hand finally leaving my waist. He gives my hand one last squeeze before he moves to the door.
Jethro steps closer, filling the space Oli vacated. He doesn’t touch me, but his presence is a comforting weight. He smells ofsmoky marshmallows, a scent that my inner Omega recognizes and craves.
“You don’t have to do this, Sandra.” His deep voice sends shivers through me. “Not if you’re not sure. Not because you’re scared.”
I shake my head. “It’s not just fear. Iwantthis. Wantyou. All of you.“ I take a shaky breath. “But I’m scared for you. I don’t want my past to hurt you.”
He reaches out, his hand cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear I hadn’t realized I’d shed. “We can handle it. We can handleanything, as long as we’re together.”
His words, his touch, his scent, they give me strength. I lean into his touch, and before I can think too much about it , I surge up and kiss him. He makes a surprised sound, but then his arms are around me, pulling me closer. He lifts me, so my feet leave the floor, bringing us face to face. The kiss deepens, a rush of heat and need.
After a long moment, he pulls back, but has me wrap my legs around his waist, holding me there. He rests his forehead against mine. “Let’s go.”
Carrying me back to the nest, excitement and a bit of fear build in my stomach.What if I freak out on them?Before Nero and Emilio, I was a virgin. I don’t know shit about sex, and my only experience was terrible.
When we get there, Ross, Caleb, and Oli are already there, waiting. The nest has been rearranged slightly, the blankets and pillows smoothed out, creating a welcoming space.
Jethro looks at them, his gaze serious. “Sandra’s agreed to bond.”
Ross’s eyes widen, a flash of surprise followed by a slow, burning intensity. Caleb, usually more reserved, pushes his glasses up his nose, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Oli’sgaze is fixed on me, a mixture of relief and something else… something that mirrors the heat swirling within me.
Jethro carries me into the room and turns so his back faces the plush mattress. Falling back, I hold on to him tighter as I let out a squeak, but soon I move my legs so I can more comfortably straddle his lap. My hands drift down to his chest. The intimacy of the position is almost overwhelming. He sits up to be face to face with me. I can see the specks of brown in the green of his eyes.
“Before we do this.” His hazel-green eyes search mine. “There’s no going back. Not easily. A bond is a commitment for life.”
I nod, my throat tight. I know. It’s what I crave, and what terrifies me, all at once tying them down to the chaos that is my life.
Oli moves closer, his hand reaches out to stroke my hair. “We know you’re scared, Sandra. But we’ll protect you. We’ll protect the baby. Always.”
His words, the reassurance in his voice, ease some of the tension in my chest. I look at Ross, who gives me a small, encouraging nod. Caleb, too, meets my gaze, his expression more open than I’ve seen it.
“We’re a pack,” Caleb says, his voice quiet but firm. “We take care of each other.”
Their words, their united front, their acceptance…it breaks down the last of my resistance. Tears well up in my eyes, but these are tears of relief, of gratitude, of burgeoning hope.
“Okay,” I whisper, my voice choked with emotion. “I’m ready.”
Jethro’s arms tighten around me, a possessive embrace. He dips his head, his lips brushing against my ear. “Then let’s begin.”
He captures my lips in a slow kiss.
My arms circle back around his neck, my fingers tangling in his salt-and-pepper ponytail. I kiss him back, pouring all my fear, my hope, my burgeoning trust into it. Behind me, Oli’s hands find my hips, steadying me, his thumbs stroking small circles through the thick fabric of the hoodie. Ross and Caleb shift closer. Jethro breaks the kiss.
Oli leans over my shoulder and pulls Jethro into a kiss. Heat floods my body as I watch their lips meet. No jealousy, only hunger to keep watching. Perhaps even join in. As if hearing my thoughts, pulls back and turns to me, using his fingers to turn my chin more toward him. He kisses my forehead, then the top of my nose, before capturing my lips as well.
Goosebumps spread along my arms. My senses are on overload, but in the best way possible. I thought going into this I would fall back into the headspace I was in after I was captured, that being with them would send me spiraling into a void of disassociation. But that hasn’t happened, at least not yet, and I hope for their sakes, it doesn’t at all.
Fingers touch my left shoulder, and I break the kiss to peer at Ross. He looks almost ethereal in the light coming through the window. His pointed features and high cheekbones remind me of a demigod, like Hercules. A smile tugs at his lips as his blue eyes glance from my gaze to my lips. He leans in and hovers over me. “From tonight on, you and your baby will be ours.”
He kisses me, and I turn my body to meet him better, raising my hand to the side of his face. A light stubble scrapes under my fingertips. I can’t get over how good it feels to kiss each of them. One thing I’ve heard from the Omegas I’ve worked with who found their packs or single scent-matched Alphas.
They always said how at peace they felt after all the dark shit they went through and that they’d thought they would never get back to a place of peace in their mind again, but as soon theymet their Alphas, all their pain melted away. Their inner Omegas were at peace; they never had to fear again.
I thought at the time that perhaps they were masking, that the Alphas were a band-aid. There was no way they could go through what they went through and be okay after meeting a scent-matched alpha, but now I know I was mistaken. Because at this moment, even though I’m nervous about pleasuring them the right way, I’m calm about knowing we’ll bond, and I innately know they won’t hurt me the way Emillio and Nero did.
A small moan climbs at my throat as his tongue parts my lips and delves into my mouth.
