“Extremely,” she agreed without shame. “But I’m also right.”
The corner of his mouth quirked. “Something about dragon geniuses, right?”
“Smart wolf.”
Zander chuckled, the sound rumbling through Spence’s back. “And she’sourdragon genius. Exactly what we both need.”
“Yes,” Spence murmured, already drifting. “Ours.”
Emmy’s throat tightened with emotion. She leaned forward to kiss him, her lips soft — no demands, only affection. JustI love youwithout words.
When she pulled back, his eyes were closed, breath deepening into sleep.
“He’s out,” Zander said quietly, continuing to stroke Spence’s hair with infinite patience.
“Good.” Emmy settled back, letting her own muscles relax in the warm water. “He needs it, after that scene. Even for a wolf, it was a lot.”
They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, the only sound the gentle lap of water and Spence’s steady breathing.
“You did well with him,” Zander said finally, his gaze on her thoughtful and warm. “Better than well. You understood exactly what he needed to hear.”
Emmy looked down at Spence’s sleeping face, peaceful and unguarded. “I was terrified I’d say the wrong thing. That I’d make it worse.”
“But you didn’t.” Zander’s hand reached across Spence to brush her cheek. “You broke him open and put him back together stronger. That’s what good Dominants do.”
She caught his hand, pressed a kiss to his cool palm. “We did it together. The triangle.”
“Yes.” His smile was soft, genuine. “We did.”
Emmy looked at the two of them — ancient vampire and loyal wolf, both hers in different ways, both essential — and felt a peaceful equilibrium settle deep in her chest.
This was home. This was where she belonged. Not the silo, but the coterie. Wherever these two were, would be home. She’d had the same thought before, but she felt itmorenow.
Chapter 22
The days blurred into a rhythm Emmy hadn’t expected to crave.
Ten-hour stretches at her desk, noise-canceling headphones blocking the world while genetic sequences danced across her screens. Spence appearing every few hours with food she didn’t request but always needed. Time working out with her friends. Evening feeding frenzies in the theater — sometimes Zander’s cool hands and colder bite, but mostly other vampires, their faces blurring together as they fucked her on stage or bent her over private tables, feeding while she performed her role as willing vessel.
And oh, the late nights, tangled between cool vampire and warm wolf, learning the geometry of their triangle in sweat and surrender and satisfaction so complete it made her bones melt.
She’d never been this settled. Thiscontent.
It should have terrified her, but it didn’t.
Spence pushed the door shut behind him, the soft click echoing in the quiet suite. Emmy sat at her desk, screens glowing, but no headphones tonight, and she turned to him right away, green eyes sharpening on him with that dragon intensity that always made his pulse stutter.
“You’re in for the night?” she asked, voice casual but with an undercurrent that made blood rush to his cock.
He nodded, throat already tight with anticipation. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Excellent. Strip and lean over the bed. I’ll be there once I’ve saved my work and made a few notes.”
Spence obeyed without a word, heart hammering as he shed clothes, deposited them in the hamper, and then decided whether to pull the sheets and blankets down, or to lean over the spread.
Emmy wouldn’t want to have to fuck with the spread, later, so he folded it down and then leaned over the sheets, at the side of the bed.
She hadn’t told him how to present himself, so he grabbed his elbows behind his back, spread his legs, and leaned over with his back arched. This position always made him feel vulnerable and exposed, but that was a positivenow. Never a negative while he waited for either Zander or Emmy.
