The professor nods. “Yes.”
“We’re not going to cover our mate in bonding bites,” Forsythe protests.
“Saysyou, mate,” Court grins. “Besides, Piers is going to be covered in them too. Right?”
“What?” our beta asks, sounding stunned.
Court shrugs. “We should claim you again, shouldn’t we? Right on the neck where everyone can see.”
I turn toward Piers, eyes scanning over him, searching for his bonding bites and frowning when I can’t find them. “Where?”
“They’re on my arse,” he sighs with a tinge of embarrassment.
Indignation makes me stiffen. “What? They bit you on your ass?” The one place it was guaranteed that no one would see. Ever. There would be no accidental slip ups, no flashing of a bite.
“Not our finest moment, to be sure,” Thayer says, swiping his hand over his face.
“I think it was a very fine moment,” Court says matter-of-factly from under me. “Loved sinking my teeth into that peachy little arse.” I snort a laugh and he flashes me a grin, before hegets serious, turning his attention to Piers. “But I do think we should bite you again, love. If you want.”
Our beta nods, looking a little choked up. “I want. I do.”
“I call dibs!” Court crows, before anyone else can say anything else. “Dibs on bonding our omega first, and dibs on rebonding our beta first.”
“Greedy.” Grieves rumbles low behind me, his chest pressing into my back as his hands continue their slow, deliberate exploration of my skin.
I huff out a breath, but it melts into something softer when Piers’ fingers slide into my hair, tilting my head just slightly toward him, like he wants to see me better. Like he needs to.
“All of us,” he murmurs, almost to himself, like he can’t believe this is happening. I’m right there with him. Not that long ago I never thought I would get this. A pack. A bond. Them.
All of them.
All mine.
I shift on Court’s lap, my body already responding, already opening to them, to this. My fingers curl into Court’s skin as I look between them, one by one, taking them in.
“Okay,” I say, infusing as much certainty into my voice as I can. “I’m ready.”
Something changes then. The air becomes charged. Their expressions sharpen and a flutter of nerves take flight in my stomach.
This is really happening.
Truly.
Court’s grin fades into something more reverent as his hand comes up to cup my face. “Hey,” he murmurs, softer than I’ve ever heard him. “Stay with me, yeah?”
“I’m here,” I breathe, willing myself to be. “I’m here,” I say firmer. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
He studies me for one last second, like he’s committing the moment to memory.
Then he kisses me.
It’s not rushed. Not frantic.
It’s certain. It’s adoration. It’s… love. Spilling from his mouth to mine.
He moves against me like he’s been waiting for this—for me—and now that he has me, he’s not going to waste a second of it. My fingers tighten on him as I lean into him, into the warmth and the press of him, into the way he grounds me even as everything else starts to blur at the edges.
His hand slides to the back of my neck, thumb brushing just below my ear.
