All five bonds are steady, solid, warm, and happy. So happy.
Grieves’ bond is the first I latch onto, solid and immovable, like a wall at my back—fierce, protective, quietly furious at the idea of anyone daring to touch what’s his.
Court’s wraps around it next, bright and warm, a steady hum of reassurance threaded through with humor, like he’s already planning how to charm the entire world into accepting me.
Thayer’s is sharper, more controlled, but no less certain. A precise, unwavering certainty that this was the only logical outcome, that there was never another choice worth considering.
Piers’--my darling dimples--his feels like sunlight breaking through clouds, soft and aching and full of relief, like he’s been holding his breath for years and is only just now allowed to exhale.
And then there’s Forsythe. His doesn’t wrap around me so much as it settles into me, deep and resolute, a quiet, immovable vow that steadies everything else. No hesitation. No doubt. Just him, standing at the center of it all, choosing me—again and again and again.
And laced through it all is love. So much love. More than I could ever hope to swallow or soak in. A veritable deluge of it.
Well…fuck.
Tears prick my eyes. “But… what if she exiles you, Sythe?”
The smile he gives me is soft, but resolute, just like his bond in my chest. “Then it’ll be worth it,cor mea.You’re worth everything. Having you is the single greatest gift and honor I could ever hope to receive.”
He means it too. I can feel it in my chest. Feel his certainty in his words, that he has no regrets in bonding me, in posting that picture, in claiming me so publicly. Feeling him be so sure settles me, settles everything, if I’m honest.
“Well, then,” I say, shifting my hips until the tip of his cock is wedged into my entrance. “Perhaps I should show my appreciation.”
His hands move to my hips, gripping tight as he tilts his head back, tendons in his neck tight. “No appreciation necessary for doing what I should have months ago,cor mea.”
Court snorts and reaches for me. “If you don’t want her appreciation I’ll take it.”
“Mine,” Forsythe snarls, hips snapping up as he tugs me onto his cock roughly.
I let out a breathless half laugh half moan at the intrusion, my hands bracing on his chest to help balance me as we rock together. “Yes,” I tell him, nails digging into his chest. “Yours.”
Later, I’m dozing. No, who am I kidding? I’m fully asleep when the sound of a phone ringing reaches my ears.My phone, I realize as I swim up through the haze of multiple orgasms and warmth of my bonds.
“Can’t someone do something about that ringing?” Court mutters.
“Sorry,” I murmur back, reaching out blindly to stroke my fingers over whatever bit of skin I can find in apology. “I’ll get it.”
“Don’t answer it,” Thayer orders, pulling me tighter to his body, when we’re already as close as we can get.
I hum and snuggle closer to him, rubbing my nose against this chest, only to groan when it starts ringing again.
“Seriously,” the prince growls, “just ignore it. You need to sleep.”
My brain blinks online slowly. So fucking slowly. I’m all kinds of hazy, blissed out on new mating bites and too many orgasms. But there's something important. Something I’m supposed to be paying attention to.
But how can I be expected to focus when I have five new bonds buzzing in my chest. Just wait until I tell Haven-
“Haven!” I cry while bolting upright. Court makes a startled noise from where he’s all but wrapped around my waist, but I ignore him, lunging to the side toward where my phone is ringing for the third time. “It’s Haven. She’s- something must be-”
Grieves presses my phone into my hand calmly. “It’ll be okay, bubbles,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder before climbing out of the bed.
I stare after him for a moment, before fumbling to answer my phone.
“What is it?” I blurt out by way of greeting. “What’s happened?”
“Hello to you too, Florence,” Jude drawls back, but there’s a hint of worry under his tone that he can’t hide.
“Jude.”
