I jumped a little as I felt it again, making me panic as I went to worst case scenarios. “What?”
“Do you know how to tamp down the bonds? I need you to breathe with me, okay? They’refine.” He leaned forward, increasing the pressure on my body.
“No, we need to save them,” I sobbed, trying to wiggle out from between him and the wall.
“Trust me. Now tamp down your bonds with Evan. You don’t need to shut them off, but let’s turn themwaydown.” He walked me through it, still keeping me squished between him and the wall.
I had no choice but to listen. But… but we needed to get them.Deep breath. 3.1415926535.I took another.8979323846.And another.2643383279.
As I breathed with him, following his directions. The pain lessened, but I still felt some pleasure… and happiness?
What? Was he okay?
“Better.” Brennan purred for me. It was the quietest purr I ever heard.
“I’m so confused.” I felt weird and buried my face in his chest.
“I’m sure you are. And I’m pissed. Not at you. No. Not one bit. But they’re in fucking trouble.” His head tipped down to mine. “Yeah, so sometimes some people might like a little pain with their sex. Evan’s one of them. Jettisn’tharming or injuring him. Everything is talked about beforehand, usually in great detail. There are safe words and limits. It’s all completely consensual, andno one is being harmed.They’re being a little rougher than usual, but Evan probably needed it. I can explain everything better later. But let me reiterate that everything in our house is done with love, care, and consent. It might hurt, but it doesn’t harm or injure. No one’s going to be left with permanent marks, I promise,” he assured.
Oh. I suppose there was a difference between hurt, harm, and injure, but a lot of times it all blurred together for me.
His quiet purr calmed me as I mulled everything over. Evan had some bedroom interests that differed from mine. Really, I couldn’t see Jett actually harming him.
“It… it took me by surprise. I know about the ropes, but I didn’t understand what else was part of it.” I was still trying to slow down my panic.They’re not in danger. They’re safe.
He kissed the top of my head. “Take a few deep breaths. They’re fine and having a shit-ton of fun. Try to find that in the bond instead, okay?”
I sent some love through the bond and got love back. He was okay.
Brennan continued to hold me. “However, we alsowarnpeople that we have bonds with. I knew what they were doing, Wes knew what they’re doing. Clearly, you didn’t. Evan should have explained it to you.”
I frowned. “I mean, he said something aboutalone time, and I figured they’d fuck, I just was surprised atthis.”
“Shit.Quality alone timeis code. But he should have explained it–and taken more care with you. It’s not okay to give your partner a panic attack because they think you’re being harmed. I’m sorry that they were idiots. It’s not okay in our house, and I’ll have words with them.” His arms wrapped around me, pulling me to him.
“Oh, I don’t want them to be punished.” I started to cry again.
“Okay, okay,” he soothed, pushing me back against the wall with his body. “I’lljusttalk to them, okay. But consent works all ways, and while you might be fine with feeling the average fuck, even during a meeting,youdidn’t consent to getting all that with no warning in the middle of a concert.”
“Oh. I never thought of it that way. Now I’m all embarrassed for freaking out during the concert.” My face burned. People probably saw.
I sort of enjoyed being squished like this. It was like a vertical man-blanket.
“Don’t be.” He kissed my head. “Would you like to leave, or do you want to stay and finish the concert? There’s only a little left, but either is fine.”
Wes and Spencer sent me some concern through the bond, and I sent reassurance back.
“I think I’d like to stay for the rest of the concert.” I sniffed again.
He took his pocket square and wiped my face. “The last song is the one I really want you to hear.”
“Thank you. For explaining, for not judging, I…”
Brennan’s thumb traced my cheekbone. “I get it. Believe me. Now, let’s go hear the rest of the concert, okay?”
He offered me his arm, and I took it. It wasn’t just his arm I was taking. It was the trust and reassurance that it offered.While maybe Brennan would never be my mate, and I was okay with that, I really wanted, no, needed, him in my life.
Chapter Twenty
