My heart was doing flips as I sat in the back seat next to Ivy. My arm kept competing with Preston’s to touch the back of her neck and shoulders. She was finally ready to live withus; her scent would be everywhere, and we’d get to be with her all the time.
I buried my nose in her neck and inhaled deeply while I gently rubbed my neck against her shoulder.
“I can do this anytime I want now,” I softly said to her.
Ivy laughed at me. “I still have boundaries, you know.” She inhaled the scent from the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Let’s focus, pack,” Demetrius called out from the driver’s seat, excitement radiating from his voice. “We have a lot to do, so let’s reorganize our weekend plans.”
“Right…Saturday—cuddling with Ivy. Then Sunday—I get more time with Ivy,” I joked as I continued to rub the side of her neck. The combination of my excitement and wanting her physically was almost too much to handle.
“That’s not what I meant,” Demetrius sent me a stern look through the rearview mirror. “Ivy, when would you like to go shopping for your suite? And then not to rush you or anything, but consider what you’d like to do with the nest.”
Ivy’s body tensed beside me as soon as Demetrius mentioned the nest. A lot of the topics surrounding her heat seemed to still stress her out. I pressed ticklish kisses under her ear, trying to get her to relax.
She exhaled softly, giggling at my touch. “Why don’t we focus on the bedroom first, and I’ll take a look around the nest this week. Which room is it, by the way?”
“It’s the two double doors inside the group bedroom,” Isaac replied.
“We should just put giant mattresses everywhere,” Preston suggested as he kissed Ivy’s cheek.
“Like an insane asylum, should be really comforting,” I joked, getting another laugh from Ivy. Her laughter rang like a soft bell to me.
The car pulled into the neighborhood, inching us closer to Ivy officially moving in. I grabbed her hand and intertwined my fingers with hers, earning a smile and a kiss on my cheek.
“What do you want for dinner tonight?” Preston asked, gently turning Ivy’s head towards him. “You seem to like my shrimp salad.”
“That sounds nice, but whatever works for you,” she replied.
“I know what I want for dinner,” I whispered in her ear, getting another laugh out of her. Her laugh was perfect.
“You need to stop,” she pointed at me, trying to be stern, but her face couldn’t hold the expression. I leaned forward and licked her finger, causing her eyes to grow wide with surprise.
“We’re here!” Isaac called out from the front as the car pulled into the garage. “Everyone out immediately. I need to touch Ivy now!”
We all jumped out of the car quickly; I helped Ivy out of the middle seat. As soon as she was clear of the car, Isaacscooped her up in his arms and carried her inside the house. We were all just a tad excited that she was finally with us.
***
Ivy
It was thrilling to arrive at the packhouse—this amazing building that I’d just agreed to make my permanent home. I knew I was taking a major step towards bonding with my pack, and it still frightened me to some degree, but more and more of my omega instincts were screaming for me to comply. My pack was bursting with joy and energy, pulling me around to have fun with each of them before Demetrius stepped in, setting down my suitcase from the car.
“Let’s all calm down. We need to shower and clean up a bit, and let Ivy relax and get situated. No one’s allowed to touch her for the next hour.”
The atmosphere became a bit moody, but they all agreed and took off to shower and change. Demetrius helped carry my bag upstairs to my room, then embraced me in a warm hug, kissing me softly.
“I thought no one was allowed to touch me for an hour?” I teased, snuggling into his arms.
He held me for a fraction longer before letting go. “Starting now,” he said with a wink before leaving my room.
I flopped down on the soft, comfortable bed and closed my eyes for a moment, letting the gentle background noises of the packhouse sink in. The hum of electrical appliances, the run of the water from a shower nearby, the mixed scents of all my packmates—I was a part of this now.
Being in the house meant opening the door to a physical relationship with all four of my packmates, and my desire was growing for all of them each day. Demetrius and I shared something amazing and special last night, and I wanted each of my mates to feel special in their own way with me. I laughed at myself; it was weird yet felt so right to be analyzing how to become physical with three more men.
Trying to keep the balance frightened me, though. I’d never been successful with a boyfriend in the past, and now I had four to maintain. It was all fun and exciting at the moment, but would I be able to keep up with their needs? My body said yes, but my mind thought differently. What if this transition wasn’t as seamless as this moment felt?
I sat up and willed myself to unpack my clothes, placing them in the dresser. This would be their permanent home now, forever. I’d never had this kind of stability since I’d left my parents' house. For years, I’d packed and unpacked like a performer on tour. But this was permanent. No more planning for the next company, no more traveling for auditions for the next season, no more moving back to my parents’ house for the summer if I couldn’t afford the rent.No more of that struggling dancer lifestyle I’d lived the past six years. It felt weird, almost too easy—like I’d cheated at life.
