I’m not sure how much time passes before Remy returns.
“What time do you have to be at work?” Remy asks.
My eyelids flutter open. “Um, eight-thirty,” I groan. “Please tell me I have time for a shower.”
“You do,” Remy says. “Want to take one here, or wait until you get your apartment?”
“Here. Your shower is so much nicer than the one at my apartment,” I sigh, pulling away from Hayden.
“Coffee is ready when you are. I’ll have breakfast ready shortly,” Remy says this in a lilting tone but he is watching me with hunger in his stare as I walk to the shower. “Fuck, you’re impossible to resist. I wish I’d woken you up an hour earlier.”
“After last night? I’m surprised I’m even conscious,” I groan, walking into the bathroom area and starting the shower.
Hayden gets up while I’m showering. He’s waiting for me when I step out, and before I can say a word, he pulls me close. I’m still damp from the shower, water droplets caught between our bodies, but he doesn’t seem to care.
His lips crush mine, and it’s different from anything before. Not just claiming. Not just need. This is something deeper. I melt into it, drinking him in, our tongues intertwine so long I’m practically seeing stars when our lips finally part. My heart is hammering, goosebumps spreading across my skin.
“That’s the first time you’ve kissed me like that,” I breathe out.
“I shouldn’t have waited so long,” he rumbles. “I was worried because it felt like something was missing. Now, I think we’re figuring out what that is.”
“Because I’m not just your mate… not just Remy’s mate?” I ask, feeling like I already know the answer.
“Yes,” he says. “If you belong to the pack, it’s only a matter of time before we’re able to complete the mating ritual properly. You’ll feel all our knots, and then…” He pauses, his hand slidingto rest on my stomach. “It’s only a matter of time before our future is growing inside you.”
I eat breakfast while Hayden showers. Remy is as good a cook as Hayden, but Remy seems to favor meat and protein. Hayden grumbles about there being no biscuits when he gets to the kitchen, but he doesn’t sound genuinely upset.
“I just heard from Storm and Wyatt,” Remy says. “Apartment is safe. Office is safe. Surveillance is all set up so we’ll know if there’s trouble.”
“They already did all that?” I ask, some surprise in my voice.
“See how much better this works when you talk to us instead of running off on your own?” Hayden grouses.
“If you hadn’t been so growly when I said I needed to go to work, I wouldn’t have had to run off,” I tease, giving Hayden a nudge.
“Don’t push it, mate,” Hayden’s growl proves my point, but there’s some playfulness in his voice. “We could always finish your punishment. Is that what you want?”
“No,” I pout. “I thought I was forgiven.”
“For running off,” Hayden says. “Next, you might get punished for that smart mouth.”
“Remy liked my smart mouth last night,” I say, grinning at him. “Didn’t you?”
“Don’t put me in the middle of this,” Remy chuckles. “Otherwise, you’ll end up between the two of us again.”
“We don’t have time,” Hayden growls, pushing his plate away and downing his coffee. “Let’s get a move on.”
“And after work, we get to go see Daisy, right?” I ask.
“Provided there are no complications,” Hayden replies.
Hayden and Remy shift into their Third Forms, then get dressed. I wait by the door until they’re ready to go. Remy and I exchange numbers before we leave.
We stop by my apartment so I can freshen up and change clothes. After that, they drive me to York Financial and stop the car in front of the building.
“One of us will be nearby,” Hayden says. “If there’s trouble, text me, then get as close as you can to a window and try to communicate with us. Remy and I will take shifts.”
“You really think I’m going to run into trouble inside?” I question.
