She buries her head against my chest as I lie us down. And with the weight of her on top of me, our racing heartsand soft breaths the only sound, I murmur, “I love you, Revea.”
Her breathing pauses, caught. Then it resumes, and there’s a sniffle.
I tense, easing her back to see her face.
“Baby, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” I’m searching her body for any signs, but we’re locked together, and I can’t reach everywhere.
She shakes her head, tears falling, bright green eyes overflowing as they meet mine. “I’m...” She’s trying to get out her words between breaths. “I’m just... really sad... it’s over...”
Her body shakes with sobs she can’t stop as I wrap her in my arms, holding her as close to me as possible, soothing her with kisses to the top of her head.
“I know,” I murmur as she cries. “But this isn’t the end, Revea. Not if you don’t want it to be.”
She tries to stop crying, her chest rising and falling on desperate breaths. “I... I don’t... but I...” She shakes her head against my chest. “I just don’t know how... How will it all work? And I’m... I feel so...”
“Breathe for me, darlin’,” I soothe, fingers caressing her spine. She takes one deep breath that stutters out, then another. “That’s it. Good. So good for me.”
After a few more breaths, her face finally tilts up, her watery eyes searching mine. “I’m so scared, Kaiden.”
My heart aches seeing her like this, so vulnerable and open, nothing like the woman who glared at me on those salon stairs. And yet, I love this version of her just the same, because I know what those words really mean.
What she’s too afraid to say—
“I love you all so much itterrifiesme.”
She… she said it.
She loves us.
“Revea.” My voice drags into a growl. “You should be scared.” I lean in, nose to nose. “Because now you’ve said that, I won’t be able to let you go.”
She huffs, but it catches on the remnant of a sob. “Yeah? Even when I’m crying all over you?” She reaches up to brush away her tears.
I smile, thumbing away the few she missed. “Always.”
Her lips part, and I think she’s about to cry again, but she blinks them away and keeps her eyes shut as she says, “But how would it work? With the salon and the press.God, the press. I forgot about them…”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“…and your job! You’ve been so busy with me—what about all your other clients? You won’t have time, and I’ll be travelling for conventions soon, and oh god, how am I going to travel—”
“Revea.”
Her eyes snap open. My slow purr began at the first sign of her panic; now it’s almost as loud as my voice. It works, her words cutting out, gaze set with mine as my chest rumbles against hers.
“We don’t need to talk about this now.” She opens her mouth. “We will, I promise, but not now. Just be here, with me, us.”
Revea
Iwake in Kaiden’s arms. His warm chest beneath my cheek, breaths slow and steady. We unknotted at some point, maybe that’s what woke me, because all my other alphas are still fast asleep.
I slide down, easing out of his hold, and softly step out. On the edge of the nest, I stand, taking a moment to remember this scene. Bed sheets scattered, empty water bottles, and four large, naked, beautiful men in my nest.
For the first time in days, I feel warm, and it has nothing to do with my heat.
I sigh, then head to the bathroom.
I look, well… fucked. Like I’ve been fucked for days straight.
