He nods. “The manor. The nest. Us.”
He can’t be serious.
They haven’t actually bought this house for me, have they? But the intent in all their gazes tells me otherwise, reminding me of what else is mine.
“Thank you, alphas,” I say.
Their eyes soften, but their bodies remain tense.
I run my fingers through the plush fur of blankets, toeing off my heels and tossing them out of the nest. “But are youreallymine?”
I don’t need to feel their bond to know how it spikes. The air buzzes. Their jaws sharpen, expressions once filled with hunger now tainted with confusion.
I reach for the zip of my dress.
“You know we are,” Val says, dark eyes following my hand as I pull it down, then following the bare curve of my shoulder as I ease off the sleeve.
“But how would others know?” I tease off the second shoulder, letting the material pool around my waist.
Their eyes dart to the pale pink bralette I selected after my tour of the manor this morning.
“There were a lot of omegas watching you today,” I continue as I pull the dress lower, past my thighs, over my knees.
Their eyes track every piece of skin as it’s displayed.
“There were more people watching you,” Luc rebukes, but there’s no teasing; he almost sounds angry... Jealous.
Good.
When the dress is at my feet, I push it away with my toes, then lean back on my hands, parting my legs slightly. The heat of their gaze drags over my shins, my knees, onto the matching lace panties.
“Well, how do we fix that problem, alphas?” I tilt my head, pushing out my lower lip like I’m deep in thought.
They don’t move; they just stare. Their alphas right there, their scents potent. If I were in heat, I’d be on my hands and knees in present mode by now. But I’m not.
And that’s just how I want this.
I want them to see that I’m making this decision now, without hormones, without insatiable need.
“Bites are permanent,” Sylvan says, like he’s repeating it from a manual.
“I know.” I smile, which makes his brows pinch. I stretch my neck out further, lowering my voice. “I don’t want to do temporary anymore—”
An audible snap rings in the air as four alphas descend into my nest, hands, tongues, and mouths covering every piece of me.
My underwear is ripped away, and then someone’s between my legs, licking away my wetness with a groan, someone else devouring my lips with a soft growl, more hands squeezing my breasts, an alpha’s teeth grazing… my throat.
But their teeth barely touch, hardly press. Cautious.
I twist away from the tongue in my mouth to peer up into Kaiden’s eyes.
He’s hesitating.
His dark grey gaze is filled with heat, pupils wide, but it’s twisted with concern. They drop to my throat, back up to my eyes, then he leans back.
“Revea,” he murmurs, and all the kissing, licking, and touching stops. “You know I love you, thatwelove you... We can wait.”
“Do… you not want this?” I try to hide the quiver in my voice by swallowing. “Am I pushing you—”
