“No, thank you,” Logan said. “The last thing I want while fucking you from behind is to stare at my own face.”
“But you’re so pretty.”
“You’re prettier.”
I flushed at the compliment.
“Trinity,” Theo said, the tone unmistakable. “Come kneel in front of Aiden.”
The motion felt so much more natural than it had before I started training. Theo noticed and nodded with a smile. The warmth of the approval helped settle me as I knelt between Aiden’s legs.
“This is our solution to the collar problem,” he said, holding out his hand.
Two tiny padlocks rested on his palm. No bigger than a charm for a bracelet. But they wereopen. They werereal. He opened his other hand and showed me the tiny matching keys.
“Give me your wrist.”
I offered him my left hand, palm up.
Aiden took one of the tiny padlocks and wove it through the latch of my bracelet before clicking it closed. My heart started beating faster. It was locked to my wrist. I couldn’t take it off without the key. The tiny locks weren’t big enough to draw any attention.
Taking one of the tiny keys, he slid it into the padlock and opened it with a quick turn.
Theo cleared his throat. “Every morning, before you leave the house, one of us will lock the bracelets on you. Or, if something happens where we can’t, you’ll lock yourself in them. In the evening, we’ll unlock them to take them off.”
“I’ve already ordered them in every metal color I’ve seen you wear. So they’ll match. But there are all kinds of colors and shapes. I plan on ordering more. And I’ve ordered enough keys for all of us to have a set. You will not have any keys.” Aiden put the lock back on my wrist, and then did the other one. “But you’ll know where they are for emergencies.”
Nothing about the physical sensation of my bracelets had changed. But theyfeltdifferent. Now they weremorethan jewelry. They were a link to my Alphas and the life we were building together. They carried new weight. Good weight.
“What do you think?” Bastian asked.
Emotion welled up. I wasn’t sure how I felt about them could befully captured in words. All I could manage was a whisper. “I love them. How did you even find something so small and functional?”
“It took some time,” Aiden said. “I’d been thinking about it for a while. Our conversation a few days ago cemented it. I spoke to the others, and we agreed to present it to you. There are plenty of little padlocks that open, but they’re not true locks. I found someone who could make a real lock in a miniature size.”
Brooks leaned back and spread his arms along the back of the couch. “So that means you can’t just pop a pin in there and take them off to be a brat.”
“You know, I hadn’t thought about that, but thanks for the idea.”
“It won’t work.”
“Never stopped me from trying something before.”
He nodded slowly. “Go ahead. Try it.”
I probably wouldn’t. This wasn’t something I wanted to mess with. But it was always good to keep my Alphas on their toes.
Looking up at Aiden, I found him staring at me. “I promise I won’t unlock them. Can I see the key?”
He set it in my outstretched palm. It was sotiny. I stroked a finger over the metal. “Are you sure you won’t lose them?”
Theo spoke. “We’ll make sure. But having five sets will help. I think Aiden ordered extras in case.”
“I did.” He paused, turning my free hand palm up and touching the lock there. “Can I take how sweet you smell right now as an acceptance of our proposal?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. There was nothing I wanted more than to be wanted so deeply they had to stake their claim toeveryone. “Yes. I want it.” I looked at him and gave him the key back. “Thank you. For this.”
“You’re welcome, violet.”
