“You were a Chip scout?” Perry asks.
“I’ll tell you both all about it tonight. It’ll be your bedtime story.” There’s the sound of kissing and just when I think they’ve completely forgotten about me, Buckle says, “We’ll be there in thirty.”
I rush to the bathroom to shower. Then it’s waiting for eternity for them to show up. When the soft knock to the door comes forty-five minutes later instead of thirty I let the tension leave my body.
“Sorry, babe. We got distracted in the shower.” Buckle runs a hand through his still wet hair.
Perry’s cheeks flush, and he casts his gaze down. “Sorry. I think my Heat is getting close. Not quite here though.”
“It’s okay.” I move from the door and let them in. “I half expected you both to run up the building in your shifted forms to spy on me again.” I snort, glad it got them both to grin.
“Thought about it,” Buckle says as he wraps his arms around me. I sink in to his hold and drop my head to his shoulder. He’s so warm and cozy.
Buckle lets me go and I hug Perry, breathing in the scent that now matches Buckle’s. They must see my shoulders drop. I don’t mean to hang my head.
“Sweetness.” Perry holds out his hand. There’s a small chunk of soap and a small shampoo bottle. “We thought you’d want to smell like us, too.”
“Thank you.” I take the gifts and rush to the bathroom. I scrub my hands and up my arms in the sink, not making too big of a mess.
They watch me from the door. Perry knocks his shoulder into Buckle’s. “Told you he’d love it.”
I press my hands to my face and breathe in the orangey pine scent of the soap. “Thank you.”
Buckle yawns and Perry tips his head toward my bedroom. “How about we settle in?”
“Okay, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you that it’s small.” I flip on the light and they both gasp.
“This nest is what dreams are made of.” Perry skips inside my room. “When we’re ready to have babies, you’re building my nest with me.”
I freeze. “You’d want that?”
“Of course I do.” Perry tugs me to him. “Can I kiss you?” He pushes hair from my eyes and I nod.
He’s soft, lips smooth and fruity as if he put flavored balm on before coming here.
His fingers thread through my hair and massage my scalp. He pulls away and I don’t want him to. “Are you okay, sweet Beta?”
“Yeah, much better now. I was spinning earlier.”
“I could feel it,” Perry says. He kisses my forehead before leaning back and looking me in the eye. “You’re a part of us too. I can feel you here.” He rubs his chest. “I know we’re not bonded and we’ve been on a few dates, but you’re ours. Please talk to us.”
“There’s not much to say that you don’t know anymore. The Kettle fucked me up and I don’t feel like I’m worthy of kindness, let alone love.”
Buckle wraps his arms around us both. “Babe, you’re worthy of love and kindness and all your dreams to come true.” He kisses the top of my head and yawns again. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Perry leads us to my nest. He drops his hands to his hips and looks around. “It looks big enough for the three of us to cuddle. Abel, you get in the middle.”
He waves for me to comply, and I do. It’s easy to follow directions when someone tells me what to do. I don’t have to think. “Then Buckle, get on his right and I’ll take the left side. Does that work?”
I nod as Buckle curls in beside me. Perry turns off the light and my small nightlight turns on. Before long, Perry has me in his hold, too. This feels more intimate than our other cuddle times. This feels like a true claiming. They could have stayed at Buckle’s, but they chose to come to me.
