Page 69 of Knot Now Knot Ever

“Like a rock. I almost didn’t wake up to the alarm I set,” he shared, then kissed my forehead before letting me go. “If you’re hungry, there are pancakes ready. I think Tanner plans to feed a small army with how many he’s making.”

When I looked back at the kitchen, I found Tanner watching us as he leaned his elbows on the counter with his hands cupping his face. He had a sappy smile, which turned into a grin when he realized we’d caught him. “God, I love my life. You two are disgustingly cute together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A laugh burst out of me at his statement. I was happy to see Tanner acting more like the man I’d been getting to know. No one seemed to know what had gotten under Tanner’s skin last night, but he’d had a hard time shaking off whatever it was.

“Come sit. I will feed you both,” Tanner instructed, using his spatula to gesture. “We have regular, chocolate chip, or my personal favorite, peanut butter chip.”

“I’ve never had peanut butter chip pancakes before,” I shared, reaching for a stool.

Eli beat me to it, pulled out the stool, then grabbed my hips to place me on the seat. He left his hands where they were as he stood behind me, his chest pressed to my back.

Meanwhile, Tanner grabbed a plate, placed two pancakes on it, then snatched a glass bottle from a pot on the stove. The amber liquid was lighter than normal syrup, causing me to wonder what exactly he’d used. To finish off the meal’s presentation, Tanner shook the can of whipped cream while doing cheesy dance moves, making me laugh so hard my cheeks hurt. A perfect little mountain of whipped cream in the middle of the pancake wiggled as the plate was set in front of me.

“Oh, what’s that?” Tanner asked, squinting at my face.

I froze, trying to think what I could have possibly missed after looking in the mirror. “What?”

Moving as fast as lightning, Tanner swiped a finger through the cream and plopped it on my nose. “Are you telling me you can’t see that? It’s right there on your nose,” Tanner pointed out with mock seriousness, gesturing for me to lean forward. “Come here, starlight, let me clean that up.”

I gave into the game as warm feelings of nostalgia washed through me. As a child, I’d watched my fathers play this game with my mother, each glowing with love for one another. Tanner kissed my nose, then licked off the whipped cream, only to put more on my lips as an excuse. No tricks were needed. I would gladly kiss any of my Alphas, but this moment felt special. It was as if I were catching a glimpse into what life would be like living here with these men. Sure, not every morning would be pancakes and dance parties, but behind all that were genuine feelings of safety, acceptance, and love.

“There, all clean,” Tanner declared, grinning like a fool. “Now it’s time for you to dig in and sample my world-famous butterscotch and peanut butter chip pancakes. If you don’t like them, no worries. It just means there’s more for me to eat.”

My stomach grumbled, urging me to pick up the fork. I cut a small wedge and popped it into my mouth. It was an explosion of sweet, buttery pecan followed by the savory, creamy peanut butter to help balance out the butterscotch syrup. This was an indulgence, to be sure, but one I eagerly enjoyed.

“Looks like you found a convert,” Pascal said as he entered the kitchen wearing only black sweatpants and his gold-rimmed glasses.

The sound of my fork as it clattered to the plate after it slipped through my fingers echoed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. Obviously, I’d seen Pascal naked and rather recently, but there was something panty-melting about this relaxed devil-may-care look. It was as if I were seeing the raw, uncut version of Pascal that could only be found in a place he felt totally comfortable, and it was fucking sexy.

Pascal’s cheeks reddened at my gawking. The embarrassment caused him to rub the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked anywhere but at me. “Ah, morning, guys.”

“Are you gonna join us for pancakes, or would you prefer eggs? I know you’re not much of a sweets guy,” Tanner asked.

“I’ll have a pancake, but if you don’t mind, can I make bacon for everyone?” Pascal questioned.

“Have at it, my man, no one is gonna turn down bacon,” Tanner said, pulling out a baking tray for Pascal to use.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the smell of bacon, which magically summoned the last two members of our pack. Zachary looked far more awake than Fawn, and my guess was because he’d showered, the wet hair giving him away.

Fawn looked like a sleepy kitten, hair all wild and yawning as he hugged Pascal. “Good morning, Passie.”

“Careful, little bro, I have to flip the bacon, and I won’t want it to splatter on you,” Pascal warned when the timer went off.

Fawn nodded and shuffled over to Tanner, who enveloped the Omega in a hug, kissing the top of his head. “You mean good afternoon, right?”

“Nope, if it’s when you first wake up, it’s morning,” Fawn argued, nuzzling against Tanner’s chest.

Tanner chuckled and released Fawn with a quick peck on the lips. Rounding the counter, Fawn made a beeline right for me. He swiveled the stool so he could stand between my legs, cup my face, and kiss the hell out of me. My hands fisted in his soft, oversized T-shirt as I melted at his touch. Our bond ignited, sizzling along my skin, and made the hair on the back of my neck tingle in delight.

“Oh, thank fuck.” Fawn sighed, resting his forehead against mine. “I was so worried it had all been a heat haze dream, and we weren’t really bonded.”

“It’s definitely not a dream,” I assured him, then pulled back to see his face. “Will all the bonds feel like this?”

“Yes and no,” Fawn offered as he yawned.

A mug filled with coffee was slid across the counter to Fawn, who blew a kiss of thanks to Zachary. Then I was given a gorgeous tea cup with a matching saucer filled with bright-smelling tea. The cup was white with a painted pink lily and ivy. Around the handle and the base of the cup was painted gold, while the inside was a soft, subtle pink.

“This is stunning,” I whispered in awe, gingerly picking it up.