Page 73 of Bonded By Tea and Tarot

She bites her lip again and turns back to Jayce, eyes lowering to his now fully-hard dick beneath the blanket.

“You really don’t remember?” Jayce asks, sounding… sorrowful.

My heart twinges, but then Siobhan’s cheeks heat, and I take in her expression. “You do remember, don’t you?” I say.

“Maybe,” she says, bunching her shoulders up by her ears. “I kinda… didn’t think it was real. Thought it was a dream or something,” she mumbles.

Satisfaction drips through my veins, and I lean forward on my knees so I tower over her. “What else do you dream about, naughty omega?” I purr.

She swallows hard, then tips her chin up. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”

I grin and tuck a lock of stray hair behind her ear, then lean down to whisper, “I hope you do. And maybe then, I’ll share some of mine, too.”

Her lips part, and I desperately want to take them with mine, but we don’t need to fall back into that again.

“How about you and your newly bonded cock go take a shower while Aury and I get some late breakfast going?”

Jayce grunts a laugh, and Aury chuckles. Siobhan rolls her eyes, but doesn’t protest when Jayce stands, pulling her up with him and carting them both into the bathroom.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Siobhan

“I’m so sorry, Siobhan,” Jayce says as soon as he closes the bathroom door behind us. He sets me on the counter, and I shiver, prompting him to immediately pick me back up again. He holds me with one arm like it’s nothing and snags a towel off the rack, sets it on the counter, then places my bare ass on top of it. I absorb all of this with conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it feels so warm in my chest to be cared for like this, but on the other, I don’t want to be coddled. I’m not made of glass, and I’m afraid if I start to give in to these alphas that they’ll chip away at my independence until there’s nothing left of it.

I nibble on the corner of my lip while my mind flips back and forth.

When Jayce kneels on the tile floor in front of me, his eyes are level with my knees. I suck in a breath, but then his words register.

“Wait, what?”

“I bonded you without your permission, and I’m so sorry for taking that choice away from you.” His voice is low, mournful, and it tugs at my heart.

Then I realize that tug I’m feeling is him. That’s his emotion, his regret and sorrow sitting so heavy that they’re flooding the bond. Our bond. That he regrets.

“You…” My emotions plummet as hurt crashes into me. A quick blip of surprise at the strength of my reaction interrupts it, but only for a moment before my omega instincts take over again.

“Whoa,” Jayce says, his brows pulling together in concern. “Pretty omega, talk to me. Please. I’m not good at this, but I can feel your hurt.”

“And I feel your regret,” I choke out. “You regret bonding me?”

“No!” His eyes widen in alarm and I blink at the vehemence in his voice. “No,” he says, softer this time. “I don’t regret bonding you, not for a second. But I do regret that we didn’t talk about it first. That you didn’t…” He trails off and his eyes dart to the side. He licks his lips, then takes a deep breath. “I wish you had chosen this,” he whispers. “Chosen me.”

Oh. Oh.

I don’t know what to think, what to feel. My emotions are a riot in my chest while my mind sprints in chaotic circles. There is some anger that the choice was taken from me. I’m already losing control, risking my independence and the life I’ve built for myself. I rub my chest when his emotions tangle with mine, making things more confusing. His hope and warmth, sorrow and regret, devotion and…

I suck in a surprised gasp and our eyes lock.

“I’m yours,” he says, voice thick. “Whether you’re mine or not, I’ll always be yours.”

My mouth drops open as shock ripples through me. With that one sentence, he pushed back all of my fears. My worries and apprehension, all wiped away with only a few words. Because he just gave me my choice back.

“Jayce,” I whisper.

Hazel eyes blink up at me, so full of want I can’t take it.

“Kiss me,” I say.