Page 25 of Bite for Sore Eyes

RATH

Dawn filtered through the windows of Lana's guest room, casting golden streaks across the rumpled sheets where three bodies lay intertwined. Rath's consciousness surfaced slowly, pulled from the deepest sleep he'd experienced in months by the unfamiliar weight of another person pressed against his chest. Lana's back molded perfectly against him, her long black hair spilling across his body like silk, and her breathing was deep and even in a rhythm that soothed his soul. On her other side, Torren's muscled arm curved possessively around her waist, his face peaceful in sleep as she nestled against his chest.

This should feel wrong, Rath thought, his analytical mind cataloging the unprecedented situation. Sharing a bed. Sharing her. All of it.

But as he lay there, absorbing the profound intimacy of their tangled limbs and synchronized breathing, wrong was the last thing it felt like. If anything, the three of them together created a sense of completion he hadn't realized he'd been missing his entire life.

Last night had shattered every expectation he'd carried about what their triad relationship might look like. He'd braced himself for awkwardness, jealousy, and the inevitable clash of two Alphas competing for the same prize. Instead, something entirely different had unfolded—a seamless choreography of trust and desire that had felt impossibly natural.

We never would have done it with anyone else, his bear rumbled. But for her? For our mate? There's nothing we wouldn't do.

The memory of Lana's soft cries of pleasure, the way she'd reached for both of them with equal hunger, the trust in her eyes as she'd guided them through uncharted territory—it all blurred together into a haze of sensation and emotion that made his chest tight. And the mate bond. That connection during those intimate moments had been like nothing he'd ever experienced. Every spike of pleasure she'd felt had echoed through him, amplified and reflected back until he couldn't tell where his sensations ended and hers began. And when Torren had touched her, Rath had felt her response as keenly as if it were his own hands drawing those reactions from her body.

It should have driven his bear insane with territorial fury. Instead, it had created an intoxicating feedback loop of shared ecstasy that had left him reeling.

A soft grunt from across Lana's sleeping form caught his attention. Torren's eyes were open now, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep as he took in their intimate arrangement. His gaze found Rath's over the crown of Lana's head, and for a moment they simply looked at each other—two Alphas who had crossed a line they could never uncross.

"How are you feeling about last night?" Rath asked quietly.

Torren's expression grew thoughtful, his hand absently stroking Lana's hip. "It was challenging at first," he admitted. "My bear had some very strong opinions about sharing our mate in the most intimate way possible. But once we got on the same page about what mattered—making her feel good, cherishing her—everything just... worked."

Rath nodded, understanding completely. "My bear struggled too, initially. But seeing her enjoy herself, seeing you enjoy yourself..." He paused, searching for the right words. "It made everything feel natural instead of forced."

"So, are you good with sleeping in the same bed together?" Torren asked, his voice carrying a note of genuine concern. "Was that awkward for you?"

"Actually, no. It felt like we both wanted her to feel safe and comforted, and because of that, it felt right. Like this was what we were supposed to accomplish together for her—all of it, actually." Rath moved slightly, careful not to disturb Lana. "Maybe this is what fifteen years of partnership and thirty years of friendship was leading up to. Building us into a solid enough unit that we could give her the foundation she needs."

Torren's eyes lit with understanding. "That's actually brilliant when you think about it. Fate making sure our relationship was as strong as it could possibly be so we could give her exactly what she needs to live fully."

The conversation was interrupted by a soft, sleepy chuckle from between them.

"You guys are too loud," she murmured, her voice husky with sleep and tinged with amusement. "Will it be like this every morning?"

Rath couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He pressed his lips to the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, inhaling her wildflower scent. "Sorry."

"Sorry," Torren echoed, his own apology accompanied by a gentle kiss to her head.

"Well, I guess I can forgive you two," she said, melting further into their combined warmth. "Especially if I get to wake up like this every day."

Every day.

The words hit Rath with unexpected force. The casual way she said it, as if she were planning a future with them, sent a spike of fierce protectiveness through his chest. His eyes met Torren's again, and the silent communication that passed between them was crystal clear.

We'll give her that. However long we have.

The thought crashed over him like ice water, shattering the peaceful morning haze. Her illness. Her terminal prognosis. The year—maybe less—that she had left to live.

How could I have forgotten, even for a moment?

The weight of her confession from the night before settled back onto his shoulders like a familiar burden. Progressive neural synchronization disorder. No cure. No effective treatment. A catastrophic system failure that would eventually claim her life, and he'd promised not to pressure her into seeking medical help.

But that didn't mean he couldn't explore options on his own time, did it? Surely there was something their healers could do, some advanced treatment that Earth's medicine hadn't considered. He couldn't just sit back and wait for his mate to die—not when he'd finally found her, not when they'd just discovered this balance between the three of them.

The challenge would be doing it without losing her trust, without making her feel like he was trying to control her choices or reduce her to nothing more than a medical problem to be solved.

There has to be a way, he thought fiercely, his arm tightening around her. I won't lose her.

The shrill buzz of Rath's communicator sliced through the peaceful morning air, shattering the intimate cocoon they'd woven around themselves. Rath's eyes snapped toward the device, his Alpha instincts immediately on high alert because dawn calls never brought good news.