“I get it, Kit,” Tristan said. “Fuck, I can feel it, every time you touch one of them and me, it flares hard. I don’t know where I am in that. You just made me your mate, something I never thought was possible, but…I want to work it out. We need to work it out.” I turned in Len’s arms, not wanting to dislodge him, but I needed to see my omega. “We’ll do this together, like we’ve done every other fucking thing. We’ll discover them like we discovered each other.”
“That’s all I want.” My words came out in a rush as he moved closer, Len’s lips on my neck. “I think it’s what we need, what will—”
Fuck, I was never, ever going to get used to this. The press of Tris’ mouth, the feel of Len’s, they were somehow greater than the sum of their parts, and I tried to inject that into the way I kissed my mate. He seemed to take my lead, his hands cupping my face, his grip tightening as things got hotter, harder, deeper, until finally, we pulled away to suck in our breaths.
“I’m always with you,” Tris promised. “Always. You take me places that scare the ever-loving shit out of me, but I will always jump with you, Kit. Never doubt that, even when I’m being an arse. Just…give me some time to adjust a little, y’know? I feel like I’ve been fighting the whole fucking world, especially the almighty Greyson tribe, for a right to be by your side, and sometimes it’s hard to lay down your guns and surrender.”
“And what does it feel like when you do?” I asked him, watching those sharp green eyes, seeing the shadows there as well as the light.
“Like dying.” Len and I snorted at that. “And being reborn. It’s fucking intense, more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced, and in some ways, that feels disloyal. How can it be more than what we share?”
“Because your whole self is involved,” Len said as I turned around to face him, his grip on me tightening and his other hand reaching for Tris.
He took it, initially in a masculine slap of hands, but the tenderness came as he was drawn closer. How could he not? There was something so bloody endless about Len, like he would always be this calm, strong presence in our life, and I caught the moment Tristan sagged against him, letting the alpha take his burdens. Then Tris surprised me, moving closer to me as he sought Len’s mouth of his own accord, so that I heard Len’s rumble of appreciation the moment their mouths touched.
Mine went dry, and I couldn’t look away for a second as I saw it—a tiny moment of conscious surrender, when Tristan gave himself to Len. Their kiss was slow and methodical, like Len was afraid to scare Tris, so he gave him the opportunity to lead. When they pulled away, Len looked eminently pleased before nuzzling into the side of my face, depositing little kisses there, while Tristan wavered a bit, shell-shocked. Knowing my mate, he probably thought lightning couldn’t strike twice, but he was about to find out how wrong he was.
“So what did I walk in on?” Len asked us. It took a second for us to respond.
“We wer
e going to explore things with Jackson,” I gasped out, feeling like I was more liquid than solid as I was held and caressed by the alpha. “He was a part of last night and—”
“And you felt like you needed my permission?”
“Fuck, Len,” Jackson said. “Anyone can see you’re going deep with these omegas. I wasn’t sure if you’d rip my fucking head off if you caught me kissing them.”
“They aren’t mine, and whatever this is, it isn’t exclusive. But, Jacks, this can’t be some roll in the hay.” Len’s voice dropped down, got more growly. “I won’t let you play with them.”
Jackson frowned slightly, looked like he’d just been slapped, but he rallied quickly.
“Jesus, mate, it’s been a fucking long time since you involved yourself in my love life, so I’ll give you a pass for that.”
How the hell was Len missing this? Jackson looked like he was wearing his whole heart on his sleeve right now, but Len, he was distracted by us. That alone had me pulling away and moving closer to Jackson, who smiled slightly, then scooped me up and put me across his lap.
“I don’t know Kit and Tristan yet, but even I can tell there’s something more here.”
The leather wristband rustled as his hand moved, his thumb tracing the line of my bottom lip, and bad girl that I was, my lips parted to touch it with my tongue.
“I’d want Kit or Tristan if they just walked into my bar, looking for a drink, each on their own, but together?” I could hear the hitch in his breath. “You’re right, mate—they’re too fucking beautiful.”
I liked the way he tipped my mouth up to make it easier for him to reach, the backs of his fingers stroking my cheek.
“But there’s more to them than pretty faces or pouty little lips that make me think thoughts I fucking shouldn’t.”
Whoa, that deep voice, it vibrated through me much like an alpha’s would, and my breath caught in my chest as a result.
“What you’re looking for is more than a hard cock, isn’t it, love? You want to build something.”
And that there was why I was here, why he was allowed to touch me, hold me. That yearning…it was a twin of my own, and right then, it felt like we were the only two completely on the same page. I stared into his eyes and saw the certainty, the vision we shared. What if this became our life? What if we were all welded together so tightly, no one else could come between us? What if we were a pack?
“I mighta fucked around in my younger days. We couldn’t afford relationships, not when we were running with the gangs, but I’ve been out for years. I went legit, built something solid, and now I’m ready to bring someone into my life.” I leant into his hand, needing, wanting, something more now. “And after last night, I’m beginning to think that’s plural—it’s someones. Kit, I need to kiss you now.”
We moved together, my fingers finding all that heavy silken hair, glorying in the slip of it between them before I felt everything I’d described to Tristan—the prickle of his beard, the hiss of his breath, the feel of his lips, plush and soft. They began to harden, wanting more from me, and I gave it to him, surrendering to this little moment, opening my mouth, feeling the thrust of his tongue, and twisting on his lap at the sensation.
“OK, that was fucking hot…” Jacks rasped when we finally pulled away. “And I think I need more.”
“Then try me.”