Jonah clears his throat, coughing. “I will, um… go take care of this,” Jonah says, rushing off into the bathroom and shutting the door. I can feel his embarrassment and frustration through the bond. I laugh at Jonah’s quick departure, and Kyan shakes his head, staring at the door where Jonah disappeared, before looking back down at me.
“Next time, you can be piggy in the middle,” Kyan laughs, the sound is like music to my ears, and that smile makes him even more handsome. I smile, just happy to see he is okay after last night.
“I never should have rejected you, Ella. Though, I am glad that you have Jonah, but if we-” he stops mid-sentence and sighs, and shakes his head. We… that little word… silently, hope starts blossoming within me.
Kyan chews his lip. “If we.. I mean… if you want..?” He sighs, dropping his head before trying again, and I can see the tinge to his cheeks, like he has no idea what he is trying to ask for. And I find his awkwardness adorable and so endearing. I know what he is trying to say, but seeing him try, seeing him take this moment, seeing his raw emotions and this gentle side of him, I want to savor it. A flicker of consciousness from Kora within me makes my heart beat faster as she presses forward with me. Peering at our mate.
“Damn, it must be really salty tasting,” Kora laughs. “So cute, look at him stuttering,” Kora snickers, and I bite the inside of my lip, trying not to laugh at her words while watching Kyan try to spit out the words he wants to desperately find and voice.
He isn’t usually someone who struggles with words. He has a bad habit of using them as weapons. But this is like seeing a different Kyan, one I know would be reserved for his mates. My eyes roam his handsome face while he tries to form a damn sentence that makes sense.
“I say go cave dweller style, just mark him and make him your bitch,” Kora says, growling and shaking her head, urging me to claim our mate, not wanting to waste another moment while he stumbles over his words. She doesn’t care that he already rejected us. She wants him anyway, and so do I. Him, leaving me didn’t change that. “Just give him a big old love bite,” she snickers.
I roll my eyes at her before turning my attention back to Kyan, who is still stumbling over his words. Okay, that’s enough. Let me help the man out of his misery. I know what he wants to say.
With a sigh, I grip his shoulders and yank him closer, pressing my lips to his. Kyan’s blabbering words cut off from whatever gibberish he was speaking or trying to speak. His shock only lasts moments before he kisses me back. He closes his eyes, his breath hitches as he heaves in a shaky breath. He forces his tongue between my lips, tangling it with mine as his lips dominate my mouth. He purrs, tasting every inch and making me tug him closer. Something wet touches my cheek as his arm slips under my back, pulling me on top of him, so I am straddling his lap. Oh, goddess, this feels good. His strong, muscular body pressing against mine.
Kyan sits up, his hands grabbing, his fingers digging into my flesh as he kisses me with passion filled hunger. His hands roam over my body before one escapes, slipping inside my shirt and going to my breast. He palms and squeezes it. An approving growl escapes him and I arch my back and throw my head back as pleasure ignites, setting my body alight with desire. I pull away, hearing Jonah’s voice coming from the bathroom.
“You are not helping my situation here. Hello, stop doing whatever you are doing, or I will end up rubbing the damn skin off it,” Jonah calls, making me laugh.
I look at the bathroom door over my shoulder. Kyan chuckles, and I turn back to him, his eyes all bloodshot, tear tracks bleed down his cheeks. I wipe them away gently and kiss his eyes. His thick black lashes flutter slowly as he looks at me and he smiles sadly before his gaze moves to the ceiling as if he is embarrassed to be caught looking so vulnerable.
“I don’t deserve you or Jonah,” Kyan breathes out, pressing his forehead against mine.
“Says you,” I tell him, running my fingers through his hair and grabbing a handful.
I jerk his head to the side, sinking my teeth into his neck. His blood spills into my mouth and coats my tongue. His emotions flood into me as the bond stretches and merges with Jonah’s, expanding and making room for him, too. How it should have been all along. His regret, guilt, shock, and sadness mix with happiness – all of that bleeds into me at once. And it is so intense that it nearly brings me to tears.
Kyan clutches me closer; his grip is tight, like he thinks I will disappear from his grasp at any moment, his strong arms engulfing me. I pull my teeth from his neck before running my tongue over it and sealing the mark. I vaguely hear the bathroom door open when I mark him, before feeling the bed dip behind him. I look up to see Jonah with a towel around his waist. He climbs onto the bed behind Kyan. His hair is still wet as he crawls over to Kyan who drops his head against my chest.
Jonah leans over, gripping my chin and tilting my face up to his. He kisses my lips softly over Kyan’s shoulder, and groans into my mouth, deepening it for a few seconds, then reluctantly pulling away.
Jonah then settles behind him, his legs going either side of his. Jonah then sinks his teeth into Kyan’s neck over my mark. Kyan jumps when Jonah’s teeth pierce his skin, and Kyan’s grip on me tightens, his chest heaving heavily as Jonah marks Kyan as his before pulling his teeth out and sealing it with his saliva as he runs his tongue over it. Kyan shivers at the sensation.
“Welcome home,” Jonah tells him, wrapping his arms around us both and squashing Kyan between us.
I feel their bond snap into place, and the warmth coming from within Kyan makes Kaif press forward. And Kyan indeed feels like he is home, or at least has one for the first time in ages, like he finally belongs somewhere and that place is with us. It has always been with us.
His body ripples against mine and his eyes flicker to the darkness that is Kaif. “Just so we are all clear, no donutting. I will not be touching your donut, and you will die before you ever touch mine. Are we clear? We are mates, just not those sorts of mates. We are, what is the term… friends but with no benefits,” Kaif states, making me snort as Jonah climbs off the bed to dry himself.
“Wow, you have a way with words,” I laugh.
“Thank you, love; I have no issue touching your donut, though,” Kaif says, and I pull a face at him.
“Yeah, not happening,” I mutter.
“That’s what she thinks,” Jonah chuckles, and Kaif laughs while I raise an eyebrow at Jonah.