Logan’s POV
At the risk of sounding like some hopelessly love-struck fool-even to myself-I had to admit, life didn’t get better than this. It felt unreal, lying here with my arms wrapped around my impossibly gorgeous mate. Every time she fell asleep against me, letting me hold her through the night, it was like being granted a dream I never even knew I wanted. I couldn’t make sense of it. None of it felt real-because peace and contentment like this simply hadn’t existed in my world. Not until her.
I mean, hell, we hadn’t even fully mated yet-and I didn’t give a damn. The guy who once only chased one thing, the guy branded a man-whore by everyone who knew him, now wanted nothing more than to hold this woman and feel the weight of her belonging to me.
And what we just shared? That was hotter-no, more real-than any time I’d ever fucked anyone before.
Sure, I wanted to mark her. Mate her. Make her mine in the most permanent, primal way. But I wouldn’t rush her. Because when the time did come-and yeah, I’d savor every moment of it-I’d know one thing for certain: I didn’t need that to be happy. I only needed her to be.
I glanced down at her sleeping form and gently brushed her silky curls aside, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. Careful not to wake her. Her lips twitched upward into a small smile, even in sleep. She liked my touch. That single truth lit something fierce inside me.
And damn, the way she responded to us tonight-the way she surrendered herself, even without knowing what her “punishment” would be-it had me hard all over again just thinking about it.
I hated that she’d tangled with that other Alpha. But despite everything, she was still so new to all of this. Innocent. Untouched in ways that mattered.
I’d honestly expected her to tap out, use her safe word. But she didn’t. She let go. Trusted us. And yeah, we took it slow-eased her in-but it was still a lot, especially for someone new to that side of intimacy.
Another reason-another damn good reason-why she was perfect for us.
I knew sleep wasn’t in the cards for me tonight. Not for a while, at least. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Felt her. And my body responded like it was the first time all over again. The way she’d knelt on the bed, her flushed cheeks, her fingers dancing over her own skin-fuck, I was burning.
I’d seen my share of naked women, every shape and size. I’d appreciated them in the moment, sure. But Lia? I’d fantasized about her for so long, imagined what those curves looked like beneath her clothes. And last night, I’d gotten to feel every one of them. How perfectly her body molded into my hands.
But tonight? Seeing her in full light? My fantasies didn’t even come close.
Her round, full breasts with their soft pink peaks, her bare, smooth pussy, the perfect swell of her ass-everything about her body was made for me. For us. I could barely breathe just thinking about the day I’d feel her riding my cock, clinging to me like I was all she needed.
But it was more than that.
It was the look in her eyes-those brilliant, stormy blues that locked onto mine like they saw my soul. It was the shape of her lips, full and pink, begging to be kissed. The graceful line of her neck, the elegant slope of her shoulders. Her slim waist flaring into hips made for holding, for worshiping. And those legs? Goddess, those legs. Built to wrap around me and never let go.
My own ragged breathing pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was me-panting like I’d just run miles. Just the memory of her had me undone. And the ache in my cock? Unrelenting. How was I ever going to get enough of her?
“You okay, bro?” Liam’s voice reached me through the mind-link.
“Yeah… Actually, no,” I admitted. “I just-she just-” The words failed me. I couldn’t explain the intensity, not even to myself.
“I get it, man,” Liam replied, his tone soft, understanding. “I’m struggling to believe it too. I always had this image of what I hoped my mate would be… but she’s more. So much more.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” I muttered, heart clenching tight. “I’m scared, Liam. If she doesn’t accept us… if she walks away-it’ll break me.”
He laughed. The asshole laughed. Here I was, spilling my guts, and the bastard had the audacity to laugh.
“I’m sorry,” he linked, still chuckling in my head. “I know it’s not funny. I feel it too. But hearing you talk like this? Damn. Where’s the guy who used to bolt the second someone said ‘mate’?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed. “Guess I earned that. I was a shallow, selfish asshole.”
“But I’m serious,” I added, voice dropping. “She’s changed everything. She makes me want to be better-not just for her, but for the pack. For our future. I need her, Liam. Like I need air.”
As if she heard me, the little wolf in my arms shifted, snuggling deeper into me. My heart stuttered when she murmured in her sleep, “Mmmm… my Alphas,” her free hand reaching out blindly until it landed on Liam’s chest, tugging him closer.
We both froze. Not daring to breathe. Her sleepy voice echoed in our minds like a sacred vow.
“Did she just…?” Liam whispered aloud.
“She did,” I confirmed, hiding my ridiculous grin in her hair.
For a long moment, we said nothing-just letting the moment sink in. Letting it fill us.
Finally, Liam’s voice came through the link again.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” I answered without hesitation.
“The last couple of nights… the three of us-how do you think that was even possible?” His question caught me off guard, but I wasn’t about to miss the chance to give him shit for it.
“Since you were pretty hands-on, I figured you understood how things worked,” I laughed, teasing. “Did Dad skip the infamous talk with you or what?”
“I’m serious, Logan. We need to talk about this,” Liam replied, his voice casual, but edged with something heavier.
“You used to swear up and down you’d never share your mate,” he went on. “Every time I brought it up, you bailed or changed the subject. But ever since things got physical with Lia, it’s like we’ve been in sync. Like we already knew what the other was thinking before it happened. We haven’t even needed the mind-link during… well, you know.”
I nodded slowly, sighing. “Honestly? I always believed a mate was the one thing I could never share. The thought of someone else touching her used to fill me with this uncontrollable rage. But when that bond snapped into place, it was like everything just… aligned. I saw her. I felt her. And I knew right away I wasn’t the only one who wanted her. You did too.”
I paused, exhaling. “Making her choose between us would’ve hurt her-and I couldn’t stomach that. Somehow, it just stopped mattering. You were right all along. The Moon Goddess made it this way. I should’ve trusted that she knew what she was doing.”
Liam hummed, clearly deep in thought. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t crave time alone with her, or that she won’t want the same,” I added gently. “And it doesn’t mean jealousy won’t creep in sometimes.”
“Have you felt jealous?” he asked.
“Yeah. A little. But probably not how you’d expect. Sometimes it feels like you and her connect better. You’ve got more in common.”
“I’ve felt it too,” he admitted. “But kind of the opposite. She and I might click on some things, but I think she’s drawn to the ways you’re different. The contrast excites her.”
“Then we need to stop thinking like that,” I said firmly. “Like Elder Keziah told us, the three of us are together for a reason. And that reason isn’t to spend our lives competing or second-guessing her love. We just have to commit to being open-talking about things as they come up, and more importantly, believing in our hearts that she loves us both equally. Because she will.”
As if on cue, Lia murmured in her sleep. “Liam… Logan…” she breathed softly.
Liam chuckled under his breath. “Yeah… I think you’re right,” he said through the link.
We didn’t speak again after that, but I lay awake a little longer, listening to the quiet harmony of their breathing-steady and synchronized. Somehow, I knew when sleep finally took me, my own rhythm would match theirs. That’s how it was meant to be. The three of us-together, in every sense.
Lia was already up and energized the next morning. When the alarm buzzed, Liam and I opened our eyes to see her practically bouncing at the foot of the bed like a kid on Christmas morning, beaming with excitement.
She stood in tight pink leggings and a black sports bra, practically glowing.
“Enjoying the view, sweetheart?” I smirked, stretching lazily. I was in nothing but my boxers, arms behind my head, abs fully on display. Come on-what’s not to like?
She gave me a cheeky grin. “Not particularly. But clearly, you are.” She tilted her head toward my morning wood.
Damn. Walked right into that one. Liam let out a snort of laughter beside me.
She bent down to retrieve a throw pillow and chucked it at my face. “Up and at ’em, boys! Let’s see what you’re made of!”
We both groaned.
“I don’t need a training session for that. Come back to bed-I’ll show you exactly what I’m made of,” I teased.
“Are you really trying to distract me? Afraid of a ‘tiny’ little girl like me?” she tossed back, using our own words against us.
That did it. Liam jumped out of bed, scooped her up, and slung her over his shoulder as she squealed, laughing.
I followed-grudgingly-stopping at my room to throw on some clothes and grab my gear. By the time I stepped out, they were already emerging from Liam’s room, hand-in-hand, Lia pulling him eagerly down the hallway.
“Move it, Alpha!” she called over her shoulder with a smirk.
I grabbed her free hand and pulled her gently into my chest, halting her stride.
“Wait-an occasion like this calls for a little wager,” I murmured, lowering my voice as I ran my nose along her jawline, dropping a kiss on her marking spot.
She shivered. “What kind of wager?”
“If you lose,” I whispered, “you shower with us after training.”
She blinked, caught off guard but clearly intrigued. “Sure,” she said boldly. “Not like that’ll happen. What do I get when I win?”
“What do you want, baby girl?” I asked, lips grazing her skin.
Her eyes lit up, and she bit her lip, clearly scheming.
“If I win,” she purred, “I’ll still shower with you. But you’re not allowed to look. Or touch. I’ll be right beside you, completely naked, running my hands all over my wet, soapy body-and you won’t be able to do a thing.”
Goddess help us.
“You better not lose, bro,” I warned Liam through the link.