Dahlia’s POV
All I wanted was to scrub the day off my skin and forget it ever happened. Without a second thought, I made a beeline for the bathroom, closing the door behind me with a quiet click. As comforting as it would’ve been to curl up in my mates’ arms, I needed a moment alone-just a few minutes of silence.
I twisted the shower knob to the hottest setting and began peeling off my clothes as steam started to rise from the tiles. Once the water was warm enough, I stepped beneath the cascade, letting the heat envelope me. It soothed the ache in my shoulders and neck, washing away the weight of the day.
For a while, I just stood there, mind empty, letting the bliss of the hot water take over. But then, out of nowhere, a wave of desire crashed through me with such force I had to brace both hands against the cool tiles to stay upright. A deep, pulsing ache bloomed in my core, and pleasure began to build, thick and insistent. I bit down on my lip to stifle the moan threatening to escape-there was no way I was letting the twins in the next room hear me like this.
The throbbing only intensified, a slow burn building into a wildfire, and even though I hadn’t laid a finger on myself, I could feel the edge fast approaching. My breath came in desperate little gasps, whimpers slipping through despite my efforts. And then, as if my fantasies had come alive and touched me from within, the orgasm hit-powerful and all-consuming. My knees gave out, and I collapsed onto the shower floor, trembling and breathless.
I sat there, stunned, chest heaving as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. My wolf was humming contentedly in the back of my mind, clearly having shared in the pleasure.
“Blue, what the hell was that?” I asked, even my mental voice shaky. She didn’t respond immediately-just gave a coy little giggle that made me suspicious.
“Blue,” I snapped, “if you know something, you’d better spill.”
She let out a huff, clearly annoyed I’d interrupted her post-orgasm bliss. “Ugh, I was trying to enjoy the afterglow, but fine!” she whined. “Remember what we learned earlier? About the connection we share with our mates? How they can feel it when we… you know… touch ourselves? Well, I think we just got a taste of their payback.”
The realization hit me like a slap. Oh. My. God. I was going to murder them-both of them. There would be two very dead mates in the near future. Blue whimpered in protest, but I wasn’t interested in her sympathy.
I stormed out of the shower without bothering to wash. Wrapping myself quickly in one of those absurdly fluffy towels, I dried off in record time and threw on a pair of boy shorts and one of the twins’ oversized T-shirts-something I’d stolen to sleep in. Fueled by righteous fury, I charged into the bedroom, ready to unleash hell.
Only… it was empty. Completely and infuriatingly empty. I’d expected them to be lounging there, waiting to mock me. But no-they’d fled the scene of the crime. Cowards.
Fine. If they wanted to play games, so could I. Turning off the light, I climbed into bed, burying myself under the quilt. If they thought I was going to come crawling to them, they were sorely mistaken. I’d sleep alone, pretend nothing happened, and make them believe this bond between us only flowed one way.
But a few minutes later, the door creaked open, and a sliver of light spilled into the room. Their scent rolled in with it, wrapping around me like an embrace. I stayed still, eyes closed, heart pounding. They didn’t retreat. Instead, they slipped inside and locked the door behind them.
The bed dipped on either side as they climbed in, their warmth instantly surrounding me. I wanted it-needed it, even-after the crushing news I’d received today. But I wasn’t about to admit that. So I kept still, feigning sleep.
Liam gently pulled me onto his chest, guiding my thigh over his waist. Logan nestled in behind me, his nose buried in my hair like always. It was becoming a habit of his-not that I minded.
“We know you’re awake, baby girl,” Logan whispered, his breath hot against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. When I didn’t respond, Liam kissed my forehead, his voice full of amusement.
“Hope you enjoyed your shower,” he said, clearly pleased with himself. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. Then they both laughed-bastards.
Sunlight eventually filtered in through the massive bay window, warming my skin and stirring me from sleep. Despite yesterday’s emotional upheaval, I’d slept like the dead-held securely between my living, breathing space heaters.
I inhaled deeply, soaking in their scent while silently scolding myself for missing training again. I was midway through swearing I’d go tomorrow, come hell or high water, when Logan stirred beside me.
“Go back to sleep,” he mumbled.
“What? I didn’t even move,” I whispered, trying not to wake Liam.
“Blue’s awake and bothering our wolves for a run. They woke us up.” Liam’s groggy voice joined the conversation. Apparently, there was no hope of him sleeping through it.
“Sorry,” I muttered, my voice still heavy with sleep. “What time is it?”
“Time for you to sleep some more,” Logan insisted.
“Shit!” Liam suddenly exclaimed, making me bolt upright. “Sorry-I didn’t realize how late we slept. I’ve got to go.”
I raised a brow, silently demanding an explanation. Being an Alpha came with responsibilities, sure-but this seemed a bit dramatic for typical pack business.
“Liam drew the short straw,” Logan said with a laugh, clearly enjoying his brother’s misery.
Liam groaned. “Our parents are flying in tomorrow morning. Logan gets to stay here with you while I drive two hours to pick them up from the airport.”
My stomach twisted at the mention of meeting their parents. “Okay, but what’s the rush today?”
“Well, since I’ll be in the area, I wanted to meet our architect about potential renovations to the pack house. His office is nearby, and he only had an opening at eleven. I need to leave within the hour. I’ll just stay overnight and bring our parents home tomorrow.”
He actually seemed excited about the whole thing-despite the dramatic wake-up call.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” I pointed out. “Why the drama?”
“Because I’m going to miss you, Angel,” he said, pressing a kiss to my lips before pulling me into a tight hug.
“And I get you all to myself,” Logan chimed in, grinning. Liam growled, prompting Logan to laugh.
“Ignore him-he’s jealous.”
Liam retaliated with a pillow smack, and I cupped his face, forcing him to meet my gaze.
“I’ll miss you too, mi tigre,” I purred, using my wolf’s nickname for him. I stood on my toes and kissed him deeply.
And I would miss him. For all the ups and downs of the past week-and their infuriating stunt last night-I genuinely enjoyed their company. Both of them.
The morning passed in a blur. We had a quick breakfast with the girls, though Nikolai and Bastian were still out on the training field. Liam didn’t have time to wait.
Soon, I was walking him to his car.
“Behave yourself, Angel,” he teased, that crooked smile making his dimple pop.
“No promises,” I shot back, earning a playful growl. “But let’s be real-if anyone needs a warning about behaving, it’s definitely you.”
His teasing smile faded, replaced by something more intense. “Since the moment I caught your scent and knew you were mine, the only trouble I’m interested in is the kind that involves you.”
My cheeks flushed under his gaze. He stepped forward, pressing his face into my neck, inhaling deeply as if memorizing my scent. Then, without warning, he kissed me-hard and desperate-his tongue parting my lips and claiming me completely.
I moaned into him, already addicted to his taste. Our bodies aligned perfectly, the heat between us sparking once again. But then he stepped back, gently setting me at arm’s length.
“Keep that up and I’ll never leave on time.”
With a final, lingering kiss, he hopped into his truck and drove off-taking a piece of my heart with him.