Ryder stirs, inhaling deeply before his eyes open. For a long moment, he just looks at me. As if he’s scared that if he blinks, I’ll disappear.
Then he smiles. “Morning, beautiful.”
I make a noise that could be a greeting, or a cry for help.
He laughs softly and leans in, kissing my forehead. “Still alive?”
“Barely” I snort. “I don’t know if I should thank you or yell at you.”
“Hey, if you’re going to yell, yell at Callen. I took it easy. He’s the one that went feral,” he says.
“She loved it though,” Callen mumbles behind me,
I elbow him playfully, and they both chuckle. It’s lighthearted, but underneath the laughter is a question no one’s saying out loud. What happens now?
I sit up, wincing a little. Ryder props himself up on his elbows, watching me, while Callen runs a hand through his hair and tries to pretend he’s not studying me.
I pull the blanket up over my chest and clear my throat. “So…. this might be normal for you two, but it’s kind of weird for me.”
Callen raises a brow. “Weird-hot? Or weird-regret?”
I glance between them, two dangerous men who somehow made me feel more seen in one night than I ever have.
“I don’t regret it, but I also have no idea what I’m doing.”
“For the record,” Ryder says. “This is not normal for me. Before last night, I’d only had s*x one time… and you know how that turned out.”
He had told me there had been no one else since me, but I thought he meant relationships, not sexually. I’m not sure how to feel about it. A part of me is pleased, but I also feel sorry for him, guilty even. His only experience was a first time fumble in a tent that resulted in…
“Crap. I’m not on contraception,” I admit.
“You’re okay,” Callen says. “Our kind can’t carry diseases, and you’re not fertile, so there’s no chance of pregnancy.”
I nod, desperate to believe him, and then I frown. “Wait… how do you know I’m not fertile?”
“Because if you were, we’d smell it, and it would have sent us so wild that I doubt you’d be able to walk today,” he half laughs.
“Oh, I’m not sure how to feel about that. What else do you know by scent?”
“A lot. We know if you’re scared, unwell, aroused, that kind of stuff,” Callen shrugs.
“Wow, privacy is not a thing around here then,” I huff, my cheeks flushing as my mind flashes back to the kitchen last night.
It’s no wonder Remy lost his appetite if he could smell Ryder’s effect on me. This is so humiliating.
“Don’t worry about any of that,” Ryder squeezes my hand. “We ignore it mostly, unless it’s our mate.”
“So what happens now?” I finally dare to ask.
“Whatever you want to happen. You’re in control here, and you don’t have to figure everything out today.” Rye says gently “This wasn’t a transaction. We didn’t do this to lock you in”
“No pressure,” Callen adds. “Just be honest with us”
I swallow hard My emotions feel too big right now “I think I’m terrified because it was good. Like, unbelievably good, and if I let myself want more, I won’t know how to stop.” sin
Ryder leans in and brushes his lips on my shoulder “Then don’t stop Just feel it One moment at a time”
No one speaks then We just sit there figuring out these emotions
Callen stretches, tosses the blanket off and stands, unapologetic in all his naked glory “I’m making coffee before I weep from emotional intimacy
I choke on a laugh, burying my face in my hands “Please put some clothes on first”
“Fine, but only because there’s a child in the house,” he huffs, grabbing his boxers from the floor before heading out the door.
Ryder groans and flops back down on the bed. “He’s the worst.” kissing my
I shake my head, smiling, and Ryder pulls me down with him, wrapping his arms around me and shoulder again. As I lay there warm in his arms, I can’t help but think that maybe the worst thing is how night it all feels
By the time I’ve dragged myself out of bed and thrown on one of Ryder’s hoodies, Callen’s already got coffee brewed and half the kitchen destroyed.
I lean against the kitchen island, watching him while fighting back memories of last night.
“You’re not wearing clothes,” I say.
I’m wearing boxers,” he says, flipping a pancake with one hand and sipping from a mug with the other. That’s like… eighty percent dressed.” hat’s what I do.”
Ryder appears behind me, kissing the top of my head. “Ignore him. That’s
Callen blows Ryder a kiss. “You wish you could ignore me.”
I fight off a smile as I sit down at the breakfast bar. This feels so normal. After last night’s intensity and the emotional rollercoaster of yesterday, it feels comforting to watch Callen burn pancakes and argue with his brother like this is just any other morning.
Ryder hands me a mug of coffee and I sip it, relaxing as I imagine how easy it would be to have every morning like this.
“I’ve got him,” Ryder says, moving towards the stairs seconds before Jaxon’s small voice calls for me from upstairs.
“Hey
Jax. Did you sleep okay?” I hear Ryder ask as he walks up the stairs.
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