Chapter 75 Can We Kiss Forever?

Chapter 75 Can We Kiss Forever?
INDIE
          The car ride was the first sign that this "date" was never going to be normal. Leon had full control of the music, and he was abusing that power with zero mercy. Some terrible, dramatic love ballad had been playing for six straight minutes—a woman wailing about eternal love while a string orchestra tried to drown her out.

Zade let out a long-suffering groan.

"My ears are bleeding. Change the damn song."

"No," Leon said cheerfully from the driver's seat, tapping the steering wheel in time with the music.

"It's been whining about eternal love for six minutes."

"Exactly. It's for educational purposes."

I pressed my face into Zade's hair to hide my smile, but a shaky laugh still escaped. Zade's hand found mine on his chest and squeezed weakly.

The lake appeared twenty minutes later. It was nothing extravagant, just a quiet, secluded spot ringed by tall pines and wildflowers. No one else around. Exactly what Zade had asked for.

Leon had somehow prepared everything. He spread a blanket and took out the baskets from the car.

Zade raised an eyebrow as Leon unpacked.

"You made the sandwiches?"

"It looks so good, doesn't it?" Leon said proudly. "Maybe I should look into becoming a celebrity chef."

This crazy, infuriating man.

I burst out laughing. Zade's lips twitched into an actual smile. He looked so handsome in the soft sunlight.

We settled on the blanket. For a while, it was just... us. Leon fed me a strawberry. I fed Zade a piece of mango, my fingers lingering on his lips. He caught my wrist gently and kissed my fingertips, his eyes dark and soft at the same time.

"Let's play a game. A Q&A? But make it fun," I said, my voice thick. "Who fell first?"

Leon answered instantly, without hesitation.

"Me."

I blinked. "Really?"

He gave me that crooked, maddening smile.

"You smiled at me once. That was it. Game over."

Zade rolled his eyes, but there was fondness in it.
"Pathetic."

Leon pointed at him with a chip. "You don't have the right to judge me, you growly predator."

"We clearly both have different love languages," Zade deadpanned.

I laughed until I cried.

"Biggest regret?" I asked softly.

Zade was quiet for a long time.

"Not telling you sooner how much I needed you," he said finally. His voice was rough. "Wasting time pretending I didn't love you like a madman."

Leon's expression softened. "Mine was almost killing you both..."

I swallowed hard.

"Mine was believing I had to choose," I whispered.

The air grew heavier, sweeter, and sadder.

We kept going anyway. Favorite memories. Stupid inside jokes.

Halfway through, Zade went quiet. He leaned back against the tree, his breathing shallow. His exhaustion won for a moment. Neither Leon nor I said anything. We simply moved closer. Leon sat on one side. I sat on the other.

The moment Zade's head dipped forward in his sleep, we both lunged to steady him, making him rest between us.

The sun warmed our skin. Birds called overhead. The lake lapped gently at the shore.

Eventually, Zade opened his eyes, startled to see us watching over him. The cutest flush spread across his cheeks.

Grinning, I rose to my feet, took off my shoes, and walked into the shallow water. The coolness felt good against my heated skin. I reached back.

"Come on."

Zade looked at the water with wide eyes.

"Bunny...no."

Leon didn't even hesitate. He scooped Zade up bridal style with a dramatic grunt.

"What the fuck—" Zade started, his voice weak but indignant.

I burst into laughter as Leon carried our grumbling alpha straight into the lake, water splashing around his legs. Zade's arms looped around Leon's neck for balance, and for a second, he suddenly looked so young.

The sound of my laughter mixed with Leon's teasing and Zade's muttered curses echoed across the water.
It was the most beautiful sound I'd heard in days.

Later, Leon pulled out a small camera. Zade immediately protested.

"Delete that."

"No."

"I look sick."

"You look loved up," Leon snorted.

Zade couldn't argue with that.

We took pictures anyway. Silly ones. Tender ones. One where I was kissing Zade's cheek while Leon kissed the other. One where Zade was half-asleep between us, looking peaceful for once.

As the sun began to set, we lay on the blanket watching the sky turn orange and pink.

Zade was on his back in the center, his head pillowed on my thigh, one of Leon's arms draped across his stomach.

I couldn't stop touching him.

My fingers traced the sharp line of his jaw, then down the column of his throat. Leon mirrored me on the other side, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses along Zade's collarbone, his tongue flicking out to taste his skin. Our alpha let out a low, rumbling sound.

That was all the invitation we needed.

I leaned down and kissed him first, deep and slow, pouring everything I felt into it. He tasted like the strawberries we'd shared earlier. His hand came up weakly to cup the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair as he kissed me back with hunger.

Leon didn't wait. He attacked the other side of Zade's neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark, then soothing it with his tongue. Zade moaned into my mouth, the sound vibrating through me and straight between my legs.

I kissed down Zade's jaw while Leon claimed his mouth. Then we switched. Zade's breathing grew ragged, his chest rising and falling faster as we worshipped him with lips, teeth, and tongue.

"Fuck..." he groaned, his head tipping back against my thigh. His free hand found Leon's hair, gripping tight. "You two... are going to kill me before my illness does."

Leon laughed softly against his skin, the sound low and wicked.

"Shhh," he murmured, nipping at Zade's nipple through his shirt. "Don’t jinx this, handsome."

I slid lower, pushing Zade's shirt up so I could kiss down the hard planes of his stomach. His muscles jumped under my lips. When I reached the waistband of his pants, I looked up at him through my lashes.

Zade's violet eyes were blown wide, dark with lust and a hint of vulnerability.

I pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss just above his hip bone. Leon mirrored me on the other side, his tongue tracing the sharp cut of muscle there.

Zade moaned again, louder this time, his hips twitching helplessly. His hands found the backs of both our heads, his fingers tightening in our hair as he held us there.

"Will you two really stay with me?" he rasped. "Even if... even if this is all the time we get?"

I gulped, moisture filling my eyes. Then I lifted my head, crawling back up his body until I could kiss him again.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered against his lips. "Not without you."

Leon pressed a kiss to Zade's temple, then his cheek, then the corner of his mouth.

"Neither am I," he said softly, his golden eyes burning. "You're stuck with us, Alpha. For as long as we have."

Zade closed his eyes, a shudder running through him as he pulled both of us closer, holding us tight against his chest.

“My emotions and feelings have been muted for what feels like forever because I didn’t trust anyone. But with you two… I can’t help it. I want…” he croaked, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.

“I want to love… and be loved in return. I don’t want to feel so empty anymore. So, mark me. You two. Make me yours.”