Chapter Eighteen

Tracy ached, a deep burn inside her that made moving painful. Even so, she couldn’t stop the grin she’d had since waking.

After a heat, the alphas tended to need more sleep, exhausted from the effort. All three of hers still slept in her room.

Hers.

The claiming title felt right. Strange, perhaps, but fitting. After that night, they felt like hers.

They’d spent all night caring for her, taking turns satisfying her. First it had been Sam and Mason until, after the first six hours, she had seen the weariness weigh on them. She recalled Richard, who had enjoyed her heats at the start, but it had been all about his pleasure. He hadn’t cared for her, for anything she suffered.

That doubt had driven her from the room, when she’d told them she needed to shower off, when she’d tried to let them rest.

The time with Dylan had surprised her. It had been hard and meaning so much more than she’d expected. It hadn’t just been sex, even if had started with them snipping at each other.

Would they always be like that?

He’d spent the rest of the night behind her, never leaving, never trying to get space. She’d woken first, leaving the others to sleep as she’d crawled from the nest.

A shower had washed away all the dried cum that sat on her, the evidence from the night. What it meant kept lumbering through her mind.

What did it mean? What did they want?

What do I want?

That one she was stuck on. Could this really be a home? Could she settle Karen there and create something out of them all?

Would they even want that?

Sure, the males had taken to her daughter, but having a child stay for a few days was very different from living together full time. Did they want to be parents? After the heat, she could even be pregnant. Were they ready for that?

Could she really put Karen or herself through that when she had no solid answers?

“You look like you’re thinking hard.” A kiss to her head accompanied the words, tearing her free of her musing.

Tracy turned, and the action allowed Mason to stealing a kiss from her lips, as well.

“Morning, kitten.” His charm was unfair, the way he managed to say anything and make her want to smile. Well, that and the fact he hadn’t bothered to put on a stitch of clothing. Every inch of his flawless body was on display, and he walked as though he either didn’t know or didn’t care. “How’re you feeling?”

“Why are you naked?”

“You noticed? I’m flattered.”

Tracy didn’t bother to try to one-up him. Especially with him naked as sin, with his wild hair and wilder gaze, she didn’t have a chance. Instead, she only offered a mocking glare.

He huffed a laugh. “What were you thinking about?”

Tracy took a sip of her coffee, nodding toward the pot to show there was some left. “About what I want.”

He grabbed a cup down and filled it with coffee. “Oh, hard things, then?” He took a seat at the dining room table across from her, still moving as though being nude was the most normal thing in the world to him. Ignoring it, pretending not to be affected by it. “Seems way too early for such hard topics, especially given your late night.” He waggled his eyebrow. A full waggle that had her groaning with the absurdity of the motion.

“You just think you’re so charming, don’t you?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” He flashed her a grin before taking another drink. “Finish up that coffee, kitten, because afterward we’re going to breakfast.”

“We slept through breakfast. It’s almost six.”

“Want to know a secret?” He cocked up an eyebrow, mischief across his features.

“Sure.”

He leaned across the table and gave her a deep kiss, the sort that made her wonder how he could still have any energy or desire after her heat. Yet, it stirred all those feelings in her again. No matter how much they’d done the night before, or the fact her body ached at the idea of coming again, she warmed for him.

How did he make her want him again so fast?

He pulled back, then tapped her chin in a chiding move. “Diners serve breakfast all day. Go on, kitten, and get dressed. Your alphas need to feed you.”

He took his cup and walked out, leaving Tracy speechless staring at the broad expanse of his bare back and his perfect ass, his words soaking into her.

My alphas.

She liked the sound of that.

* * * *

Mason popped another fry into his mouth, his gaze pinned to Tracy. She ate an omelet with ham, which wasn’t what she’d wanted.

She’d wanted some salad, but a bit of coaxing had gotten her to order something with more protein. That surprised him, how she wasn’t comfortable with anything any of the three of them did for her.

Holding doors open, a hand on her back as they walked, or when Sam had offered her some of his fruit cup when he’d seen her staring at the strawberries, it all brought on a look of confusion. She wasn’t used to someone caring about her.

The way she hesitated when they did it made him want to keep at it. He wanted to offer those little bits of sweetness until she learned to accept them, until she realized she was worth it, that they weren’t just a trick to get something from her.

“Now that we’re here, kitten, and you’re stuck in a booth between us, let’s talk.”

The words had her back straightening and, he was damn sure, if she hadn’t been sitting right between Mason’s and Dylan’s large bodies, she’d have bolted. Better yet, Sam was on the other side of Dylan, keep both their flight risks properly contained.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tracy didn’t meet Mason’s gaze, poking at her omelet with her fork.

“This isn’t the time to pretend. You’re not the type who bullshits, so let’s put it all on the up and up.”

Still, Tracy didn’t look up, didn’t respond. She didn’t want to make the first move, huh?

Fair enough.

“I want you to stay,” Mason said, risking everything. “Not just until this Mario bullshit is handled, but for good.”

“Easy for you to say. It’s not your house.”

Sam chuckled, seated on the other side. “It’s his house, too, Tracy. Always has been. Even if he and Dylan left for a while, it was built for us all. Mason’s talking for me, too.”

Tracy’s chest lifted as she took a deep breath, then braved a look up. “I can’t put Karen through any more uncertainty. She’s been through enough.”

“No one’s asking for some trial run here,” Mason pressed. “You like me. You like Sam. You tolerate Dylan. So, why not? You can’t say you haven’t been happy with us, that Karen doesn’t like it there.”

“Sure, she likes it. And if you change your mind? If you decide that a ready-made family isn’t the life you guys want after so many bachelor years, then what? Then my daughter is heartbroken yet again.” She shook her head as if decided. “I can’t do that to her again. She deserves something forever, to not worry that people are going to hurt her or leave her.”

Mason thought about that little girl, about the things she’d seen that no child should. Tracy wasn’t wrong—she deserved a hell of a lot. How could he make Tracy understand that he wanted to help give that girl the life she should have? He wanted to make that family for her, that home? He thought about Karen’s smile when she’d seen the bike, her laughing as they hung the bird feeders, about Tracy’s half-hearted glare over the times Karen would manipulate the alphas into treats or gifts.

Yeah, he liked that all.

But Tracy’s face made it clear she wouldn’t believe it.

“Things can always change,” Sam offered. “I want to tell you this is forever, that there’s nothing that could break it up, but that isn’t life, and I wouldn’t lie to you. Five years from now? Who knows? Maybe you’ll wake up and realize you’re sick of us. Maybe you’ll decide you don’t want three alphas hanging around. What I can say is that for now, I know what I want, and it’s you here with us, and I don’t see that changing.”

Mason wanted to add more. He wanted to tell her it would be forever, but as usual, Sam was honest to a fault. It wasn’t fair to tell Tracy anything but the truth, and the truth was that no one could promise another person forever.

So he waited, the stillness at the table unnerving as they all thought.

Tracy lifted her gaze to Dylan, then. Ah, Dylan, the asshole who never fails to be an issue. Also, the asshole who Mason cared about like a brother. He might be a shitty person when it came to emotions and, well, dealing with people, but no person would do more or risk more for those he cared about. Hell, even when still rightfully angry about Nora, Dylan had come running at the first sign of a problem.

“And you?” She asked the question in a soft voice.

Dylan didn’t answer right away. He sat there, his gaze drifting from person to person. Lines of tension bracketed his mouth and his lips blanched as he pressed them into a stern line. Finally, he set his arms on the table in a loud, unhappy drop. “Yes, I want you to stay, damn it.”

“You’re not allowed to talk to omegas anymore,” Sam snapped. “You’re terrible at it!”

“She knows I didn’t want this, you all do. I didn’t plan on this, and it went so well last time, that sure, let me fucking line back up for another trip on that ride.” He huffed, his shoulders drawn up near his ears, his face full of annoyance.

It was almost enough for Mason to break into a deep laugh at how the other alpha resembled a pouting child.

Tracy chimed in instead, her hackles risen as seemed to be common between those two. “If you don’t want this, I don’t have to stay.”

Dylan lifted his lip, a mock snarl without sound. “We both know I want you, Red. I even like having that kid around. This is what I want. I’m just not very happy about wanting it.”

Tracy didn’t stop looking at Dylan while he stared right back, like the two had some sort of stand-off by just staring, as though that way they could figure things out.

Instead, she shook her head. “Well, I’m not very happy about it either, if that makes you feel better.”

“A little.”

Silence fell at his snarky jab, at least until Tracy’s laugh was the first to break it. Damn, he rarely heard that laugh. It was soft, unsure, like she still wasn’t entirely comfortable doing it. When Mason joined in, then Sam, her laugh grew.

Even Dylan chuckled at the end, so all four of them were laughing enough that a few other patrons turned to send glares their way.

Mason shook off the censure. What did he care what they thought?

When the laughter petered off into gasping as they tried to catch their breaths, and Mason wiped a thumb beneath his eyes because they’d started to water, Sam was the first to recover.

“Does this mean you’re staying?”

Tracy’s humor faded away, but at least she didn’t look like she’d try to go over the table to escape. “I don’t for how long, I’m not sure what will happen, but for now?” She nodded. “For now, I’ll stay.”

And Mason swore he’d make it so she never wanted to leave.

* * * *

Tracy didn’t know what to do with her hands. When had she become twelve again, so uncertain how to work her body? She recalled being a child, back before expectations and age and experience had taught her differently, when she’d lounge on furniture and laugh and not worry.

Now she sat in the back seat beside Mason and felt like an awkward teenager who’d never been beside a boy.

“How are you feeling?” Mason solved the issue by tossing an arm over her shoulders after a loud—and very fake—yawn. The absurd move managed to be charming, probably only because of just how cringy it was.

“Better,” she admitted. The protein had helped settle her stomach, and while she was still tired, while she still wanted to sleep, she felt better than she had after any other heat. “Normally I’m exhausted, still achy after a heat.”

Mason turned and pressed a mindless kiss to her cheek. “That’s because you’ve only ever tried to go through a heat with one alpha. Works better when there’s a few to share the load.” He paused, then laughed hard as if his own innuendo pleased him.

Tracy elbowed him softly, the action so natural she didn’t even consider that a few weeks before, she’d have never done such a thing. She’d have never trusted an alpha enough to play like that, for fear of their retaliation.

The moment she’d done it, that she’d made contact with his side and he let out a soft huff of air, which was probably playing up the strength of the hit, she froze.

Mason twisted and nipped her earlobe. “Hitting isn’t nice, kitten.”

“I did not—”

“You really should keep your elbows to yourself,” chimed in Sam from the front seat, humor glinting in his eyes through the rear-view mirror.

Before she could offer up another denial, Mason twisted and took her lips in a deep kiss that chased away all her rebuttals.

Dylan spoke up from the driver’s seat, his dry voice waking her up as Mason broke the kiss. “Great, now you’ve rewarded her for it, so she’ll keep elbowing people.”

Tracy turned to snap back at him, but Mason took that chance set a hand on her upper thigh, high enough for her breath to catch. His pinky finger drifted higher still, rubbing a feather-light touch against the crotch of her slacks.

The touch made her whine softly, her body still off from her heat, from the orgasms they’d wrung from her during it. Even the light caress sparked a deep lust.

“I can’t,” she said but didn’t remove his hand. “I’m sore.” Even saying it was hard, since she’d never refused sex before. There hadn’t been reason to try before, because it wasn’t as though Richard had ever listened.

Mason paused the touch and offered a squeeze to her leg. “Too sore to take any of our knots, sure. Last I checked, that wasn’t the only way for a bit of fun, and I’m always up for some fun.” Even as he spoke, he didn’t bring his hand back to her pussy, didn’t force the issue. Instead, he waited, pressing his thumb to her thigh with gentle, reassuring pressure. “You gotta tell me yes, kitten.”

Tracy didn’t even hesitate that time. That was something, right? Progress? Instead of letting herself get wrapped up in her own head, in her own worries, she turned and took a kiss of her own. She didn’t ask, didn’t wait, just took as though she were owed it. She pressed her lips to his, hard and needy, and Mason gave her everything.

He returned his hand to the juncture of her thighs, to the part of her already growing wet for him. His teasing touches made her want the trip home to go faster. They make me want to ignore good sense and take my pants off right now.

A soft growl from the front seat pulled her gaze to the rear-view mirror. Dylan watched with a ravenous stare, and he dragged his tongue along his bottom lip as though he could taste her already.

Tracy let her head fall back on the seat as Mason twisted his hand to caress her sex through her slacks that seemed far too thick all of a sudden. She wanted those deft fingers of his against her heated flesh, to be playing directly with her without the barrier.

Mason placed his lips to her throat, kissing over where her pulse hammered against her skin. His dark chuckle said he felt it, and as though she couldn’t help it, as if she didn’t control it at all, her hand moved over to his lap. She grasped his thick erection through his pants, and they both let out simultaneous groans.

The car pulled to a hard stop, waking Tracy from the lust that had consumed her. They were already home?

Mason undid her seatbelt, but Dylan was already at her side of the truck, pulling her out, his hungry lips seeking hers. It made her dizzy, the way she went from Dylan, to Mason, to Sam who pressed her against the truck for both their balance. She bathed in the attention, in the way they fed on one another’s lust until nothing but that lust existed.

They got to the door, but as soon as they entered, they all froze.

Sam twisted away to the alarm and all three alphas went rigid.

A clash from down the hall made Tracy catch up.

The alarm was dark.

The power was off.

Someone was in the house.