Chapter 88
Nate's POV
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I was towel-drying my wet hair when I heard a knock on my door. My eyes narrowed, and I looked at the clock. It was already well past midnight. Alpha Jacob had a strict ten p.m. bedtime because he said he needed to get his beauty rest. That was his secret to living a long life, apparently. Smiling, I sighed and let the towel fall to my shoulders. Slipping on some sweats, I headed to the door when the knocking turned into a more incessant pounding.
“Goddess, calm down. I’m coming.”
Unlocking the door and opening it, the smell of alcohol immediately slapped me in the face. It was a mix of whiskey, vodka, and maybe even rum. It was so strong I stepped back to stop myself from covering my nose.
Silas slumped against the door frame, looking like it was the only thing holding him up. When his eyes met mine, I realized it wasn’t Silas but Eros. Silas had gotten drunk enough for Eros to take over without issue. Even then, Eros still seemed to struggle with the amount of alcohol Silas had consumed.
“Eros, you shouldn’t be here. Alpha would never allow it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
He growled and stood up. Did I forget how tall Silas was? Or did he just look bigger? I had regained most of the muscle I had lost before the incident. Plus, I worked tirelessly to keep up with the kids, but Eros seemed to consume me. He stepped forward, and I stepped back instinctively. Shoving his way in, he stepped into the room and started pacing against the far window.
“Three years, Nate. Three fucking years.”
I turned to watch him, closing the door behind me quietly. Was this a bad idea? Absolutely, but Eros was as much of my mate as Silas was. I felt bad knowing he had nothing to do with Silas’ decision. Eros did actually love me and wanted to make the bond work. It was Silas who refused.
“Three years! He tortures me. Refuses everything I say. Shoves me back. I thought I could crack him. I thought he would listen to his wolf. He hasn’t. Instead, he dives into the bottom of a bottle every day.” Eros was still pacing, growling and huffing.
“Gamma and Beta said it had gotten bad. They didn’t want to bring pups into that kind of environment…” My words trailed off.
Eros threw up his hands. “He’s hurting more than just himself! That’s our leadership! They fear us and what we would do. They want to have pups, and here we are; fucking that up. Not just that…but our own…”
For the first time, Eros’ eyes actually met mine. There were tears filling them, and my heart clenched. It was such a bad idea, but I couldn’t help it. I stepped forward and brushed the tears from his cheeks as they fell. Surprise ran through me as I felt the tingle of the mate bond. Originally, when Silas had touched me, there had been nothing. Yet, somehow with Eros forward, I could feel it again.
“They are good. They look just like you. It’s like seeing Alpha and Aelia when they were kids.”
“They? Multiple? Mate…there are two?”
I nodded. “Two beautiful and wonderful pups. They are my world, Eros. I didn’t think I could be happy again, but they have filled my life with a joy I never thought possible. Sometimes, I wonder how Alpha is doing. Sometimes they are about their Papa. But I just…I told them that their Papa is busy being Alpha.”
“Damn it. Damn it all to hell. Sometimes his thoughts wander to you, but he’s quick to snap back and take a drink. Never…never the pup…or pups.”
I didn’t want to feel hurt because I knew Eros didn’t say it to hurt me. It did, though. That he didn’t think of his family or of me past what probably was only a physical want. Past what the mate mark created. It must slip out even with Silas trying to stuff it down. He wasn’t doing a very good job of it if he had to get so drunk that he blacked out like this.
Slowly, Eros’ hand rested on the side of my cheek. Again, I had an overwhelming sense of how small I was. His hand cupped the side of my head almost completely, his thumb brushing my cheek. The sparks exploded violently against my skin, like my nerves were on fire. I didn’t know if it was because I hadn’t seen him in three years, or touched him in three years, or it was just the mate bond itself, but it was bordering on more pain than pleasure.
“He wouldn’t call just to hear your voice. Refused to allow me to reach out to Noah or Finn. I missed you, my mate. More than I could bear. I felt myself slipping further and further away. Every bottle, every lockdown, every night. Nate…” Eros whispered my name, and I felt my body react.
His hand slipped to my bare hip, and I gasped. It was his cool touch mixed with the explosive sparks that had me melting in his arms. My breath came out in spurts, and my eyes fluttered shut.
“Eros…we can’t…Alpha…”
He growled. “I hate that you have to call him by his title. I hate that you’re forced to use titles. I hate what he’s done to you…to us.”
“It doesn’t change the facts, Eros.” I put my hands on his chest in order to push him away, but I couldn’t find the strength in me. “You need…to go, Eros. I can’t…push you away.”
My breathing was becoming worse as I inhaled past the alcohol. The three years apart had definitely not done us any good. I wanted him so badly that I was about to lose all sense of myself. My hands balled into fists against his chest, and my head fell, my forehead touching his chest. Eros had dropped his hand from my cheek, but now it took hold of the other side of my hips.
“I don’t want to, my mate. I need you. As much as you need me.” His voice was low as his breath raced over my neck.
Swallowing, I shuddered and lifted my head. His eyes captured mine, and I lost all sense. My lips crashed onto his before I could even take a breath. He moved against me, pulling me impossibly close, his fingers digging into my skin. I could taste the bitter alcohol as our tongues battled for control. My hands snaked around his neck, and we broke for a moment, gasping for air.
“Why do you seem so much larger?” I chuckled, my body molding against him as he encompassed me.
Eros’ chest rumbled, but his eyes shone with sadness. “We never embraced like this before. Not even the first time we…”
I blushed and dropped my gaze.
“You can’t be embarrassed, can you?” Eros chuckled, a grin on his face. “You’ve had our pups!”
“Once, Eros! Once! And we were drunk!” I gasped as his hands moved lower, slipping below the waistband of my sweats.
He was still chuckling. “I remember it clearly, though. You’ve built yourself back up. I was so happy when I saw you walking without help.”
I hummed, his lips brushing my shoulder. “When the weather gets bad, I need the cane sometimes. My joints will lock. But mostly, I don’t need it. The kids have me chasing them around all day anyway.”
“How about we make more?” My eyes widened as Eros stepped into me, making me lose balance and fall back on the bed.
“Eros…”
He maneuvered between my legs, and his hands caged me on the sides of my head. “I’m thinking triplets this time? Since we’ve already had twins.”
My breath caught in my throat. “You better not. Do you know how large I got with the twins?”
Eros purred, his head falling onto my shoulder. “I wish I had seen it. Seeing you round with our pups. I want nothing more than to see that.”
“Don’t go all Alpha wolf on me, Eros.” I growled. “I’m not going through that again. Not alone. I’ve got my hands full enough as it is.”
His hand slipped back into my sweats, and I felt his fingers slide into my ass. “And yet, you’re so wet. It seems you want me…want me to make you a father again.”
My stomach twisted as my heart pounded loudly. I felt my ass squeeze his fingers. As much as I wanted to deny it, he was right. It turned me on, him claiming me, wanting me to carry our pups.
Over the years, I had convinced myself that the three of us were enough. They were all that I wanted and needed. But I was kidding myself. Talking with Sam and Charles, and now with Eros, it made me yearn for that larger family. The one I had always dreamed of.
Eros slipped another finger in, and my thoughts cut off completely. I moaned, and I felt my bones become jelly. He knew I was at his mercy, and Eros grinned down at me.
“You are mine, mate. All mine tonight.”
My heart caught, but I felt Wren press against my consciousness.
‘Nate, may I?’
I took a couple of breaths. ‘Don’t leave after? Stay with me? I know our relationship has been strained, but…I miss you.’
I felt Wren smile. ‘Alright, Nate. I won’t. Plus, you seemed like you needed help with the kids, anyway.’
My jaw dropped as I let him take over. He chuckled, but still let me stay connected, just not in control. Eros was shocked when my eyes changed color, the normal blue darkening considerably. He smirked, though.
“Wren, it’s been a while.”
“It has, Eros. But I didn’t come out to talk to you.”
Eros laughed and nodded. He ripped the sweats off of us, leaving us completely naked on the bed. Wren pushed us further back, but Eros snagged our wrists before we could get too far.
“More pups than, Wren?”
I felt Wren hum and smiled. “You better come three times if you think you’re going to get triplets.”
Rolling my eyes, Wren gasped as Eros flipped us over and our feet hit the floor. We were bent over the bed, face down. I felt Eros come up behind us, and I swallowed. His hard cock brushed between our cheeks, setting an otherworldly fire in our belly. The both of us gasped as the head of his cock slipped into our ass.
Wren moaned, and I closed my eyes, slinking further back into our mind. The sensation of the Eros’ touch and the sounds drove me wild. But I promised Wren to let him take over. I took a deep breath and tried to sleep, letting the two of them have their moment.
It took a while, but I finally managed to get far enough back into our mind that I was able to sleep. I dreamt of the two-story house I wanted to build on my parents’ land. The family I wanted to have, with kids running around in the forest and exploring. It was a dream I had long forgotten, but I still found myself happy, two pups in my arms as a gaggle of them raced around the yard. A hand pressed on my back, and I looked up, smiling at my mate, at Silas.
He looked down, his smile twisting into a scowl.
‘I never wanted this. Never wanted you.’
My heart sank, and I felt the dream melt away into a nightmare.