20. Merrick

"Did you fuck her?" Soren asks as I enter the apartment.

I freeze. "Why would you ask that?"

He shrugs, not the slightest bit bothered. "Because why not? You were both alone and?—"

"We don't fuck people alone," I snap, not appreciating his nonchalance. "It's our rule. You know this. We only fuck each other alone."

Reading my anger, he approaches with hands raised in a placating gesture. "Hey, I was just asking." His voice is smooth and comforting in a way only he can do. "There's no need to get worked up."

I take a deep breath, willing myself to calm down. "Everything about Fiora and Braken, and then us… it's not sitting well with me."

"Are you saying you're jealous?" Soren's eyebrows arch, his eyes glinting in curiosity.

"I'm not sure," I admit.

"We always said we'd talk about it if and when something like this happened. We need to figure out how to navigate through this."

I look up at him, swallowing hard. His face is unreadable, his eyes level with mine. "I don't want to like her, but I do. I also don't want Braken to like her, and we both know he more than likes her."

Soren heads over to the kitchen counter where he quietly pours himself a tumbler of whiskey. The amber liquid shimmers in the dim light of our apartment as he raises the glass to his lips, taking a slow sip. He traces the rim thoughtfully with his fingers, his gaze never leaving mine. "Things are changing. Our dynamic is changing, and that's what's eating at you."

"We already lost Locke to Storee, and now I think we are going to lose Braken to Fiora," I murmur.

"Braken is marrying Fiora, but he said it himself that we aren't changing. It's still the three of us when we want to play."

"Four of us now," I correct.

"More the merrier," he says with a devilish grin.

He puts down his glass and moves to me, closing the gap until he's standing inches away. The leather sofa pressed against my thighs is the only thing buffering me from his imposing presence. Soren lifts a hand to brush away a wayward strand of my hair; the simple gesture calms me.

"You're overthinking again, love," he whispers. The gentle tug at the end of his sentence reminds me of how much I crave his reassurance. He's always been my rock, the one who straightens my thoughts and fears into a semblance of order.

"I can't help it." I let out a resigned sigh. His hand brushing down my arm slowly is comforting in a way that nothing else is. "You guys are the only family I have left."

His eyes bore into mine, as if trying to understand my turmoil. "And none of us are going anywhere. Yes, Braken is getting married. But Braken was never ours. Not truly. Not like you and me. You and I are the couple, he was the add-on. And I mean that with love. So what if he wants to get married. Look at this as a good thing. A fun thing." He leans forward to kiss me. "But I'm not going anywhere. He's staying the same, as he's always been. And all of us will figure out the new dynamic."

"And what if Fiora doesn't want you and me around them?" I'm voicing my deepest fear.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Soren's gaze is steady. "But do you really think Braken would let that happen?"

"I don't know," I admit. "He's already pussy whipped. You can see it."

Soren gives a short laugh at that, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. "Ah, the classic scenario. Man meets woman, man falls head over heels, man forgets about the other two men he likes to watch fuck." His tone is teasing, but the gentle squeeze he gives my shoulder grounds me. "But remember," he continues in a more serious tone, "Braken chose to be with us before Fiora came into the picture. That won't just go away."

Soren reaches out to pull me closer into his chest. His heart beats steadily under my cheek, the rhythm soothing and familiar.

"And besides," Soren adds after a few moments of shared silence, "I thought you liked Fiora?"

"I do," I admit reluctantly, "but not more than I like us," I add quickly.

Soren leans in and presses a soft kiss onto my forehead while rubbing soothing circles on my back—a silent reassurance that despite everything changing around us, our bond remains unbroken.

"I'll tell you something I do know without a doubt," he says.

I pull back and look into his eyes.

"I want you down on your knees sucking my cock," he says with a lift of his lip.

Soren has always had a way of cutting through my worries with crude humor or unexpected bouts of tenderness. He's always been good at knowing what I need, even when I don't.

His fingers trail under my chin, lifting my gaze up to meet his again. His eyes are darker now, filled with desire that mirrors my own. He leans in close, his breath hot against my ear as he whispers, "Now."

With an unspoken understanding, I drop to my knees in front of him. There's something almost ceremonial about it, like a knight pledging his loyalty to a king. Pure submission to his dominance.

I smirk up at him, taking my sweet time unzipping his fly to reveal his arousal. His body tenses when I run my tongue along the length of him, his grip on my hair tightening.

"Don't tease," he growls, though there's no real anger behind his words. "Put that cock in your mouth."

I flash him a challenging look before obliging, wrapping my lips around him. He groans in pleasure, his fingers threading through my hair, as I set to work pleasuring him. The taste of him is both familiar and intoxicating, reminding me that though Braken and Fiora are an uncertainty in our lives, Soren is my stability. He's my constant. Always.