Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Artemis

T aking an omega through heat was exhausting. Taking two simultaneously was a feat I didn’t think was possible. Alphas were designed to have an extra burst of stamina for the days of their omegas’ heats, but even that genetic advantage wore off after Gideon’s astounding, brave heat wave.

I passed out. I couldn’t even call it falling asleep, really. The tenderness of the way Gideon had lay down on me, my knot still in him, had soothed my soul and had my inner alpha purring. The contentment was so great that I gave in to it and fell into heavy sleep.

I wasn’t sure how long I was out. When I woke up, the restraints gripping me to the milking chair had all been removed, but I was still sprawled there. A quick twist to look first into the bedroom, then into the bathroom told me that Gideon was sleeping peacefully in the bed, which appeared to have been remade, and Fletcher was in the bathroom with the water running.

I decided to let Gideon sleep. I got up and headed to the bathroom.

Fletcher stood at the sink with a deep frown, washing the Heat Lightning dildo. His scent was still elevated with his heat, but it wasn’t as strong as it had been before.

“Did Gideon have another wave while I was asleep?” I asked as I moved to use the toilet. I was surprised my kidneys were even functioning anymore, since it felt like every spare bit of liquid in my body had come out as cum.

Instead of answering, Fletcher dropped the clean dildo on a towel beside the sink, and when I finished and flushed the toilet, he surged towards me.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” he said, panting and tight.

He didn’t have to tell me what he didn’t want to do. He jumped into my arms, wrapping himself around me and kissing me ravenously.

I reacted on instinct, finding another surge of energy, and backed him towards the sink. It was brutal and utilitarian, but I sat him on the edge of the counter and balanced him there until I could find his dripping hole and push in.

All things considered, it was a quick and simple heat wave. We both grunted and clawed at each other as I thrust deeper, satisfying the unending need driving Fletcher to cling to me. I could feel through the fledgling bond that had sprung up between us that his heart was hurting and he just wanted it to be over, so I didn’t hold back or draw the wave out.

I came with a satisfied grunt, still liking the feeling of filling my omega with my seed, even though we didn’t have a breeding orgasm or anything close to it. Fletcher came as well, but he fought hard to hold it in and not to make a sound louder than a strangled moan. My knot swelled, locking us together, but the sense of closeness I felt with Fletcher didn’t come from anything physical.

He let out a breath, and I felt somewhere deep in my soul the depth of his relief that the wave had ended. He still managed to grip my neck, but his arms went limp. I leaned forward a bit so his position would be more comfortable, and I experimented with the new connection between us by sending reassuring emotion through to him.

“Don’t,” Fletcher said, turning his pinched face to the side.

“Don’t what?” I asked, even though I knew.

Fletcher shook his head and closed his eyes. “This can’t be happening. I love Gideon.”

His angst was palpable, which hurt something in my soul.

“Hey, I know you love him,” I said, shifting to balance us with one hand so I could caress the side of his face with the other. “Bonding with me?—”

“Don’t say it,” Fletcher whispered, cutting me off.

I was miserable for him. I didn’t have to imagine what it must have felt like for him to spend so many years loving Gideon passionately and turning his life upside down in order to provide something for his husband that he would never be able to, I could feel it. I could feel every ounce of sadness and fear, all the guilt and worry.

I didn’t know much about bonds. They were common, but not necessarily ordinary, and they usually formed between an alpha and omega who had been together a long time. The only cases I knew of where they formed suddenly or instantly, like with my friend Victor and his mate, Simon, was when there was some sort of extraordinary compatibility between the people involved.

But Fletcher was already compatible with someone. He was married to Gideon. Gideon depended on him. The bond would essentially split Fletcher in two. Whether he wanted to or not, he would always reserve a piece of himself for me. He wouldn’t have a choice. There were ways of breaking bonds, but those ways had dire consequences for both parties.

“It’s going to be alright,” I promised Fletcher, pulling his body close to mine. “We’ll figure out a way through this, I promise.”

Fletcher’s face pinched again, but instead of bursting into tears, like I was certain he would, he let out a heavy breath, wilting with it.

That motion also caused my knot to go down. I thought it was fast for a knot to recede, but a second, cleansing breath from Fletcher and the way he suddenly tensed and pushed me away explained why.

“It’s over,” he said, relieved, but also squirming to get away from me.

I had to admit, I was as glad as he was for his heat to be over. I took a long step back in respect of his post-heat aversion to touch and held my hands up to let him know I wouldn’t go anywhere near him now.

The bond between us was as strong and bright as any new bond could be, though.

“Let’s just take things one step at a time,” I said.

Fletcher nodded and moved awkwardly off the bathroom counter. He grimaced at the aches in his body. I could almost feel them myself.

“Why don’t you take a nice, hot shower to wash the last of this off you and I’ll go check on Gideon,” I suggested .

Fletcher gave me a look like he would never be able to wash off the things he was feeling and as if it was his job to check on Gid. But he didn’t protest. He just nodded in defeat and stepped toward the shower, turning it on.

I left the room to give him the privacy he needed, but I felt the bond stretch as I did.

In the bedroom, Gideon was still sleeping peacefully. He was still naked and he, too, needed a shower, but the bits of dried cum all over his body coupled with his blond hair as his head rested on the pillow made him look like some sort of dirty, fallen angel.

It was a good sign, at least, that he was smiling in his sleep. He had one hand resting on his very slightly distended belly.

My alpha hummed in contentment at the sight of him, remembering the breeding orgasm we’d had that had filled his womb with so much of my seed. It would drain out gradually throughout the next few hours, but seeing that slight pooch now ignited the visceral feeling within me that I’d done a good job.

I drew in a breath of Gideon’s scent, studying him for a moment and trying to ascertain whether I felt any sort of a bond with him. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever heard of a three-way bond before, but I hoped. Bonding with just Fletcher was a problem. Bonding with both of them could be the greatest triumph of my life.

I felt something, but it wasn’t remotely the same as the new connection between me and Fletcher. It could have just been normal affection and the closeness I felt when I’d successfully taken an omega I liked through heat. I wanted there to be something more, and it was true that something tickled at the back of my head, telling me this was special, but I couldn’t grasp hold of it like I could with my new bond with Fletcher.

I stood there staring at Gideon for way longer than I’d thought I would. When the shower shut off behind me and Gideon began to stir, it dawned on me that I was being creepy. And that Gideon would probably be terrified if he woke up with a huge, messy alpha standing over him.

I retreated quickly to the dressing room, searching for the overnight bag I’d brought with me. It was still there on the cabinet, but as soon as I spotted it, I lost interest in it.

“Fletcher?” Gideon asked as he came out of sleep. He pushed himself up to sitting, saw me, and smiled. “Artemis,” he said, sounding relieved instead of afraid.

I wanted to roar in victory at that. Gideon wasn’t afraid of me anymore.

Instead of making a big noise, I moved carefully back into the bedroom and sat on the far corner of the bed.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” I smiled at him. “How are you feeling.”

“Good, actually,” Gideon replied. He lowered his head bashfully, then peeked up at me through his lashes while pressing a hand to his belly. He probably remembered the breeding orgasm we’d had.

My heart flipped and fluttered in my chest. Gideon was so freaking charming. He had this paradoxical feeling of innocence and sensuality about him that drove me wild. I wanted to pull him into my arms, kiss him all over, and then protect him with my life.

But those were emotions, not a bond.

“Fletcher,” Gideon said with even more warmth a moment later, glancing past my shoulder into the dressing room .

I pivoted to find Fletcher walking towards us, a towel around his waist, rubbing his hair dry with another towel.

“Hey, baby,” Fletcher said softly, sounding confident, even though I felt the worry pouring from him in a tidal wave. “How are you feeling?”

Fletcher tossed his hair towel aside and slipped onto the bed, gathering Gideon into his arms the way I wanted to.

“I feel great,” Gideon answered, snuggling with him.

Fletcher snapped a defensive look at me, even as he wrapped his arms tightly around his husband. I knew he’d felt the pinch of jealousy that had hit me at Gideon’s readiness to be with him.

I sent a feeling of apology to him in return. I knew he felt it, because the despair was back in his expression and his feeling in no time.

“That was something else, wasn’t it,” I said, making polite conversation, since I didn’t know how else to handle the tangle of the three of us.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Gideon said. “I was really scared at first, but I told myself to be like Prince Leo, the brave one, when the diamond dragon prince, Diamant, abducted him.”

I smiled at Gideon’s point of reference. I would have to find a version of the fairy tales he loved so much and catch up on my lore.

“I didn’t know what to do at first,” Gideon rushed on, “but Fletcher helped me. Once I was…on you, it felt so good and I wanted it so much. I couldn’t get enough. I wasn’t afraid at all anymore.”

I knew. I remembered.

I smiled at Gideon’s enthusiasm, but the pain that came to me from Fletcher wiped the smile off my face.

“And then that breeding orgasm,” Gideon said breathlessly. He shifted to look up at Fletcher. “You know how it feels, right? I could see that you had one with Artemis, too.”

Fletcher’s pain shifted to guilt. “Yeah, baby, I did.” He swept his hand around Gideon’s face and kissed him.

Gideon kissed him in return, showing just how much he still adored him. I suddenly felt like the intruder, even though my bond with Fletcher was throbbing. That only meant I could feel the intensity of Fletcher’s love for Gideon.

“I’m so proud of you for being brave,” Fletcher said when he broke the kiss. He was proud, but he was also struggling.

“There’s more,” Gideon said, shuffling slightly and glancing at me.

The way he looked at me made my heart sing with expectation. It also made Fletcher wilt visibly.

Gideon noticed. His mouth was half open to say whatever else he had to say, but he closed it slowly when he saw how sad his husband suddenly was.

Gideon glanced back to me again with an odd, calculating look. The gears in his head were certainly turning about something.

“Go on,” I encouraged him gently. “There’s more?”

Gideon’s silence drew out so long that Fletcher’s somber feelings turned curious. I could practically see Gideon’s heart beating with uncertainty.

“It’s not important,” Gideon said at last, lowering his eyes. He shifted a hand to his belly. “I just…I just enjoyed it is all. I didn’t think I would.” He turned to Fletcher. “So you don’t have to worry about a thing. You made the right decision by bringing Artemis here. You did something good.” He glanced at me again. “I like Artemis. He’s a good man. I’m not afraid of him at all. ”

What an absolute fucking tangle. Gideon’s smile as he glanced between us was uncertain but hopeful. Fletcher’s guilt rolled off him like he believed he was cheating on the man he loved more than anything in the world. I felt utterly caught in the middle between them, no idea what to do.

“Why don’t I go take a turn in the shower while you two finish cuddling,” I said with a smile, getting up. “And then maybe we can grab something to eat.”

“That sounds great,” Gideon said, then twisted to throw himself fully against Fletcher.

Fletcher sent me a grateful look as I left the room, but his emotions were a mess.

The distance between us would help, I was certain. I could feel the strain of being apart from Fletcher as I headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, but it wasn’t as bad as the stress I’d heard people felt when they tried to stretch a newly formed bond. I’d heard stories of some pairs who couldn’t stand to be in a different room from their mate for the first few days after the bond formed, but those were usually people who had a powerful love connection as well.

I didn’t love Fletcher. Well, I wasn’t in love with him. Maybe. I couldn’t help but have huge amounts of affection for both him and Gideon, but I was confident that my lack of romantic feelings for him would mean I could leave the farm and go about my business for a while as we figured things out.

I raced through my shower, then dressed. When I left the bathroom, Fletcher and Gideon were busy cleaning up the bedroom. The bed had been stripped and the soiled coverings were piled in the corner. Fletcher had dressed and was in the dressing room, beginning the process of wiping down the milking chair .

“My turn,” Gideon said happily, skipping past us both and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as the shower came on, Fletcher straightened, turned to me, and said, “We need to talk.”

“Yes, we do,” I agreed. I moved closer to him so we could keep our voices down, even though the shower was running. “There’s no getting around it, we’ve bonded.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Fletcher said, trying so hard to be strong. His bottom lip wobbled before he pulled himself together. “I’ve never wanted a bond with an alpha. I’ve only ever wanted Gideon, from the moment we met.”

“I understand, and I totally respect that,” I said. “I have no intention of coming between the two of you. Ever.”

“But you will,” Fletcher said with a hopeless shrug. “You won’t be able to stop yourself. I won’t be able to stop it either. We’re a bonded pair.”

I could feel his bigger meaning, and it hurt.

I grasped his upper arms gently, like I was holding him up. “Gideon is not superfluous. I know you would never abandon him.”

“What if I do?” Fletcher whispered, his panic growing. “What if I can’t stop myself? My heart wants Gideon, but something deeper is desperate for you.”

“I won’t ever make you choose,” I said, though I could feel the same visceral urge to be with him, my omega. “I will always put Gideon first.”

“But how?” Fletcher’s eyes went glassy with tears. “Let’s say you move in with us. How is Gideon going to feel, watching us drawn to each other every day, watching from the outside?”

I winced. He had a point. There was a huge danger that Gideon would feel like a third wheel with his own husband .

“I don’t know how,” I said, “but we’ll work this out. There has to be an answer.”

Fletcher nodded, but I could feel his hopelessness and fear.

The shower turned off, and I stepped away from him. “Let’s just play things casually for now,” I said. “We’ll spend time together. I do care about Gideon, and I’d like to keep seeing the two of you, regardless of what there is between the two of us. All Gideon needs to know for now is that I want to start something with you two. We can explain everything else later.”

“We can’t hide this from him,” Fletcher said, both as a warning and a lament.

“I know,” I said, backing even farther toward the cabinet, where my phone sat. I had to call Victor to say the fantasy was over and to explain a few things. I hadn’t been able to check in with him via text, like I was supposed to, during the fantasy. “We can figure this out.”

Fletcher nodded and returned to cleaning the chair. I twisted to pick up my phone.

I had several texts that I’d missed in the last two days, while things had been busy. One was from Victor, asking if there were any problems. Another was from Justice Goode, asking me to call him immediately. Fortunately, it had only been sent three hours ago.

“I have to make a call,” I said, holding up my phone to Fletcher, then moving to the hallway door.

Fletcher nodded that he understood, and I left the room.

I was able to call Goode with one tap on the number from the text message. His phone only rang twice before he answered, “Hello?” in an oddly aggressive voice .

“Mr. Goode, it’s Artemis Montgomery,” I said, switching into business mode.

“Oh! Mr. Montgomery! Thanks for returning my call.” His tone shifted immediately to the affable executive I’d spoken to the other day.

“Sorry I wasn’t available when you rang,” I said.

“It’s alright,” Goode said. “The reason I called you is because I need to move our interview up.”

“I might be able to manage that,” I said. “When would you like to move it to?”

“How soon can you get to my office?” he asked.

I blinked in surprise. “Er, it might take me a couple hours.”

He hummed. “Time is of the essence. There’s been a surprise twist in some of my personal business. I need to take a few days, maybe weeks, off as soon as I can to take care of it. That means I need to hire a new CFO immediately. I’ve got a few other candidates I could bring in if you’re not available.”

In other words, if I wanted the job, I had to go interview for it right now.

“I’ll do whatever I can to be there by—” I pulled my phone away from my ear to look at the time. “How does three o’clock sound?”

“I could do three, but no later,” Goode said.

“I’ll be there,” I promised him.

We said our goodbyes, then with a pit of regret gaping in my stomach, I headed back into the dressing room.

Gideon had come out of the bathroom and was wrapped in Fletcher’s embrace as Fletcher rubbed his hair dry with one hand on the towel. They made the sweetest picture. The love radiating from Fletcher was palpable. I hated to interrupt it, in more ways than one .

“Hey, guys,” I said, trying to sound light and breezy. “Something’s just come up, a job opportunity, and I need to leave right now if I want to interview for the position.”

Fletcher and Gideon broke apart, both looking alarmed.

“You’ll come back, won’t you?” Gideon asked.

I felt Fletcher’s surprise and heartbreak.

“Of course I will,” I smiled at Gideon. “Just as soon as I take care of business. We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, we do,” Gideon said, blushing shyly.

I glanced at Fletcher. “You going to be okay?”

Fletcher nodded stoically. “I’ve got this.” He pulled Gideon tighter into his arms.

I wanted to go over and kiss them both goodbye. I wanted to look long and lingeringly into Fletcher’s eyes and convince him we could make this whole situation work. There were still too many variables to the whole thing, though. All I could do was nod, reach for my overnight bag, and start toward the door.

“I’ll be back by tonight,” I said.

I felt the strain of my bond with Fletcher pulling as I left.