Chapter 17: Lennox

Chapter Seventeen

Lennox

B ear is the ultimate caregiver. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It settles my frayed edges, and I can only hope that I’ve figured out the bond enough to send all my affection and appreciation back to him through the link.

Rush and Thorne brought my bags over last night. Bear helps me into a very festive long sleeve T-shirt that I normally sleep in, but it’s such a soft material that I’m not complaining.

It has Santa’s sleigh and says, “Is it too late to be good?” The matching pajama pants have a “Dear Santa, define naughty…” print. I get myself into those as Bear frowns, typing away on his phone before shoving it into his back pocket.

I watch carefully as he comes over, wrapping his arms around my lower back. “Apparently, there’s a problem with the hot water heater at the bed-and-breakfast. Janet already called the company we use, and someone is on the way, but she said Rush isn’t there, so I need to head over and help them handle that.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, you need to nest,” he says, running his hand up and down my spine. “And I hogged you yesterday. It might be nice for you and Rush to spend some time together.”

My head tilts. “If you’re sure you’re comfortable with that.”

I told him about my late-night run-in with his twin while we took a quick shower, and he’s been consistently supportive about wanting me to explore things with Rush.

“Absolutely.” He bends low enough he can brush his lips against mine, and his contentment flows through the bond as we share a quick kiss.

Holy crap.

Feeling his emotions is addictive.

It takes until I’m walking down the back stairs with Bear to realize Thorne is still here somewhere, and he doesn’t know Bear and I bonded.

My chest gets tight, but I do my best to shake off that anxiety.

Thorne and I are highly compatible, and I care about him deeply. That doesn’t change the reality of things. The omega builds their pack. If he doesn’t like it, he can choose to leave before my heat, but Bear and I are a package deal.

“Oh, shit. I’m telling you, this thing is a death trap!” Rush hisses.

Bear hits the bottom step and guides us toward the back living room. I’ve only seen it passing through because it’s closer to the garage. It seems more like a family room, where everyone can congregate and hang out. It’s less formal than the one by the front door.

My head tilts as I look up at Bear. “Did you purposely sleep on the less comfortable couch in the front living room because you were trying to catch me if I snuck out that morning?”

He chuckles. “Yup.”

That makes it even sweeter, especially since the back living room has a massive sectional that I spotted last time we came through.

“I’m going to land flat on my face,” Rush grumbles.

My jaw falls as soon as we make it into the doorway. I tilt my head up to understand exactly what I’m looking at. The entire house has high ceilings that give it a fancy feel.

Rush struggles against the silks that hang all the way to the floor. He’s probably six or seven feet off the ground, and he’s rolled up in the silk, holding on for dear life.

“Are you going to offer any assistance?” Rush asks.

“You got yourself up there. You can get yourself down,” Thorne says drolly.

“You’re a shitty human being.” Rush grunts as his forearms flex.

“Hold on, just like you are now,” I tell him, smacking Bear in the gut when he starts to hysterically chuckle. My head tilts to look up at him as his humor pulses in the bond. “You know you could help him…”

“I’ve got a hot water issue to manage.” He bends, kissing my forehead and giving my ass a solid squeeze. “Have fun, you two.”

“Apparently, the dog and I are excluded from everything,” Thorne mutters petulantly.

“Hell no.” Bear scoffs. “I’m bringing her with me.” He whistles for Shera, heading out without a backward glance.

I focus on Rush with my heart racing. Thorne knows how much I loved the silk classes I took every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I love the free floating feeling and being able to stretch every joint and muscle. I looked forward to it more than yoga or pole dancing.

Right.

Rush is still flailing in the air.

“Okay, so, I know your instinct is to try to unroll yourself, since they’re overlapped.” I take a few steps forward. “I don’t recommend that, because once you start, it’s really hard to stop. Grab the silks in separate hands and use your forearm strength to hold yourself up.” I move closer as I try to describe what he needs to do next. “You’re mostly flat now, but you want to get your top half vertical, if possible. Once that’s done, shimmy your hips as you slide out.”

“Good morning,” Rush says with his face beet red. “God, this is embarrassing.”

I wave. “I’ve done the same thing. I got stuck practicing by myself one day…” I laugh, shaking my head. “It was a nightmare. Luckily, it’s a pretty easy fix if you know how to maneuver out of it.”

“Well, at least someone knows where I went wrong,” Rush mumbles as he follows my instructions.

“You bought me silks?” I ask Thorne without looking away from Rush. There’s no other possibility. He’s the only one who knows how much it quiets my mind.

“It’s my first courting gift,” Thorne says. “I also got you a double set of rings, but this space isn’t big enough to hang both simultaneously.”

My eyes ache as I watch Rush struggle.

Dammit.

It’s a really great courting gift.

And I’m sure he had to have purchased it before coming to the island. The silks are even in my favorite shade of blue.

“If you still can’t get your legs free of the overlap, then you may need to climb higher,” I tell Rush.

He’s obviously in great shape, but aerial silks take more getting used to than most people expect. It’s not just about brute strength. It’s a lot like yoga practiced up in the air.

“He’s double looped.” My head tilts until I can see Thorne. “Either you can help pull them past his thighs and off his legs, or I need you to find me the ladder you used to rig the base plate.”

“He might be out of my reach.” Thorne shrugs. “But I’ll be happy to give it a try if you tell me good morning too . I’m beginning to feel left out.”

“Good morning, Thorne.”

“Morning, kitten.” He darts over, pulling me to him with a hand on my ass. His lips brush my forehead for an instant before he moves to help Rush.

My hands clasp in front of me as my mind races. He’s going to find out sooner or later that Bear and I bonded. It’s probably better I tell him myself before he figures it out from the change in my scent.

“Holy shit.” Rush laughs, swaggering my way, now that he’s back on the ground.

“Are you okay?” I rest my hands on his chest as he comes to a stop directly in front of me.

“I’m good.” He chuckles good-naturedly as his blue eyes sparkle. “That’s a hell of a workout. Thorne said you’re quite the aerial acrobat. I can’t wait to see it for myself.”

I scoff. “Hardly, but I do love it. It’s so relaxing. It’s difficult to explain.”

“I can see that. Being on the ice used to give me zen-like concentration.” Rush tucks my hair behind my ear and runs his fingers into the hair at the base of my skull. “We made breakfast. I’m going to start making plates.” He bends down and presses a kiss on my cheek. “Come find me once you’re done talking to Thorne.”

“I will,” I whisper. It’s very thoughtful of him to understand my need to talk to Thorne one-on-one.

Rush winks and walks toward the doorway that leads to the dining room and kitchen.

Thorne steps into my line of sight with his tattooed hands in his jeans pockets. It’s strange to see him in normal clothes. Avan Barrett was always ridiculously picky about what his guys could wear. It’s even weirder to see his bare feet as he rocks on his heels.

I open my mouth to thank him for the silks, but no words seem to come out.

“I need to ask you a question, and it’s important that you’re honest with me,” Thorne says. “Will you be?”

My chest rises and falls rapidly.

Thorne has a way of making a person feel like the most important thing in the world.

He made me feel so safe and wanted…until he didn’t.

I flinch at the memory of how empty I felt without him and take a step back, like I can physically distance myself from that pain.

It’s so complicated, and it’s made worse by the fact my instincts want me to melt into his chest to soak up as much of his scent as my nose can huff. It’s like my skin aches with the urge to touch him.

“Lennox, please?” Hearing him call me by name instead of kitten has my eyes flying up to meet his.

“I-I’ll try.”

“Tell me what I smell like to you,” he says, studying my face so intently, his brow furrows.

I lick my lips, trying to conjure the right words. A big part of me doesn’t know if I even want to. It’s hard to be vulnerable with someone who never extends the same courtesy back.

“Bear and I bonded,” I blurt out, holding my wrist up, facing his direction. “I didn’t bond him to hurt you. He’s a good man, and he makes me feel safe. It’s fast, but I know he’s supposed to be mine.”

Thorne’s jaw flexes as his nostrils flare. “And my scent?”

I pull my hand down, squinting because I’m really confused. “I’ve told you before. You don’t smell like leather and tobacco to me.”

“And your scent only comes across as oranges and vanilla to me when you’re extremely aroused,” he says, staring straight into my eyes. “You smell electric, like the weather before a lightning storm. When you’re close enough to touch, I feel a pull to brush my skin against yours like magnets separate us.”

I nod. “M-Me too.”

“There’s a legend about that scent. It used to be a hell of a lot more popular than it is nowadays, but there’s a theory about why that is too.” He steps closer, and despite feeling hunted, I don’t step back. “That electric smell is reserved for soul matches. It’s one step up from a scent match. It’s incredibly rare now, probably because packs became the norm. No one knows exactly why, but my grandma gave me a book from the early nineteen hundreds. It talks about the soul match bond.”

I have no idea if what he’s saying is true. And yet, something inside me has no trouble accepting his words as reality. No one would listen when I tried to explain the pull between me and Thorne.

Brooklyn, friends, even coworkers warned me how silly I would be to get attached to a man like him.

He’s here now.

Why would he bother unless he loves you?

“I have the book.” Thorne clears his throat. “I thought maybe we could snuggle up in front of the fire one night, and I’ll read it to you.”

He knows I struggle to enjoy reading because of how much time it takes me. My heart beats so fast that I can hear it in my ears.

Did he just say…

“You told your family about me?” I plant a hand on my hip to fake a nonchalance I don’t feel.

“Talked my grandma’s ear off about you.” He grins. “She’s probably going to video call sometime soon. She’s awful with technology, but that doesn’t stop her from using it.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

He told me about her one of the few nights we spent together in a hotel. He didn’t get many days or nights off, but he found a way on rare occasions.

It just never felt like enough.

Thorne takes another step closer, pulling his hand up to brush his fingers over my cheek.

It’s such an intimate moment that I feel like I have to talk to break the silence. “Thank you for the silks.”

“I told you I was going to court the hell out of you unless you told me to get fucked.” He smirks. “The aerial unit and the book about alphas and omegas are the first gifts of many. Just give me the chance to prove to you who I really am. That’s all I’m asking.”

God.

Brooklyn is going to think I’m such a fool…but also, this is my life.

I’m the one who has to live with the repercussions of my actions. And if I don’t at least try to make things work with Thorne, I feel like I’ll regret that choice for the rest of my life.

“You can stay during my heat, and we can see how it goes,” I finally say.

“I love you so fucking much,” he growls, bending and capturing my mouth. My hands land against his stomach as he wraps an arm around my lower back.

His electric scent floods the air, and my nostrils flare as I breathe him in. He kisses slow and sensual, like he wants to consume me whole or maybe light my body on fire with need for him.

My thoughts shift to what Bear said in the shower this morning. He made it clear he had no opinion on Thorne joining us, outside of if he hurts me, Bear said he’d kill him.

A warmth pulses in my chest as Bear’s scent tinges my mind. It’s not like the way I’m smelling Thorne, but I can’t think of another way to describe it.

Bear might not be in the house, but he’s close enough to pick up on my thoughts and feelings and send me comfort in return. It’s like he’s assuring me that he’s in my corner, and he wants me to be happy.

That’s what it feels like, anyway.

Thorne growls, finally tugging his mouth from mine. “You need to eat and stockpile some calories. Just based on your scent alone, I’m expecting your heat to hit at any time.”

“Yeah,” I agree as my heart pounds rapidly against my ribs.

I also really want to spend some one-on-one time with Rush.