Page 39 of My Begrudging Scent Matches

"I feel hungry," she says, but doesn't hold his eyes. He always knows when she’s keeping something from him, it’s obnoxious. "Now stop worrying and feed me a rangoon please."

Caleb rolls his eyes before opening the box and sliding it over.

"Thank you, thank you," she says before promptly burning the inside of her mouth on the filling of a full wonton stuffed in her mouth.

Caleb and Grant sit on either side of her at the bar and she tugs at each of their stools until they inch closer to her. Satisfied, she digs into her food. She's starving and anxious about what she wants to ask them. The solution to both is shoveling food into her mouth while the guys update her on the day's office drama.

Scott isn’t nearly as productive as she was, but he’s really stepped up in the role. Logan has had to do a lot more of his own work, though.

After ten minutes of her nodding and humming like she's listening and then asking for them to repeat themselves when they ask a question, Caleb and Grant put their forks down and turn to face her.

"What is it?"

"What is what?" she says around a mouthful of noodles.

"You're acting weird," Caleb says. "Distracted."

“I’m not.”

Grant raises an eyebrow, not buying it for a second.

Alice finishes chewing and then drains the rest of her glass of water. She knows she shouldn't be nervous, but she can't help herself. It's not a small thing, what she wants.

"I want to finish the mating bond before I go into heat," she blurts and both of the men’s jaws gape open. “With both of you.”

"You do?" Grant manages at the same time Caleb says, "You're sure?"

She is sure, as sure as she's ever been about anything—she has been for a while. At Christmas, both Caleb and Grant expressed that they did in fact want to bond with her, but not until she was ready. She was thankful for their patience and even more thankful that they hadn’t brought it up since.

And well, now she is ready.

"I think it'll help," she says. "My mom says heat is less painful if you're bonded."

"That may be true," Caleb nods.

"But that's not the only reason," Alice says, then releases a huge breath. She looks between them and lets them each pick up a hand. "I love you both. I want to be bonded to you permanently.”

“You do?” Caleb’s face goes soft.

“How could I not?"

"Great question," Grant says, earning a little smile. "You don't feel rushed, do you?"

"No. I want this. And I want to do it before I'm so consumed by my heat that I can barely remember my own name, much less one of the most important moments of my life."

When neither of them says yes, she goes on by saying, "I know we haven't talked about it in a while, and if anything has changed for either of you?—"

"It hasn't," Grant assures. "Couldn't."

"I've wanted this since the first day," Caleb admits. "I've always wanted this to be forever."

"Anything you want," Grant agrees. “We’d wait as long as you need.”

The heat is really making her hormones volatile because their assurance makes her eyes well with big, sappy tears. She’s turning into her mother.

“Then I want it,” Alice says.

"When?" Caleb asks, suddenly sounding very urgent about this.

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