Page 84 of Crushes and Confections

“Sorry, mon chou. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he whispered. “But you didn’t hear me say your name.”

“I was just relaxing and got lost in thought,” I admitted. He reached for my favorite scented shampoo, a vanilla that they all told me complimented my scent. Lathering up his hands he ran them through my curls, massaging my scalp and ordering me to rinse. He repeated the process with conditioner.

“Vance and Riley are starting some lunch and have a show already loaded on the TV. Are you ready for relaxation and snuggles?”

I could feel his contentment through our bond, the faint echoes of Vance and Riley too and I marveled in it.

“Honestly, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” I said with a smile. He didn’t leave my side, drying me off and helping me dress, then leading me to the others.

It was as if he thought I was delicate, and for once, I felt like it. My body was still a little tender, and a bone deep exhaustion was settling in.

“There she is,” Riley sang out, lifting the edge of his blanket to invite me to sit next to him. I slid into the spot and snuggled in. “We found this new show called Pack Appeal. It’s helping hopeless, styleless alphas find their confidence. Makeovers. Wardrobe overhaul. The works.”

“They need a Riley,” I said with a laugh as the poor alpha on the screen walked out in a stained t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and white tube socks. Mind you this was all while he was wearing sandals.

“That’s certainly a look,” Vance noted as he joined us. He placed a kiss on top of my head and put a snack tray down on the table. They all paused, waiting for me to fill one of the tiny plates. I did it mainly so they’d relax, though I wasn’t terribly hungry.

I nibbled at the snacks as we watched the alpha go from a bachelor to mate material. It held my attention enough, I wasn’t falling asleep quite yet, but I knew it wouldn’t be long.

“How long did my heat last?” I asked, tiredly.

“The Sweetheart Swing is in two days now,” Adrien noted.

“What?” I gasped. “No…” I tried to do the math in my head, but I genuinely had no clue what day it even was.

“It’s on Saturday,” Vance confirmed at my obvious confusion. “Don’t worry, Peach. We have everything covered, and we checked in at the cafe.”

“Oh god,” I gasped. Even though I’d been up and moving for close to an hour I hadn’t once thought about work.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. This was your first heat with us all. It was intense,” Adrien said, reassurance coming down the bond.

My gaze fell on Riley as I reached for him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him closer. His shirt had shifted just enough to show a half-healed bite mark. He shifted his free hand to show the matching bite mark on the other wrist.

He whimpered as I ran a finger lightly over the ridged skin. Again the memories were disjointed and hard to understand, but I was the one who asked them to do it in the moment. Plus, it was something we’d all talked about beforehand.

I knew Vance would have never let heat claim that moment between him and me, but with Riley, it was different. They had their own relationship, and Riley was clearheaded enough to make his own decisions.

“Are you upset about it?” Riley asked as he ran his fingers over the bite Adrien had given me.

“That the bite probably triggered my heat?” I clarified before Riley nodded his head. “It’s just so weird. Heat is like a crazy fever dream where I only get little pieces of the puzzle. But I wouldn’t change the bond for the world. I can feel you all now.”

“Good,” he smiled.

Before we could say anything else, my phone was ringing. Vance was up quickly, grabbing it from the charger, then bringing it back over to me.

“It’s your mom, she called earlier, but we told her you were still sleeping.”

“Hey mom,” I said as I answered the call.

“Hey, honey,” she said excitedly. “I’m glad to hear your voice.”

“I take it Riley kept you informed?” I said, giving my beta mate the side eye. He popped a chip in his mouth and pretended not to notice.

“Of course,” she said absently. “Is there anything we can bring over for you guys? I know first heats with your pack can be tough. The recovery is the worst part.”

“They’ve got snacks, we’ve got a comfort show, a big couch, and I took a long shower. I think I have everything I need,” I said. But knowing my mom, she was already halfway here.

“Well, too bad. I made you the best post-heat tea blend. It was one of my new endeavors, and I think tea making might be my hobby. Anyway, it’s in a thermos along with some goodies for you guys,” she said as if I didn’t just tell her I was fine. “I’ll be there in a few. Don’t worry, I know how possessive alphas get during all this, so I’ll drop it and run.”

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