Page 38 of Absolute Devotion

“I’ll just grab my bag,” I say, hurrying back inside. I gather my things quickly, throwing Joel and the others a grateful smile. “I’ll come back later,” I promise.

Rejoining my mates outside, we walk back to our house together, and I feel lighter than I have in days.

When we step inside, I pause, surprised by how clean everything is. The shattered door has been replaced, the signs of the earlier chaos are gone, and the house looks pristine, as it first did when Montgomery dragged me inside from an evening run. It’s like the nightmare from earlier never happened, but I can still feel the ghost of it lingering in my mind.

Bear catches my reaction and smiles, resting a hand on my back. “We called in some people to take care of it while we were gone. We didn’t want you coming home to that mess.”

I look around, taking in the faint scents of cleaning products and unfamiliar people. It’s nice, but… not quite right. I wrinkle my nose, frowning. “It feels… different. Like someone else’s house.”

Xylo and Bear share a knowing grin, and Montgomery chuckles, stepping close to me. “I think we know how to fix that.”

Before I can ask what he means, Bear scoops me up into his arms, carrying me to the center of the living room. The others follow, surrounding us as Xylo pulls me into his chest, his voice gentle. “This is our home, Nala. We’ll fill it with our scents, our memories. No one else’s.”

Xylo refuses to let me go, the others gathering pillows and blankets from the dryer to deposit in the living room. I glare at the mess and then sigh, needing to rearrange everything. My mates laugh as they leave me to my task until I’m satisfied and we all pile back in, Montgomery tugging me into my lap as he usually does.

He dips his lips to his bite, gently running his tongue over the healing wound. I settle back against his chest, Bear and Xylo each taking my hand in theirs as they rub their thumbs over their bites. Zahria just grins at me from her perch at the edge of the nest. “I’m going to wait until later, sweetie but don’t worry, I’ll nurse my bite too.”

My cheeks heat at the thought of my Alpha kissing me into oblivion but I shove that down before my scent betrays me. “So, how did the debriefing go?” I ask, interrupting some of the peace that’s settled around us.

Xylo’s face darkens slightly. “Well, the FBI agents did what we expected—they took everything and promptly brushed it under the rug.”

Zahria sighs. “But Chief Hart asked us to keep digging, to continue the investigation, just in a… quieter way.”

I wrinkle my nose, not thrilled with the idea. “Does this mean we’ll have to move?”

Zahria’s face softens, and she gives me a reassuring smile. “Not necessarily. But it might mean we’ll have to travel or spend time in different places. We don’t want to involve you any more than you’re comfortable with.” Her voice is gentle, and I know she means it, but the thought of them leaving still makes my heart twist. She glances at me, her eyes warm. “I know you love your job at the school, and I want you to enjoy everything you’ve missed out on. You deserve that, Nala.”

I pout, looking down. “Are you leaving me, then?”

Bear squeezes my hand, catching my attention. “Hey, you’re allowed to be selfish with what you want. Tell us what you need.”

I take a deep breath and then let it out, deciding to tell them what I truly want. “I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want you to leave me, even if it’s for something important. I want us to be together for all the holidays and birthdays.” My eyes widen as I realize something, and I turn to each of them, my curiosity spilling over. “Wait, I don’t even know your birthdays! Or anything about what you like to do for holidays. Do you even celebrate them?”

Montgomery cuts off my rambling with a soft kiss to my cheek, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he pulls back. “We’ll get there, princess. One thing at a time. But I think we can agree to those conditions.”

I relax, smiling as he wraps his arms tighter around me.

My Alpha glances around the room, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Now, how about we make this place smell like us again?”

Before I can react, he scoops me up, throwing me over his shoulder, and strides toward the nest, the others laughing andfollowing close behind. I laugh, squealing as I feel the strength of his grip, the love and warmth radiating from all of them.

They pull me down onto the blankets, soft kisses and laughter filling the space between us. When Montgomery reaches for my pants, I pull back, suddenly realizing a conversation we still haven’t had. “Wait!” I blurt, my voice high-pitched with urgency.

They pause, looking at me in confusion. “What’s wrong?” Bear asks, his brow furrowing.

“No babies!” I say, holding up a finger, and Zahria bursts out laughing.

Montgomery blinks, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Oh?”

Zahria catches her breath, still laughing. “You should have seen her with her nephews earlier,” she says, grinning. “There might have been a joke about how good she looked holding a baby.”

My face heats as the realization dawns on me that I’ve just put that image in their minds. They stare at me with a newfound intensity, their eyes darkening with desire, and I know I’ve made a grave mistake. Thank fuck for birth control.

“Well,” I murmur, giving them a playful smile. “Maybe… just one baby?”

They descend on me, laughter and love filling the room as we fall into each other, our home finally feeling like ours again, filled with the warmth and joy of a family of our own making.

thirty-three

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