Page 77 of Luna

“Bondingisn’ta trap.” Quinn looked at me, his messy brown hair sticking up and making him look even more earnest. “It makes me feel closer to Colton. I feel the love he has for you through our own bond and it’s beautiful.”

I stared ahead, feelings churning. I wished they would just let the subject go.

Poppy swished inside me, and I patted the spot on my side where she seemed to enjoy laying. It was me and Poppy. I loved my daughter more than life itself.

But these men? It felt like balancing on the edge of a cliff. Like it would blow away on a puff of wind. I’d talked through my worries about buying a house with Dante, but we could sell the house.

We couldn’t take back bonding. It was forever. The nagging worry persisted.

“I know Dr. Lim wants me bonded.” I shifted against the mountain of pillows, trying to get comfortable. My stomach was still sore from the false labor. “But it’s too much pressure. If it’s right for us now, it will be right for us later.”

Dante brushed his knuckles against my shoulder. "We're here because we love you—not just because of this child.”

As the words left his lips, warmth and conflict swirled inside me in equal measure.

"Exactly," Quinn chimed in. "You've brought something incredibly special into our lives, Luna. We want to be there for both you and the baby."

"Look, I know this might sound crazy," Colton began hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "But what if we got married? It's a compromise between bonding and letting you know we'll be there for you, no matter what."

My chest tightened as I stared at Colton, my mind racing. I looked around the room at my men, their faces reflecting a strange mixture of excitement and apprehension. Was anyone really prepared for this sort of commitment?

Marriage. The word echoed in my head like a drumbeat, both alluring and terrifying at the same time.

"Marriage?" My voice was barely above a whisper, even as I tried to turn my reaction into a joke “This was hardly the proposal I was expecting.”

Quinn shot Colton a look, but Colton just shook his head. “Darlin’, I’ll buy you the biggest ring and get down on one knee in front of the entire world. No matter how it’s done, it won’t change how I feel.”

“How we all feel,” Halos added quietly. “If getting married will make you feel more secure that we’re not going to get annoyed and leave, I’m all for it.”

Seven months ago, I didn't even know that two of these men existed, Halos had seemed a hopeless crush, while Dante had seemed as unattainable as the stars Halos, who had been nothing more than a hopeless crush. Now they were offering me not only their love but also their devotion in the form of a legal and spiritual commitment.

My heart raced and my palms grew slick with sweat as I attempted to envision how much my life would change in the next few months—a baby, four husbands, and all that came along with them.

The unknown of what that might be started to fill me with dread.

"Is that really what you want?" I asked, glancing around the room at each of their faces, searching for any hint of doubt or uncertainty.

"Of course.” Dante’s brown eyes were soft. "We're here because we love you, Luna. And the baby is just another extension of that love."

"Exactly," Quinn chimed in, his pale cheeks tinged pink. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't love you."

"I understand if you’re scared, sugar.” Colton’s Southern accent wrapped around his words like a comforting blanket. "I am too, a little. But sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and trust that things will work out."

"Colton's right," Halos said, gently squeezing my hand. "We can't predict the future, but we can face it together as a pack. As a family."

Panic shot through me at the idea of even marriage. Sure we could get divorced, but one more step closer to bonding would make it that much harder to take it slow.

"Guys.” I swallowed hard. "This is... a lot. I need some time alone to process everything."

Colton’s face fell. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

“You didn’t.” I swallowed hard, staring at a spot on the wall. It was easier than looking at their faces filled with sorrow.

It was like I was failing them already. But I couldn’t fake being ready for something this huge.

“You’re on bedrest…” Quinn’s voice was soft and small. He kept looking at me with those big brown eyes and I hated hurting them. It felt like my own chest was cracking open.

My feelings plummeted. If they hadn’t pushed to be bonded so much we wouldn’t be in this place. They knew how I felt and still kept talking about it.

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