Page 166 of Harley & Her Ferals

River is as smart and calculating as Laurent is.

When I look up, Laurent is studying River with respect.

He’s worked out the truth, or at least some of it.

I can feel that River’s positive nature is truly who he is. But how many days has he played at being the harmless servant, who could be disciplined or talked about like he was a Beta fuck toy?

When in reality, River has always been the powerful mafia heir that he was trained to be, defying Dad to heal the Betas as well as the Alphas, training as a nurse, experimenting to develop new medicines, and growing dangerous poisons alongside his flowers.

I admire him so fucking much.

River snatches up the plate of food, along with a fork, and balances it on his knee. “I made you a bit of everything. I thought that you’d need to get your strength back.”

He forks a piece of bacon and waffle, before feeding it to me.

I munch it, groaning in pleasure.

“Delicious,” I mumble around the mouthful.

“How are you feeling?” River asks, feeding me a loaded forkful of egg.

I munch happily, giving the thumbs up.

Harbinger laughs. “Now I know that the way to our Omega’s heart is through her stomach.”

“So’s mine.” Laurent holds up his hand regally. “Chocolate truffles reach my heart the fastest.”

“Or a flower, of course.” River picks up a tulip that’s lying on the nightstand, tucking it into my hair, behind my ear. “I don’t break promises.”

I blush.

“M-my Omega, are you okay?” Feral crawls closer.

He sits on my other side, as River continues to feed me.

“Amazing.” I lick a drip of sweet syrup from my lips. River makes better pancakes than are served at Dad’s table, and I don’t have the risk of Dad’s explosive temper to sour their taste. “I feel the best that I have in my life.”

It’s true.

“Me too. Nothing hurt during my rut. It w-was incredible. Being able to s-s-spend your heat w-w-with you was…”

“Everything.”

We smile at each other.

Feral and I both know how many years we’ve waited for this moment. How much we’ve suffered for it.

And how much it means to us both that the experiment of keeping him caged hasn’t led to a permanent oversensitivity of his knot.

River finally places down the plate and fork.

“Hey, the earth moved for me too.” Harbinger tightens his hold on Laurent. “At least, my ass will be feeling it for the next week. What about you, Rook?”

Laurent tosses his long hair behind his shoulder. “I’m a prize, the precious Omega. So, my ass was treated gently, as it will continue to be, thank you very much.”

Laurent’s cheeks blossom with pink.

Harbinger places down the mug and grips Laurent’s chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. “I didn’t mean… Look, If I’m too rough for a refined elite like you, just tell me. I know that I can be direct but—”