Page 131 of Scrum Heat

Her fingers curl at the back of my neck, and I tilt my face toward her and kiss her. It’s nothing greedy—just a press of mouths in the dark, a question she answers by kissing me back.

She pulls away first, her nose brushing mine.

“Stay.”

It’s not a request—it’s a promise.

“Frankie, I… I’ve never had this before,” I admit.

“I know,” she says again, her voice still gentle. “But you have it now.”

And god, Ido.I haveher, and all of them; this strange, fragile, perfect pack that somehow choseme.

The silence stretches again, and this time, it feels safe.

And when I nod, when I tuck her closer and feel Finn shift slightly to rest against both of us, something in me finally,finallyexhales. This isn’t something I thought I’d ever have, but it’s mine now, and I’m not letting go.

I close my eyes as Frankie’s fingers curl around mine. Her breathing slows. Finn’s does too.

And eventually, so does mine.

Chapter Thirty

Frankie

Iwoke up this morning sandwiched between Jax and Finn, which is… not how most days begin for people who own a sensible Google calendar and a matching bra-and-underwear set.

I was officially the middle of the world's sleepiest alpha burrito. Finn had his arm around my waist; his face buried in my shoulder, mouth slightly open, breathing like a smug little furnace. Meanwhile, Jax was behind me, solid and warm, hand curled gently around my wrist like he’dforgottenhow to let go.

They didn’t say anything when I stirred—just shifted closer. Jax pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist like it was instinct, and Finn kissed my shoulder without even opening his eyes.

Then Finn mumbled something that might’ve been“You smell like safety and chaos, never leave”, or maybe it was“Did we ever fix the downstairs leak”—

Unclear. And I didn’t ask.

I’d just waited there for a second, letting the weight of them press into me from both sides, warm and grounding. Jax hadtucked his chin into the back of my neck, Finn had tangled his leg over mine, and for a few minutes, I forgot what today was.

And then I remembered: the board meeting.

And suddenly, my heart didseveral things.

One of which was an attempt to eject itself through my ribs, and the other was to immediately calculate whether I could escape without waking either of them and spontaneously combust in the hallway with dignity.

The moment I shifted, Finn groaned softly and buried his face in my chest. “Mmm… don’t go,” he mumbled. “Board meetings are fake. Let’s stay here forever.”

“Finn,” I whispered. “I need to get up.”

“No you don’t,” he whispered back, eyes still shut. “Stay. I’ll tell the OSC you’re busy being snuggled into pack compliance.”

Jax, still half-asleep behind me, muttered, “We’ll file a motion.”

“Cuddle exemption clause,” Finn nodded.

“You two are useless,” I said softly.

“We’re warm,” Finn said, finally cracking one eye open. “And you love us.”

Unfortunately, I did. I loved them in the sleep-heavy, morning-breath, emotionally irresponsible way that made it physically painful to leave that bed.

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