Page 170 of Pack Scratch Fever
I want to have a pack, to have a place where I belong.
But there are some things left that I need to get off my chest.
My hands shake with nerves while I look to Avery, the gentlest Alpha of my pack.
I keep my eyes locked on him while I tell my story.
“I’ve never had a pack before the three of you,” I admit. “Every other Alpha I’ve been with has been selfish. They never made me feel special. Heats were transactional, and their Ruts came first.” I swallow and pick at a thread on the blanket while Maddox squeezes my hand. “I met the last Alpha I was with on a dating app, and I spent my Heat at a hotel with him.” I swallow, memories flooding my mind. “He was selfish, cold, and cared only about his own needs. He knotted me, then left as soon as he could.”
Avery swears, and I chuckle humorlessly.
“It was horrible, and I fully expected never to find a pack after that. I convinced myself that I deserved to be treated that way, that maybe…” my voice cracks. “Maybe I wasn’t worthy of being treated well.”
“You know that’s not true—” Poe cuts in, but I hold up a hand to stop him.
“I know it’s not,” I say gently. “But at the time, I think my heart believed it. I think I’ve been punishing myself for a long time. I’ve had these standards in my head that I’ve never met—but I’m not the one that put those expectations there.”
Poe nods. “I understand that,” he says softly.
I let out a nervous breath. “But I’m starting to realize that those voices were wrong. They’ve always been wrong.”
“Damn right, babe,” Maddox adds. “And once you give me the name of that hotel guy, I’ll ruin his fucking life.”
I chuckle. “That’s not the point.” I meet Maddox’s intense icy gaze. “What I’m trying to say is, I love you, too,” I tell him earnestly.
His eyes widen, and he squeezes my hand.
Then, I turn to Avery. “I love you,” I murmur, and he beams.
Finally, I look to Poe. “I love you, as well.”
Poe’s smile is bright and brilliant, making him look ten years younger.
I did it.
I finally told my Alphas my true feelings for them.
“Come here,” Poe says, placing the book on the nightstand.
Tearing the blanket off me, I climb over to him and press my lips to his.
Then, I drown in the scents of my Alphas, tears spilling down my cheeks.
My confession has lifted a weight off my chest, and joy radiates in my soul.
They love me.
I am loved.
The cuddling turns to kissing.
The kissing turns to much more.
We’re a mess of limbs in the nest, me being passed back and forth between the three of him. They mouth at my mating gland, run their hands down my body, and tease me with their fingers and tongues.
My Heat is almost over, so the touches aren’t as urgent or desperate.
But they’re just as deliberate, each of them taking their time with me to draw out my pleasure.
