Page 57 of Marked for the Pack

“She does want you,” Gage whispered, squeezing my hand. “She’s just… torn. Right, princess?”

I nodded and sniffed, suddenly overwhelmed.

Heath sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, far enough away that I couldn’t touch him, and he couldn’t touch me.

“You have no reason to trust me, little wolf. I understand that, and I’m sorry for it.” He didn’t look at me or the other two when he spoke. “But you can trust my packmates. They will skin me alive if I do anything to hurt you emotionally again. And you already know we promised not to hurt you in the physical sense.”

He clenched and unclenched his fists, then turned to face me as if waiting for my verdict. My impending heat clouded my mind. Had Heath just… apologized to me?

“I know that,” I said slowly.

“Good,” he met my eyes this time. “Then I promise I will see you through the heat by doing whatever you’d like, nothing more. Afterward, when you’re lucid and feeling like yourself again, you and I can work through whatever we need to work through. We can pick up where we left off… or we can forge a new path. It’s entirely up to you. I don’t have any expectations one way or another.”

I nodded mutely, looking from him to the other two. That was my main fear about the heat. Not that I would lose my mind for five whole days. But that afterward… I might not feel the same way for any of these men.

Heath scooted closer to grab my other hand. “No matter what happens, you’re my packmate, Freya. You always will be. We’ll figure out how to get along over the years. But the most important thing for you to know right now is that I care about you.”

My eyes widened at the sincerity in his voice, in his expression. This wasn’t playful, flirty Heath or dangerous, dark Heath. This was a side of Heath I’d never seen… a side I’d like to know better.

Gage nodded beside me, probably sensing my reservations fading away.

A playful grin crept over Heath’s face. “Now I hate to be crass, but… How do you feel about anal?”

I laughed, yanking my hand out of his grasp. “Wow, way to ruin the moment.”

Gage grinned. “He’s right, though. We need to know beforehand. Once you’re lost to your heat… you can’t be trusted.”

I laughed. “Right, raging sex monster, got it.”

“Exactly,” Flint said.

That all three of them accepted what was about to happen… that they would set aside everything else for five days to take care of me… Overwhelming gratitude filled me.

I’d found my pack, and they would protect me. That’s what they were trying to do right now — protect me from myself. Because once the heat began, apparently anything could happen.

That thought sobered me up. “I’m okay doing…” my hand flapped about awkwardly. “You know, the stuff we’ve been doing, with any and all of you. But as for anal…” I raised an eyebrow. “I’d like the first time to be while I’m aware enough to enjoy it.”

Everyone in the room went still as they processed my words.

“Do you mean…” Flint started.

“I mean right now, so I can experience it fully.” I smiled nervously. “I want all three of you at once.”

I’d experimented with a lot of things with Wilder when we’d dated, but none of the sex had ever really been great.

Conversely, the Howling Echo alphas pushed my limits and drove me wild with desire. Even if I sometimes had conflicted feelings afterward, I always enjoyed what we did together.

They always made sure of it.

Chapter 19

Freya

“If that’s what you want, moonbeam.” Flint’s hands went to the button in his jeans, and it was all I could do to stay on the bed, waiting for him.

I was still naked from the car ride, and I let the blanket fall from my shoulders, pooling around my body as Heath’s gaze darkened. But he didn’t make a move.

“Yes,” the word tore from my throat with a gravelly undertone I wasn’t used to as my wolf pushed forward inside of me.

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