Page 105 of The Rust in Her Hair

I release Adrian's hand, then turn toward Mack and wrap both arms around his neck, pressing my cheek to the soft scruff along his jaw.

Mack freezes.

His big body goes rigid under me, his arms staying right where they are at his sides. He doesn't pull away, but he doesn't reach for me either. It’s like the alpha has never been hugged before and has no idea what to do.

I hold on anyway, breathing in his warm hazelnut scent, unwilling to let go until he understands I mean it.

Then Adrian moves behind me.

He folds himself around my back, his chest to my spine. He wraps his long arms around the both of us at once, tucking me in tight between him and Mack. Adrian rests his chin on my shoulder, close to Mack's face, and something in that finally breaks whatever's holding Mack still.

His arms come up.

One banded around me, one reaching past to pull Adrian in with us, and then he's got both of us at once, gathering us into his chest with a low, shaky breath. He holds on tight, like now that he's finally got his hands on us, he isn't sure how to make himself let go.

"Alright," he mumbles into my hair, then sniffles softly. But he doesn't loosen his grip. Not even for a long second. "Damn. You two are gonna make a soft mess out of me yet."

"Then shut up and let it happen," Adrian says against the back of my shoulder.

Mack huffs a wet laugh but he finally goes still, and the three of us just stay there, cozied up on the couch in the soft morning light, holding on.

I let my eyes fall shut and breathe them in, pine and hazelnut layered over each other, and some of the fear I woke up with finally lets go of me.

Not all of it.

There's still a small guilty knot that says a better person would have talked to them first, but it's quieter now.

The important thing is that they aren't angry, or demanding I leave.

Adrian is wrapped around my back like he can't stand an inch of space between us, and Mack has both of us gathered up in his arms like he's afraid we'll vanish if he lets go, and what I did last night didn't ruin anything.

I still don't know if Mack wants me the way I want him, but I decide that I don't have to solve it this second. I can wait.

I can go slow, and let him show me in his own time.

Assuming he wants me at all.

Rare Things

Owen

I've read the same acquisition report four times, and I couldn't tell you a single word of it.

My mind keeps drifting back to this morning.

To Lyra, standing in the kitchen in an oversized shirt with her hair a soft mess and that mark on her throat. Nico's teeth, printed deep into her skin, right where the whole world could see it.

She caught me staring at it over breakfast and smiled. Not the careful, practiced little smile she uses with strangers at parties, but a real one, bright enough that I forgot how to breathe for a second.

She's ours now.

I set the report down and give up the pretense of working, because there's no fighting the grin pulling at my mouth.

A month ago she was a girl I practically stalked at work, and now she's in our house and in our bed, and I get to go home to her tonight.

I run a hand through my hair and let myself bask in all of it—Nico’s happy thrum in our bond, and even Adrian feels good right now.

The alpha seemed back to normal this morning, which loosened something in my chest I hadn't realized was still knotted up.