Page 113 of A Nest of Maple & Mist

“Your beta will finish cleaning you up while we strip the nest and put on clean bedding so we can relax. You still need your rest, baby girl.”

I nodded, teeth mashing at my chapped lips. They quickly dried off, slipping into briefs. I huffed, pouting.

They had pretty, sculpted butts. It wasn’t fair to cover them.

“Greedy,” Ty chuckled.

“Like you weren’t also staring.”

I splashed a handful of water at him. He winked, fending off my attack. Once he finished rinsing the conditioner from my curls, he helped me out of the tub. Cold tiles under my feet made me shiver. Ty quickly cocooned me in a massive towel, wrapping me up like something fragile and precious.

“Arms up,” he said, booping me on the nose.

The towel fell to the floor with a wet smack. I rolled my eyes but complied. Ty slipped an oversized hoodie over my head, the hem hitting my thighs. I burrowed my nose into the collar. It smelled like all of them: the perfect blend of caramel, clove, and cedar.

Ty swept me up in his arms, and I giggled. I dragged my cheek along his, marking him. My gaze lingered on his throat, knowing someday my mark would rest there too.

“I love you, Mia,” he whispered, carrying me toward the nest.

“Love you,” I sighed.

Fresh, pale cream sheets stretched over the pack bed. Jason and Shane spread out a plush blanket, fluffing clean pillows along the headboard. Ty lowered me onto the edge of the bed.

One by one, they piled in, creating a human cocoon around me. Ty was at my back, his long limbs draped over mine like a weighted blanket. Shane curled along my left side, and Jason took his place in front of me, his heavy arm draped over my waist to anchor us all together.

The room was silent, save for the low-frequency vibration of Shane and Jason’s purrs. It settled like honeyed tea in my veins.

“We’re pack,” Jason hummed.

“Pack Hawthorne,” I whispered, the name tasting sweet on my tongue.

I looked at Jason, whose eyes brimmed with a devotion that made my throat tighten.

“We were a pack the moment I first looked into the eyes of my scent match in that house. Bond marks aren’t needed to make a pack, Mi.”

Shane shifted, his hand finding mine under the covers and interlacing our fingers.

“I always knew you were mine, Mia.” Shane scent marked the top of my head, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. “And I’m so honored that you want to be ours.”

Ty nuzzled into the crook of my neck, his hot breath puffing against my skin.

“You make me feel seen, sweetheart. You complete our family.”

With that, the tears fell.

A wet laugh bubbled out of me. I shook my head, wiping the tears and snot from my face. I must have looked like a mess.

If I did, my guys didn’t care. All I saw in their eyes was warmth and devotion.

“This is everything I never thought I’d have.”

Jason leaned in, capturing my lips in a slow, deep kiss that tasted of promises and forever. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, his blue eyes burning with an intensity that felt more permanent than any mark ever could.

“You’re a Hawthorne now, Mia. Through and through. We’ll have that talk. And after your next heat, we’ll make it a celebration. But for tonight? For tonight, just let us love you.”

FORTY-THREE

MIA