Page 70 of Dragon's Revenge

And then there was Adar. He sported the goofiest grin ever, which made Oliver go all weak inside. How could such a tough and strong man look so freaking adorable? Seriously, he looked like a German Shepherd flashing one of those silly dog smiles that made scary dogs suddenly seem like cuddle bugs.

“It’s gonna snow soon,” Adar said, looking at the sky.

“It is? I hadn’t heard the forecast,” Oliver said.

Adar smiled at him. “I don’t need a forecast. You can feel it in the air. It has a certain feel to it, like wet cold that seeps into your bones.”

Oliver frowned as he stared at the gray clouds overhead. Did they feel…wet? Cold for sure, but he didn’t get what was so special about them.

“I often get a bit of a headache when there’s snow coming,” Delton said. “It’s not a bad one, but it’s this pressure inside my head. My mom always said it was from the change in barometric pressure.”

Hmm, that kinda made sense. “Are you close with your parents?”

“I am. They live on the other side of the country, though, and weren’t happy when I chose to stay here after college and, later on, join the pack. They understood, but my mom took it hard. She hoped I would move back there after finishing my degree.”

“Why did you stay?” Adar asked.

Delton shrugged. “Boyfriend. I thought he was worth staying for, but he ended up cheating on me, so it didn’t last long. But by then, I’d found a job I loved at an organization for youth mental health, so I stayed anyway.”

“He cheated on you?” Adar’s voice held a little growl, enough to make Oliver smile.

“I assumed moving in together implied being exclusive. He thought differently. In the most cliché situation ever, I unexpectedly came home from work early due to a power outage and found him in bed with our neighbor. It was clear it wasn’t the first time either. When I confronted him, he stated we’d never agreed to be exclusive.”

Adar let out another growl, a lower, more menacing one. “What’s his name?”

Delton chuckled. “I don’t hate him enough to tell you, big guy. You’d go after him.”

“Someone should make him pay.”

Seriously, the guy was still recovering from injuries he’d sustained from defending Oliver’s honor and he was ready to go to the mat for Delton? He was so protective of them. Oliver loved it.

Delton patted Adar’s hand. “I appreciate the thought, but he’s not worth it. Trust me, he’s not. I’ve barely even thought about him over the last few years, so that tells you how little it meant to me. Sure, at the time, it hurt, but I quickly realized I was better off without him. I’d imagined us to be in love, but it was only sex. Great sex, but just sex.”

Sex. He was expected to have sex with them now, wasn’t he? They were together, a threesome. Sex was a part of that dynamic, or it should be. But what if he didn’t want that? The thought of having sex made sweat break out all over his body. Yes, his heat with Adar had been a positive experience, but that was different. He wasn’t himself then. Delton had confirmed that too, hadn’t he? He’d stressed it was a biological need, something his body demanded, not a conscious choice.

But outside of his heat, he didn’t have that need. He didn’t want to have sex. He liked the brief kisses he’d shared with Adar, but he had no desire to take it any further than that. And gods, he hadn’t even kissed Delton yet. He should have, right? He should want that. They were his mates. He should want to kiss them and have sex with them.

He truly was broken. Damaged in a way that would probably never heal…and his mates would suffer because of it. He’d never be able to give them what they wanted from him, what they were entitled to. Unless… He’d have to bear it. Surely, he’d be able to pretend, right? At least he was certain they’d be gentle with him. Unlike…

The flashback came so suddenly that it literally stole his breath. Pain washed over him, his lungs seizing as he found himself shoved hard against a wall, trapped under Dempsey’s body, the alpha forcing himself?—

“Oliver!” A gentle tap against his cheek. “Oliver, baby, listen to my voice. Do you recognize my voice? You’re safe, baby. You’re with me, with us. You’re safe.”

He did know that voice, but he couldn’t pull back from the memory. It was drowning him, pulling him under until he couldn’t breathe. Dempsey was in his nose, his ears, his taste, inside him in every way, and gods, it hurt. Everything hurt…

“Do you smell the fresh air? Listen, there are birds singing. Do you hear them? And there’s a cold wind biting your cheeks. You’re outside. You’re dressed. Can you sense that? Feel the warmth of your jacket as it hugs you.”

He blinked, and something inside him snapped like a connection was severed. Delton. He was with Delton. Delton was safe. He’d never hurt Oliver.

His cheeks were cold, but his body was warm. He was wearing a soft sweater, the fleece gentle against his skin.

“Take a deep breath for me, baby, and blow it out. We’ll do it together. Breathe in…one, two, three, four… And out… One, two, three, four. And again.”

He focused on his breathing, on the kind voice giving him instructions. Someone was softly caressing his hand, holding it with infinite tenderness. Adar. He could smell him, that cologne he always wore. Manly and musky, but also subtle and soft.

A few more blinks, and he was finally back, pulled from the depth of that flashback, staring at his mates.

“There you are,” Delton said softly, brushing his finger against Oliver’s cheek. “Stay with us, baby. You’re safe.”

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