Page 38 of Baseball and Shifters

By the expression on his face, you’d think this was a make it or break it answer. We all have different preferences so it’s rare we actually sit together during a movie. I wonder who she’ll agree with.

“Umm… I don’t know. I’ve actually never been to one before,” she murmurs.

“You’ve never-” Lucas starts before Bas cuts him off.

“I’m glad we get to experience this first with you. Pick a seat, Firefly. If you decide you want to sit somewhere else, we’ll move. We have the theatre to ourselves tonight. Don’t be shy about trying out different seats.”

She smiles at him and climbs the stairs about halfway before turning down a row and stopping in the middle. Bas follows her down the row and takes the seat beside her while Lucas runs up another row and leaps over the seat on her other side, making her jump.

I glare at him before continuing to my seat in the back row.

Rachel turns in her seat and watches as I ascend the stairs to the last row.

“You’re not sitting with us?” The hurt in her brilliant green eyes is enough to flay me where I stand. How could I ever cause her pain?

The words get stuck in my throat, but as always, I can count on Bastian helping me out.

“He has to sit in the back. No matter where we are, he can’t stand to sit with his back exposed. His beast won’t let him.”

“Yeah, he’s an overprotective asshole. But we love him,” Lucas chimes in.

“Why didn’t you say something?” My beautiful mate huffs before standing and shaking her head as she awkwardly climbs over Bastian’s legs and stomps up the stairs.

She turns down the aisle before mine and walks to the center, stopping right in front of me. She levels me with a serious expression that only makes her more adorable. A sprinkle of freckles cover her cheeks and I can barely resist reaching out to stroke them.

“If we’re on a date together, we sit together. Understood?”

Sassy. I like it.

“Yes, ma’am,” we all say together like we’re not three separate people, but one pack.

“Good.” She nods once before taking her seat.

I follow suit and can’t help the smile that stretches over my face as Bastian and Lucas reclaim their seats on either side of her. My Emerald doesn’t realize it, but she’s already got the three of us wrapped around her finger. I think we’d all sit in a lake of lava if she was the one asking us to.

“Now, what are we watching?”

“Oh, I can’t believe I forgot.” Lucas oozes his golden retriever energy at her and she seems to relax slightly. “We figured we could all use a laugh and went with a group favorite about a bunch of guys who go to Vegas for a bachelor’s trip. But we can totally change it up if you want to watch something else.”

“That sounds perfect.” She offers him a smile and they both settle in while the movie’s opening lights up on the screen.

I’ve seen this movie a thousand times, so instead, I watchher. I take in every reaction. Every twitch of her body as she relaxes between my brothers. The sudden soft inhalation whenLucas puts his hand on her knee and Bastian puts his arm around her shoulder in sync. Her sweet laughter as someone on screen launches himself from the trunk of a car. The feel of her contentment soaking through the bond. It’s new, but I can sense it.

I concentrate on that invisible tether, coaxing it to shine brighter. I want our connection to be so strong she can never deny I’m her mate.

She gasps as I caress our magical connection in my mind as if I was stroking her face before kissing her. When she looks over her shoulder at me, my heart soars. She feels it too.

“How’d you do that?” she whispers in awe.

“Do what?” Lucas asks, squeezing her knee.

“I don’t know. It felt… It almost felt like he was touching me. But that’s crazy.”

“It’s the bond,” Bas says with an easy smile.

“You feel it too?” she asks with wide eyes.

“Not his,” he chuckles. “I feel ours. You have three bonds, linking you to each of us. They’re all baby bonds though, so they’re not that strong. I’m surprised you can feel it that clearly.”

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