Page 185 of Power Shift

58

DASH

Briar’s heat broke yesterday,four days after it started.

We tried telling her to take another day to rest and regain all the energy she—we all—spent, but once she called Clover and was updated on Sadie, the baby, and the scene that took place outside of the clinic, it was obvious that wasn’t going to happen.

Instead, Landon’s turned to rushing around like a madman, trying to throw his courting gifts into the basket Jasper had delivered overnight in an aesthetic way while Briar takes a shower.Alonebecause, in her words, she’s still recovering from the last week and is off limits for the foreseeable future.

Ronan questioned how long that would be and earned us another few days’ delay before the bathroom door shut in his face.Asshole.

“You know that she doesn’t need you to do all of this. I’ve never seen you tie a ribbon in all the years I’ve known you,” Jasper notes from his seat on the couch.

Landon continues struggling with the two ends of soft pink ribbon. The brown basket on the coffee table is tall and bulgingwith the presents he’s gotten her. There’s even shredded paper in the bottom that matches the ribbon colour.

For a guy whose idea of wrapping Christmas presents is rolling something up in plain brown paper and using half a roll of tape to seal it shut, this is a monumental moment.

“She deserves more than a pile of gifts in a reusable bag, Jas,” he replies.

“I know that. I’m just saying that she doesn’t expect anything grand. Even if we do have a habit of going there for her.”

Landon lets go of a breath. “This isn’t grand enough. Not even close.”

“She’s going to love what you got her,” I reassure him, picking up on the dull sensation of anxiety that doesn’t belong to me.

Ever since we marked Briar, sharing emotions with each other has been . . . interesting. We’re five days in now, and I’m still not any better at keeping my boundaries up than I was then. This morning is the first one in a week where I haven’t woken up suffering from my own arousal. Instead, it was Jasper’s that had me throbbing in my boxers before dawn.

When I rolled over in bed and saw him fucking Briar from behind, it made sense. Obviously, I joined in. But that isn’t the point.

Landon looks up from the basket and drags a hand down his face. “I was hoping it would be easier to do these things after her heat. But I almost think it’s worse now.”

“That’s because you want to make sure you continue to be worthy of her,” Jasper murmurs.

“We’re all bonded now. If I fail with her, I fail all of you. I won’t be able to handle losing her and all of you at the same time.”

Ronan kicks his feet out in front of him, resting them beside the basket. “Nobody is going to fail her. There’s four of us to keep each other in line. We’re together for life.”

“And we have an advantage now with feeling her emotions. If we still can’t stop messing up with the help of that, we just simply don’t deserve her,” I say.

Jasper nods. “How is everyone doing with that?”

“With the lack of mental privacy?” Ronan asks.

I tuck a piece of paper further into the basket. “It’s not a lack of privacy as it is just a bit overwhelming for everything to be so open between us. Now, when you get pissed and run off, we’ll be able to have an idea of what’s wrong with you, Lan.”

“Great,” he deadpans, but it’s a mask.

Finally, he gets a decent enough bow with the ribbon and leans back on his knees, staring at his work. Ronan gives the basket a nudge with his sock-covered toes, earning a sharp glare from Landon.

“It will just take practice to block out each other’s emotions when we don’t want to feel them. But I think it could be a handy tool for the time being. At least while we transition into a more stable pack again,” Jasper says.

Ronan cocks a brow. “We weren’t stable before?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” I ask while Landon huffs a laugh.

Jasper opens his mouth to answer but freezes before any words come out. One by one, the others snap their heads toward the stairs. I’m the last to catch the whiff of lemon cookie and follow their eyes.

Our omega hops down the stairs, appearing as clear-minded as she’s ever been. There’s a healthy glow to her skin in addition to the natural brightness of her eyes that’s returned since yesterday.

---