Page 40 of Forbidden Taste
“This is what I get for mating two Omegas, god forbid you two sync up. But hey, maybe one day you’ll let me mark you—both of you.” He finds my eyes, a quiet ask that I’m more than grateful for. He’s dominant in all the ways I need and soft in others, fitting perfectly with me and Riley in a way I didn’t think was possible.
“I’d like that,” I whisper, my lids falling closed, sleep trying to steal me away. Hawk just laughs, something sweet pressing against my lips. I open, a small bite of strawberry falling onto my tongue.
“Need to get some food in you and then you can pass out again. Maybe not in the nest. It’s a little…”
I can’t help but laugh at that sentiment because Hawk’s right. It’s a little crusty and now that I’m fully conscious, outside of the haze of my heat, it’s not exactly the space I want to return to until everything is washed.
This time a piece of cheese is pressed against my lips, followed by a grape, and then cantaloupe, my mates feeding me in turns, my instincts preening as I’m taken care of.
“I want this. Something real, something mine—somewhere I can be myself.” My throat tightens as I open my eyes, meeting their gazes. Riley’s cheeks are puffed out with food as he chews like food is going out of style, Hawk staring on with a softness in his expression.
Hawk shifts, his hand finding my knee. “Well, we only have finals and the performance at the Karlen Center left and then we can figure out what all this looks like.” His eyes dart to Riley, no doubt the Alpha wanting to ask about dinner last night. I caught the tail end of a question at some point but couldn’t focus on it. “I know we have a lot to navigate,” Hawk continues. “But I’m here every step of the way. Whatever it takes.”
“Even if it means telling Benjamin off?” Riley snorts as he swallows the last bit in his mouth and then shakes his head as Hawk and I react to the idea of Benjamin trying something. “No! No, that’s over. I think. I mean, he’ll probably still be an ass but Mom called it off before I left. Which means everyone at school will know. No, it’s fine. Leo, please tell me your parents are not assholes.”
I bite my tongue, trying not to laugh at the cute snarl on Riley’s face. “No, they’re sweethearts. My Omega dad is like me and one of my Alpha fathers is like your size, Riley. Well, maybe a little taller? I’m not sure.”
Riley’s eyes widen. “No fucking way.” He surges forward, pressing his lips to mine before grinning up at me. “I’m ready for all of this because fuck, I’ve never felt so loved in my entire life than I have in these last two weeks.”
“It seems we all felt a bit neglected,” Hawk offers, his voice dropping a few octaves, a honeyed purr rumbling from his chest. “And I know it’s fast, so we don’t need to make any decisions right now. Just know that I want you both—whatever that looks like—because we all have dreams and careers and…” His voice trails off, Riley cutting in.
“You’re not going to demand we stay here or whatever?” Riley asks, his brow furrowing, his tone laced with something dark, fear trickling through the bond, years of being molded, owned. I didn’t grow up with those sentiments but they’ve been beaten into me over time the moment I came to this academy.
“Fuck no,” Hawk barks, his hand tightening on my thigh, his other reaching for Riley’s cheek, brushing it gently. “You’re not mine to own, Riley. You are mine to protect, to love, to cherish—but never to own.”
“Oh my God,” Riley whispers, “hearing that from an Alpha—you have no idea what that means to me.” He surges forward to kiss Hawk, straddling his thighs as water sloshes around us. Hawk playfully nips at Riley’s lips, wrapping his arms firmly around the Omega, dipping him back so that the water catches the curls at the nape of his neck.
“Where’s mine?” I ask as they pull apart, Hawk leaning over to draw me into a kiss of his own that’s all passion and need. Riley presses his lips to my collarbone, nibbling at the sensitive skin, their touches lighting me up with a need I don’t have the energy to fulfill. “And we’re done,” I laugh. “No more right now. Fuck, I need another nap.”
Hawk grins, his hand sliding to my back, rubbing slow circles. “That can be arranged after you both eat a little more.” He reaches for the board again, picking up a grape, holding it to my lips, and I take it, resting back against the edge of the tub.
“Alpha, do you think you can handle two Omegas?” It’s a challenge, a tease, my chest warm with their presence, with this.
“I’m counting on it,” he purrs, “You two are perfect for me.”
twenty-nine
RILEY
The days blur into a haze of music and movement, my fingers flying over the strings as I thrive, playing better than I ever have, preparing for my solo showcase at the Karlen Center. The notes pour out, my violin and the piano an extension of me, every melody a piece of my heart, free in a way I’ve never felt.
I sneak away with Leo whenever I can, dragging him to the dance practice room, the two of us tucked in the corner, watching Hawk move—sometimes with his classmates, their bodies a synchronized blur, other times alone, his lean frame cutting through the space, all grace and power.
The whispers are still there, a little more now that everyone knows Benjamin and I aren’t going to be a thing. But for the first time ever, the rumors are about him and what he did rather than about my mates. However, I’m enjoying not caring, letting thevoices fade to static, and it’s made everything so much better with how much Leo is changing.
He’s different now—more confident, sweet, dominant in this quiet, steady way that wraps around us. He seeks us out more, especially me, his eyes lighting up as he drags me out of the practice room when it gets too late and back to my apartment for cuddles. Sometimes it’s more—a good, hard fuck, his body pinning mine, his growls vibrating through me but we haven’t done much since his heat, not that I’m complaining. I just love being loved, being wrapped around my mates, their warmth, their presence, a balm to every jagged edge I’ve carried too long.
I love it even more when I catch Hawk melting against Leo, their lips locked in those sweet, all-consuming kisses or when Leo gets pouty seeking out Hawk across campus, tugging him close like he can’t breathe without him.
And now that we’ve made it to the day before the biggest performance of the year, Leo finished with his last test this morning, we’re taking a break at the edge of one of the dance studios. Hawk’s practicing his routine, gliding across the floor as he always does, his shirt clinging to his sweat-damp skin. I’m trying to focus on the beauty of it but the silence in the room is getting to me. Hawk and Leo never seem to mind the music I play in the apartment, drowning out the little moments where no one is speaking.
Leo hums to me every now and then, when I’m curled around him in my nest. It’s not often, only moments when he wholly leans into that protective but soft instinct. I intend on dragging it out of him but for now, I just have to do something about the quietness ofthisroom. Sitting up, I pull my violin from its case and stand up, lifting it to my chin and drawing the bow across the strings
The notes are soft at first, then bolder, the notes weaving into Hawk’s dance, a melody I’ve carried in my dreams, a forest alive with sound, with them.
The music swells through the room, my bow dancing as fast as Hawk’s feet, tears gathering in my eyes, blurring my vision. I see it—the fantasy I’ve breathed so many times—a forest, Hawk dancing through the small clearing, Leo there offering his own melody, mixing with mine. I play harder, the notes soaring, every stroke a piece of me, of us.
Opening my eyes, I catch Hawk gliding over to Leo, gently pulling him to his feet and drawing him onto the dance floor. At first Leo’s moves are stiff, a flush creeping up his neck, and then it’s like they were made for this moment.
