Page 30 of His Bonded Omega Mate
“Yeah, I think we maybe just need some boundaries and expectations going forward.”
Asher made a non-committal noise.
“We all want Hiroshi to be happy. I just feel like we won’t all get what we want out of this unless we lay everything out there.”
“We do. Tate’s my chosen mate and I love Hiroshi.” I wasn’t Chase. I couldn’t detect lies, yet I got the impression that I was missing something. Asher might love Hiroshi, but there were many kinds of love. I loved Kade, I just wasn’t in love with him.
“If you aren’t into the bonding—“
“I’m fully committed to this,” Asher cut in sharply.
“Okay,” I held my hands up. There was no point in pushing the issue. All I could focus on was my part of things. “I’m just checking in.”
“Babe?” Tate’s voice came from the entryway.
“In here!” Asher called back. He gave me a warning look before focusing on the contents of the fridge, and I rolled my eyes at his turned back.
Tate greeted his mate with a kiss on the lips and me with one on the cheek before slumping into a chair. “Enforcer training is hard!” he complained.
I gave him a commiserating look because I knew it well. Deke had certainly put me through my paces both before and after the sickness. The time after the attack, Deke claimed it was because he wanted to check my fitness after my injuries. My fingers clenched automatically when I recalled that time.
“Worth it, though. Deke asks for a lot, but the guy is motivated and the best fighter I’ve ever seen in both forms.”
“Yeah? You’ve seen him fight?”
“Many times when sparring with him. He was also there when we went to get Kade back from his father.”
“So you’ve had the training, too?” Tate asked, leaning forward and showing his interest.
“Had to. There was no way that Deke or Blake would let me guard Kade with what I’d picked up. I did boxing to keep fit and trained alone in the years I was watching over Kade, but that isn’t the same as fighting another shifter.”
Asher placed a freshly made sandwich down in front of his mate, along with a large glass of water. “Thanks, babe. So what were we needing to talk about?” Tate took a ravenous bite of the sandwich and chewed quickly as I framed my reply.
“We need to be on the same page about trying the bonding. I dunno how much longer I can keep my wolf back, especially with staying here. He’s going crazy being near our mate and not claiming him. My duties guarding Kade start back in a couple of weeks. I know he’d prefer it if I went into the office, but if we mate, we will need some time off because of Hiroshi’s heat.”
“Do you think he’s ready for that so soon after the last one?” Tate asked Asher, of all people. Wouldn’t it be better asking the man himself?
“Look, I don’t think we can choose that for him. Hiroshi is his own person. We just need to figure ourselves out so we are in the best place to make it work.” I tried to stay calm.
Tate was still chewing his second bite, so Asher took over. “What do you mean? Is there something you think that will make it work?”
I could feel heat rising on my cheeks. “This is just a theory, but we should maybe see if there is any chemistry between us. I’ve only ever been with Kade. Being with someone else is intimidating, let alone three other people. Maybe if we can work physically, it will give us a basis for a deeper bond, friendship, if nothing else, to grow on.”
Tate swallowed, took a gulp of water while holding up a finger for me to wait. “Is that a fancy way of asking to fuck? See if we fit sexually?”
I wanted this conversation to be over so badly. Nodding, I answered, “Yes.”
Tate and Asher had a silent conversation. Rude normally, but these weren’t normal circumstances. Tate then fiddled with his phone.
They took a couple of minutes and finally Tate took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. “We agree we should check we are compatible physically. For instance, Asher doesn’t mind bottoming, but it isn’t his preference. Would you be up for trying it?”
What the fuck? They were so casual about something that had taken me all day to work up the courage to say. My mouth gaped. “I, uh, hadn’t thought about it. Yeah,” I dragged the word out. “Why not?” I shrugged.
“Asher and I also agree that we don’t want to try getting all in our feelings just now. Friends, yes, anything more? No. We don’t want to risk catching feelings for this to all go wrong.”
Smart. Safe and sensible. I liked both guys. Maybe I could love them given time, but I didn’t want to risk a broken heart right now. “I agree with that. It would be bad enough having to give up Hiroshi, so I think that’s a good idea.”
“So, how’d you want to do this?” Asher asked.
