Page 98 of Knot in Bloom
“Tired,” she whispers against my throat, nuzzling into the vibrations of my purr.
“Rest if you can,” I tell her, though I know her heat won’t let her sleep deeply until Reid has his turn. “We’re here. You’re safe.”
Reid settles closer to the nest, his dark eyes taking in her exhausted but still needy state. “When you’re ready,” he says quietly, his voice strained with want. “I’ll finish what we started.”
As I hold her against my chest, feeling Levi’s presence on her other side through our bond, I know we’re close to completion. Two claiming bites mark her throat now.
But she’s right to feel incomplete. Her heat won’t fully break until Reid adds his mark to the collection and our pack bond includes all four of us.
Looking at the woman in my arms, wearing my bite mark alongside Levi’s, I know exactly how fortunate I am. This strong, brave omega who chose us, who trusted us enough to let us claim her properly.
Tomorrow we’ll be a complete pack. Tonight, we’re getting there one claiming at a time.
Chapter 29
Reid
Watching my pack claim Sadie has been the most exquisite torture I’ve ever endured.
First Levi, with his gentle reverence and careful attention. Then Caleb, with his focused intensity and protective strength. Both of them worshipping her with the devotion she deserves, marking her throat with claiming bites that make my own teeth ache in response.
Now it’s my turn. And after two claimings, her heat has reached a fever pitch that calls to every instinct I possess.
She’s drowsing in Caleb’s arms, but I can smell the way her need is building again. The scent of two claiming marks mixing with renewed arousal, her body demanding the final piece of the puzzle. Her heat won’t fully break until all three of us have knotted her, until the pack bond is complete.
“Reid,” she whimpers, and even that single word sounds wrecked, desperate. Her glazed eyes find mine across the nest, pupils blown wide with heat and need. She can’t seem to form any other words, just reaches for me with trembling fingers while soft, pained sounds escape her throat.
The broken plea makes something predatory and refined stir in my chest. I’ve been patient, controlled, watching my packmates claim her while my own need built to nearly unbearable levels. But patience has its rewards. I know exactly how to touch her now, what she needs, how to give her pleasure that will complete what we started.
“I know you do,” I tell her, rising from the chair with fluid grace. “And I’m going to complete what we started. But in my own way.”
She tries to sit up, to reach for me, but her movements are unsteady. Heat-drunk and exhausted from two intense claimings. I can see the way her thighs tremble, how her skin gleams with perspiration and arousal. When I ask how, she can only whimper and press her hand to her lower belly where the emptiness aches.
“Trust me,” I say simply, settling onto the bed beside her. “Let me take care of you my way.”
I’ve been watching, learning how she responds to Levi and Caleb. Understanding what makes her gasp, what makes her arch. What Levi gave her was sweet reverence. What Caleb gave her was protective dominance. What I’m going to give her is my own approach.
“Lie back,” I murmur, helping her settle against the pillows. “Let me take care of everything.”
She whimpers but obeys, her body pliant and trusting despite the desperate edge of need in her scent. I can see both claiming bites on her throat, already healing but still fresh enough to make my own bite instincts roar to life.
I start with my hands. Not rough or urgent like her heat might demand, but skilled and precise. I know exactly where to touch, how much pressure to apply, which spots will make her arch and cry out. Watching her with them has taught me to read her responses like a favorite book.
“Oh,” she breathes when I find that sensitive spot just below her ear, the word barely coherent. The heat has stolen most of her ability to speak, leaving only desperate sounds and broken whimpers.
“I know,” I murmur against her throat, careful to avoid the fresh bite marks. “I know exactly how it feels. And I know how to make it better.”
I worship her body with calculated precision. Not rushed or desperate, but methodical in the way I build her arousal. Every touch is deliberate, designed to maximize her pleasure. When I trace patterns on her inner thigh, she gasps and spreads her legs wider.
She can’t answer, can only whimper and try to guide my hand where she needs it most. Heat has reduced her to pure instinct and desperate need.
“You need to let me set the pace,” I tell her, my voice firm but gentle. “Trust me to know what your body craves.”
The authority in my tone makes her melt, a soft whimper escaping her lips. She’s been claimed by two alphas already, her omega instincts primed to submit to experienced dominance. I can use that, channel it into the kind of pleasure that will blow her mind.
When my fingers finally find her core, she’s slick and swollen and incredibly responsive. I don’t rush, don’t go straight for the obvious spots. Instead, I tease and explore, using techniques that make her writhe and sob with need.
“You’re breathtaking like this,” I murmur, watching her face as I work her higher. “So responsive. Do you know how exquisite you are?”
