Page 103 of Feeling the Heat: Part Two
“I…” He swallows hard and nods, a small tear rolling down his cheek. “I can.”
We gaze at each other for a long moment, words not needed as he keeps feeling my love through the bond.
“Aren’t you going to say something else?” Jackson hisses to River, and Ambrose smacks the beta in the shoulder.
The smile that spreads across River’s lips is brilliant. “I love you, too.”
I grin back, not caring about the ache in my jaw. “Well, good, because otherwise this would be really awkward.” I glance at Ambrose, who I’m still partially sprawled over, and giggle. “Or more awkward.”
A moment later I process something River said before. “Wait, what did you mean about changing our minds? Were you talking about the pack?”
It’s strange. In the past, my stomach would’ve knotted at the potential of this pack changing their minds about anything. Not being worried is a bizarre new reality I’ve entered, and I swear my omega lets out an internal sigh of relief that I’ve finally stopped fighting her about this.
Ever since we got out of that horrible hotel room—no, since they burst in to save me—my sense of calm has built. Something worse than I could’ve imagined almost happened to me. I should be terrified in the aftermath, and I’m sure it’ll take me a long time to recover from the trauma and horror of the attempted assault, but right now, more than anything else, I feel certain.
Certain that I’m stronger and braver than I ever thought I was, even as a beta.
Certain that I’m not going to live in fear, I’m going to doeverything in my power to show toxic alphas that they’re not in control.
Certain that I’ve found my pack and I trust them to be there for me when I need them most.
“Oh, uh, well, there’s something we need to show you,” Ambrose says, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s terrible timing, but it can’t really be helped with your heat coming. If you hate it, we’ll figure something else out.”
My omega perks up at what sounds like a gift from my pack. “What kind of something?”
“If you all get out of the car, we can show you,” River says sternly, but there’s a teasing slant to his mouth.
“I don’t know, I like having Cami’s ass in my face,” Jackson teases, giving said ass a light pinch that has me squealing and attempting to pull away even though there’s nowhere for me to go. Ambrose lets out a low “oof” as I elbow him in the side.
“Yeah, let’s get out before I accidentally knee someone in the balls,” I say, giving him an apologetic pat.
Jackson gives me room to get off of Ambrose, and River extends a hand to his mate to help him out. He holds a tattooed hand out for me next, and I take it, a spike of desire hitting me at his strong grip. Ambrose was right; my heat must be coming soon if that small touch has me needy.
Stepping out of the car, I realize we’re not at the townhouse. We’re parked in a driveway next to a house I’ve never seen before. I blink at the cute two-story white house, lit up by the warm glow of porch lights. The front yard is well-manicured, with what looks like freshly planted pink rose bushes and a smoothly paved, illuminated path up to a ramp taking up one side of the steps leading up to the porch.
“Where are we?” I ask, looking between the three men gathered next to me. Jackson shifts in place with a nervousexpression, and River watches my face with intense focus while he wrings his hands together.
Ambrose gives me a hesitant, hopeful smile. “Home.”
My heart leaps into my throat. “What?”
“We bought a house,” River says evenly. Like it’s a totally normal thing to announce casually. Like it isn’t going to make my brain melt.
“W-what?” It’s all I can seem to say as tears well in my eyes and butterflies fill my stomach. I must be misunderstanding. Surely they don’t mean they bought a house for us.
“I know it’s a bit over the top, as far as romantic gestures go, but to be fair, we didn’t know you’d randomly confess your love in the backseat of a car.” Jackson winks.
His grin is what has my brain whirring back to life again. “You can’t be serious. You bought a house? You boughtthis house?” My voice shakes as emotion overwhelms me.
“Do you not like it?” River asks, sounding genuinely concerned that they chose incorrectly.
“No, it’s fucking a-adorable,” I blubber, tears pouring down my face. “I just can’t believe…why would you…” My pack crowds around me until I’m in the center of a purring group hug.
“Because we wanted you to know that we’re all in,” River murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair.
“Because we needed a place with a proper nest and better accessibility for Dolly, and a space to start the rest of our lives together as a pack,” Ambrose adds.
I cry even harder at the mention of them getting a home where Dolly can get around more easily, because she’s the best girl in the world and she deserves it.
