"Look," he mutters. "As far as I'm concerned, Fallon...we've been pack since you got to Solstice Bay. And we've shared women before. It wouldn't be a first."
"But this shit is forever," I say.
It's the truth. We both know it. It's just a matter of actually admitting that Jade is it for us.
I can't fucking believe it, but she is.
"Yeah, I know," Rafe says. "But we've been running together for like...what, seven years now? This friendship we've got--it's stronger than blood. It's brotherhood."
He reaches out his hand, and I see the matching tattoo on his forearm that we all got years ago--the Enclave's ribbon, crudely drawn. I take his hand and squeeze it in a handshake, even though it makes my shoulder ache. Rafe's eyes dart to the place where he dislocated it.
"Sorry about your shoulder," he says. "For what it's worth...you can fuck my mate all night if it makes you feel better."
I chuckle. "Oh, I plan on it. But speaking of brotherhood...we should probably track down Hawk and tell him we're good. He's a stoic motherfucker, but I think he's been worried."
Rafe nods. "Think he'll get jealous?"
I shrug. "He might make a pissy comment, but he's always been cool about letting us do what we want."
"You think so?" Rafe asks. "This whole goddamn thing...I've been a nightmare. I'm surprised Hawk has stuck around."
"I don't think he's planning on going anywhere," I say. "And really, I'm worried he blames Jade for all this. It's not her fault, though--we're the assholes who've been letting our cocks tell us what to do."
Rafe snorts. "We've been damn fools, haven't we?"
I chuckle. "Believe me, brother," I say, "if I've learned anything from Jade's heat, it's that it's worth it. We've been stupid, but she...she's everything. And if it took a while to figure it out, that's okay."
And I mean it.
Because I know Jade is it for both of us.
Now we just have to convince Hawk we're going to be okay sharing.
19
Fallon
Idon'trealizehowmuch I missed her until I'm walking back toward the watchtower, my hands shoved in my pockets. Jade is waiting...and that makes me up my pace, my head bent toward the wind, my heart racing.
I almost don't want to see what Rafe did in there--how he satisfied her in ways I never possibly could--but I'm pleased to find that the place is clean when I get back.
"Knock knock," I call out as I take a step inside, looking around. Someone has tidied the bed, disassembling the nest I built for Jade during her heat, and the shower is running in the attached bathroom. And my place...it smells better than ever. Like me, and like Jade, and--I have to admit--even like Rafe.
Makes it feel like home.
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm ready to pack up.
I make my way deeper into the small watchtower, toward the open bathroom door. I can hear Jade's sweet voice humming something, her tone drenched in afterglow. I feel another pang of jealousy and sadness; I'll need to figure out how I feel about her relationship with Rafe, and maybe...maybe Hawk, one day. But for now, what matters is that I'm with her.
She still wants me, even after she's been with Rafe.
I find her in the shower, her body clearly visible through the glazed stall door, her back to me. Her skin is pink from the hot water, her hair flowing halfway down her back, her fingers lathering shampoo into her long curls. I watch her, feeling something close to bliss, not wanting it to stop.
But I shouldn't watch her like some creep.
I know that.
"Hey," I murmur.