I blink awake, grabbing my glasses from the nightstand.
“What time is it?”
“Almost eight,” he says and I squint at him. “At night.”
“Oh.” I slept the day away, but my body needed it. My stomach hurts as I reach up to my neck, feeling Greer’s bond mark. “Um…Greer and I…”
“I know,” he says with a smile, his hand coming up, his thumb touching the skin around the bond mark. “It looks beautiful on you.”
“I’m sorry that we didn’t all talk about it before, we should have,” I say, feeling somewhat guilty about it.
“Hey. I’m not mad, jealous, sure, but who wouldn’t be,” he says, snuggling closer to me, and I find it somewhat precious that him and Greer are so close that he doesn’t care about Lain lying in this bed. “All that matters is how you feel though,” he tells me, his blue eyes searching mine.
“I feel less afraid, like it’s taken some of the pressure off me. Having him down the bond is soothing,” I say, watching his face the whole time to see if he doesn’t want to hear any of this.
I should have never doubted Lain, because he just gives me a wide smile. “Being around Greer is like that. Plus, I’m coming up with a ridiculously romantic way for us to bond, anyway. I mean, I need to keep my new sugar mama happy and all.”
“Is that so?” I ask, feeling a huge weight of relief off my shoulders that he isn’t upset or insistent that we bond immediately.
“Aye. It will be perfect, just like you.”
“I’m far from perfect, Lain.”
“Perfect for me then,” he corrects and I just sigh, giving in and cuddling up to him. “How are you feeling?”
“So sore. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this sore in my life. I need to do pilates or yoga or something if I’m going to have three boyfriends.” Lain makes a sound in the back of his throat. “What?”
“Pack mates, Alphas, bonded mates, lovers. Any of those are better than boyfriend.”
“Oh yeah? And what will I be to you?”
“My girl, my Omega, my everything,” he says and I full on swoon.
“You’re too smooth for your own good,” I say and a voice interrupts in the hallway.
“A smooth brain, maybe,” Callum says, and Lain just holds up a middle finger. “Don’t worry, I won’t be here long, just swinging by to drop off some food for Maisie, and you too, I guess.”
“Was it made with love?” I joke, not even thinking before I speak.
Callum goes still, clearing his throat, putting the bag of food on the counter. “It was.”
“Thank you for bringing food. I’m starving,” I say, sitting up on the bed as he takes food out. I’m not usually someone who eats in bed, but this seems like an appropriate occasion.
“You’re welcome. I gotta get back. There was just a small lull where I could run out and have my staff take over. I’ll be back later tonight. You’ll probably be asleep,” Callum says, awkwardly putting his hands in his pockets.
“Then a kiss goodnight now?”
It’s not my smoothest delivery, but it seems to work as Callum gives me a smile, leaning down to give me a quick kiss. It’s a bit awkward, but I feel the connection between us.
“Have a good rest of your shift.”
“I will. Eat and get some rest,” he says, giving a half-hearted wave to Lain.
I take a spoon and immediately start in on the soup he brought. It was definitely made with love, because it’s freaking delicious.
“You two seem to bicker a lot,” I mention to Lain and he laughs.
“Giving each other shit is our love language,” he says and then turns to me. “What’s yours?”
