Page 102 of Knot Their Soldier: Part Three

Blaze is a creature of survival, and food gives life. Every bite is proof that his Omega will be safe for a while longer. Eating is also a state of great vulnerability. If you didn't have someone watching your back while you were eating and vulnerable on the battlefield, you didn't eat. For Blaze, who ran solo missions as a child, the honor of keeping watch while someone he loves is vulnerable must mean a great deal to him.

Also, there is definitely a sexual element in there somewhere. No clue what kink it is, but he's got it in spades.

From day one he's stared at her while she's eaten her meals, and at first, I know it freaked her out, but now I think it makes her feel reassured and safe.

While he's usually content to watch, today it seems the instinct is dialed up to maximum. Maybe it's the result of losing her, or because she's on the tail end of her heat, or because we've officially mated. Whatever it is, he can't shake it. He's almost helpless to stop himself from acting out his instinct to feed her.

He softens his voice. "Please."

Halley’s expression falters for half a second, long enough for tenderness to slide beneath the banter. She huffs, exasperated and affectionate.

"You are ridiculous."

"Thank you," Blaze says, like it's praise.

Halley sighs and then opens her mouth.

Blaze looks so triumphant that I can't help but smile.

He guides the forkful of bacon to her mouth, careful, like he’s trying to be gentle with something priceless, and feeds it to her.

Halley chews, eyes fixed on him, and I can see her fighting the smile as it tries to escape.

It does anyway.

"There," Blaze breathes out, as if his inner Alpha has released him from whatever primal bind he was trapped in.

Halley swallows, then points her own fork at him. "Okay. My turn."

Blaze blinks. "Your turn?"

Halley scoops up some scrambled eggs from Blaze's forgotten plate. "Open."

Blaze’s entire face lights up. His mouth opens immediately with pure, boyish delight.

Halley feeds him the eggs with a smug little smile.

They carry on like that, taking turns to feed each other breakfast.

"You're going to get eggs everywhere," Shade sighs, and I stifle a laugh as Halley spills scrambled eggs down the front of the blanket she's still wrapped in, instantly proving him right.

Halley giggles and brushes the eggs off the blanket and onto the table. This sound elicits a sharp, painful feeling in my chest, as if my body is still unused to holding so much happiness within.

This is my life.

This.

Not cold bunks and orders that I know are wrong, but I cannot refuse. It's no longer the years where I was nothing but a weapon, simply a Prime Alpha built to take and hold and kill. I remember the man I used to be, because I still feel him in my bones. He'll always be there, ready. Efficient, focused, and deadly.

But now… now.

I have been made new.

I watch as Blaze drags Halley onto his lap and tries to feed her a strip of bacon from his teeth. She shrieks and thrashes, laughing heartily.

Shade leans back in his chair, sipping his coffee with a wide grin as he watches, not intervening.

Viper looks at Blaze and Halley wrestling hard enough to jostle the table, then at Shade and me sitting back without intervening, and sighs. "Guess I'm gonna have to be the grown-up today."