Page 28 of Bonds and Beasts

She tilts her head to the side but before she can ask, I'm wrapping one arm around her waist and lifting her so that she's sitting firmly on my lap.

Feeding is one of the items on the touch deprivation therapy list I need to handle personally. Her eyes widen as she comes to the same conclusion about my intentions.

"What are you hungry for?" I ask, squeezing her hip. Her eyes instantly drop to my lips and I don't even try to hide my smirk. "That we can have later," I purr into her ear. I’m rewarded with a suppressed smile and pink staining up into her pink stained cheeks.

Adison straightens a little in an effort to compose herself and points to the quiche. Good. My omega needs sustenance to build her strength.

Easton cuts the quiche and Dean holds out a plate for it, then hands the plate and a fork to me before they help themselves.

I cut a small bite and present it to Adison at mouth level. She leans back a little and graces me with a bemused look. "This is too much. I can feed myself."

I don't say anything and simply hold the fork steady. Patience is something I have in spades.

"This isn't necessary," she presses, and my jaw clenches.

"This is necessary," I say, placing the fork on the table. Dean is looking at Adison with hurt concern, and Easton is staring at her like he has twenty case files on severe touch deprivation he's ready to pull out and cite at any moment. I shoot them both a look that says, I'm taking care of this.

"Trusting you're not alone anymore an essential step for your nervous system," I start, pressing my lips to her forehead, her cheek, her neck as I speak, "and I want to help you with that. It's something I need to do. Will you let me satisfy my desire, Beauty?" She hesitates for a second longer but then nods. I pick up the fork again and when I bring it to her lips this time, she takes the morsel, her rosy lips closing around it. "Good girl," I breathe into her ear.

Her blush grows hotter while her eyes grow darker. I file the reaction away for later. I feed her another bite and another, while Dean and Easton talk over lighter topics.

But inevitably a weightier topic comes up, thrown out into the world by our constant overthinker, Easton.

"We need to discuss a PR strategy," he says bluntly.

Dean, ever the optimist and never the worrier, shovels another piece of quiche into his mouth. "For what?"

Easton stares at him and opens his mouth but I cut him off. I don't need these two bickering and disturbing Adison's morning any more than it already has been.

"Because we have a mate now, Dean,” I say. “That means interest. The press will be all over our new pack member."

Adison lifts her head from where it had been resting on my shoulder, swallows her latest bite, and straightens. "Your..." She trails off and I cock my head, waiting. She takes a breath. Her green eyes are sharp and beautiful, but wary. Poor Beauty. She's had no one to embrace her for a year. This must be so overwhelming. "Your mate?"

I stare at her for a moment and then around at my packmates. That can't be a real question. Easton reaches across and lays his fingers over the back of her wrist so that her eyes find his. "Sweetheart, you feel this too, right? The pull at your center. The scent?"

She wrinkles her brow and then nods.

Dean turns to her in his chair, close enough to rub a hand down her spine, and I swallow the urge to warn him back. "Mates, baby. Mine and ours. Do you want that?"

She blushes from all the attention, but nods again.

Suddenly, my cell phone rings. I glance at it and groan, sliding Adison off my lap and onto Dean's, who's more than happy to take over.

The screen flashes Lumi's number as it vibrates again. I sigh, looking to Adison. “This is our agent, Lumi. I’m going to take a quick call.”

Adison nods and I answer, placing it on speaker for the table to hear. "Hello, Lumi, what can I help you with?" My voice is already tight. Talking to Lumi civilly has become more and more difficult these last few months as she arranged our final contracts, somehow making each one less favorable than the last.

"Bello?" Her voice is practically shrill with surprise.

I glance at Dean and Easton, who both have agitated expressions. Easton's mouth is in a flat line, his hands folded under his chin. Dean is pressing juice into Adison's hands but even his brow is furrowed.

I turn my attention back to my phone. "Yes, Lumi. You called me, so of course I answered."

She makes a pained sound. "Oh my God, Bello. Your director called me. They said you hadn't been on set yesterday and you didn’t show up this morning. I got so worried."

She doesn’t sound worried. Her voice lilted and lowered at all the wrong points. If anything, she sounded stressed.

"Yeah, sorry. We were going to call in today and share the news."