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I did as he asked and let him feed me. Exhaustion was taking over, and it took everything in me to stay awake as I chewed through the bites, especially with Drew next to me.
His hands gently rubbed the knots out of my back, relaxing me further.
“It’s okay to feel tired. That was a lot of emotions in a short time. It’s still going to hit full force any minute, but for now, just try to eat for us. Stay awake. You’ve got this, sweets.”
When my eyes started to slip closed, it was Riven who brought me out of it.
“Drink.” It wasn’t a question or an offer, it was a straight-up command.
My eyes popped open and so did my mouth. He tipped the bottle to my lips, and I swallowed down the sweet liquid.
After a few small sips I started taking longer pulls, realizing I was parched. The bottle was half empty when I stopped and took some deep breaths. He at least seemed satisfied for now.
“You all have to sleep with me tonight. I’m not sure when it’s going to hit.”
“One of us will be with you from here on out. We promise,” Lake reassured me. “You keep working on that food. We’re going to go get our stuff moved into the nest, okay?”
Lake and Drew disappeared while Micah and Riven continued to feed and hydrate me. They weren’t satisfied until I’d finished at least one bowl of food.
I couldn’t argue, I knew I needed the energy.
“How about a bubble bath?” Drew asked as he came back in. “I got some bath bombs when we were out.”
He held out a hand for me, and the others let me out of their sights long enough for the beta to lead me to the bathroom in Micah’s room. The master had one of those tubs with jets, and it was already running full blast with bubbles filling the basin.
Drew gently helped me strip, and I didn’t even question that this was the first time of him seeing me like this.
To his credit, he didn’t stand and ogle me. He just made sure I was steady before helping me into the water. He grabbed a rag and started cleaning me, the movements gentle and soothing.
When he was done with my body, he moved to my hair, massaging my scalp and making sure that I was ready for the upcoming heat.
Even being with Everett, I’d never had someone take care of me quite like this. Drew had a knack for knowing exactly what I needed and giving it to me. The way he grounded me was something I knew I would never take for granted.
Then again, I’d never take any of them for granted. They’d given me a second chance at life, and I’d forever be grateful for that.
They also gave me the ability to accept myself and my feelings and to move forward. They encouraged independence. They didn’t want me to just rely on them.
When my eyes started to slip closed, Drew called out for help. I was so far into my exhaustion that I didn’t even know which alpha helped, but I was dried and helped to bed.
My eyes were closed before any of the pack even curled in next to me, but somehow I knew they were all there.
This was what a pack was supposed to be like. They cared for each other on levels that we didn’t even know we needed.
That was one of the reasons that I knew that I was ready to ride out this heat with them.
I was ready to trust them with my heart, my body, and maybe even my future.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Shaye
I’d never been so hot in my life. I woke up with sweat covering my body and it felt like I was about to combust.
Of course, I knew what it meant, but the guys were sleeping peacefully around me. Since I didn’t feel like I was going to die if I didn’t get their knot, I opted for a shower first.
Maybe it was because this was about to be our first time together, but I was nervous. The last thing I wanted to do was be sweaty going into this.
Drew’s body was wrapped around me, but I somehow didn’t wake him as I crawled out of his grip.
