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A bright smile slipped onto my first love’s face. “Always.”
28
Cole
Asharp pain in my leg jolted me from sleep. Groggy and disoriented, I sat up and pushed down on it, the hiss escaping between my clenched teeth before I could stop it.
"What's wrong?" Summer and Miller both blinked open their eyes and studied me with concern.
Words weren't happening yet so I simply shook my head sharply and closed my eyes, riding out the nauseating wave of pain that struck me. It had been a long time since I'd had an episode quite this bad.
"What do we do for you?" Summer demanded, already on her knees in front of me, her hands running gently over the aching muscles.
I relaxed into her warm touch, letting the heat of the friction and her palms seep into the angry muscles. When my damaged nerves acted up, it always resulted in the world's worst muscle cramps.
"I've got a cream in that drawer," I said, pointing over to my top dresser drawer.
Miller moved quickly, digging around until he found it, then dropping next to our omega, pouring some into his fingers and rubbing it gently but firmly onto my skin.
My heart nearly burst from them taking care of me. I wasn't used to relying on anyone else in these moments, now they were seeing me at my lowest and simply worried about me.
"I think a hot shower will help," Miller stated and I nodded in agreement.
"There's waterproof bandages for this in the bathroom pantry. I use them to keep the cream from washing off too fast," I explained, asking for what I needed and trusting them like they’d asked for time and time again.
They both disappeared into the bathroom, Summer returning with the bandage and applying it over the muscle. It was tensing on and off, so she didn't even have to ask where it was the worst. I wished she didn't have to see it, the look of heartbreak on her face was awful.
"Don't overthink this, Shortcake. I'll be fine, it wasn't your fault."
She took a shaky breath and nodded. Though the string of guilt was small and nearly hidden by concern, I felt it nonetheless.
When I was in the shower, Miller left me in Summer's hands. I wished I could have enjoyed her naked body more, but instead I closed my eyes and let the piping hot spray ease the pain. She stayed with me, hands on my skin and bond thrumming with love.
This is how it should have been. Us being open with each other, giving and taking when the other one needed us. We might have been a bit too young and rash before, but as I felt each wave of warmth and love flow down the bond I knew that we had not only found our way, but we were even better than before.
By the time we stepped out, Miller had found my prescription meds and had laid the bottle out with a glass of water. I took it along with my other daily meds and brushed my teeth. Before long it would be a dull ache I could manage, and in a few days it would be the same imperceptible tightness I managed on the daily.
"I'm going to get dressed, but if you need to skip our date, I'll be fine with that," she said firmly, giving me a narrow-eyed look.
"No chance," I grinned. Though in reality I'd have to finally lean on my pack fully to make it happen.
Miller came back with food for me, no doubt knowing I couldn’t take my pills on an empty stomach, as soon as Summer left. His jaw was clenched in worry, but he was trying his best to not show it.
"I'm okay, alpha," I promised.
He eyed me for a moment before relaxing. My breath caught as he moved in closer.
"With us, there's no alphas, just two men navigating whatever this is," he clarified as his lips brushed over my forehead. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. Now that the bond was solidified with Summer, I could scent him stronger than ever. Mint and orange blossom. Sweet, sharp, and fresh.
I didn't expect it to ease the tightness further or to find myself leaning into his touch, but I didn't question it.
"I was wondering when we were going to talk about this,” I said, leaning into his touch. There was something else I had to admit as well. “But I like the fact that you’re an alpha, and I liked what we did together during Summer’s heat.”
A pleased growl left his lips as his arms tightened around me. “I told her I wasn’t going to push. I wasn’t going to ask you for something you weren’t ready for, or might not want. But seeing you this morning triggered every instinct in me.”
“You’re not pushing me. I'm ready to explore this," I admitted quietly. "But I really don’t want to let Summer down today. Can you guys please help me make this date happen?"
He snorted. "You know they're already on it."
