Chapter 45: Knot Happening Again: Chapter 45

Troy’s fingers trace lazy circles on my hip, his touch both soothing and electrifying. Mace’s arm is draped over my waist, his large frame a comforting presence at my back. Maddox is curled up at my feet, his head resting on my calf.

The nest is a tangle of limbs and blankets, our scents mingling in a heady cocktail that makes my head spin. Leon and Rhys both slipped out a while ago, the former probably to give me some space and the latter to take an urgent call from work, but I’m still surrounded by alphas.

Safe and warm.

My heat is waning, but the need still thrums through my veins. It’s different now, though. Not the desperate, clawing ache it was before, but a warm, pulsing desire. I blink slowly, coming fully awake, and realize what I want.

What I need.

‘I want you all to mark me,’ I say, my voice hoarse from overuse.

Troy’s hand stills on my hip. Mace’s arm tightens around me. Maddox lifts his head, his blue eyes wide and alert.

‘Are you sure, princess?’ Troy asks, his voice low and gravelly. ‘Maybe we should wait until your heat’s over.’

I shake my head, pushing myself up on my elbows. ‘No. I’m sure. I want this. I want all of you.’

Mace rumbles, the sound vibrating through my back. ‘Effy, sweetheart, we don’t want you to regret this later.’

‘I won’t,’ I insist, sitting up fully now. ‘The way you’ve all taken care of me… I know this is right. I want to be part of this pack. Completely.’

‘You were from the moment we met you.’ Maddox crawls up the bed, his eyes searching mine. ‘As long as you’re sure…’

‘I am,’ I say, and I mean it. I want this so deep it hurts. Where the pain of my heat should be, but isn’t.

My cheeks flush as I glance between the three of them. ‘I… um, how does it work with Maddox? Since he’s a beta?’

Maddox grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘Curious, are we?’ He shifts closer, his fingers trailing up my arm. ‘It’s not so different, really. I can still bite and leave a mark. It just won’t have quite the same… intensity as an alpha’s.’

Troy snorts. ‘Don’t sell yourself short, Mad. Your bite packs a punch. Learned that the last time I ate your artisan cashews.’

Maddox rolls his eyes.

I bite my lip, curiosity mingling with desire. ‘But you don’t have a knot…’

‘No,’ Maddox agrees, his voice dropping lower. ‘But I have other ways of making you feel good, just like when we mate normally.’ His hand cups my cheek, thumb brushing over my bottom lip. ‘Want me to show you?’

Heat pools in my belly, and I nod, not trusting my voice. Maddox’s smile widens, and he leans in, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. His tongue teases the seam of my mouth, and I open for him eagerly.

Troy’s hand slides up my back, and I feel his breath hot against my ear. ‘How about we both show you, princess?’

I break away from Maddox, panting. ‘Yes,’ I breathe. ‘Please.’

They move as one, repositioning me between them. Troy settles behind me, his chest pressed to my back, while Maddox kneels between my spread legs. I catch a glimpse of Mace, his eyes dark with lust as he strokes his big, thick cock, watching us.

Maddox’s hands ghost up my thighs, and I shiver. ‘You’re so wet for us, Effy,’ he murmurs, his fingers teasing my folds. ‘So ready.’

Troy nips at my earlobe, his hands cupping my breasts. ‘Tell us what you want, princess. Tell us how you want us to mark you.’

I whimper, caught between their touches. ‘I want… I want both of you. Together.’

Maddox raises an eyebrow. ‘Both of us? Are you sure you can handle that?’

I nod frantically. ‘Yes. Please. I need it.’

Troy growls, the sound rumbling through his chest and into me. ‘Fuck, that’s hot. Hearing you beg like a good girl.’

They maneuver me again, Troy lying back with me straddling his hips. His cock presses against my entrance, and I sink down onto him with a gasp. He fills me so perfectly, stretching me in all the right ways.

Maddox positions himself behind me, his hands on my hips. ‘Ready, sweetheart?’

I nod, bracing myself on Troy’s chest. Maddox’s finger dips into my slick and uses it to lubricate my puckered hole. I gasp as his fingertip penetrates me, but I’m so aroused that it doesn’t even hurt. Even when he pushes his finger in further, and starts pushing it in and out slowly in time with Troy’s thrusts.

Eventually, I find myself bucking instinctively for more, craving the friction. ‘Please,’ I gasp, my hips grinding desperately against Troy’s cock, Maddoc’s finger pulling out slightly as a result of my movement. ‘I need you both.’

‘Fuck,’ Maddox breathes, his voice rough with hunger. He pulls his finger out all the way and replaces it with the head of his cock. Maddox pushes in slowly, the extra stretch burning in the most delicious way. I cry out, overwhelmed by the sensation of being so full.

‘Breathe, princess,’ Troy murmurs, his hands stroking my sides. ‘That’s it. You’re doing so well.’

They start to move, finding a rhythm that has me seeing stars. Troy thrusts up as Maddox pulls back, never leaving me empty for a second. I feel Troy’s knot straining against my entrance and I need more. The pleasure builds quickly, my nerves singing with each movement.

‘God, you feel amazing,’ Maddox groans, his fingers digging into my hips. ‘Our perfect omega.’

Troy’s eyes lock with mine, blazing with intensity. ‘You’re ours now, Effy. Our mate. Our girl.’

The possessiveness in his voice sends a thrill through me. ‘Yes,’ I gasp. ‘Yours. All yours.’

Their movements become more frantic, driving me higher and higher. I’m teetering on the edge, so close I can taste it.

I can hear Mace’s labored breathing too as he watches, thoroughly enjoying himself. Patiently waiting for his turn.

Or not so patiently.

‘Mark me,’ I plead. ‘Please, I need it.’

Troy pulls me down harder onto his cock, his lips finding the junction of my neck and shoulder. Maddox mirrors him on the other side. They bite down in unison, and the world explodes into white-hot pleasure.

Maddox is right. He may not have an alpha’s knot, but oh, fuck, his bite… it feels just as good as Troy’s, in a different way. Like the difference between a blinding white orgasm that comes hard and fast, and one that takes its time, both leading to the same toe-curling ecstasy.

I scream, my body convulsing as the most intense orgasm of my life rips through me. I feel Troy’s knot swelling, locking us together as he pulses inside me. Maddox groans, his hips stuttering as he finds his release.

As the aftershocks roll through me, I become aware of the marks on my neck. They throb in time with my heartbeat, a constant reminder of what just happened. Of the choice I’ve made.

Maddox pulls out gently, and I collapse against Troy’s chest. His arms wrap around me, holding me close as we wait for his knot to go down.

‘You okay, princess?’ he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I nod, feeling boneless and sated. Their marks tingle on my neck, newly formed. ‘More than okay.’

The bed dips as Mace joins us, his large hand smoothing down my back. ‘You did so well, sweetheart,’ he rumbles. ‘So beautiful.’

I turn my head to look at him, noting the way his eyes darken as they land on the fresh marks on my neck. ‘Your turn next?’ I ask, a hint of shyness creeping into my voice.

Mace’s smile is predatory. ‘Oh yes. As soon as Troy’s knot goes down, you’re all mine.’

The promise in his voice sends a shiver of anticipation through me. I snuggle closer to Troy, basking in the warmth of my new pack as we wait.

It doesn’t take long before Troy’s knot deflates enough for me to lift off him. I wince slightly at the emptiness, but Mace is there immediately, gathering me into his arms.

‘Ready for me, little omega?’ he growls, his scent wrapping around me like a blanket.

I nod, tilting my head to bare my neck. ‘Yes, alpha.’

Mace’s eyes flash at the title, and he surges forward, claiming my mouth in a bruising kiss. His hands roam my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I moan into his mouth, already feeling the stirrings of arousal again.

He breaks the kiss, trailing his lips down my jaw to my neck. ‘Gonna make you mine,’ he murmurs against my skin. ‘Gonna take care of you so good.’

I whimper, tilting my head further to give him better access. ‘Please, Mace. Need you.’ My voice is an omega whine, breathy and needy for him. I’m so close to being marked by the whole pack, and my body craves it as intensely as my soul does.

He growls, the sound vibrating through me. In one swift movement, he flips us, pinning me beneath his bulk. His cock presses against my entrance, and I arch up, trying to take him in.

‘Patience, sweetheart,’ he chuckles, nipping at my collarbone. ‘We’ve got all the time in the world now.’

He enters me slowly, inch by delicious inch. I gasp at the stretch, feeling so full and complete. When he’s fully seated, he pauses, giving me time to adjust.

‘You feel so good,’ I breathe, running my hands over his broad shoulders. ‘So perfect.’

Mace starts to move, his thrusts deep and powerful. Each one sends sparks of pleasure shooting through me, building the fire in my core. I wrap my legs around his waist, urging him deeper.

‘That’s it, little omega,’ he grunts. ‘Take what you need.’

I lose myself in the sensations, in the feeling of being surrounded by Mace. His scent, his touch, his voice, his soft stomach and strong chest pressing down on me, they all combine to create a cocoon of safety and pleasure.

As the tension builds with each thrust, I feel his knot starting to swell, bumping against me each time. ‘Mace,’ I gasp. ‘I’m close. So close.’

He speeds up his thrusts, driving me higher. ‘Come for me, Effy. Let me feel you.’

His knot catches on my rim, and that’s all it takes. I cry out as my orgasm crashes over me, my body clenching around him. Mace roars, his teeth sinking into the unmarked side of my neck as his knot enters me and finally locks us together.

The bite sends another wave of pleasure through me, prolonging my orgasm. I cling to Mace, overwhelmed by the sensations and the rush of emotions. Love, adoration, protectiveness.

Everything I’ve ever craved.

As we come down from our high, Mace rolls us onto our sides, careful not to jostle his knot. He peppers my face with gentle kisses, his hands stroking my back soothingly.

‘You did so well, sweetheart,’ he murmurs. ‘Those marks look so good on that pretty little neck.’

I hum contentedly, feeling truly at peace for the first time in years. The ache that’s been my constant companion since Leon’s partial mark is gone, replaced by a warm, comforting fullness.

Now, I have five marks.

And I feel them.

I feel the love, the acceptance, the protectiveness my pack feels for me. I feel it all, like a warm blanket wrapped around me, so complete and soothing and safe.

I feel… home.

Troy and Maddox join us on the bed again, their hands reaching out to touch and caress. I’m surrounded by my new pack, their scents mingling with mine in a perfect harmony.

As I drift off to sleep, locked in Mace’s embrace and surrounded by Troy and Maddox, I realize that for the first time in my life, I feel truly, completely whole.