He knew, even as he watched Cade love his woman, she was his and that would not change. That enabled him to get past any jealousy and to embrace her pleasure and his brother’s sacrifice. He could see the envy in Cade’s face and he wanted very much for his brother to have this with a woman of his own.

“Oh god, yes. Harder,” Nina said hoarsely and Lex’s c**k hardened at the sound. Cade groaned and began to thrust deeper and harder.

The slap, slap, slap of his strokes rang through the room, buffeted by her moans and sighs and Cade’s heavy breathing.

Cade’s c**k felt so good. The cant to the left stroked over the walls of her cunt, firing those nerves that didn’t get sparked with Lex. It was a different pleasure. The thickness of him made up for him not being as long as Lex was. It was intense and more so because he was doing it for a higher purpose. This wasn’t just a f**k—not that it wasn’t an excellent one—it was a brother doing something for a brother, an Alpha protecting one of his own. That touched Nina deeply.

He was kneeling, the wiry hair of his forearms tickled the backs of her calves, the tender flesh at the back of her knees. She reached up and touched his face. This couldn’t just be some clinical thing for her. He’d given her so much pleasure with his mouth. He was going to bind her to him in a way and she wanted an emotional connection, even if it was just collegial.

He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm and she could feel another orgasm hovering at the base of her spine, building there.

“Touch yourself, Nina. Make yourself come. I want to feel you come around my cock,” he growled. She slid her fingers into his mouth for a moment to wet them and he watched as she moved her hand to her pu**y, jumped as she gasped when her fingers found her clit.

She licked her suddenly dry lips and then began to slowly stroke herself. With her other hand she grabbed Lex’s c**k and he pumped into her fist. The three of them moved together, seeking pleasure.

Cade nearly blacked out when he felt the first ripples of her pu**y around him. She was like a scalding fist gripping his cock. Her br**sts moved enticingly as he thrust into her. Her dark ni**les were puckered and he leaned down and licked over one and then the other and delighted in her mewl of pleasure.

He pulled back and watched her hand on herself, catching glimpses of the glistening pink of her cunt. He could tell she was close. Her breathing became short, he saw the muscles in her forearm cord as she increased the pressure and speed of her fingers on her clit.

With a long gasp she began to come. The muscles deep inside of her clutched at him, rippled and milked him, and it was more than he could take. Head back, he groaned as he unloaded his seed inside of her.

Lex followed them both and Nina felt the satin heat of his cum land on her side and hand.

She also felt the same thing she’d felt when Lex came in her the first time. Utter contentment and restfulness. And then the trembling and sweating began. Her gut clenched, waves of nausea hit her as her muscles twitched.

She vaguely felt Cade withdraw, but the cool cloth that wiped her face and forehead, and Lex cleaning her hand and side, brought her back. She opened her eyes and stared into Cade’s and felt it. Yes, love for him. Not the same depth or intensity that she had for Lex, but love nonetheless. At the same time she felt, for want of a better word, anchored. As if the bond did indeed stabilize the out-of-balance feelings she’d had since bonding with Lex the day before.

“Are you all right, Nina?” Lex asked gently, pushing a curl out of her face.

She sat up slowly and leaned against the headboard. “Yes.” She didn’t want to say much more because she had no way to express the depth of what she felt for Cade without hurting Lex, even if she’d had the words, which she didn’t.

“We should get planning, you know,” Cade said, grabbing his pants.

“Yes.” Nina felt oh-so articulate. “Cade?”

He looked at her and she knew he felt it too, and there was no need for words. He pulled his shirt back on.

“Thank you.” It was simple but genuinely felt.

He nodded at her and then looked to Lex to be sure everything was all right between them, and was satisfied that it was. “Not like it was a chore.” He laughed, breaking the tension.

She got up and went into the bathroom to shower again and Lex followed her after he’d hugged his brother and thanked him.

They didn’t make love but he lavished her with attentive care, gently washing her as he laid kisses over her clean skin. In turn, she did the same for him. They needed the gentle moments to reestablish their connection after the tri-bond.

They came downstairs half an hour later, dressed and ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Chapter Five

“Okay, I think we should go to the Pack house tonight. It’s been a few days since we’ve been there and now that you’re bonded it’s your responsibility as a ranking member of the Pack to bring Nina around for everyone to see.” Cade bustled through the kitchen as he talked.

Nina moved past him and grabbed some juice out of the fridge. She tossed one to Lex and handed another to Cade before hopping up onto a barstool to listen. A rhythm had been established and no one questioned it, it simply was.

“So, what then?” Nina asked.

“Well, I think all we have to do is say who you are, you know, what a coincidence, Rey’s sister is Lex’s mate! And then we can talk about how you met, how despite losing Rey we have this laptop and we’re trying to figure out how to get in,” Cade said.