Chapter 23 - Inseparable

Bella

I woke up in a warm, naked tangle of arms and legs. I stretched and winced at the soreness in my body. I ached everywhere, from the muscles in my arms and legs, the fresh marks on my neck, right down to my lady parts. I vaguely remember someone washing blood from between my legs before I passed out, but I can’t even recall which brother it was. They told me it was normal to bleed a little the first time. Aside from the soreness, my bigger issue right now was that I was starving. All three of us went the whole day yesterday without eating anything.

My stomach grumbled loudly in protest, and I knew my mates must be terribly hungry as well. I tried to sneak out of bed, but it was like trying to escape from a spider’s web. As soon as I moved, twin arms tightened around me, preventing my escape.

“Good morning, beautiful.” A sleepy-eyed Byron smiled at me. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry.” I said, rather amazed at my own boldness. I was a mated and marked wolf now, and the fact of it made me feel bold and empowered.

Byron stretched and rolled off the bed. “We can't have that, now.” He gave me a sultry look, reminding me that his turn was coming next. “You are going to need your strength.” He pulled me off the bed and carried me to the bathroom. He twisted on the shower, and then got under the spray with me.

We were both still completely naked, and I could see that Byron was already aroused. The hot water sluiced over our bodies, and the steam billowed around us, making me feel like we were in our own private world. He apparently intended to help me wash, but I was distracted by his body. The brothers had touched me everywhere, right down to my most private parts. But I had barely touched them at all. I looked up at his warm blue eyes, feeling shy, but wanting to ask nonetheless. “Can I touch you?”

He tensed, but his expression was pleased. “Baby, I’m yours. You can do whatever you want,” he said in a low, sexy grumble.

I reached out my fingers and touched his chest, feeling the strong muscles, and tracing the faint line of hair down the center to his belly button. I wondered at his narrow hips, and his strong, firm buttocks. I loved the way his skin felt, so silky smooth over hard muscles. Finally, I turned my attention to his manhood, which was standing at attention, begging for my touch.

I’d seen the brothers, of course. They were naked when we shifted, they were naked in my bed last night, but this was my first opportunity to really see Byron, up close, without distractions. “You are so beautiful,” I murmured in wonderment. So strong and masculine, so perfectly proportioned. I slid my hand down his shaft, being ever so careful because I didn’t want to hurt him. I reveled in the feel of it in my hand, hot and hard and so thick that my fingers couldn’t circle it. When I swiped my finger over the engorged tip, he hissed, and I felt my center throb in response. I don’t know how I could be wanting it again when I was already sore from the first time, but I did.

I slid down his length to cup the softness of his testicles. I knew this was the most vulnerable place for a man, the source of his seed, and I wondered that he allowed me to touch him there.

“Stop now, Bella,” he growled, gently removing my hand. I blushed and pulled away in shame, thinking I had gone too far in my explorations.

“Look at me,” he commanded. I looked up into his eyes, which were almost completely black with passion. “I want you, I want you so bad it hurts. Your touch feels so good. But our first time is not going to be a rushed quickie in the shower. We are going to get clean, and we are going to eat breakfast so that when we return to the bed, we both have the strength and the stamina to enjoy it fully.” And with that, he squirted a blob of shampoo in my hair and started washing it.

I reached for the sponge, intent to wash him too, but he dodged away from me. “Uh-uh,” he said with a devilish smile. “No more touches from you, or I’ll lose control right here and now.” He took the sponge from me and started working it in gentle circles on my scarred back. It felt so good, and so erotic to have him washing me, his hands in my hair, all over my body, slick with soap and hot water.

“I don’t really need breakfast,” I whispered. I’d gone days without eating before, so what was one more? Or two?

He chuckled and scrubbed himself quickly. “You need breakfast, baby,” he rinsed himself as he spoke, “and then we’ll have all the time in the world.”

On that promise, he turned off the water and stepped out. He wrapped a towel around his narrow waist and then wrapped me up in another big, fluffy bath blanket. I stood like a child while he tried to towel off my hair. It was almost silly, how good it felt to let someone take care of me.

We pulled open the door to find that Wyatt had left the room, no doubt to go shower in his own bedroom. I guessed that he was purposely giving Byron some time and space with me. I pulled on my clothes while Byron went back to his own room to dress.

What are you supposed to wear to breakfast after the first time you are intimate? I stared at the clothes in my closet, most of them brand new and never-worn. There were the outfits the brothers had bought me online, plus the other clothes that Daphne had forced me to buy at the mall. I pulled down a baby blue sundress. It was pretty but casual enough, I hoped.

I wanted to look nice for my mates, but I didn’t want it to be obvious that I was trying too hard. I blushed at my own silliness and I worked a brush through my wet hair. Wyatt and Byron have seen me at my absolute worst. And there was only so much a pretty dress could do for a stick of a woman with too much hair.

When I emerged from the bathroom, the brothers were waiting for me. Everything felt indescribably different now. I felt the bond pulling at me with such strength, I wondered how I didn’t recognize the first time I laid eyes on them at White Pines that these two gorgeous men were mine. Their scent wrapped around me and affected me like an aphrodisiac. My fear of them had melted away. We were three pieces of one whole, they could no more hurt me than they could hurt themselves. Even though I was weak and lowly they had accepted me, and I was still amazed by that. These proud, strong Alpha men had agreed to take a slave girl as their mate.

But I’m not a slave anymore. Now I am a luna. I would have to remind myself of that over and over. I pushed my shoulders back and walked to them, drinking in the warm blue waters of their eyes. Wyatt took my elbow like a gentleman, and escorted me down to the dining room, with Byron at our backs.

We sat at our usual table, and Hailey bustled out with trays piled high with food. They must have linked her beforehand to let her know that we were coming and bringing our monstrous appetites with us. She didn’t bother to take an order from us, she just brought out platters of eggs and bacon and sausages, sweet cinnamon rolls, and blueberry muffins. There were carafes of juice and coffee, and a pot of tea for me.

My stomach grumbled again, making the brothers laugh.

“Hailey,” Byron caught her arm before she could hurry back to the kitchen. “Prepare a tray for our room please.” He gave her a meaningful look. ”We won’t be down for lunch, and we don’t want to be disturbed.”

She broke out in the most delighted grin. “Absolutely, Alpha,” she winked at me, “I’ll make sure you have... Sustenance.”

Ah, there was something very embarrassing about a middle-aged lady knowing you were having sex in your room with not one, but two beautiful men. I blushed furiously and grabbed for a roll to stuff in my mouth. Eat first, and be embarrassed later.