wanted to make this special and couldn't believe that Roman would be just as nervous. When the boy showed up to pick her up, he was.
"Mom is tracking my phone," he told me just before they left, "and I'll have her back by ten, Alpha. I promise."
"To Olivia's," Gabby corrected. "I'm supposed to spend the night with her."
He nodded, looking adorably awkward about it. "Ok, and I'll text you, Alpha. And Gabby will too, so you know."
"Relax," I told him. "Go have fun, you two. I'm going to believe that neither of you would make another mistake like the last one. So long as you don't prove me wrong, you'll be fine."
"Ok," Gabby said, taking over. "Love you, Mom. See you tomorrow. Bye!" Then she grabbed Roman's hand and pulled him out the door.
I sent Pax a text, letting him know my daughter was leaving, and that I'd be over in a minute. He replied telling me to meet him in the hot tub. I still had to change, though. Sadly, I wasn't much better than Gabby. The only difference was that I had a very good idea that I knew exactly where my night would end up.
No condoms.
That meant a lot of things that had previously been off-limits were now allowed. Blow jobs sprang to mind. As I grabbed the last of my things - including my phone, in case Gabby had a problem - and headed next door, I couldn't stop thinking about that. Five men, and I didn't have to worry about how far things went. I could lick every part of their bodies. I could kiss them, suck them, and more. We were basically starting fresh for the third time in our relationship, and I was nervously excited.
But I didn't go to their door. Instead, I used the gate to the backyard, heading straight for the hot tub. Just like that first time, Pax was soaking in it with a cold beer and a large glass of wine beside him. This time, Trent was right there with him. I set my bag on the closest chair, stripped out of my clothes as quickly as I could, and hurried into the water before I froze in the winter air.
"Oh, that's warm," I hissed as I made my way in.
Trent just offered a hand, pulling me closer. "And that bikini is hot."
"Like that, hm?" I teased.
"Love the bows," Pax teased, passing me the glass of wine. "Elena, are you sure about this?"
"The exposure," Trent clarified.
I settled into the spot between them and took a sip. The cold wine contrasted nicely with the heat of the water and the two men looking at me with hungry eyes. In truth, I also liked that they were easily giving me the chance to back out. Not that I would, but that one simple question made me feel safe. No, respected was a better word. As if I mattered for more than getting laid.
"I've been thinking about it for a while," I admitted. "I can't say I'm not a little scared of the idea, but I love the pack, guys. I..." I paused. "Please don't laugh or tell me I'm wrong, ok? But I'm tired of feeling weak. When I first moved to Wolf's Run, my big goal was to learn how to be strong, and I honestly feel like I'm doing that. Maybe not as fast as I wish, but this is part of it."
"Being a wolf doesn't make you strong," Trent said.
"No, not that." Oh, I wasn't saying this right. "It's more that I can see the appeal, but I can also see that it's going to hurt, it's dangerous, and it's risky." I took a breath and looked at Pax. "Letting fear make my decisions is what I mean when I say I feel weak." Then over to Trent. "And taking the risk, jumping into the proverbial deep end to chase something I want? That's what I mean about being strong." Then I licked my lips. "Or two someones."
"Or five," Pax teased, turning toward me.
"Or that," I agreed. "There's something a little empowering about having five extremely sexy men and not having to choose which one I like more." I took another sip of my wine and then set the glass on the concrete behind my head.
Trent immediately tugged me into his lap, turning me so I was facing him. My knees settled around his hips, then he reached up to push my hair back, not caring about the