by T. S. Ryder
“Yup. Just because we live on an island doesn’t mean we should be completely isolationists.”
Bobby shifted and coughed, but that didn’t stop them from talking.
“I wanted to tell you,” Kurtis said, his voice getting low, “that I’m sorry for what I did. I lashed out at Ricky for no reason other than feeling like I was inadequate. The other clans think that the Ridgeline is this big rich monster, but we’ve been struggling. When you sided with him without even listening to my side . . . I got angry. It hurt.”
“And I’m sorry for that. I just saw what a state the Flatlands was in and I kept thinking about those diamonds . . . But we aren’t going to let miscommunication get in the way again, are we?”
“No.” There was the sound of a kiss. “We aren’t. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
There were more sounds of kissing and when Diana let out a soft moan, Bobby was about ready to spring off the couch — and suggest that he and she go up to his room. He stayed still, though . . . After all, Kurtis would go with them. Was he really ready for that step? He hadn’t talked to Diana about it, but he could tell by the look on her face at times that she daydreamed of having all four alphas at once . . .
But he wanted her to be his mate. He wanted her to love him. He wanted something special. Could there be something special about her when the others were right there too?
Kurtis and Ricky had both been so happy when she told them that she was pregnant. He didn’t want to get in the way of how brightly she had beamed at them, but he was so used to being shuffled aside. Could he really stand sharing with the alphas that had ignored him for so long? What if Diana started to ignore him, too?
“Can I get in on that, too?” Noel’s voice came rumbling from upstairs.
The kissing noises stopped and Diana laughed. “Sure. Actually, I need to talk with you.”
“My cue to go get supper started.” Kurtis padded across the room and disappeared into the kitchen.
Bobby covered his head with the blanket, but now it was rabid curiosity that kept him from speaking out. There was the sound of a grunt, and then a sigh. He expected there to be kissing, but instead, Diana spoke.
“I want to respect your traditions. Even if they seem strange to me. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen when you first brought home the sea lion pup.”
Noel made a comforting noise. “We’ve already discussed this. No need to keep apologizing for it, Diana. All is forgiven.”
“I still feel like I need to speak.”
Noel grunted.
Bobby rolled his eyes. A simple ‘go ahead’ would have worked.
“This sort of thing is going to crop up in the future. I’m not familiar with your culture, and even after all my time here, there is so much I need to know. I want to respect and understand your culture. So, in light of that, if I ever start getting upset about something that is a part of your traditional life, just tell me to chill out. I will calm myself down and listen to what you have to say.”
“And I will explain its significance rather than running off on a hunt.”
Diana laughed softly. “Sounds like a deal to me. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Another kiss and Bobby sat up. He didn’t want to stick around and listen to them making out. Diana said something to Noel that he didn’t catch and the big alpha disappeared upstairs. Bobby adjusted his clothes, stretched, and gingerly got to his feet. When he turned, Diana stood right behind him. He jumped, then gave her a sheepish smile.
“Sorry.”
She didn’t look mad at him for eavesdropping, though. “It’s fine. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, too.”
Bobby laughed softly and ducked his head. “Ah. Um . . . well . . . I mean, of course, I love you,” he quickly said. “I love you with all of my heart, Diana. I do.”
And suddenly, that was enough. A rush of relief washed over him and he looked up, smiling. She loved him, he loved her. Her heart was big enough to love them all, and he didn’t have to have a monopoly on it. That didn’t mean that she loved him any less. He had his perfect mate in her, and he was more than happy to share her with her other mates, to see the pure happiness that could only come with all five of them together.
His smile spread until it covered his whole face and he tenderly wrapped his arms around her. “I love you.”
Her lips brushed against his. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Five – Diana
Two Months Later
Diana stretched in her bed, feeling cozy and pleasantly rested. She didn’t want to get up, but one glance outside showed a darkening sky. A sigh escaped her. Apparently, she had napped all afternoon. Her alphas were going to be anxious to see her. She reached for her phone, but her hand brushed over the photo she’d gotten at her ultrasound instead.
A smile burst over her face as she picked it up and looked at it. It was difficult to make out the actual baby, but picking out the head and arms made everything inside of her burn with happiness. She’d gotten the ultrasound earlier that day. It had been difficult to fit all four alphas into the room and they had fought over who got to hold her hand as the doctor did the ultrasound. Yet, the look of awe on their faces was all she needed to reaffirm once more that this was exactly what she wanted.
With another sigh, Diana got up. After the ultrasound, she had stayed at Kurtis’ townhouse for a nap. Her alphas were doing more construction on the house and it would have kept her awake. Making a baby was taking plenty out of her.
Diana yawned as she headed out. She still didn’t like to be out and alone, especially after dark, so Ruby and Tyrell drove her back home before taking their leave. Her alphas waited inside, and all of them perked up once she came in.
“Were you waiting for me?” she asked, tossing her keys into the bowl near the front door.
“Yes.” Noel came forward and swung her around before planting a kiss on her and then handing her to Kurtis.
He nibbled at her neck. “We have a surprise for you.”
Kurtis spun her in a dancer’s move into Bobby’s arms and his hands roamed over her body, making her gasp. He pressed a kiss on her mouth before moving her to Ricky, who picked her up. Diana squealed. They had all recovered from their injuries now, but Ricky had taken the longest to heal. She didn’t want him to strain himself.
“Put me down,” she protested.
“I’m fine.” His eyes twinkled as he headed for the stairs. “Don’t you want to see our surprise?”
She looped her arms around his neck as she leaned against him, defeated. None of the others were protesting. They had discussed putting in a chairlift for her so she wouldn’t risk accidentally falling down the stairs, but they seemed to be comfortable with Ricky carrying her.
“Let me get it,” Bobby said once they were upstairs.
“Get what?” Diana frowned, but her question was quickly answered when Bobby grabbed a remote from the wall and pressed a button.
A beep rang out and then a large panel started to lower from the roof. Diana watched with wide eyes as another set of stairs was revealed. These ones were narrower and steeper than the ones leading from the main floor, so Ricky set her down to climb up them. She glanced back at them and they all smiled in encouragement and gestured for her to go up.
When she emerged in the attic, she gasped. What had been your typical attic was completely redone. The floor was carpeted, except for a space around a large clawfoot bathtub. On the opposite side was the biggest bed she’d ever seen. It was like four king-sized mattresses pushed together. There were all sorts of blankets and pillows over it, forming a nest. It lay flush against the floor, which was probably just as well.
Her alphas filed into the room after Bobby took her hand. “We decided that sharing means spending time together. The current sleeping situation doesn’t really work.”
They’d been camped out in the living room for the past two months. She had tried to sleep in her
own room but didn’t want to be that far away from her alphas. Diana’s eyes flooded with tears and she laughed at her own emotions.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you all so much.”
Her alphas beamed. They all pressed forward, embracing her. Having all that hard muscle around her reminded her that they hadn’t been intimate since the attack of the Alphabet Killer — mostly because they were all recovering from their injuries. She couldn’t help herself from wiggling her ass into the alpha behind her.
“So, I guess we celebrate?” she asked, her voice low and smooth.
“We’re not there yet,” Ricky protested. “We still have more to say.”
“Like promising that we’ll be a council,” Noel added.
“And not ignore what you have to say,” Kurtis finished.
Bobby nodded. “And this baby is ours. It doesn’t matter who the biological father is. It’s our baby, and we will be the best dads on the planet.”
A lump formed in Diana’s face as she gazed at her alphas. Her heart was so full of love for each of them. How had she managed to get by in life without them with her? She wanted to hold all of them at once. She settled for a promise of her own.
“I am going to do the best I can to be a proper queen. I promise I will be more understanding of the cultural differences . . . But there are a few things that are going to change.”
“Hell right there will be,” Kurtis agreed. “From now on, I’m the big spoon!”
Before any of them could question what he meant, he released Diana and turned to Ricky. He clasped him by the collar and pulled him in, planting a giant kiss on him. Ricky’s eyes widened briefly before he kissed back. Diana grinned, her heart warming even more as they pulled away, cheeks flushed and shy smiles on their faces. Seeing the love pass between her mates like that . . . Was this how they felt when she looked at the others?
Kurtis pulled Ricky a little closer, then wrapped an arm around Diana. “Now it’s time to celebrate.”
“Just don’t expect me to start making out with Bobby,” Noel rumbled.
Diana opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say was swallowed by Noel’s mouth pressed against hers. She moaned, reaching to wrap a hand around the back of his neck while Ricky and Kurtis pressed up against her from behind, swapping kisses from her neck to each other’s mouths. Diana was quickly lost into the sensations, only to be jolted back when Bobby tugged her pants down. His hands ran lovingly over her pregnant stomach.
“Lift her up,” he ordered.
Diana moaned in anticipation as Ricky and Kurtis did as he said. Their strong arms held her thighs apart and Noel shuffled aside to give Bobby space. He removed her underwear and Kurtis wrapped an arm around her waist as she bucked her hips in anticipation.
“Hold still, lovely,” Ricky murmured in her ear.
Bobby licked his lips, then, looking up into her eyes, swept his tongue across her clit. A shiver ran down her spine. Diana’s head fell back onto Ricky’s shoulder. Noel’s hands drifted over her body, lingering on her swollen breasts as Bobby built the heat inside of her. Something twisted tight, pulling deep. She couldn’t help but writhe, needing more. One hand tangled into Bobby’s hair while the other twisted into Noel’s shirt. The distance between their mouths was too great, so she pulled him closer. The sounds of her moans were muffled as his tongue thrust into her mouth.
Kurtis buried into her neck. Her skin felt too tight, every inch of her on fire. She cried out, yanking on Bobby’s head instinctively. He flinched, and she forced her fingers to loosen. Her face was flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Bobby laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. “No problem. I probably deserved it.”
He winked and licked his lips again. A tremor shook her, and she reached to pull him back in. Her core ached, needing to be filled. Desire swept through her like fire and amidst all the kissing and petting, she managed to glance over to the bed. It would be a shame if they didn’t get to use it . . . She kicked her legs to get Kurtis and Ricky to set her down. Once her feet were on the floor, she yanked off her shirt, tossed it aside, and bounced onto the mattress. It was just the right soft-firm combination. She slid one hand between her legs and met each of her alpha’s gaze in turn.
“Whoever is naked first gets me first.”
“Not fair!” Bobby fell over as he immediately yanked at his jeans. “It’s harder to take off your clothes when you’re on the floor.”
Noel already had stripped off his shirt. Ricky and Kurtis both kicked off their pants, then lifted their shirts over their heads at the same time. Both of them bounded over to her and Noel, just a little behind, pushed them aside to grab her around the waist. He pulled her tight against his chest and pressed a searing kiss to her mouth.
“Hey, we were here first,” Kurtis pouted.
Noel broke it off. “You two can have sex with each other. Diana’s the only one I want.”
“Just because we want each other doesn’t mean we want Diana any less,” Ricky growled.
Diana slapped a hand on Noel’s mouth to stop him from replying to that. Her eyes sparkled. It made her skin flush and tingle with delight, knowing that all four big, strong, sexy as sin men wanted her. She glanced at them – at all that bare skin and rippling muscle. Bobby pushed his way into the mix and pressed against her hip, arms wrapping possessively around her.
“I get her first.”
“You?” Noel gave him a look. “You were the last to get naked.”
“Not true.” Bobby laughed low in his throat. “You all still have your socks on.”
Everybody looked at their feet. Diana had to laugh when she saw that Bobby was right. He was the only one in the group of alphas who had bothered to take off his socks. She took him in her hand, stroking softly. She was rewarded by him arching his back to her, his head falling back with a sigh. She had been thinking about this day for a long time . . . All four of her alphas all at once. It was going to be an all-night thing.
“To start off,” she began as Kurtis quickly stripped off his socks and Noel and Ricky started to feel her up again. “Tonight, I am in charge. So, whatever I say, you do. Got it?”
Noel made a noise of confirmation. Bobby, eyes half-closed, nodded. Ricky grunted, which she supposed was his version of agreement. Kurtis grinned.
“Whatever you say.”
Diana nodded. Her heart pounded with excitement. “Bobby, lay on your back.”
He obeyed. Diana straddled him, giving him another few tugs to make sure he was stiff and ready. His eyes glowed with desire and love as she eased herself down on him. A sigh rippled through her throat, head falling back as trembling sensations ran down her legs. Once he was fully in, she laid down on him. A deep, passionate kiss had them both moaning before she looked at the others.
“Noel, I want you in my ass.”
His eyes darkened and he grabbed himself with a groan, but there was a look of uncertainty there, too. “I’ve never done that before.”
“We’ll help you,” Ricky said, his voice gravelly. “The secret is to make sure she’s well lubed and relaxed. Kurtis?”
Kurtis rolled over and pulled open a drawer in the wall, retrieving a bottle. He tossed it to Ricky, who started to show Noel what to do. The attention on her ass with Bobby inside of her was almost enough to make her finish before they even began. Diana arched herself to the attention, a grimace of exquisite pleasure coming over her face.
It only got better when Noel was actually inside of her as well. The two of them made her feel so stretched out she might burst. She’d never felt anything better, especially when Ricky lay on one side and Kurtis lay on the other, kissing her tenderly while running their hands over her skin. Noel started moving. Shivers ran up her spine. After a few minutes, Bobby joined in, both of them thrusting into her in an alternating rhythm.
Diana’s nails bit into the sheets below them. She cried out as her alphas made love to her
. Her skin tightened to the point where she thought she might burst. Pleasure blinded her as their four mouths pressed into her mouth, her shoulders, her neck. A wave of pleasure washed over her, making her scream with pleasure. Bobby’s arms tightened around her waist and Noel made a strangled noise.
Ricky and Kurtis rolled the three of them to their sides before Noel could collapse over them. It took an hour for Diana to get ready for round two; Kurtis and Ricky took her at the same time again. Then things became gentle, with soft touches and stroking each other’s skin before all four of them finally laid back on the bed, panting.
A smile broke lazily across Diana’s face as, one by one, her alphas fell asleep. If somebody had told her just a few months ago that she’d be wrapped in the arms of four gorgeous men, each one hers and she theirs, she’d have laughed in their faces. And yet here she was. With her four alphas, their baby growing inside of her, and nothing but hope for the future.
Diana smiled as she allowed her eyes to drift shut. She had never felt so warm, loved, and wanted before in her life. She knew that her baby was going to grow up with more love than it would know what to do with. It was all she wanted.
And now, she had it.
Epilogue – Diana
Today was the day. Diana’s heart fluttered as she sat with Ruby behind her, brushing through her hair with a wide-toothed comb to smooth her curls. She wore a robe over the long, white, chiffon dress. It gathered at her waist and flowed like a waterfall over her large belly. Diana placed a hand on her belly; the baby kicked in response and she grinned. In just a few months, her little one would be born to be the next alpha of the island.
“There.” Ruby pinned the last curl into place and stepped back to admire her work. “You look beautiful.”
Diana peeked a glance in the mirror as she stood and removed the robe. Her dress, which had an asymmetrical neckline and one sleeve, created a stunning look for her figure. If she wasn’t so anxious to see her mates, she would have started to tear up. Instead, she turned and hugged Ruby.
