Page 55 of Rough Heat

Damon ran his fingers through Leo’s hair, kissing his forehead. It gave Leo the courage to go on.

“I was also thinking…we could mate during my rut. At the end of it, when things aren’t so foggy.”

Josh sat up where he’d been slumped against Leo on the couch. “That’s not gonna be too much?”

Leo shrugged. “I don’t think so. Honestly, I think it’d hurt not to mate with you guys during it…but if you want to wait—”

“Nope,” Damon cut in. “Your rut is perfect.”

Josh nodded quickly, smile spreading on his face.

Despite Leo’s excitement, he was still jittery with restless energy in the lead-up to his rut. Nightmare scenarios crawled in as he tried to sleep, phantoms telling him how out of control he’d feel, how awful it would be to let go. How, with the clarity of how much he’dneedJosh and Damon, he’d see how they didn’t want him at all.

After more than two years of therapy, those thoughts didn’t drown him like they used to.

Leo’s rut began on a Sunday, the sky bright outside despite the cold temperatures. It was warm inside their apartment, thin, white curtains pulled over the windows, the light turned to gossamer.

“God,” Leo gasped as his skin prickled, desire burning him from the inside out. He was sprawled in the middle of their massive bed, sheets already kicked away.

“We’re right here,” Damon whispered, large hand a brand on Leo’s stomach.

It was a delirium of want. Leo couldn’t get enough of his partners, fucking into Josh’s wet hole until the Omega was noodle-limp after coming time after time. If Leo got too restless, Damon would pin him to the mattress and thrust into him, splitting him open on his dick, his knot, getting Leo to scream through his teeth with how good it felt.

When exhaustion hit, there the both of them were, wiping Leo clean, feeding him from their hands, kissing him all over his face, a balm.

It was perfect—better than he had imagined. Every touch seemed to sink to his core. Every sweet word lulled his soul into something calm and complete.

And yet none of it compared to the mating.

Still, after all this time, Leo had the small, persistent fear that the bites wouldn’t take. That he would break skin but the bond wouldn’t form—that Josh and Damon’s link was too strong to let him in.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Damon bit him first. The Alpha had been wild and possessive during Leo’s rut, keeping him close at all times, needing to touch him constantly. He ran his teeth against Leo’s gland, growling, and Leo finally said, “Do it.”

Damon stilled. “Now?”

“Now. Do it, Alpha.”

A rumble like an earthquake and Damon bit Leo on his mating gland.

Leo had no idea if he made noise. Sensation took over him immediately—pain, first, the sharp sting of skin breaking, and then a rushing of pleasure, ofother. It was Damon tangling and winding through Leo, melding parts of him together, fusing one heart with the other.

Leo hadn’t been lonely before. Now, though, he was accompanied in a way he’d never imagined.

“Josh,” Leo begged when the feeling subsided.

Josh didn’t hesitate. Leo hadn’t thought he could be any fuller, but then Josh joined the blinding light inside him, making everything glow.

“You, you,” Damon said as Leo blinked his eyes open. Through pure instinct, Leo bit Damon and Josh in turn, their links slotting in place.

Leo sobbed with it. “I didn’t know,” he cried. “I didn’t know.” He hadn’t even been able to dream what it would be like to be mated to the loves of his life.

It was everything he’d never dared to ask of life.

It took a long time for Leo to regain any sense. When he did, he was cradled between his mates. He could feel them inside his head—not their thoughts, but justthem.

“Thank you,” Leo croaked.

Josh laughed hoarsely. “We’ve wanted this for so long,” he said, voice wet with tears.

“You’re ours now,” Damon whispered, pressing his lips to Leo’s.

This, Leo realised, was what it felt like to belong.

FIN